Authenticity

Authenticity deals with a set of issues concerning the wider political impact of the research like fairness and agency. In terms of fairness, Guba and Lincoln (1994) implore the researcher to include all the different viewpoints of the members of the social setting without bias so as to build reality from different angles rather than from one favoured viewpoint. Various viewpoints are more amenable to issues of trustworthiness. In this study, various viewpoints from fourth form girls taking and not taking design and technology subjects, their design and technology teachers, parents, principals and design and technology education officers were used to build an understanding of issues affecting fourth form girls participation and performance in design and technology subjects.

In terms of agency, Guba and Lincoln mention four authenticity factors

considered feminist for their action focus: ontological, educative, catalytic and tactical. Ontological authenticity is concerned with helping the participants to arrive at a better understanding of their social environment and the forces affecting them. Bryman (2001) comments that ontological authenticity goes hand in hand with educative authenticity aiming to help participants to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others in the social milieu. Once the participants have been made to understand their social

environment and how it impacts upon them as well as learning to accommodate other people's views, Guba and Lincoln (1994) perceive that this knowledge should empower participants to engage in action to change their circumstances.

By discussing issues affecting girls' participation and achievement with the affected fourth form girls, teachers, parents, principals and education officers, the researcher was making them aware of circumstances they had taken for granted for a

Chapter Five: Research design 1 10 were the province for males and not females and such awareness awoke their thoughts to issues of hidden messages of subjectivity, skills alienation and consequences for future job opportunity loses for girls.

5.9 Limitations of the Research Design

The case study research design and the eclectic data collection methods adopted for this research were anticipated to give the study more insight into site similarities and differences as well as to corroborate information. However, the two weeks spent in each of the eight schools visited, might not have been enough for the researcher to be fully immersed into the social world of the participants to unravel most issues affecting fourth form girls' participation and achievement. Usually deeper data meanings are obtained from researcher prolonged visits and immersion into research sites. Kvale (1996) and Bryman (2001) however, argue that when observation is not the main method of data collection as in ethnography, the issue of prolonged time spend collecting information at a site might not be so important as enough and quality data collected. In this respect, I felt that I had collected enough information from participants during the two weeks I was at each school. Moreover, limitations of time meant that the five months allocated for fieldwork had to be divided among the eight schools.

Secondly, while the eight schools were selected to gain insight into site

similarities and differences, too many schools were feared to pose problems of tying the results together with meaning being lost in the process. Information from the schools and various participant groups would be bulky and to take a long time to analyse. However, deeper meaning would be obtained from more schools than would have been possible if one school had been studied. Thirdly, the study covering eight different secondary schools in two geographical provinces of Zimbabwe meant costly travel between Harare and Masvingo provinces and between the schools in the limited budget I have.

Fourthly, I felt that only twelve girls taking design and technology subjects in three of the eight schools may not give a fair representation of processes affecting fourth form girls' taking or not taking of the subjects. I believe a more representative picture of

events would emerge if there were more representation of girls taking design and technology subjects in all the eight schools. Girls not taking design and technology subjects were more than enough required for interviews and random sampling had to be done to choose participants. As a result, a more rounded picture of processes affecting girls taking and not taking design and technology subjects was obtained from these girls. The same goes for female teachers where only three of the eleven female teachers interviewed were teaching design and technology subjects with the rest teaching home economics and counseling. Though female teachers not teaching design and technology

Chapter Five: Research design 1 1 1 subjects helped with general views, more female teachers actually involved in the

teaching of design and technology subjects would have provided a more rounded picture of processes affecting girls taking or not taking the subjects.

Translation of questions into Shona in four of the eight schools where English was not a strong subject among the students could mean that meaning might be changed in the translation. There was also the problem of finding word equivalents in English and Shona languages and vice versa which could also mean lost meaning. Transcription translation in the same schools also posed the same problems. A thorough revision of each translation and determination of meaning was hoped to minimise the problem (Poland, 1 995).

My first time use of the NUDIST QSR N6 programme might also have

limitations of adequate and dependable analysis. Results from the analysis using the N6 programme were however compared with the manual coding method to give results

trustworthiness, dependability and credibility.

5.10 Summary

This research considered a case study as the most appropriate means to

understand processes influencing girls' low participation and low achievement in design and technology subjects. Though the research targeted mainly fourth form girls'

experiences to tease out processes that undermine their involvement and success in these subjects, other voices like those of education officers, heads of schools, design and technology teachers and parents were included to give a wider view of relevant events and processes.

An eclectic or multi-method approach to data collection through focus and semi­ structured interviews, lesson observation, archival data and content analysis not only allowed for a holistic interpretation of the events and processes undermining girls involvement and performance in the subjects but was used as a research self-check measure to validate findings and promote issues of trustworthiness and authenticity of research. Similarly, employing both the manual methods of data analysis and the QSR N6 software tended to give results trustworthiness and authenticity with congruent data. The fact that both methods corroborated in the final determination of the twenty-five major themes was ample evidence of research and method confirmability. Other strategies like the employment of mechanically recorded data, use of participants' own words and transcribing all tapes in full were incorporated in this research to enhance research credibility (internal validity). The following of ethical considerations as stipulated in the Massey University Human Ethics Committee and the Code of Ethical

Chapter Five: Research design 1 12 Conduct for Research and Teaching Involving Human Subjects (200 1 ) ensured research authenticity and fairness to all.

The research was conducted in New Zealand over a three and a half year period as shown on the research time frame (see figure 5. 1 ). The research was divided into seven phases. Phases one to three spanned from August 2001 to December 2002 and were carried out in New Zealand. This involved research literature searches, proposal writing, designing and testing of research instruments. For phase four involving data collection fieldwork, I travelled to Zimbabwe. Data transcription began while I was still in Zimbabwe as further data were being gathered and continued upon the researcher's return to New Zealand to complete data analysis, writing of the thesis and submission.

Phase Six Seven

Thesis Thesis

write-up in submission

Completion of _{New Zealand}

all data and ongoing Three Pilot testing of i nstruments in transcription _{and beginning} analysis of data

Two Zimbabwe. of data analysis

Phase -Identification in New

One -Literature of research _participants collection, Data Zealand

Preparation! search and _{and contacting} transcription

Literature completion _them. and initial

search of proposaI analysis in

-Development Zimbabwe

-Ethical _{and testing of}

approval _{instruments in} New ZeaIand

Jan. 2004 to September

Aug 200 1 - March 2002 _{August 2002 to} Jan. 2003 to _{June 2003 to August 2005} 2005

March 2002 to July 2002 _{Dec 2002} M ay 2003 Dec. 2003 Figure 5. 1 . Research time frame

In the next chapter, I present the results of the study beginning with statistical information on subject enrolment and performance. Tables have been used to clarify information where necessary.

Chapter S ix: National and provincial participation and achievement results

CHAPTER SIX

NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL PARTICIPATION AND ACHIEVEMENT RESULTS

1 1 3

This chapter presents the research findings of archival data collected from the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) which was used to answer the first sub-question: how are fourth form girls represented and performing in design and technology subjects in Zimbabwean secondary schools and in the two provinces of Harare and Masvingo? National enrolment statistics are presented side by side with those for Harare and Masvingo provinces for comparisons. Students at fourth form level take only one technical subject from the design and technology curriculum (metal technology and design, wood technology and design, building technology and design and technical graphics and design) or from the technical curriculum (art, typing, fashion and fabrics and food and nutrition). In an examination-oriented system like that in Zimbabwe, fourth form (year 1 1) examination enrolment statistics were preferred for analysis rather than school enrolments in this study because they determine who finally leaves school with qualifications recognised for further study or employment purposes.

Statistical data on girls' participation in design and technology subjects were obtained from examination enrolment statistics at the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) from 1990 to 2001. English language was used as an indicator of total enrolment since the subject is compulsory for every fourth form student to enrol in it unlike other subjects that may be optional. Furthermore, it is a requirement that the mandatory five ordinary level passes required for any student to have a full school leaving certificate should have English language as one of the core subjects plus any other four subjects. Thus, enrolment in English language gives a realistic picture of total student enrolment provincially and nationally each year.

Independent percentages of girls as well as those for boys were calculated to avoid including girls in the greater proportion of boys enrolled at school in each of the seven years ( 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1 998, 2000 and 2001). Enrolment figures for 2002 were not yet available from ZIMSEC at the time of the study fieldwork. In this study, integrated science was chosen to represent the sciences, mathematics to represent numeracy subjects and English language to represent literacy subjects and fashion and fabrics to represent the traditional female subjects. I focus on fourth form girls and the four design and technology subjects since it is girls who are disadvantaged in

Chapter Six: National and provincial participation and achievement results 1 14

have taken any of the design and technology subjects. Even though boys do not participate much in fashion and fabrics and food and nutrition, it is Zimbabwean men who dominate employment sectors associated with these subjects such as fashion and hotel catering. While women make up 5 1 .8% of Zimbabwe's population, only 6 percent are employed in traditional male careers leaving them disadvantaged in both traditional female and male-oriented careers (Government of Zimbabwe, 1998).

6.1 Fourth Form Girls' Representation in Design and Technology Subjects

National and provincial statistics presented in appendix xxvii show a gendered student enrolment pattern for design and technology subjects for the years 1990, 1992, 1994, 1 996, 1 998, 2000 and 200 1 . When comparisons were made against core academic subjects such as English language, mathematics and integrated science as well as fashion and fabrics (appendix xxviii), fourth form girls' enrolment in technical graphics and design, building technology and design, wood technology and design and technical graphics and design is seen as very low. For the seven years sampled, girls' enrolment in the four design and technology subjects ranged between 0.02 to 0.7 percent compared to between 43% and 100% for English language, mathematics and integrated science and

1 .9 to 1 0 percent for boys. The traditional girls' subject fashion and fabrics though having lower enrolment percentages compared to the three academic subjects, registered its lowest percentage as only 17% in 1994 and its highest in 2001 at 29% (see table 6.1). Boys lower participation in fashion and fabrics showed that the enroment was gendered. Table 6. 1

Girls' national percentage participation in eight subjects compared

Year

Subject 1 990 1 992 1 994 1 996 1 998 2000 200 1

Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys

% % % % % % % % % % % % % % T/graphics 0.3 1 .9 0.2 2 0.3 2. 1 0.4 2.4 0.6 3 . 1 0.5 2.8 0.6 3 Building 0.4 5. 1 0.5 5 .2 0.3 5 0.4 6. 1 0.6 8 . 1 0.6 9. 1 0.7 1 0 W Itechnology 0.3 6. 1 0. 1 5 . 1 0. 1 4.6 0. 1 4.9 0.2 5 .3 0.2 5 .3 0.3 5 . 8 Mltechnology 0.2 3.9 0. 1 3 0.02 2.8 0.02 2.9 0. 1 3.4 0. 1 3.2 0.2 3.3 English lang 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 1 00 Mathematics 49 57 46 54 5 1 55 43 55 53 56 54 56 48 47 Intlscience 76 79 79 78 83 78 8 1 75 80 74 86 79 97 85 Fashion/fabrics 1 8 0.2 1 7 0.3 1 7 0.3 20 0.3 24 0.5 26 0.7 29 0.8

T/graphics= technical graphics and design, W/technology= Wood technology and design, Mltechnology= Metal technology and design Intlscience= Integrated science

Chapter Six: National and provincial participation and achievement results 1 1 5 Girls' national participation in building and technical graphics and design was the highest

over the seven years followed by wood technology and design and metal technology and design. Boys' average national participation was highest in building technology and design followed by wood technology and design, metal technology and design and technical graphics and design. Provincial participation rates for fourth form girls were no different from national ones in design and technology as they ranged from 0.01 percent to 0.6 percent during the seven years. On the other hand, English language, mathematics and integrated science enrolment rates for the same period ranged from 44% to 100% leaving a 43% percentage gap between the highest enrolment rate in design and technology and the lowest enrolment rate in academic subjects. Provincial fashion and fabrics participation ranged from 1 7% to 3 1 % leaving a percentage gap of 17% between the highest enrolment rate in design and technology and the lowest enrolment rate in fashion and fabrics. I now look at girls' participation in each of the design and technology subjects.