Data Analysis and Interpretation Procedures

Gay and Airasian (2000, p.239) describe data analysis as being concerned with

“…describing what is in the data.”, and interpretation as being concerned with making sense of “…what the descriptions mean.” In chapter four, I will provide a detailed report of both what my data say as well as what that data means in an inductive manner as I discover patterns and make sense of them.

There are different approaches to qualitative data analysis, but all boil down to the same common denominator: “The researcher begins with a large body of information and must…sort and categorize it and gradually boil it down to a small set of abstract, underlying themes.” (Leedy and Ormrod 2005, p. 150)

However, my specific instance is a case study, and Leedy and Ormrod (2005, p. 136) make specific recommendations including arranging facts of the case in chronological order, categorizing data into meaningful groups, interpreting even single instances, identifying underlying themes, and constructing a general portrait of the case study at the end.

Even in early stages of data collection, I became familiar enough with it to begin identifying emerging themes. This, according to Leedy and Ormrod (2005, p. 136) is quite common with case study researchers. After performing further literature-based research on these themes to better understand them, a broader picture was able to be

created. Further data collection led to a closer classification system of that data, allowing for the final step – the interpretation of the data.

3.3.1 Analysis

Stringer (2004, p.100) tells action researchers to watch for what he calls “epiphanies” in each individual research participant’s experiences. He describes them as being moments in students’ lives that emerge as students gain awareness of what is going on around them. According to Stringer, my job is to first review the information gained in my data collection techniques and then identify these epiphanies. As I reflected on the interviews and questionnaires, themes emerged that helped me to understand the nature of what was going on in my classroom. These themes helped me organize further research as one step led to the next.

My intent is to understand the experienced reality of one aspect of students’ lives in my classroom –motivating factors. As I analyze students’ epiphanies, I want to capture their voices and emotions that make them feel as they do. I want to be able to collectively view those voices and emotions in order to cause positive change in their German class. According to Stringer (2004, p. 99), examining epiphanies allows me to “…reveal features and elements of experience, often not apprehended in the normal course of events, that provide significant insight…” - insight, in my case, into the prime motivational factor for my students – the state German competition.

Stringer (2004, p.105) explains that understanding epiphanies is a two part process: First of all, I need to identify the information I will need, and then “unpack” the epiphany in order to reveal the nature of the experience. The first questionnaire made it clear that the state German competition was a major motivating factor for my students. The questionnaire dealing with why it was motivating was a second look which revealed epiphanies. The follow-up video taped interviews revealed further details related to these epiphanies – themes that emerged again and again with different students. Themes that were further “unpacked” using existing literature to gain an even clearer picture of what my students were experiencing through the state German competition. The results of this deconstruction of students’ epiphanies will be featured in chapter four.

In finding these epiphanies, a system of how to categorize and represent data was needed. The most systematic way was to simply read through the transcripts of the videotaped interviews and develop categories that represented the data. As I encountered epiphanies that were the same in different students, I allotted those epiphanies to their corresponding category. The categories emerged as I read and reread the transcripts.

As I read and developed categories, I compared those categories to find relationships between them. For categories that held the most epiphanies, I conducted literature- based research to find out more about the category, which in turn gave me more insight into my students’ epiphanies.

With the questionnaires, I relied on frequency of mention to find main themes. Every time a theme was mentioned by a student, I categorized it. Counting responses in this manner helped me to keep student views in perspective, and not my own. Initially, it was thought that a service learning based project with a school in Namibia was a main motivating factor, seeing that a minority of students actually listed this project as a motivating factor in the initial questionnaire, and that no students listed it in the follow up fill in the blank questionnaire proved otherwise.

3.3.2 Interpretation

Once epiphanies in the data had been identified, connections between epiphanies had been made, and the findings had been reported upon, it was necessary to attach meaning to those findings. Mills (2000, p.104) recommends several approaches to interpreting data including an extension of the analysis by considering directions that were not taken as part of the original data gathering procedures. There are also times in the interpretation when I employ my own personal experience to tell how I, as the insider, experienced particular instances. Another type of interpretation Mills explains is to contextualize findings in the literature. I have been dealing with literature in this way throughout the research process, using theories to help me make sense of my data as it materialized.

My results are reported in a narrative style, giving readers insight into a tiny slice of students’ lives that revolves around motivating factors to stay in my German class. As

I researched, I saw that such narrative accounts would go deeper than simply listing motivational factors. My multiple sources of data provided wonderful insights into the hidden dimensions of the prime factor that motivates my students - the state German competition.