Data analysis

Silverman (2005 p150) states that for qualitative research “unless you are analysing data more or less from day one you will always have to play ‘catch up’”. This indicates an iterative and highly active process. Positioning myself within a constructivist paradigm I view it not so much as a choice whether to begin analysis from day one but that interpretation and meaning-making inevitably happens throughout. There is a rejection from some of the concept of themes ‘emerging’ from the data (Braun & Clarke 2006; Savin-Baden & Major 2013) because this suggests that themes reside within the data which implies a passivity that denies the highly active and influential role of the researcher in this process. Choices made with regard to data analysis have significant

impact on the research project as a whole and therefore need to be rendered explicit. Whilst acknowledging that analysis and interpretation do take place throughout, there still needs to be a rigorous and demonstrable means of ensuring tangible links between the data and the interpretation of data in order to find “a path through the thicket of prose” Bryman (2004 p399).

As can be seen from the methodology flow-diagram (Fig 3:1 ) I chose to analyse the data thematically using the process proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006) whilst adhering to Van Manen’s (2007) methodological principles of hermeneutic phenomenological as discussed (3:6). I used NVivo10 to code the data. My choice of thematic analysis was based on the need to identify themes across the data set in order to understand the characteristics or essence of the participants’ development of skills for professional judgement. I chose not to use Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) due to its focus on the idiographic, the analysis of a single case at a time and its emphasis on ‘bracketing out’ (Langdridge 2007).

Braun and Clarke ( 2006 p86/87) provide a six stage “recursive” procedure for thematic analysis (Table 3:6) I will use each of these stages to explain the process I undertook. In (Appendices 8-12) I have provided several tables showing examples of the relationship between chunks of data, codes, themes and the final three domains that formed my conceptual analysis.

Table 3:2 Phases of thematic analysis Braun & Clarke (2006 p87)

1 Familiarizing yourself with your data

Transcribing data, reading and re-reading the data, noting down initial ideas

2 Generating initial codes Coding interesting features of the data in a systematic fashion across the entire data set, collating data relevant to each code

3 Searching for themes Collating codes into potential themes, gathering all data relevant to each potential theme

4 Reviewing themes Checking if the themes work in relation to the coded extracts and the entire data set, generating a thematic ‘map’ of the analysis

5 Defining and naming themes Ongoing analysis to refine the specifics of each theme, and the overall story the analysis tells, generating clear definitions and names for each theme

6 Producing the report The final opportunity for analysis, Selection of vivid, compelling extract examples, final analysis of selected extracts, relating back of the analysis to the research question and literature, producing a scholarly report of the analysis

1. Familiarising myself with the data

All interviews were verbatim transcribed. Braun & Clarke suggest reading the entire data set before formal coding begins. I chose to do this in a systematic way focusing on each interview in its entirety before taking an overview across the data set in order to ensure I had immersed myself in the data and to ensure I was effectively incorporating the “parts and the whole” (Van Manen 2007 p31). I undertook the following sequence of steps:

 Noted initial ideas after each interview

 Read the transcript

 Noted issues of key importance for the participant

 Noted issues of key importance for the participant

 Reviewed all three written notes and wrote a brief summary of my initial interpretation of the essence of her/his Authentic Professional Learning in relation to developing skills for professional judgement.

I followed this process for all interviews. It proved very useful listening to the recording as well as reading the transcript because the participants’ intended emphasis became more apparent.

2. Generating initial codes

Braun & Clarke (2006 p87) state “coding continues to be developed and defined throughout the entire analysis” and this was my experience. Each transcript was returned to, read in detail and chunks of data were coded to a long list of ‘nodes’ that I created in Nvivo10. An initial list of nodes was created from the summaries written whilst immersing myself in the data then further nodes were created during the coding process. On encountering a segment of data that was relevant to the research questions I would either code it to an existing node or create a new node. I amended and re-labelled nodes as I progressed through the coding. An example of this was realising that there were two elements to the node ‘supporting autonomy’, one was an ‘active facilitation of autonomy’, the other was ‘valuing student opinions’. I therefore created these two ‘child’ nodes from the ‘parent’ node of ‘supporting autonomy’. As I amended the nodes I returned to earlier transcripts to review the coding as necessary. As can be seen from the examples (Appendices 8-12) I often chose to code large chunks of data across to several nodes in order to retain a sense of the meaning of what was being said, which is conducive to hermeneutic phenomenology, rather than focus on the “semantic content” (Braun & Clarke 2006 p84).

3. Searching for themes

Once I had finished coding, I consolidated the codes into themes. These can be seen in the circles on the thematic map (Appendix 13). Whilst, in qualitative research,

themes are not dependant on the number of data occurrences it was useful to be able to use Nvivo10 to review prevalence across the data set. References to certain things were mentioned by all participants and this provided a starting point to identify themes and begin to consider what might characterise the development of skills for professional judgement as a phenomenon.

4. Reviewing the themes

The thematic map enabled me to move the different themes around to understand their relationship to one another. Generating themes from coded data can risk a fragmentation of the holism of professional learning. In chapter 4 I emphasise the importance of the way these themes interacted with one another to contribute to the students’ learning. Using a thematic map helped me understand one in relation to the other and to see the bigger picture of the research as a whole. To review the validity of the themes it was useful to re-visit sections of the data and the initial summaries I had written about each interview. The tables in (Appendices 8-12) demonstrate how the domains (discussed below), can be traced back through the themes, the codes and to the data itself. This mechanism enabled me to check that my interpretation of what characterises the development of skills for professional judgement had its basis firmly within the data collected.

During the phase of reviewing the themes I invited the participants to meet as a group to further review the themes, 7 participants attended. I shared tentative themes and ideas and presented some example extracts of anonymised data. It generated a discussion in which the participants substantiated some themes by further examples or explanations and others themes were developed. I will discuss this along with the data findings in Chapter 4. A particularly useful contribution was the highlighting of differing views. In discussing knowledge, some showed a preference for researching knowledge

before practice and others for seeking out relevant knowledge once they are involved in the practice situation. One participant paraphrased this for his colleagues as “do you prefer to read the manual before you jump in the trench or take the manual into the trench with you to read?” There is a risk that thematic analysis showcases the commonality rather than the difference and this enabled me to be alert to such occurrences.

5. Defining and naming themes

From the themes I developed a conceptual framework of three domains that characterise the effective development of skills for professional judgement for these participants. The domains are ‘professional responsibility’, ‘facilitation of the professional voice’ and ‘learner agency’. These can be seen on the rectangles in the thematic map (Appendix 13). An important consideration was to understand the domains as interactive to one another. I illustrated this by the inclusion of dual- directional arrows. I honed my interpretation of the domains by writing a paragraph defining each which was then adapted for use in the thesis (Chapter 4). Several of the themes could equally relate to more than one of the domains and I continued to refine and name the themes up to the point of writing the thesis.

6. Producing the report

Van Manen emphasises that writing should be approached not merely as a “reporting process” or “just a supplementary activity” (2014 p364), but is integral to the phenomenological project. This is because the research is given meaning by the creative, reflective interpretation of writing and so forms part of the phenomenological inquiry and as such the writer’s voice should be prominent (Savin-Baden & Major 2013). In ensuring a strong creative voice however, the challenge is to ensure that the voices of the participants are not subsumed by my voice as a writer. I have sought to manage this by ensuring that illustrative direct quotations from participants are included

and that there is an explicit relationship between these quotations and my interpretive discussion.