Data analysis

3.6.1 Thematic analysis

Within a qualitative study, there are undoubtedly various ways to analyse the data collected, and much of the literature suggests that these methods can vary considerably, but ultimately the process should be fit-for-purpose for the nature of the research and the type of data being collected (Cohen et al., 2007; Creswell, 2013; Finlay, 2012) whereas Miles et al. suggest the aim is in “finding coherent descriptions and

explanations that still include all of the gaps, inconsistencies, and contradictions inherent in personal and social life” (2013, p. 10).

This study is concerned with the detailed lived-experience of the teachers who participated in the DBLT course, and as Groenewald (2004) emphasises, “the aim of the researcher is to describe as accurately as possible the phenomenon, refraining from any pre-given framework, but remaining true to the facts” (p. 5). In developing this research study, I am aware of my own subjectivity and stance with regard to the

phenomenon being investigated, and in particular with the participants involved and my

own very strong connection with the profession.

In analysing the data collected from the interviews, the role of the researcher is to ensure “the description be as precise and detailed as possible with a minimum number of generalities or abstractions” (Giorgi, 1997). This is further reiterated by Denscombe (2007) who states that the researcher should “present the experiences in a way that is faithful to the original” (p. 78).

Within phenomenology, Moustakas (1994) adopts two modified methods for the analysis of data, the Van Kamm method and the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method. Both these methods include several main steps in the analysis, and is outlined below:

organisation of data begins when the primary researcher places the transcribed interviews before him or her and studies the material through the methods and procedures of phenomenal analysis. The procedures include horizonalizing the data and regarding every horizon or statement relevant to the topic and question as

having equal value. From the horizonalized statements, the meaning or meaning units are listed. These are clustered into common categories or themes, removing overlapping and repetitive statements. The clustered themes and meanings are used to develop the textual descriptions of the experience. From the textual descriptions, structural descriptions and an integration of textures and structures into the meanings and essences of the phenomenon are constructed. (p. 118)

Analysing the detailed descriptions from the participants’ experiences of the course will provide a deeper insight into their views about blended learning professional development, and thus help to develop the essence of the phenomenon being explored in the research questions (Moustakas, 1994). In addition, analysis of participants’ learning journals and final personal commentary of the course were included to help form a deeper understanding of their experience and learning.

This study mainly follows Moustakas’s approach to analysing data, and Giorgi’s (1997) more detailed description and explanation on his five steps to support this phenomenological study to analyse the interview data. Giorgi’s (1997) five steps involve:

1) collection of verbal data 2) reading of the data

3) breaking of the data into some kind of parts

4) organisation and expression of data from a disciplinary perspective

5) synthesis or summary of the data for the purposes of communication to the scholarly community.

In order to analyse the data, I began by reading each individual participant’s transcript several times to gain an overall feeling and impression of each lived experience of the course. Each sentence was then examined in more detail to find potential meanings or connections and phrases or words, together with additional notes and a further impression of the participant’s lived experience. I kept and managed this data in an Excel spreadsheet so that the analysis could be conducted for an individual participant and across all the participants’ experiences. I continued to refer back to the participants’ transcripts to ensure I remained as close to their lived experience as possible as further analysis took place to find emerging themes and categories. The main themes were then identified and are described in more detail in the following chapter.

3.6.2 Thematic analysis for images

The use of Pecha Kucha presentations to support this study gives additional information and meanings to supplement the thematic analysis applied to the primarily text-based methods within the semi-structured interviews, personal commentaries and learning journals. In particular, the use of still images in educational research can be viewed alongside other data and used to potentially gain a deeper understanding of participants’ experience of the course and provide a further interpretation of how teachers reflect in the context of their own blended learning teaching practice (Cohen et al., 2007 p. 530).

From the Pecha Kucha presentations, I looked at what reflection the images prompted or triggered according to my notes, and how these images related to the teacher’s own reflections. Based on this, I developed three key themes which connected the context of the images with teachers’ reflections.

Unfortunately, none of these presentations were possible to video-record as this was not possible under the institutional and research timeframes, and thus the corresponding teachers’ audio recordings were not available for analysis to help form a more coherent and systematic approach. However, notes taken during the presentation by myself helped to provide added detail to their talk.

3.6.3 Bracketing

A key aspect of a semi-structured interview is for the participants to be able to reflect, engage with and have an informal, yet interactive dialogue with the researcher, who will use open-ended comments and questions to help develop a further understanding of the participant’s experience with the phenomenon (Moustakas, 1994). What the interviewer is required to be aware of, is their own subjective perceptions, preconceptions or assumptions, and to take these into consideration when conducting interviews (Kvale and Brinkmann, 2015). Thus, “presuppositionlessness implies a critical awareness of the interviewer’s own presuppositions” (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2015, p. 31). This epoche, as identified by Edmund Husserl (1999) provides the basis and understanding by which the researchers “aim to bracket their previous understandings, past knowledge, and assumptions about the phenomenon so as to focus on the phenomenon in its appearing” (Finlay, 2012, p. 24). Within phenomenological studies, the way in which the researcher’s own subjectivity is construed and made apparent is debatable, and how bracketing is applied throughout the study aligns with the strand of phenomenology being followed (Finlay, 2012; Giorgi, 1997). In addition, the notion of “power asymmetry” as identified by Kvale and Brinkmann (2015, p. 34) highlights the researcher’s awareness to further elaborate and reflect on these issues

within their own epistemological position and the importance of bracketing within the study.

As the researcher in this study, I attempted to adopt a bracketing strategy as described above during the data collection stage and analysis process, and aligned this to my own epistemological position to minimise potential researcher bias, and to ensure validity and reliability of the results throughout this study.