Data analysis strategies

Qualitative data analysis deals with meaningful talk and action (Coffey & Atkinson, 1996). Its validity could be determined by comparing the themes that come up in the research project to the ones in the literature (Bell, 1999; Burns, 2000). There are some computer programmes that are available to use for data analysis of research projects (Bell, 1999; Burns, 2000; Creswell, 2003). However, for this research project, I used the thematic analysis approach where I identified the common themes that came up from the participants‟ data. According to Mutch (2005), thematic analysis is a qualitative strategy that gathers common themes together from the data. I read the year one and two students‟ data and then gathered their common themes together, followed by the principal‟s/deputy principal‟s data.

The thematic approach has really helped me to identify the common themes in my interview data. It is the most suitable approach for analysing and reporting personal interview data (Mutch, 2005) and it can also help the researcher to easily identify the emerging patterns and the recurring themes from the interview data (Byne, 2001).

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3.8 Conclusion

In this chapter, I have explained the methodology that is relevant to this research. The qualitative approach was important because it was essential to get the descriptive account of the lived experiences of the participants. A suitable approach to researching children was also very important for this research because most of my participants were young students and they were different from adults. Therefore, understandings from children‟s own accounts rather of adults‟ were very important for getting a more accurate description of the students‟ lived experiences.

The ethical issues that are relevant for this project have also been covered, which include informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity and social sensitivity in relation to both the children and the adult participants.

The research method used in this research was semi-structured interview ranging between 10 to 20 minutes per interview for a student and between 5 to 10 minutes for a principal/deputy principal. This section also explained the limitations of the interview method. The last part of this chapter covered the research process that included: access to institutions, selection of the participants, where and how the interviews were conducted and logistical problems. For this research, the thematic approach to analysis was used. The results of the data analysis and the discussion of the results with the literature are in the next chapter.

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CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.0 Introduction

This study explored the experiences of 9 first year students and 7 second year students of boarding secondary schools in the Solomon Islands when in transition from primary schools which they attended daily to boarding secondary schools located far from homes and villages, and the strategies that boarding secondary schools used to help them. The students were in transition from primary schools in their own ethnic groups to boarding secondary schools where there was a mixture of students.

The first year students were only three months at school when I carried out this research so they were in a transition period from primary to boarding secondary schools. The second year students were already more than a year at boarding secondary schools so they were reflecting on their transition. The principals and deputy principal were the top administrators of their schools and they knew the strategies to help the transition of the new students to their schools.

This research was based on the following questions:

What do Solomon Islands students experience when in transition from primary schools that they attend daily to boarding secondary schools

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located far from their homes and villages, and what formal and informal strategies are available for them? How can the experiences of the students and the transition literature inform the transition programmes for boarding secondary schools?

Information was gathered from 10 to 20 minute interviews with the students and 5 to 10 minutes interviews with the principals/deputy principal based on questions from an interview schedule. The data was analyzed through the process of thematic analysis in order to elicit the recurring themes that appeared relating to the experiences of the students when in transition and the strategies that secondary schools used to help the transition of the new students.

There were students from rural areas who were attending boarding secondary schools in urban areas, and some students from urban areas who were attending rural schools. There were also students who had siblings or relatives attending the same boarding secondary school, while others were by themselves.

There were three year one students at Frazer High School. When I asked a prefect to go and tell two female students whom I had identified, a year one girl and a year two girl, two year one girls arrived, so I had three year one students instead, a male and two females.

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I interviewed the deputy principal of Wesley College instead of the principal because the principal was busy on that day so he asked me to interview the deputy principal instead.

The themes that emerged from the students‟ personal experiences include: experiences leaving for boarding schools, positive feelings on arriving at school, negative feelings on arriving at boarding school, difficulties and problems encountered at boarding school, positive experiences at secondary schools, academic work, extra-curricular activities, accommodation, and food. These include both positives and negatives and their personal strategies to overcome some of their difficulties and problems.

The themes that emerged from formal strategies that were available at boarding schools include: principals‟ general observations and expectations of the first year students, good dormitories and classrooms, orientations, class assemblies, dorm teachers, cultural groups, and religious groups.

The results include comments from 9 year one students and 7 year two students whose ages range from 11 to 12 years, and from three principals and one deputy principal. The schools have a diverse range of students, mostly Melanesians and a few Polynesians and Micronesians. For this

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study, pseudonyms are used instead of schools and students‟ real names (see tables 1-5 in Appendix 10 for participant details).