Data Collection Methods

Questionnaires, interviews and focus groups comprised the research methods used in this study. The following section outlines these methods and their relevance in addressing the research questions.

Interviews

Interviews or “conversations with a purpose” were the main data collection tool used in this research (Dexter, 1970 cited in Merriam 2009, p.36).

The structure of an interview exists along a “continuum ranging from informal or conversational interaction to questionnaire driven highly structured interviews” (Merriam, 2009, p.90). The semi-structured interview lies in the middle of this continuum and is the type of interview used throughout the data collection phase of this research.

Interviews are a useful method for collecting data as they allow the researcher to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomena from the perspective of the participant (Merriam, 2009; Patton, 1990).

“We cannot observe how people have organised the world and the meanings they attach to what goes on in the world. We have to ask people about those things. The purpose of interviewing, then, is to allow us to enter into the other person’s perspective.” (Patton, 2002, p. 340)

Merriam (2009) puts forward that interviews can be a useful realm for participants to share information about often unobservable phenomena (e.g. thoughts, feelings and intentions). By interviewing an individual, they can give direct quotations about their experiences, opinions, feelings and knowledge.

106

Wisker (2001, p.165) also considers interviews as beneficial in certain instances;

“(Interviews are)…an effective data collection tool in the gathering of such information which is based on: emotions, feelings and experiences, information based on sensitive issues and information based on insider experience, privileged insights and experiences.”

Patton (1990) also suggests that interviews can be an important approach if one wishes to find out about a person’s goals, intentions, desires and values.

Prior to the commencement of each of the interview phases, an interview guide (or protocol) was created which contained topics and questions to be explored throughout the interview. This guide contained several different components such as an introductory section regarding the nature of the research, followed by a series of ice-breaker questions leading on to the main body of questions, and finally a closing section at the end of the interview.

In terms of the questions asked, the introductory questions were often very general questions which were unrelated to the research topic itself but which were important to ask in order for the participant to feel comfortable and at ease when speaking within an interview context. For example, in the student interviews, a number of ice-breaker opening questions were asked such as the name of their school, where they lived, or how long it took for them to commute over to the university each morning. The main body of questions related to the purpose of the study and what I wanted to find out. These questions are directly outlined in the interview guides contained in Appendix D. An example of the questions would be: ‘Where did you first hear about CTYI’?; ‘What do you think are the benefits to taking part?’; Do you see any negatives to participating’? The closing section of the interview usually ended with a general question enquiring if the participant had any further comments which they had not spoken about previously as to

107

their experiences within CTYI. In some cases, the participants would outline something new or make reference to some interesting aspect of the programme, and at other times; they would state they had nothing further to add. The interview or focus group would then be concluded.

Each interview guide was designed in a way to give a degree of structure to the interview, but at the same time, was kept relatively flexible so that the participants were able to fully express their views, while also giving the participant and the researcher the freedom to drive the conversation outside the list of questions (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2007). A flexible format is also useful as it allows the researcher to gain further clarification of the participant’s answers, to respond to the situation at hand, while engaging with the emerging worldview of the respondent, and to the new ideas on the topic (Merriam, 2009).

In total, 22 interviews were conducted with students and the guidance counsellors over the course of the study.

Focus Groups

Focus groups were also used during the data collection amongst current students and parents.

Focus groups are a type of group-interview for use amongst a group of people who have knowledge regarding a particular topic (Merriam, 2009). Focus groups bring together a specifically chosen sector of the population to discuss a particular given theme or topic, where the interaction of the group leads to data and outcomes (Cohen Manion & Morrison, 2007). The questioning in focus groups is usually on a particularly well defined topic and the emphasis is on the interaction within the group and the joint construction of meaning (Bryman, 2012).

108

Focus groups have a number of uses. Firstly, this technique allows the researcher to develop an understanding about why people feel the way they do. Within the group, people can probe other people’s point of view, and as an individual listens to other group members, they may modify or qualify their view, or additionally they may want to voice something that many have not thought about before. Secondly, participants can bring to the fore important and significant issues in relation to a topic under discussion. Thirdly, focus groups allow the inquirer to access a process that qualitative researchers are typically interested in: interaction. Like in-depth interviewing, focus groups allow access to content that researchers are often interested in, that is, the attitudes and experiences of our informants (Bryman, 2012).

With regards to the size of the groups, there is no agreed number as to the most appropriate number of participants. Bryman (2012) suggests that it involves more than one, usually at least four participants, while Richie and Lewis (2003) propose somewhere between four and ten participants. In this case study, the participant numbers and gender varied within each group. The focus groups were organised and were conducted strategically at a time when parents were on campus, as a result, encouraging participation did not prove too problematic.

In total, there were five focus groups carried out; four with parents, and one with students. Appendix C provides a detailed breakdown of the individual composition of each of the four parent focus groups (roman numerals section). With regard to the number of parents within each group, there was between two and six parents within each of these four groups.

109

Questionnaires

Questionnaires were used as a form of data collection as they can give a succinct synopsis of the overarching trends or attitudes of the people filling out this questionnaire (Creswell 2009). The attributes related to the sample of the public who fill out the questionnaire may also typify the attributes of a larger population (Babbie, 1990). In addition, and specifically in this case, questionnaires can be used to explore findings from other research methods (e.g. a face to face interview) with a larger number of participants.

Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2007, p.258) maintain that the appearance of the questionnaire is “vitally important”, and as a result, significant effort was dedicated to laying out the questionnaire in a way which looked “easy, attractive and interesting” for the participants. Thus, the ordering of the questions is an important consideration. Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2007) recommend that the initial questions should be simple and have high interest value; the middle set of questions should contain the difficult questions, with the final section also containing questions with a high interest value in order to encourage the respondents to return the completed questionnaire (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007). Each questionnaire also provided extra space in order to allow for the respondent to elaborate on any of their answers if needed.

Over the course of the research, the structure and the focus of the questions changed and adapted to the development of the study. In relation to the structure of the questions; dichotomous questions, a multiple response format, and likert scales were all used throughout the questioning of respondents. The majority and perhaps most interesting in terms of findings were the open-ended questions requiring the participants’ opinions. Such an emphasis on open-ended questions is appropriate when the research adopts a qualitative lens as “an open ended question can catch the authenticity, richness, depth of

110

response, honesty and candour which are the hallmarks of qualitative data” (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2007 p. 255).

Questionnaires were distributed amongst students- both with current and previous students at different points of the research process. The layout and the type of questions often varied as the research progressed and evolved. The majority of questionnaires were completed when students were on campus during the summer programmes. For data collection outside this, postal questionnaires were sent to students homes. Stamped addressed return envelopes were provided to students to accommodate the completed responses and follow-up phone calls were made to the student homes enquiring if they had received the questionnaire and if they planned to participate in the research.

In total, over the course of the research, 120 questionnaires were completed amongst students (current and previous) and guidance counsellors.

Figure 3.3. contains an overview of the study’s research participants and data collection methods used with each. Appendix D provides copies of the various data collection tools used with all the various participant groups.

Figure 3.3 Overview of the study's research participants’ and data collection methods

•Questionnaires(7) •Interviews (3) •Questionanires (16) •Focus Groups (4) •Interviews (19) •Focus Groups (1) •Questionnaires (97) _CURRENT STUDENTS PARENTS PREVIOUS STUDENTS GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS

111

Of course, the collection of such large amounts of data gives rise to questions regarding the analysis of the participant’s views. The next section covers data analysis.