GENERATING THE DATA

In the following section, site selection, sampling and methods of data collection will be discussed.

3.4.1 Context of the study

I decided to conduct this research at the school where I was a Life Orientation teacher. The subject of Life Orientation lends itself to open discussion about topics such as underage binge drinking behaviour etc. Conducting research from a qualitative framework, I was expected to be a primary instrument in the research process. Qualitative research is mainly about understanding how individuals make sense of their lives (Merriam, 2009). I needed to enter the research site with as little disruption as possible in order to obtain the richest data. Establishing good rapport with participants was very important. Warren (1988) suggests that how the host society accepts the fieldworker’s presence will be a reflection of specific context, cultural norms and expectations, as well as the fieldworker’s specific characteristics. This specific school was chosen because it has a population of learners from middle to high income

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households. At the moment the school has 902 learners and 64 staff members. At first when I obtained access to the school, I had an interview with the principal. He is the gatekeeper who would most affect the likelihood of the learners participating in the study (Crano & Bewer, 2008). I approached him in a non-threatening and understandable way in order to explain the purpose and aim of the study (Crano & Bewer, 2008). Initially he was resistant and apprehensive about the confidentiality of the learners, whether learners would miss academic classes as well as the anonymity of the school in the research process. After presenting my research proposal and addressing his concerns, he granted permission to conduct the research with the precondition that the school’s name should be kept confidential.

Before commencing the first phase of data gathering, I explained the purpose and the procedure of the study to the whole Grade 11 group of learners. They had the chance to ask questions and to clarify any misconceptions and expectations. This enabled me to ensure that the whole group knew exactly what the research was about and how they could participate in the study. I explained the confidentiality as well as the rights of the participants and asked them whether they wanted to volunteer to take part in this study. It was important that I explained and reminded the participants of their rights throughout the study.

Being a teacher at the school where the data was gathered opened the field for me to maintain a good rapport with those who participated in the study. I knew the contextual backgrounds of the participants, which informed a healthy relationship between me and the participants, as well as creating an awareness of how culture, background and social norms may affect the data being gathered. The school was willing to participate in the research and permission was obtained by the Western Cape Educational Department (WCED, Appendix B) as well as from the principal of the specific school (Appendix C).

I acknowledged that the dual role of the researcher as teacher at the school as well as researcher could be challenging but there were many benefits that outweighed the risks. Being a teacher and researcher at the specific school positioned me to use the results to develop specific interventions, which could be of enormous benefit.

3.4.2 Sampling

In order to obtain rich, specific data, careful sampling is important. Sampling can be viewed as “the selection of research participants from an entire population” (Durrheim, 2014, p. 49). The researcher should, based on the research design, identify a representative sample that would

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suit the purpose of the research best. Conducting research from the qualitative paradigm enables the researcher to elicit findings that can be transferable. This enables the researcher to understand the context of other groups comparable to those that were studied (Painter, 2014, p. 49).

I used convenience sampling within the qualitative framework to gather participants for the study. The convenience sample is a well-established way of accessing data and which I used in this study. Convenience sampling refers to a method of sampling where those who participate in the study were already available (Mertens, 2005). This method of sampling enabled me to select participants who were available.

As a teacher at a high to middle income school, I asked participants from the whole Grade 11 population to volunteer as part of the focus group. Only those who gave permission took part in the focus group interviews. The sample consisted of only eight leaners. A small sample size suited this study best. It was important that the learners experienced a safe space to discuss and share stories they had heard about binge drinking behaviour.

During the first phase of data gathering the whole Grade 11 group was identified as the sample. The Grade 11 learners were asked to write an essay about stories they had heard of binge drinking behaviour. Based on the information gathered in the essays, the second phase of data gathering comprised a focus group, which formed the sample from the population of learners who wrote an essay. Conducting research from the qualitative paradigm predisposed me to expected valid information. Therefore, I needed to present rich descriptions, which were meaningful and could lead to insights and understanding of the issue of binge drinking behaviour. These rich and thick descriptions provided a good basis for qualitative analysis, which was connected with “information-richness” rather than with sample size (Patton, 1990, pp. 185).