Generating Initial Codes

Codes refer to ―the most basic segment, or element, of the raw data or information that can be assessed in a meaningful way regarding the phenomenon‖ (Boyatizis, 1998, p. 63). They usually are attached to chunks of words, phrases, sentences or whole paragraphs, connected or unconnected to a specific setting. They can take the form of a straightforward category label or a more complex one, for example, a metaphor (Boyatzis, 1998 ; Mile & Huberman, 1994). What is important in assigning a code to a segment of raw data is that this segment should be meaningful in relation to the phenomenon under study. I employed the constant comparison method for developing and refining the codes.

According to Denscombe, a constant comparison involves ―comparing and contrasting new codes, categories and concepts as they emerge-constantly seeking to check out against existing versions‖ (2007, P. 99). Thus in this way the researcher never loses sight

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of the data, or moves the analysis too far away from the focus of the research (ibid). This process requires reading and rereading the data and the codes to look for similarities and differences in the interviews, combining existing codes into categories or adding new codes to accommodate for new pieces of information until all the data is saturated. For this study, similar codes were grouped in categories from which concepts or themes could be derived and discussed in relation to the research questions. In this respect, Creswell (2007, P. 148) identifies the main steps of the coding process as follows:

central steps in coding data (reducing the data into meaningful segments and assigning names for the segments), combining the codes into broader categories or themes, and displaying and making comparisons in the data graphs, tables, and charts. These are the core elements of qualitative data analysis.

Then I had to select the ‗units of analysis‘ which refers to the basic text unit that contains an idea relevant to the research question(s) (Zhang & Wildemuth, 2009). A qualitative researcher usually chunks his or her data based on whether they represent distinctive, meaningful pieces that contain an issue of interest to the researcher (ibid). Thus, any length of text such as a word, a phrase, sentence or sentences or a paragraph can be classified as a code.

For coding, I went through all the interview transcripts, assigning codes to chunks of data that were relevant to the general topics that I wanted to investigate in the study. Then I combined some codes that carried the same idea. They were all highlighted. At this stage I wrote the codes in the margins and later I transferred them to categories for coding tables. The codes and subsequent sub-code for this topic are as follows:

149 Table 8 Codes and Subcodes (R.Q.1)

 Mutual engagement

o Dealing with the inspector o Seeking opportunities to learn o No integration (Age barrier)  Joint enterprise

o No integration(Age barrier)  Shared repertoire

o Hesitate to ask for help o Self-socialization o Loneliness

o Fear of former teachers or experienced colleagues & headteachers

o Unaware of expert teacher  Joint enterprise

o No care

o Follow teachers& give advice o Relation with colleagues

o Support from teachers of English o Expert teacher support

 Independence & Identity

o Independence & Identity

 Challenges with pedagogical knowledge o Dealing with students

o Challenges with teaching methods  Challenge-with subject matter knowledge  No interest in Teaching

 Unsecure situation

 False view about teaching  Lack of confidence  Wrong choice

The original broad theme was mainly based on the review of research on the significant experiences of beginner teachers mentioned in the Chapter 3 (literature review).

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For R.Q.2, I carried out the same process as with R.Q.1 and identified these codes:

Table 9 codes for R.Q.2

 Pedagogical courses of benefit o Teaching methodology o Teaching skills

o Insufficient courses  No relevance to current situation

o Syllabi or contents  Courses Not studied

o Teaching(methodology) Knowledge  Not practiced o Teaching Practice  Colleagues‘ help o Lesson planning o Attending or observing o Emotional support  Expert teacher‘s help

o Lesson planning o Dealing with students o Follow teachers o Give advice  Headteacher‘s help

o Dealing with parents o Encouraging

o Having community  Inspection‘s help

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 Teacher development

o Gaining a new qualification o Having training

o Care for female teachers

o Gradual immersion in teaching o Self -monitoring

o No care

The original broad theme was mainly based on the review of research on teachers‘ perceptions of their development as covered in Chapter 3 (literature review).

Table 10 codes for R.Q.3

 Knowledge and beliefs about themselves  Areas of development

o Subject matter knowledge o Pedagogical knowledge  Building identity

Although it took much time to carry out the coding, the immersion in the data helped me in understanding and assigning the themes, codes and sub-codes.

5.21.1 Searching for Themes

This stage involves reading and rereading the codes generated in the previous step. My immersion in the data enabled me to identify significant recurring broader patterns or themes rather than codes. Searching for themes

involves sorting the different codes into potential themes, and collating all the relevant coded extracts

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within the identified themes. Essentially, you are starting to analyse your codes and consider how different codes may combine to form an overarching theme (Braun & Clarke, 2006, p. 89).

This stage entailed thinking about the relationships between the different codes, themes, and sub-codes and re-arranging and organizing the coded chunks according to the new understanding of my framework. The main themes were based on the essential elements of CoP (Wenger, 1998). Grouping of the relevant code chunks under the corresponding themes assisted me to see the broader sense of the data and how the different parts fit into this framework. At the end of this stage, I had ―a collection of candidate themes, and sub- themes, and all extracts of data that have been coded in relation to them‖ (Braun & Clarke, 2006, p. 90).

I started the data analysis with one major theme that I was interested in exploring. It is related to RQ1-What are newly graduated EFL teachers‘ perceptions of their experiences during their first years of teaching in post-conflict Libya? The first coding stage resulted in the forming of an initial analysis framework for the research question N.1