The current study can be seen as exploratory in nature. Stebbins (2001 p.3) describes exploratory research as:
a broad-ranging, purposive, systematic, prearranged undertaking designed to maximise the discovery of generalizations leading to description and understanding of an area of social or psychological life.
He states that this type of research takes place when researchers have limited scientific knowledge about the object of their investigation but believe that what it will reveal will be worthwhile (Stebbins 2001 p.5). As discussed in the literature review, research investigating the EAP tutor has not been widely carried out but the literature that does exist and my own experience of working in the field have shown that this is a rich area to be explored.
As can also be seen from the literature review, theories related to three strands of research informed this exploratory study. Firstly, in terms of EAP, I considered Bruce’s (2019) views regarding the knowledge base of EAP, and Raimes’ (1991) metaphor of a ‘butler’s stance’ for EAP. Secondly, Whitchurch’s (2008) theory on the emergence of third space between
professional and academic domains was significant in my understanding of the position of EAP in the university. Finally, in order to define the concept of a profession, I used four of the tenets from Millerson’s (1964) list of common features of a profession. I also refer to Whitchurch’s (2008) taxonomy of professionals in the third space. The interrogation of the background literature to the topic provided the research questions for this research, and in turn the research questions drove the design.
3.2.2 Research strategy
It is clear from the research questions above that this study requires the participants to reflect upon the experiences of their working lives and give detailed descriptions of their perceptions of these. The questions “need to be explored to obtain a deep understanding” (Creswell 2008 p.62) and it is vital that individual voices can be heard and narratives told. As a result, I considered a qualitative research strategy to be the most appropriate to generate this kind of personal data as it “emphasizes words rather than quantification in the
collection and analysis of data” (Bryman 2008 p.697). Definitions of qualitative research emphasise the individual, constructed nature of the process involved and the focus on the context, all of which resonate with this study:
Qualitative research is a situated activity that locates the observer in the world. Qualitative research consists of a set of interpretive, material practices that make the world visible. … This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of or interpret phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.
(Denzin & Lincoln 2011, p. 3)
In terms of ontology, the approach adopted is broadly interpretivist. My aim is to “derive interpretations, not facts or laws, from respondent talk”, which Warren (2002 p.83) argues is the purpose of most qualitative research.
3.2.3 Data collection technique
In order to generate the qualitative data required, I chose interviewing as the tool for data collection. It is appropriate for this research as it allows the respondents to give lengthy answers to questions posed and for a full exploration of these by the researcher. Perakyla and Ruusuvuori (2011 p.529) note that interviews enable the researcher to “reach areas of reality that would otherwise remain inaccessible, such as people’s subjective experiences and realities”. I conducted the interviews on a one-to-one basis. This is “ideal for
interviewing participants who are not hesitant to speak, are articulate, and who can share ideas comfortably” (Creswell, 2008 p.226), all of which are true for the sample of EAP tutors selected. One-to-one interviews were also appropriate for the kind of data generated: the interviewees’ lived experiences which may include private or potentially sensitive
information.
Although Kvale (2007 p.20) comments that “research interviews have not been developed from any specific theory or epistemological paradigm”, his metaphor of the interviewer as a traveller is appropriate to understand the knowledge created by the study. The interviewer- traveller is on a journey in distant lands and the conversations she has with people she meets and the experience of roaming form the basis of “a tale to be told upon returning home”. Through the journey, new knowledge is created, and it is anticipated that the
interviewer-traveller will change too as a result of experiencing this process. The interviewer is a “knowledge producer”, who plays a role in the social construction of knowledge, and the qualitative research interview is in turn “a construction site of knowledge”.
I did not consider that questionnaires would be an appropriate tool for the collection of such data. The data required to respond to the research questions in the study involve participants giving lengthy, detailed answers which explore their lived experiences. The responses given in questionnaires are by nature much shorter and would not have given me a full understanding of the participants’ views. In contrast, in an interview I would be able to “follow up ideas, probe responses and investigate motives and feelings” (Bell 2005 p.157), all of which help to generate the rich data required.
I selected a semi-structured interview format where I would have “a list of questions or fairly specific topics to be covered” (Bryman 2008 p.438). I felt that this format would allow me the flexibility to pursue topics that are of interest to interviewees, and for further questions to be asked as significant responses arise. I deemed an interview schedule to be important to provide a loose plan that serves as a guide to ensure that key points were covered.
Overall, a semi-structured approach allows the interviewer to be “flexible and attentive to the variety of meanings that may emerge as the interview progresses” (Warren, 2001 p.83) and to respond accordingly with follow-up questions. I considered this to be appropriate for the personal data that need to be generated to answer the research questions. A further benefit is that the structured nature of the process means that the answers generated can be coded and processed more easily (Bryman 2008 p.437).
3.3 About the sample