Minimising Bias

Weirsma and Jurs (2005) contend that the accurate interpretation of results is an important consideration to ensure data provide an accurate and true account. At all times, data compilation, coding, analysis, and reporting were thorough and reduce bias. To minimise researcher bias, two independent research professionals monitored data analysis. Thus, there is a reasonable degree of confidence in the validity of the interpretation and analysis of questionnaire data. In this study it was hypothesised that data obtained from different instruments and multiple perspectives would reflect similar themes, and categories, thereby ensuring that the instruments were reliable and the results valid.

3.10 Summary of Chapter 3

In summary, Chapter 3 has provided an overview of the research approach and research questions and discussed the ethical considerations related to this study. The study sample, study time line, the data collection instruments, and their reliability and validity, and data analysis techniques have been described. In the following chapter results obtained from data analysis are presented.

Chapter 4

Results

This chapter presents quantitative and qualitative data obtained from questionnaires and focus group interviews. Data are presented using a modified socio-cultural conceptual framework, comprising three domains, namely: EC Teachers as

Practitioners; EC Teachers as Professionals; and Contextual Aspects of EC Teaching. These three domains were used throughout the study as lenses for the analyses of data obtained and are used to provide a framework for the results.

4.1 Study Sample

Stratified purposeful sampling was achieved using the Tasmanian Department of Education ENI (2007). This enabled the researcher to ensure that participants selected were a representative sample of EC teachers in terms of gender, years of teaching experience, and school location and size (see Chapter 3, Section 3.3).

Questionnaire distribution and return rate.

As previously shown in Chapter 3, Section 3.3 Table 3.2, of the 158 questionnaires distributed, 65 were returned completed (representing a 41.1% return rate) by EC teachers who were teaching in the three (North, South, North-West) regions of the eight regions of Tasmania. These three regions comprised six state school

 in the Northern region all respondents (n=12) came from the one large educational district, Esk;

 EC participants from the North-West region (n=19) were teaching across the two districts of Arthur (n=6) and Barrington (n= 13); and

 Southern participants (n=34) came from three districts, namely Bowen (n=12), Derwent (n=17), and Hartz (n=5).

Focus group interview.

Of the 65 questionnaire respondents, 15 EC teachers (23.07%) participated in six semi-structured focus group interviews. Interviewees came from different school districts (see Section 3.3, Table 3.2). Of the six small group interviews conducted, 46.6 percent of the total number of interviewees included female teachers from the Northern region, educational district of Esk.

4.2 Teaching Background

Section 1 of the questionnaire sought data from the study‟s respondents in relation to their teaching background, specialisation, and total years of teaching experience. In this context, specialisation is a classification which refers to the area or field that teachers use to articulate their greatest level of professional training, understanding and knowledge. Implicit in the request for this information is the understanding that not all EC teachers are teaching in the area of their specialisation, that is they are “teaching out of area”.

The responses reported by participating teachers were classified into three conceptual domains: EC Teachers as Practitioners; EC Teachers as Professionals and Contextual

Aspects of EC Teaching. The demographic data provided in the following section are categorised in relation to EC Teachers as Practitioners.

EC Teachers as Practitioners: Gender.

The first item in Section 1 of the questionnaire asked teachers to report their gender. Of the 65 questionnaires returned, all but two were completed by female teachers. Focus group interviews reflected a similar gender balance, comprising 87.7 percent female (n=13) and 13.3 percent male (n=2) teachers. The two male teachers (n=2) who returned questionnaires both self-nominated to participate in the focus group interviews, thus 100 percent of male questionnaire respondents were interviewed.

EC Teachers as Practitioners: Teaching specialisation.

The second question of Section 1 of the questionnaire sought information regarding respondents‟ “Teaching specialisation”. Teachers were asked to select one of four areas to describe their teaching specialisation. These were, “Early childhood”, “Primary”, “Secondary”, or “Other”. The percentages and numbers of teachers indicating each subcategory are shown in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1

Teaching Specialisation

Teaching Specialisation Numbers of

teachers Percentage Early Childhood 49 75.4 Primary 9 13.8 Secondary 1 1.5 Other 5 7.8 No response 1 1.5

In the subcategory “Other”, five teachers reported different areas of specialisation, of these only two teachers provided their specialisations, which were music (n=1), and physical education (n=1).

EC Teachers as Practitioners: Years of teaching experience.

In Section 1 question 3 respondents were asked to indicate the number of years they had been teaching. The results are shown in Table 4.2.

Table 4.2

Years of Teaching Experience

Years of Teaching Experience Numbers of

teachers

Percentage

More than 16 years 44 67.7

Between 8-15 years 13 20.0

Less than 7 years 8 12.3

Respondents were thus predominantly experienced teachers with 87.7 percent (n=57) having more than 8 years of teaching experience.

Focus group interviewees revealed more specific information regarding the extent of the teaching experience of this subset of the questionnaire respondents. Of the interviewees who reported their years of experience (n=12), 83.3 percent of teachers (n=10) reported having more than 15 years of teaching experience. Of greater

importance is that 50 percent of these teachers (n=6) reported more than 25-31 years‟ teaching experience. Of this group of experienced teachers, interviewees (n=4) working in schools located on the North-West coast of Tasmania reported having taught for more than 25-31 years.

In summary, almost all of the questionnaire respondents were female, approximately three quarters identified as early childhood specialists, and two-thirds reported more than 16 years of teaching experience.

4.3 Class Context

Section 2 of the questionnaire sought information about the respondents‟ current class grouping, in particular the size and the grade level of the class that they were teaching at the time of questionnaire distribution. These results are presented below.

EC Teachers as Practitioners: Current class size.

To describe their current “Class size”, respondents were asked to select one of the following options: fewer than 15 students; 16-20 students; 21-24 students, and more than 25 students. Of the 64 teachers who provided a response to this question, 86 percent (n=55) indicated a class size of greater than 20 students. Of these, 54.7 percent of teachers (n=35) selected a class of 21-24 students, and 31.3 percent of teachers (n=20) selected a class size more than 25. These data indicate that a class size of between 21-24 students was the most common grouping reported by EC teachers.

EC Teachers as Practitioners: Current grade level.

The second of the two statements in Section 2 of the questionnaire sought teachers‟ responses to the current “Grade level” they were teaching. Sixty-three respondents indicated the grade level of their current class by nominating one of the five options, namely: Preparatory [Prep]; P/1; Grade 1; Grade 1/2 or other. Teachers‟ responses indicated nine grade level combinations as shown in Table 4.3.

Table 4.3

Grade Level Distribution

The most commonly taught grade was preparatory. Children in this grade are between 5 and 6 years of age. Twenty-five teachers (39.6%) reported teaching at least some preparatory grade students in their current class.