Population and sampling of the study

The population of this study are teachers, an administrator, and a member of the govern- ing body, students and parents for a total of 12 individual participants. The specific number

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was selected to represent the views and experiences of participants in relation to the chal- lenges and opportunities in providing the Islamic education as found at the BCMS in the context of Canada’s multicultural society. Since theoretical sampling focuses only on con- ceptual and theoretical development and is not about representing a population or

increasing the statistical generality of the results of any specific study (Charmaz, 2006) I felt that the number of interviewees was adequate to give insight into different viewpoints in relation to the topic, and at the end to lead to the formation of a theory that explains the nature of providing Islamic education such as that provided by the BCMS in a multicul- tural society. I interviewed some of the interviewees more than once, for a total of 22 interviews. The participants interviewed more than once consisted of the principal, two Is- lamic education teachers, three parents and three students. Students were interviewed at a later time after leaving BCMS (in the presence of their parents) when they were in Grade 8 in the public school. The main purpose for these follow-up interviews was to explore stu- dents’ experiences in the public school regarding integration and isolation compared to when they were attending at BCMS, especially preserving religious identity such as wear- ing hijab (headscarf) for girls, performing prayer at public schools (for both sexes), consuming halal food and male-female relationships.

For the purpose of collecting data for this research study, relevant participants were contacted and their agreement to participate in the study obtained. My criterion for students was that they have attended the BCMS for at least three years. I believed that both parents and students selected for this study would be able to give perspectives on the nature of Is- lamic education at the BCMS. I sent requests for interviews to parents and students through the principal, and then selected the specific interviewees randomly from the quali- fied potential subjects. Then I submitted an approval application to the Durham University ethics approval committee. The application included the topic of the study, its purpose, a brief summary, and the participants’ consent form. The consent form included the freedom to participate in the study or to decline such participation. The application further stated that identities of the participants and any information they provide will be confidential. Developing sound sampling decisions play a major role in the success of any research study (Marshal & Rossman, 1999:72). In the grounded theory method, sampling cannot be decided during the early stages of the research study (Dey, 1993:4-5). Rather, it is informed by the data collection process, as sampling decisions must be theoretically informed, and therefore await the formation of guided theory (Dey, 1993:4-5). After some theoretical

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ideas emerge, the researcher will be able to decide what further data may be collected, and to elaborate on such ideas (Dey, 1993:4-5).

In terms of a study using grounded theory a researcher chooses participants who possess insight, experiences, and information related to the phenomena under study (Strauss & Corbin). Such participants can contribute to the development of the theory (Creswell, 2007; Strauss & Corbin, 1990). That is why the most knowledgeable participants are tar- geted for theoretical sampling, a process that can increase the quality of the data collected in interviews (Charmaz, 2006). Theoretical sampling directs the researcher to follow proper leads to obtain data that will allow him to explicate categories that reflect on quali- ties of respondents’ experiences and provide a useful analytic handle for understanding them (Charmaz, 2006: 100). Theoretical sampling should be flexible and adaptive to the development of a theory (Dey, 1993). The data collection process should also be adaptable to new ideas that may emerge from the research at a later time (Dey, 1993). It is important to mention that theoretical sampling focuses only on conceptual and theoretical develop- ment and is not about representing a population, or increasing the statistical generality of the results of any specific study (Charmaz, 2006:101). Participants should be in a position to contribute to building the opening and axial coding of developing the grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Therefore, I based my sampling selection for this study on par- ticipants’ insight, knowledge, and experiences of the topic under study. I also selected the BCMS as a site of this study as will be detailed in the following paragraphs.

The issue now is to define a sound sample size for a study using grounded theory methodology. Some studies used different sample sizes that served the aim of their specific research. For example, Charmaz (1997) used several grounded-theory steps in her study with a sample of 20 chronically sick men. Gehrke (1981) studied patterns of teacher inter- action with the potential reference groups in the school. He interviewed 11 beginning high school teachers over a period of five years (Hutchinson, 1988). The process of collecting sufficient information to fully develop the model of grounded theory research may involve 20 to 60 interviews (Creswell, 2006:66-67). In fact, as Strauss & Corbin suggest, “Sam- pling continues until all categories are well developed in terms of properties and

dimensions” (1990: 215). This is what researchers call “theoretical saturation,” that is, reaching a stage where there is no point in reviewing old data or collecting new data to check how it fits with concepts or categories; new data is no longer needed (Bell, Bryman & Teevan, 2009:252). However, saturation is not easy to determine (Allen, 2003).

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3.2.6 British Columbia Muslim School: site of this study, historical background,