Eight participants took part in individual interviews using a semi-structured interview method. Participants completed an informed consent form and to maintain anonymity and confidentiality participants’ names were not used and participants were referred to in the transcripts by number/letter only. Although a semi-structured interview method was used there were some identical question asked and others that were similar in nature, whilst other questions remained individual for each participant. Initial questions were asked to make the participants more at ease then questioning became more probing to elicit information from each participant.
Interview contents were transcribed and given to each participant to read and make any further comments or alterations for material they felt inaccurate. There was a substantial amount of information obtained from the data which took a considerable time to analyse. Thematic analysis was used were participant’s comments were grouped, coded and categorised. Emerging themes were recorded and categorised in terms of: goals or expectations when moving from GCSE to A
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Level studies; negative factors or barriers when moving from GCSE to A Level studies; and positive, beneficial factors when moving from GCSE to A Level studies. (see Appendix 9 for sample interview transcripts).
For one participant (Participant1D) comments were positive and negative in nature but also provided evidence of a young learner maturing and learning from his mistakes. He has originally failed all of his subjects in Year 12 (AS Level) but had been permitted to re-sit the year. On reflection, he was able to identify some of his errors and end with a positive goal. Looking at just a few of his comments: Researcher: Is there anything you would like to change perhaps as you started Year 12?
“Yes, I think students should be made far more aware of the amount of work they will have to do. It seemed great that you went down form 9-10 subjects and GCSE to only 3-4 subjects at A Level but no one really told you how hard it would be. Well actually I suppose they did. All the teachers said the work would be hard but I just did not listen to them. Also, free periods people need to know to use them for work right from the start. It’s great to be able to do your homework and catch up with work from lessons in your free periods, but when you start you think they are great just to hang out with your mates”.
Researcher: Thank you that is really useful. Is there anything else you would like to add regarding your experience in sixth form so far?
“It’s just that people should take it more seriously. I’m lucky because I have had a second chance it was my own fault I failed last year because I mucked around. I don’t really know what I would have done if I had not been allowed to re-do the year. There are quite a lot of us that have had to re-sit the year. It’s not bad teachers or anything like that it’s just that we mucked around. We all felt GCSE’s were really easy, none of my mates did any revision and we all got into sixth form. Now we need to actually work this year so we can pass the exams. It’s annoying because some of my mates are now in Year 13 and I am a year behind.
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They are still mates and we still hang out but when they have finished and gone to university I will still be here.
Researcher: Do you think you are responsible for your own learning?
“Yeah. I messed up, I’m the only one responsible for failing last year and it’s my responsibility to make sure I do the work this year to get into Year 13. I suppose it’s made me grow up a bit be more mature and less like a kid. I can still hang out with my mates we still go out and still play football all the time but now I know I have to do my work as well”.
Researcher: What do you want to do when you finish sixth form?
“Go to university and study sport or sport physiotherapy that sort of thing”.
Most of the discourse provided by this participant considered transitional
difficulties relating to internal factors relating to institutional criterial arising from the educational provision within the sixth form. Although friendships and related activities such as playing football are also external factors relating to events outside the educational establishment. For another participant (Participant E) situations appear to be far more difficult with external factors having a greater impact on transition from GCSE to A Level studies. Looking at some of the questions and responses provide:
Researchers: How do you feel you are getting on with the subjects you are doing at A level?
“I would say ok but some of my teachers would not agree”. Researcher: Why do you think that is?
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“Because I am trying really hard. I do most of the work in the lessons but I don’t suppose I do all that much out of lessons, I don’t do much revision or homework so some teachers think I am lazy”.
Researcher: Why do you not do much homework?
“Because I don’t have time when I get home. It’s like I have so much to do when I get home and I don’t get home till late then I have everything else to do at home so I don’t get any work done”.
Researcher: Why do you get home late?
“Because I have to wait on my dad to give me a lift home. He does not finish work till late then he picks me up on the way home”.
Researcher: What do you do when you get home?
“I have to sort out my brother and sort out dinner if it’s not been made or if it’s been forgotten and do some tidying up and washing if needed”.
Researcher: So, you help out a lot at home, that’s good.
“I don’t have any choice; my dad gets cross of the house is a mess and my mum doesn’t do much some days. It’s like I have to do everything when I get home”. Researcher: Are you a Carer?
“Yes, I am my mum’s main carer and I have to help sort out my younger brother otherwise he would never be ready for school with his clothes and bag and stuff”.
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Researcher: Are your teachers aware you are a Carer? “No. I don’t want them to know”.
Researcher: Thank you for sharing that. Are you happy to continue with the interview or would you prefer to stop?
“No, it’s ok to go on”.
Further comments later in the interview with Participant E include:
Researcher: You mentioned you feel there is a lot of pressure would you like to explain that a bit more?
“Well I get very stressed, it’s like really hard at home sometimes and I really don’t have the time to do everything. Sometimes I get really stressed and cry a lot. Some teachers don’t do anything when you do not do the homework and others get really cross. But I try as much as I can”.
Researcher: What do you hope to do when you finish sixth form?
“I don’t really know. I would love to go to university but I don’t think my parents will let me. My brother will probably be allowed to go if he wants when he is older but I probably won’t be allowed to go”.
These responses illustrate just some of the difficulties faced by this participant, many the result of family responsibilities, external factors, all of which were having a considerable negative impact not only on the transition from GCSE to A Level studies but in relation to learning in general. It should be noted that there were a lot of comments made within the interviews of a personal nature including family difficulties and mental health issues. Although these are very important in
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terms of transitional difficulties, it was decided not to describe these within this current research to maintain anonymity and confidentiality (see Chapter 5 - Discussion for further comments).
Chapter summary
This chapter focused on the results of data gathered using a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design (adapted from Ivankova et al. 2006) with consecutive phases to gain a better understanding of the research problem or questions raised. As proposed by Creswell et al. (2003) the quantitative phase was undertaken first followed by the qualitative phase, where the quantitative data and analysis provided a general understanding of the research problem which would then be refined by exploring participants’ views in more depth within the qualitative phase. Quantitative data were initially gathered from questionnaire responses, qualitative data were then gathered from questionnaires using open questions. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from focus groups through meta-planning activities and group discussions and finally qualitative data were gathered from a small number of individual interviews.
The quantitative data provided from the Likert type scale from responses on the questionnaire were analysed using complex chi squared inferential statistical analysis. The qualitative data were analysed using the constant comparative method (Lincoln and Guba, 2000) to identify expectations, positive and negative factors relating to the transition from GCSE to A Level studies. Some areas of similarity and contradiction have been found together with comments which have not been mutually exclusive between groups or themes within the analysis. These will be considered further in the discussion in Chapter 5.
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Chapter 5 – Discussion
Introduction
The previous chapter provides results of data gathered using a mixed-methods sequential exploratory design. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from questionnaires, focus group meta-planning activities and individual interviews. Responses were analysed using Chi Squared inferential statistical analysis for quantitative data and a constant comparative method for qualitative data. Data highlights both internal factors and external factors that appear to have an effect on participant transition when progressing from GCSE to A Level studies.
This chapter focuses on integration of the results gathered using quantitative and qualitative methods, identifying and discussing the themes that emerged from the data and how these can relate to the core theoretical concepts introduced within this thesis.
The chapter will discuss 2 main aspects:
Integrating results from the quantitative and qualitative phases of the research The results in relation to the literature review and main theoretical concepts