RESEARCH METHODOLOGY - The role of principals in maintaining effective discipline among learner

A research design is described as a set of guidelines and instructions that the researcher has to follow when addressing the research problem. According to Mouton (1996: 107), this involves the aim of the research, the selection and design of particular research methods, the selection of participants and the consideration of the trustworthiness and transferability of the study. It explains the procedures that the researcher uses to conduct the study. Therefore, the research design should make it clear to the reader about how, when, for whom and under what school conditions and situations the data are gathered (McMillan & Schumacher 2001: 30-31). Furthermore, the researcher chooses the research design that will provide him/her with the most valuable and appropriate answers to his/her research questions. It is thus evident that the research methodology aims at helping the reader (as well as the researcher) understand, not the products of scientific inquiry but the process itself (Cohen & Manion 2007: 49). This paragraph therefore

explains the structure of the study that underlines the approaches and methods used by the researcher to obtain evidence to answer the research questions stated in paragraph 1.4.

1.7.1 Literature Study

In any study, the researcher should trace the available literature, which is specifically relevant to the research problem. Onwuegbuzie, Leech and Collins (2012: 1) state that a literature study allows the researcher to distinguish what studies have been made on learner discipline and what needs to be studied, identify factors that are relevant to the phenomenon, identify possible links between theory or concepts and practice, find out exemplary research, avoid replications that are unintentional and unnecssary, identify the main research methodologies and designs that have been adopted in studying such a problem, identify inconsistencies and contradictions, and identify possible advantages and disadvantages of the various research approaches that have been adopted previously by other researchers. By doing a literature study on learner discipline and the strategies that the principal may adopt and implement to maintain discipline among learners, the researcher framed his research on learner discipline.

The researcher builds on the literature study to set out research questions, which help him/her to advance understanding of the research problem or phenomenon. For the purpose of this study, a literature review consists of a study of the causes of a lack of discipline among learners in state secondary schools, the role of the principals in maintaining discipline among learners in their schools and the possible disciplinary strategies that may be adopted by the principal in assuming this management role.

1.7.2 Empirical investigation

For the purpose of this study, the researcher undertook an investigation to find the most valid answers to and evidence regarding his research questions. To do this, the researcher became involved in the study of the phenomenon. Indeed, according to Mouton (2001: 53), information in different forms, namely data, documents, interviews, speeches,

diaries, question responses and test scores, through an empirical inquiry, is gathered, analysed and interpreted in an attempt to address the problem under investigation. In this study the researcher had to “get out of the chair, go out of the office and purposefully seek the necessary information out there” (Denscombe 2000: 6) to gain proper understanding and deeper insight in the phenomenon of learner discipline.

1.7.2.1 Research approach

The purpose of research is to extend the knowledge of the researcher and the reader or find the answers to the questions of the researcher (Matthews and Ross 2010: 8). In this study, the researcher attempted to determine the relationship between learner discipline and the principalship. To achieve this objective, the researcher selected the most appropriate research methods. The most useful guideline for the selection of a research method is based on the type of research questions the researcher is asking and the degree to which the research method informs the research questions (Denscombe 2010: 4-5). The research paradigm involves both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

The researcher used the qualitative research approach in this study. In qualitative research words or visual images rather than numbers as the unit of analysis are used; the researcher uses also thick-descriptions, holistic perspectives, small scale studies, an emergent research design and his or her own involvement (Denscombe 2010: 325).

Moreover, as the primary instrument for data collection and analysis, the researcher strives to understand the meanings people have constructed with regard to their own experiences and world, which will help him/her to derive findings inductively in the form of themes, categories, concepts, tentative hypotheses, typologies as well as substantive theories (Merriam & Associates 2002: 4-5). Hence, Patton (2001:39) points out that qualitative research makes use of a naturalistic approach that aims at understanding phenomena in context-specific settings such as the “real world setting where the researcher’s agenda is not to manipulate the phenomenon of interest.” In this regard, the researcher deemed qualitative research as the most appropriate method for this study.

Ruiz (2004: 4) states that qualitative data is valuable and meaningful in the sense that it helps the researcher to understand and assess the social impact of the phenomenon, participants’ self reports provides a reliable testimony of the immediate, as well as a greater long-term, influence on their own lives.

For the purpose of this study, the researcher focused on the social worlds of learners, principals, superintendents, educators and parents with which the latter construct reality regarding learner discipline. Since the research questions were approached in a descriptive and explanatory way, the qualitative research approach used by the researcher enabled him to understand experiences of the learners, principals, superintendents, educators and parents regarding the phenomenon from their subjective, insider perspective. In addition, the participants had the opportunity to contribute to the world of research through the various research instruments, while simultaneously informing all stakeholders in the education field of the reality of their experience about school discipline. In this way, the researcher sought a better understanding of discipline among learners and of principals’ endeavours to maintain school discipline with the help of other stakeholders in selected Mauritian state secondary schools. As discussed in paragraph 1.2.3, school discipline among learners is a neglected issue that is largely ignored by the educational authorities in Mauritius.

Qualitative research has the capacity to lead to understanding and the presentation of points of view that are obscured or neglected. According to its epistemology, the perceptions of the study participants are considered important. In this study these perceptions were captured in order to obtain an accurate meaning of reality of learner discipline in selected state secondary schools (Wiersma & Jurs 2009: 232).

1.7.2.2 Research methods

The aim of the study was to gather information about the phenomenon of learner discipline in Mauritius and the role of principals in maintaining school discipline within the social, cultural and human world of learners, principals, superintendents, educators

and parents within the context of selected secondary schools. For this purpose, the researcher used semi-structured focus group interviews, as well as individual interviews and observation as data collection instruments. They are the most popular qualitative research methods that will allow one to find valid and reliable answers to the research questions of the study.

Focus group interviewing was chosen as appropriate for the qualitative research paradigm to collect information from educators, parents and learners about their perceptions of learner discipline, the factors that cause a lack of school discipline among learners and the strategies used by principals to maintain school discipline in Mauritius. A focus group interview uses group dynamics which allows all participants who have knowledge on a particular phenomenon to express their feelings, experiences and thoughts (Denscombe 2010: 177). The researcher was of the opinion that since all the participants were situated in the same physical environment, focus group interviews were more appropriate than individual interviews. In this way, more participants can be interviewed in less time, thereby also saving costs. Moreover, the researcher could follow up opinions, ideas and perspectives, probe responses and investigate feelings and motives while considering the tone of voice, facial expressions and hesitations which are meaningful (Bell 2004: 135). By using focus group interviewing as a strategy, the researcher was in a position to develop better insight into the phenomenon of school discipline. This data collection instrument elicited privileged and relevant information about learner discipline from educators, parents and learners. The various criteria for selecting each of these types of participants are lengthily discussed in paragraphs 4.4 and 4.4.2 where the researcher analyses the research sampling.

The researcher conducted semi-structured individual interviews with the principals and superintendents to elicit information about their perceptions of learner discipline, the factors that may influence learner discipline and their role in maintaining discipline among learners in their schools. Learner discipline is a school phenomenon that affects principals; therefore the latter have their own particular perceptions, attitudes and ideas about the topic and, as heads of schools, they have an impact on this phenomenon.

Within the individual interview context, there was also a sub-context involving specific interactions and relations between the various entities involved and the information obtained was a product of social dynamics between the researcher-interviewer and the principals or superintendents. The researcher’s role was as unobtrusive as possible in order to obtain the most relevant and authentic information on learner discipline and the principals’ role in maintaining it. According to Denscombe (2010: 185), the researcher starts by the introduction of a theme and lets the interviewee or participant create his/her ideas and proceed with his/her train of thought on the particular topic. In this study, the researcher used a basic interview schedule in which he covered his key themes during the semi-structured interviews.

Further, the researcher also used observation to collect information about the causes of a lack of discipline among learners and the strategies that principals use to maintain discipline in secondary schools. Since learner discipline is a human behaviour, the researcher observed the behaviour of learners, educators, the superintendent and the principal in the natural school setting. He did this in two state secondary schools. He assumed the role of a non-participant observer who is passive and reflective (Davies & Hughes 2014: 203) in order to better understand learners’ lack of discipline. He observed for at least sixty hours in each of the two research sites to gather the necessary information. He observed the events or circumstances in which learners manifested a lack of discipline, the causal factors, the behavioural strategies or interventions adopted by the school principal and the frequency of their occurrence. Observation helped him to triangulate the information gathered from the other data collection techniques so that the most reliable conclusions about the topic could be drawn.

The key informants of this study are therefore educators, learners, parents, principals and superintendents. The motivation and selection criteria for these key informants are extensively discussed in paragraphs 4.4 and 4.4.2.

27 1.7.2.3 Research sample

Sekaran & Bougie (2010: 263) refers to participants as a sample. A sample is defined as a subset of the population (Sekaran & Bougie 2010: 263). In qualitative research, sample selection is made not to meet statistical requirements of randomness but to serve a particular purpose (Smit 2001: 78) and therefore, the researcher uses purposeful sampling, which seeks cases which are information-rich and can be studied thoroughly to obtain information about learner discipline. Sampling in qualitative research implies that only a subset of the population referred to as sample is chosen for the research inquiry (Oppong 2013: 202). According to Kumar (2011: 192), the purpose of sampling in qualitative research is to gain in-depth knowledge about a situation, event or episode or to know as much as possible about different aspects of an individual on the assumption that the individual is typical of the group and will therefore provide insights into the group. Therefore, non-probability sampling was used for the purpose of this study. It is important to note that the aim of the study was not to generalise the findings of the research but to gain deeper insight into the problem in the Mauritian state secondary schools. The researcher used purposive sampling to identify and target learners, educators, parents, superintendents and principals typical of the population being studied so as to enhance understanding of selected individuals as well as individual and group experiences of learner discipline (Davies & Hughes 2014: 62; Devers, Kelly & Frankel 2000: 2). However, the researcher used an explanatory sample rather than a representative sample as a means for generating insights and information about learner discipline and discover new ideas while probing this relatively unexplored topic in Mauritius (Denscombe 2010: 24). Exploratory samples are used in small-scale qualitative research.

For the purpose of the study, the concept/theory-based sample method was also used. Sampling is based on the principle that participants have a cognitive framework about the discipline problem among learners as they function through natural human processes that occur by being in the school world with the learners and other stakeholder (Penrod & Upcey 2005: 404). The researcher selected participants familiar with or who were

attempting to implement the concept/theory under study. In addition, he/she selected sites known to the participants. He gained access to state secondary schools where the selected participants experience the phenomenon in their daily life.

Since the non-probability sample was used and the aim of the study was not to generalise the findings, the researcher selected a small sample of the population. He selected four state secondary schools in the educational Zone 2 of the Republic of Mauritius. Four focus groups which consisted of six educators in each focus group, four focus group interviews with six parents in each focus group, and four focus group interviews with six learners were conducted. Four principals and two superintendents were interviewed individually. As has been mentioned, the researcher used also the observation method in two of the four state secondary schools so as to get an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon as it is manifested and perceived by educators, learners, parents, superintendents and principals.

1.7.2.4 Data collection and analysis

Qualitative researchers collect descriptive and narrative, non-numerative information in order to gain insights into the research phenomenon (Gay, Mills & Airasian 2011: 381). Data analysis is the process of working with the information in order to describe, discuss, interpret, evaluate and explain it in terms of the research questions (Matthews & Ross 2010: 316). Data collection and data analysis occur simultaneously. In this study voluminous data were obtained by the researcher through the responses of each focus group of educators, learners and parents, and interviews with each principal and superintendent. To sum up, the sorting of the data involved categorising them into meaningful segments.

Interviews were analysed by using the approach of Lodico, Spaulding and Voegtle (2010: 180-194) which consists of preparing and organising the collected data; reviewing and exploring the data; coding the data into categories; constructing thick descriptions of people, places and attitudes; building themes and testing hypothesis; and interpreting and

reporting the data. Lodico’s approach is appropriate since it helps the researcher obtain information from the start of the process of data collection through the data processing stage. Therefore, the most valid information about learner discipline from the various participants’ perspectives was of crucial importance to understand the state of discipline among secondary learners and the role of the principal therein.

The researcher used the inductive content analysis as the qualitative data analysis approach. Content analysis is a method for making replicable and valid inferences from data to their context with the aim of providing knowledge, new insights and a representation of facts and a practical guide to action (Elo & Kyngas 2008: 108). According to Krippendorff (2004: 27), the researcher used analytical constructs, or rules of inference, to move from the text to the answers to the research questions. This implied that the researcher drew conclusions from the transcribed interviews and the observation log to the school context to understand the problem of a lack of discipline among secondary school learners.

1.7.2.5 Trustworthiness, transferability and ethical considerations

These fundamental aspects of research are extensively discussed in chapter 4, paragraphs 4.7 and 4.8.

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