A Corporate Approach
Chapter 3: Research Design 3.1 Introduction
3.6 Research methods
This research used semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with the predominance of data collected being qualitative, along with a lesser amount of quantitative data. The anonymity of the on-line questionnaire responses produces undifferentiated analysis between the case studies. As a consequence the semi- structured interviews are the basis of the data used to discuss each case study college with the data from the on-line questionnaire being illustrative of both colleges.
Prior to undertaking this research I was a part of the project team investigating, “The use of Skills Competitions in Further Education Colleges in the East Midlands” (2011) on behalf of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS). The
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this research. The results of the pilot study led to revisions in the research methods, specifically with the conversion of a paper based questionnaire to an on-line
questionnaire and changes to some of the questions used in the final on-line questionnaire. Similarly the semi-structured interview questions were developed, along with the timing of the schedule for the fieldwork and the scope of the
interviewees and questionnaire respondents being narrowed to vocational staff, as opposed to including vocational students.
Activities relating to skill competitions within colleges are at their height in June, due to finals taking place in the annual cycle of competition. The completion of students’ assignments for their vocational courses also takes place at this time, with vocational teachers and students’ working to ensure course work is prepared for verification before the end of the academic year in July. However, as access to the case studies was agreed by the relevant college principals for the month of July requests for students to answer on-line questionnaires or to attend semi-structures interviews was removed to avoid distracting them at this important time within the academic year.
The questions in the pilot study questionnaire and semi-structured interview for vocational teachers are contained at Appendix A (i and ii). The questions for
vocational teachers were modified to reflect themes that emerged from the review of literature, specifically relating to the introduction of initiatives within further education, the selection process for students entering competitions, and the way in which
competitions are organised within each college within this multiple case study research.
The pilot study was completed by three vocational students, whose responses were destroyed, and by three vocational teachers. The most significant issue to arise from the responses of the vocational teachers was that single words were used to answer the “closed” questions in the questionnaire and during the semi-structured
interviews. Denscombe (2007) illustrates the benefits of “open” and “closed” questions, and indicates how “closed” questions can have a series of alternative responses. The development of the on-line questionnaire produced an instrument more able to avoid the difficulties associated with the “closed” questions. The
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as illustrated by Likert et al (1993) to reflect the strength of the view held. The on-line questionnaire is contained in Appendix B.
Requests were made for on-line questionnaires to be completed by thirty eight vocational teachers, with ten working in the construction area of each case study college and ten in the hair and beauty department of College A and eight in this department at College B, due to alternative staff commitments at the time of the request. The samples selected for the on-line questionnaires and the semi-structured interviews reflects a technique that Denscombe (2007) refers to as “purposeful”, Glaser and Strauss (1967) as “theoretical” and Hakim (2000) as “focused”. Hakim (2000) says:
“Focused sampling is the selective study of particular persons, groups or institutions, or of particular relationships, processes or interactions that are expected to offer especially illuminating examples, or to provide especially good tests for propositions of a broad nature” (page 170).
The vocational areas chosen have skills competitions that take place each year and as a consequence offered the potential to illicit data relating to this research.
Responses to the on-line questionnaire were received from twenty eight vocational teachers, 12 from College A and 16 from College B, representing an overall
response rate of 74%. The responses were collated using the Survey Monkey software and a report produced.
Twenty two semi-structured interviews took place, with six hairdressing and beauty therapy staff from each case study, and six construction staff from College B and four from this area at College A; due to one interviewee having alternative
commitments and another absent through sickness. The composition of the
interviewees included a middle manager from each vocational area within each case study, with the remaining respondents being vocational teachers. No Senior
Managers were interviewed as a part of this research as the perceptions sought were of those “receiving” as opposed to initiating decisions. The staff members had a range of exposure to skills competitions and varying degrees of recent experience. Some staff had no experience of competitions but worked in the relevant vocational areas, within sufficient proximity of the competitions to have an awareness of their existence. The experience of staff included engagement in competitions in previous years. The duration of each staff interview was approximately an hour. The
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researcher collected data by recording, and later transcribing the interviews, an illustration of which is contained at Appendix C.
Several methods, consistent with an interpretivist approach, of collecting data were considered. These included the methods chosen along with observations and focus groups. Observations were discarded as they would not enable the perceptions sought to be collected. Convening focus groups may have been inconvenient for the colleges that were the case studies as access to several members of staff,
constituting a significant proportion of a specific department, at one time could impede the operational needs of the vocational areas.
While it was recognised that a possible weakness with the use of on-line
questionnaires is the potential response rate, this was not seen as a limiting factor in its use in this research. The endorsement each case study gave for the request for staff members to complete the on-line questionnaire and the ease of access
respondents had to computers to undertake the exercise produced the response rate of 74% and vindicated the use of this method.
The semi-structured interviews generated the “richness” of the data sought by this research, reflecting the epistemological basis of the design and the unit of analysis of this research. Hannan (2007) says that semi-structured interviews provide:
“…considerable flexibility about how and when issues are raised, and for a considerable amount of additional topics to be built [into] the dynamics of conversational exchange” (page 2).
The use of a semi-structured interview for this research is appropriate, when the views of Denscombe (2007) are considered. He says that the semi-structured interview:
“….let[s] the interviewee develop ideas and speak more widely on the issues raised by the researcher. The answers are open-ended, and there is more emphasis on the interviewee elaborating points of interest”. (page 176).
He goes on to illustrate the advantages of this method as those contained in the Table 3b below.
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Table 3b
Advantages in the use of interviews
Advantages
• Information can be gathered in depth and detail. Issues can be pursued over a relatively lengthy period.
• Valuable insights can be gained due to the depth of information gathered. • Simple equipment is required together with conversational skills.
• Data is based on the informants’ priorities, opinions and ideas.
• Flexibility in data collection. Lines of enquiry can be developed during an interview.
• Validity can be established as the data is collected.
• As interviews are scheduled at a convenient time and location a high response rate is guaranteed.
• A rewarding experience for the respondent who may enjoy the opportunity to share their insights.
Denscombe (2007 pages 202 and 203)
While the time consuming nature of interviews is a recognised weakness of this method and the costs associated with both time and travel may also deter their use, they were not seen as impeding the field work for this research and the advantages of this method were judged to outweigh the disadvantages.
As part of a case study approach the methods used produced quantifiable and qualitative data, but these are not intended to generate statistical generalizations. Denscombe (2007) says:
“..cases are not randomly selected; they are selected on the basis of known attributes.. Instances selected for an experiment or large scale survey are chosen on a random basis to ensure as far as possible that they do not
represent any specific factors relating to the variable that is being studied, but quite the opposite is true when it comes to case study research” (page 39). The case studies used for this research represented different lengths of experience in engaging in skills competitions.