THE RESEARCH PARADIGM

The choice of a methodological paradigm determines the research methods, techniques and data collection instruments that should be used in the study (Mouton, 2001:35). At the same time, the choice of a methodological paradigm is determined by the nature and purpose of the research (ibid.). Research paradigms or approaches are generally categorized as quantitative or qualitative or mixed methods which is a combination of the use of both qualitative and quantitative paradigms, and each has its own unique underpinning ontology and epistemology (ibid.).

In quantitative studies, the aim of the research is to obtain statistical results and since this was not the purpose of this study. However, the qualitative data lent itself in part to statistical analysis and consequently the study could be viewed as employing a mixed method approach. According to McMillan and Schumacher (2010:402), sequential exploratory design is a method in which qualitative data collection and analysis is followed by a quantitative data collection and analysis.

In this study, the quantitative portion is used to confirm and expand the findings on the qualitative part of the study. According to the author, the design enhances in-depth understanding of information emanating from the study also it confirms relationships in the qualitative phase. However, in this study, the researcher employed the use of semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews which were entirely qualitative data collection. The study also required the completion of a survey questionnaire of which some of the findings, given their specific nature, could be expressed quantitatively although the questionnaire was predominantly qualitative in design.

Qualitative research is primarily exploratory research which seeks to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations of human participants about a phenomenon (Neuman, 2013). An outline of the characteristics and nature of qualitative research follows. .2.1 Qualitative research

Qualitative research is a research approach that seeks answers to a research question or number of questions by systematically using a predefined set of procedures to answer the central questions, collect evidence, and produce findings that were not determined in advance. The data are characterised by being narrative, descriptive and explanatory (Mack, Woodson, Mac Queen, Guest & Namey, 2005). Additionally, qualitative research generally seeks to understand a given research problem or topic from the perspectives of the local population that it involves (ibid.).

The underpinning philosophy of qualitative studies is that the researcher is interested in establishing meaning and how people make sense of their lives, experiences, and their structures of the world. Researchers who use this method are particularly interested in understanding how things occur and how they are experienced. The researcher interacts with participants in the study and tries to minimize the distance between the researcher and the research participants (Creswell, 1994:6). Qualitative methods aim at providing an in-depth and interpreted understanding of the social world of research participants by learning about their social and material circumstances, their experiences, thoughts, feelings, perspective and histories in their natural social settings (Snape & Spencer, 2003:5). In qualitative studies, the researcher collects data from small samples of research participants usually by having close contact with them in an interactive manner. According to Snape and Spencer (ibid.), data collected are developed as emergent issues hence the information is well detailed, rich and extensive.

Based on these attributes of the qualitative approach, and the fact that qualitative research has the ability to provide information about the ‘human’ side of an enquiry, I decided to use the approach in the study which aimed to explore the issue of PI in children’s schooling from parents’ and teachers’ perspectives. McMillan and Schumacher (2010:340) claim that the importance of qualitative research lies in the fact that the method accommodates the formation of new ideas during the data collection. According to an overview on qualitative research, the method is effective in identifying the impact of intangible factors such as social norms, SES, gender roles, ethnicity and religion. The role of these factors might not be readily apparent in the research and need to be established through deduction and interpretation (Mack et al., 2005).

3.2.2 Case study research

It was decided to use a case study research design, since a ‘case’ means ‘an instance of’ and the central feature of case study research design is the investigation of one or more specific ‘instances of’ something that comprise the cases in the study. A case study approach focuses on gaining an in-depth understanding of a particular entity or event at a specific time (Baxter & Jack, 2008: 546). Case studies tend to be delimited in some way – either as a specific individual, or a set of individual(s), organization(s), school(s), department(s), or event(s). This specific entity is generally referred to as the ‘unit of analysis’ (Miles & Huberman, 1994:25).

Simon (2009:21) defines a case study as an in-depth exploration from multiple perspectives of the complexity and uniqueness of a particular project, policy, institution, program or system (which constitutes the ‘case’) in a real-life context. According to Tellis (1997), case study is an ideal methodology when a holistic, in-depth investigation is needed. Case study design indicates details of viewpoints of the research participants by using multiple sources of data. Yin (2003:13-14), defines a case study as:

a. an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real- life context and is used especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident;

b. an inquiry that copes with the technically distinctive situation in which there will be many more variables of interest than data points;

c. an inquiry that relies on multiple sources of evidence with data needing to converge in a triangulating fashion; and

d. an inquiry that benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions to guide data collection and analysis.

The case study as a research strategy comprises an all-encompassing method incorporating specific approaches to data collection and to data analysis. The case study is thus not either a data collection tactic or merely a design feature alone but a comprehensive research strategy (Yin, 2003:13). Hartley (2004:332), defines case study research as a heterogeneous activity covering a range of research methods and techniques, a range of coverage (from single case study through a careful matched pair up to multiple cases), varied levels of analysis (individuals, groups, organisations, organizational fields or social policies) and differing lengths and level of involvement in organizational functioning.

Accordingly, to Tellis (1997), a case study is an ideal methodology when a holistic in-depth investigation is needed. Case study design indicates details of viewpoints of research participants by using multiple sources of data. Yin (1994), posits that case study design can be used to explain complex causal links in real-life interventions and situations. It is a frequent criticism of case study research that the results are not widely applicable in real life as a result. Yin (1984) refutes that criticism by presenting a well-constructed explanation of the difference between analytic generalization and statistical generalization. In analytic generalization, previously developed theory is used as a template against which to compare the empirical result of the case study. Yin (1984) stresses that the inappropriate use of generalizing assumes that some sample of cases has been drawn from a larger universe of cases. In support of this idea, Stake (1995) also claims that case study research enhances naturalistic generalization. He argued that the data generated by case studies often resonate with experience from a broad cross section of readers. Case studies thereby facilitate a greater understanding of the phenomenon. Hartley (2004: 325) adds that case studies have an important function in generating hypotheses and building theories because the method has the ability to produce a detailed investigation and data are being collected over a period of time. The author adds that the method is suitable for exploring issues in depth.

3.3 THE RESEARCH DESIGN

Research design refers to the structure of an enquiry (De Vos & Fouché, 1998:123-124). Research is a logical task undertaken by the researcher to ensure that evidence collected enables the researcher to answer the research questions or to test theories as unambiguously as possible (De Vos, Strydom, Fouché & Delport, 2002:88). The research design is the blue-print offering a framework for the research (De Vos & Fouché, 1998:123-124; De Vos, Strydom, Fouché & Delport, 2002:88). The research design is a set of logical arrangements that direct the research process.

Research design can consequently be described as ‘the logical steps which will be taken to link the research question(s) and issues to data collection, analysis and interpretation in a coherent way’ (Hartley, 2004). In addition, the research design indicates the participants that will be studied, specifies when, where and under which circumstance they will be studied (McMillan & Schumacher 2010:102). A well-planned research design generates results that approximate reality and the results are judged to be accurate, trustworthy and reasonable (McMillan & Schumacher 2010:102).

3.4 THE RESEARCH POPULATION, THE RESEARCH SAMPLE AND THE SAMPLING