Sample size, selection, and gaining access

4.4.3.1 Samples

Small sample sizes are acceptable for qualitative research (Cohen et al., 2000; Drew, Hardman, & Hosp, 2008) which “can be equally effective for small or large numbers of participants” (Drew et al., 2008, p. 187). This is because the purpose of a particular qualitative research case study is to seek to understand phenomena in depth and detail rather than to seek generalisations based on large sample sizes (Patton, 1990, 2002). Thus, unlike a quantitative design, where sampling strategies should be considered for ‘representativeness’ (Cohen et al., 2000), this

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study uses a small number of participants. In other words, this study’s sample does not represent the wider population (though its results may be relatable to similar Vietnamese contexts), but it does allow an in-depth understanding and interpretation to be made regarding the case. Therefore, convenience and purposive sampling strategies were employed to gain access to the participants.

Firstly, I selected schools which are convenient for me to travel to and from, i.e., those within the town where I live. However, according to the purpose of the study, public schools were selected because these schools were currently using the mandated ‘task-based’ textbooks (private schools were not required to use such textbooks). Also, such schools should have at least three teachers of English, to allow me to organise data collection activities in groups, such as lesson planning sessions and group discussions (see 4.4.6.) Secondly, convenience sampling was applied to select participants who were “willing and available to be studied” (Creswell, 2005, p. 149). Within the community of English language teachers, I did not have difficulties in gaining access to a number of teachers who would be happy to take part in the study. In fact, some of the participants in the study are my college friends, and others had previously worked with me in several training workshops, such as the textbook training. Therefore, it was somewhat advantageous for me regarding time spent for establishing rapport and building initial trust.

4.4.3.2 Gaining access

In Vietnam, gaining access to the participants is a hierarchical process. Although it might not be difficult to identify potential participants, I was bound to go through a number of gatekeepers before formally asking teachers to participate in this study. First of all, I approached the provincial Department of Education and Training (DOET) to seek permission for gaining access to schools. I presented myself in the Vice-Director’s office with a letter containing the information and purpose of the study, and the potential schools where I would like to undertake the research. The Vice-Director kindly granted me a letter of recommendation to each school.

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With the letter in hand, I went to each school, met the principal, and presented them the letter of recommendation and letter of information. Of the three principals I met with, two (i.e., of Schools A and B) warmly welcomed me and expressed their support for my study. The other principal (of School C) also agreed for my research to be carried out in his school, but raised a concern that the research might affect teachers’ work. He said that observing each teacher three times would place some burden on them, and that the teachers would not have enough time to prepare lessons for observation. Although I explained that my intention was to observe their scheduled lessons, which did not require special preparation, he finally suggested that I observe only one lesson from each teacher in his school. As a result, although two teachers from this school were also asked to plan their lessons, be observed, and attend stimulated recall sessions, their data were excluded from the present study.

With the permission from the principals, I started to contact the heads of English departments, to whom I provided the information and purposes of the study. I then asked them for their help, by inviting me to one of their weekly academic meetings, where I could meet the teachers and invite their participation.

4.4.3.3 Approaching participants

With the support from the head of the English department, I arrived at their department’s weekly academic meeting. Handing each teacher a letter of information and a workshop schedule, I talked to them about my research and invited them all to participate in the workshop series about language teaching. I also showed them all the documents that were issued by their higher authorities, and encouraged them to ask any questions related to the research and the workshops. In the meeting with School A’s teachers, most teachers were interested in the workshops and expressed supporting attitudes towards the research, although some of them revealed time constraints due to the workload at the end of the semester.

During the workshops, three teachers teaching Year 10 classes and two teachers teaching Year 12 classes were enthusiastic to participate, and thus all five were eventually selected for participation. In the meeting with School B (the teachers

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from School B were not able to attend the workshops), all the six English teachers in the school were willing to help, thus all of them were included in the study. In School C, five teachers were willing to help, but due to the time overlap in data collection among the schools and the fact that this school was much more distant from the town centre than the first two schools, only two teachers were observed, interviewed in stimulated recall sessions, and carried out lesson planning, each once, as requested by the principal. Although, in total, thirteen teachers were involved in this project, data from eleven teachers (from Schools A and B only) were used for transcription and analysis.

In Table 4.2 (overleaf), Teachers 1-5 are from School A, and Teachers 6-11 are from School B.