The trustworthiness of the research

A series of iterations, the data triangulated, the protocol outlined and my own beliefs articulated, all contribute to this study’s trustworthiness and dependability. The term ‘trustworthiness’ as opposed to ‘reliability’ has been purposely selected. Creswell and Miller (2000) suggest validity is affected by the researcher’s perspective of what constitutes valid. From an educational perspective, research that is trusted is “defensible” (Johnson, 1997, p. 282). Trustworthiness establishes confidence in the findings (Lincoln & Guba, 1986).

.Building up knowledge through three phases (email questionnaire, focus groups, and individual stories) supports researcher validity. The iterative nature of building research through phasing allows the data to be tested and re-tested for truth. At all phases of the research, participants were advised of the research processes (Appendix 4a, p.311). Participants were given opportunity to make comment on the transcripts and verify them prior to their being used as data (Appendix 10, p.318).

Internal validity is about matching the findings with reality (Merriam, 1988a). Do the findings tell it like it is? The findings are influenced by the way researchers choose to illuminate them. Therefore, as described by Taylor and Bogdan (1984), the researcher’s obligation is to “present a more or less honest rendering of how informants actually view themselves and their experiences” (p. 98). Triangulation was the strategy, using multiple sources of data that supported the internal validity of this research. Patton (2002) advocates triangulation as a method to strengthen research validity.

Page | 149 Comparing a range of sources “controls bias and establishes valid propositions” (Mathison, 1988, p. 13).

External validity is the extent to which a study can be generalised. Analysis, using a typological strategy and inductive thinking steps, aims at that result. Cronbach (1975) suggests developing a working hypothesis is a more realistic approach. Hypotheses allow for local context and can act as a guide to educators in making choices. Highly relevant in this research is how current principals’ choices of learning could possibly influence future principals’ learning.

4.16 Ethics

A qualitative researcher could be likened to a visitor into another person’s world. As a visitor, there are a set of expected behaviours the researcher needs to follow. Truthfulness is implicit to the role. Diligence in ensuring Massey University’s Code of Ethics when researching human subjects was regularly considered throughout the various phases. The Massey University, Palmerston North Ethics Committee, granted ethical approval to this research in April 2008.

Ethics is as much of a concern to research as is validity. Accuracy and confidentiality are implicit in ethical considerations. From a worldview perspective, the data are developed to consider principals’ social reality. In this study, the perceptions are not those of an individual but of groups of people, thus the data is diverse and plentiful, supporting greater anonymity.

The questionnaire data was collated in an aggregated form, which is not problematic with regard to issues of confidentiality. Participants from the interview phases checked transcripts for accuracy prior to use in the thesis. All participants provided their informed consent (Appendix 5, p.314) to the relevant research phases. The researcher articulated to participants that guaranteed anonymity was not possible. Although pseudonyms, chosen by the participants, are used, focus group members could possibly identify comments from other participants. As there is unlikely to be anything in the

Page | 150 report that is offensive to the participants, this should not create any ethical tension. Moreover, the large number of schools in the city helps also to protect the individuals’ privacy.

Lincoln and Guba describe the vulnerability of both researcher and the participants as they share information suggesting that the relationship is one of mutual influence.

The interactive nature of the relationship is prized, since it is only because of this feature that inquirers and respondents may fruitfully learn together. The relationship between researcher and respondent, when properly established, is one of respectful negotiation, joint control, and reciprocal learning.

(Lincoln & Guba, 1986, p. 17)

Nonetheless, the power relationship can favour the researcher, particularly, as in this case, the researcher knows the participants and as such becomes the gatekeeper of what information is disseminated (Lincoln & Guba, 1986). The notion of trustworthiness and rigour were therefore maintained through the overt disclosure of researcher intent and opportunity for individuals to check the transcripts.

The researcher spent considerable time delving into the literature around moral leaders and, although it does not have an extensive role in the study’s literature, Duignan and fellow-researcher Bhindi, believe moral leadership underpins all a principal does (Duignan, 2004). This research is about colleagues, a world of education and as such, the researcher has a responsibility to all who work for and believe principals are important to children’s learning.

The very personal, conversational nature of interviews highlights many of the basic ethical issues of any research (Patton, 2002). All participants released the transcripts to the researcher with the understanding that their names and their school’s name would be protected. This process enables the participants to have greater control over the data. They were asked to make comment and verify

Page | 151 the accuracy of what was written. Confidentiality was implicit in writing up the findings (Appendix 9, p.318).

Analysis of data is by its very nature, filtered through the researcher’s theoretical position and as such is open to bias. All a researcher can do is be open about any bias, accurate and as “honest as is humanly possible in all phases of research” (Diener & Crandall, 1978, p. 162). Merriam makes a strong point that regulations, such as Massey’s ethical guidelines, do not stop interviewer coerciveness, or advise when to intervene if a situation is unacceptable. In Merriam’s words:

The best a researcher can do is be conscious of the ethical issues that pervade the research process and examine his or her own philosophical orientation vis-ã- vis these issues (Merriam, 1998, p. 219).

A qualitative researcher cannot be totally unbiased and objective. Gorard (2004) does not believe we can totally eradicate our own pre-conceived ideas but through reflexive and reflective action, we can moderate their effect. Concisely put, it is my belief that every effort was made by this researcher to behave ethically.

4.17 Conclusion

In conclusion, this interpretive qualitative case study is set in urban New Zealand schools. It fits within the naturalist paradigm, examining the unique experiences and knowledge people as

individuals and as groups bring to a situation. Case study qualitative research was established as the appropriate design for this research.

Case study provides a large and rich data set. The data are bounded by time and place and therefore influence replication factors, and enhance the research explicability. Case study research is

Page | 152 principals’ learning, and providing voice to principals. Qualitative research is the most appropriate method for researching through narrative.

This research is based on gaining an insider view of participant’s beliefs and values. The analysis of their ideas required both deductive and inductive processes. By using the literature to firstly inform the research questions and then create the initial coding categories creates cohesion between the literature and methodology. The transcripts in this thesis were grouped initially into codes from the literature. The inductive process was evidenced when pre-determined codes did not fit with what was said. Broad questions acted as a guide only for participants: they chose their own tangents. This led to insightful data and codes not initially established.

The methodology was developed to provide sampling that provided saturation of data (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). In essence, this means that data would be representative of a researcher’s findings in the event more interviews were included. The data were gathered, transcribed, and analysed into generalisable codes. The codes were then examined in reference to six key research questions first outlined in Chapter One. Data were triangulated through an email questionnaire, three focus groups, and four embedded case studies.

Triangulation is a dependability requirement in qualitative research. In brief, this acted as a guide in the phasing planning. The first iteration was to gain a snap shot of who did what learning in the unidentified metropolitan city. Data then informed the next phase, focus group interviews, which in turn informed the final individual interview phase.

The findings are the next piece in this study of ‘learning to lead’. The findings highlight a common set of beliefs about principalship and learning, the need for collegiality and a range of learning pathways to support principals. Most importantly, they illuminate how principals think and feel about current learning.

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The Professional Learning of Urban N.Z. Primary Principals

CHAPTER FIVE