QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSISWeek 11

Lesson objectives

• Review qualitative research

• Managing qualitative data

• Analysing qualitative data

What is Qualitative Research• “….research that describes phenomena in words

instead of numbers or measures….Quantitative research: research that describes phenomena in numbers and measures instead of words.” (Krathol: 1993)

Why qualitative approach?

• Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts

-Albert Einstein

Common features of Qualitative Research• In-depth and interpreted understanding of the social world of research

subjects- how they make meanings of social circumstances, experiences and interactions in the ‘fields’ or life situations.

• Describing social phenomena as they occur • Using data collection methods suitable to the social context (interactive,

flexible and sensitive)• Maintaining close contacts between researcher and research subjects for

emergent issues to be explored jointly.• Rich data- as perceived from ‘inside’- empathetic understanding without bias

or preconceived ideas.• Producing detailed data, extensive, rich and inductively extracted.

(Holmes, et.al. pg99)

Types of Qualitative Research

• Phenomenology

• Grounded Theory

• Ethnography

• Case Study

CASE STUDY/IES

• A case study is an exploration of a “bounded system” or a case (multiple cases) over time through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information rich in context (Cresswell, 1998).

• A case study design is employed to gain an in-depth understanding of the situation and meaning for those involved (Merriam, 2001)

CASE STUDY/IES

• The process of conducting a case study begins with the selection of the ‘case’.

• The selection is done purposefully, not randomly; selection of a particular person, site, program, process, community or other bounded system because it exhibits characteristics of interest to the researcher. (Merriam, 2002)

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

• Quantitative• Data analysis consist of

statistical analysis• Data analysis involves

describing trends, comparing group differences or relating variables

• Interpretation compares results with prior predictions and past research

• Qualitative• Data analysis consist of text

analysis• Data analysis involve

describing the information and developing themes

• Interpretation situates the findings within the larger, more abstract meanings

Data Analysis: Qualitative Data

• Definition: – An inductive process of organizing the data

into categories and identifying patterns among themes and categories.

• Data collected from interviews, observation and documents – in overwhelming volume

Steps in Data Analysis• Generally these are the common steps in data

analysis– Organizing data

– Need to organize because of the volume and large amount of information

– Organizing materials by type: all interviews, all observations, all documents, all photographs and visual materials

– Organizing by participants, site, location etc.– Keeping duplicate copies of all forms of data

– Transcribing Data• Process of converting audiotape recordings or

fieldnotes into text data (written data)• Highlighting pauses, questions, clarification,

intonation and voice modulation (lengthy break, silence, laugh, inaudible etc.)

Steps in Data Analysis

– Exploring Data• Preliminary exploring the data• Read several times- write memos/notes in the

margin or hunches, ideas, concepts• Helps forms an initial analysis• Basis for general understanding

Steps in Data Analysis

• Describing and developing themes• Forming an in-depth understanding of the

phenomenon under study• The processes from data to generating a

description and themes are– Indexing /Coding data– Using code to develop themes– Connecting and interrelating themes

Steps in Data Analysis

• The process of segmenting and labeling text to form descriptions and broad themes in the data

• The process of dividing data into parts by some classification system

• Make sense of the data• The research questions and research concerns

becomes the basis for generating themes/categories

(i) Coding Data

Identifying text segments:• Tags/labels for assigning units of meanings• Codes are labels used to describe a segment of

text• Assigning a code word or phrase that accurately

describes the meaning of the text statement

Steps in coding data

Identifying text segments:• Codes can address many different topics:

– Setting/ context code• Description of a school

– Processes code – what happens• Sequence of events e.g disruptions• Periods, stages, phases

Steps in coding data

Steps in coding data– Activities code

• Regularly occurring e.g attendance, lunch breaks, working session/ classroom session starts and ends.

– Relationship code• Friendships, enemies, relatives, superiors and

subordinates

Steps in coding data– Feelings code

• Angry, happy, enthusiastic

– Event code• Specific events• Unexpected/ significant

– Riot, commotion, strike, disagreements

• After coding the entire text, make a list of all code words.– Cluster together similar codes– Look for redundant codes – Reduce codes to a more manageable number

e.g 25-30

• Go back to data, look for new codes

(ii) Developing themes

• Identify themes from codes– Themes – similar codes put together to form a

major idea/ perspective– Support with evidence/ specific quotes

(ii) Developing themes

(iii) Connecting and interrelating themes

• Minor themes are subsumed within major themes• Major themes lead to broader themes

– Towards more abstraction– Display a chronology, sequence or patterns showing

interconnection of themes– A pattern that explains the research questions– Linking the themes together in some meaningful way- to

show interaction and interrelatedness of the findings(may use diagrams or model)

Pattern of Themes: Learning Beliefs among Muslim adult learners in non-formal learning environment

Memorising

Memorising for better understanding

Gain knowledge

Seek new knowledge

Performing ritual

Practical application

Moral duty

Muslims’ duty

Good Muslim

Obligatory learning

God’s guidance

To seek heaven/paradise

Cleanse heart and soul

To seek God’s pleasure

(i) Acquiring knowledge

(ii) Practical knowledge

(iv) Religious duty

(v) Spiritual pleasure

A. Temporal reasons/ belief

B. Temporal and Hereafter reasons/ belief

C. Godly and Hereafter reasons/ belief

Pattern of Themes: Learning Beliefs among Muslim adult learners in non-formal learning environment

LEARNING BELIEFS

Temporal reasons/ beliefs

Temporal and Hereafter reasons/ beliefs

Hereafter reasons/ beliefs

Let’s analyse some qualitative data