SSP4000 Introduction to the Research Process Wk8: Introduction to Qualitative Research, Part 1 kthirlaway@cardiffmet.ac.uk

Welcome This week’s the session aims to: Introduction to the purpose of qualitative research Introduction to the key characteristics of qualitative research Key considerations to the usefulness of the qualitative research process Plenary tasks for week 9 Explain that the focus of the module now turns its eyes to introducing the qualitative research process. This week will focus on outlining what qualitative research is, its value to the process of research (here you could be specific to the needs of the programme) and understanding some of the key principles that inform the development of qualitative research. In a similar light to the quantitative research process, we will then illustrate these principles in the form of a case article. Remind students that there plenary tasks are due to be submitted in week 11.

Part 1: The principles of qualitative research According to Patton (2002), qualitative research is a process of inquiry that seeks to understand phenomena in real-world settings where the researcher does not attempt to manipulate the phenomena of interest. Qualitative researchers take a naturalistic approach to the subject matter because they focus on the ways in which people make sense of their experiences and the world in which they live (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). In particular, qualitative research is an interpretive form of social inquiry that attempts to understand phenomena through accessing the meanings that participants assign to them. (Hastie & Hay, 2012, p.80) The quote from Hastie and Hay highlights the key principles of qualitative research process and generally its aims. Unlike quantitative research process which attempted to provide information about relations, comparisons and predictions in a more objective manner, the key task of the qualitative research process is to provide in-depth and enriched understanding of a particular context or set of interactions that happen within a context. The 2nd box highlights the key principles of the qualitative research viewpoint. Explain that these principles are extremely general and over the next 2 terms we will be expanding on these principles. There is more than one way to do qualitative research. Indeed the very nature of subjectivity necessitates that there are a wide variety of types of qualitative research

Part 1: The principles of qualitative research Some key principles… Aim is to illicit en-riched and in-depth understanding of a particular phenomena/issue within a context General reliance on the researcher as the main instrument of data collection Creation of subjective forms of knowledge Judged on credibility, dependability and transferability Here, use an illustrative example from your chosen paper to highlight these key principles. A good starting point would be an abstract. Outline how your chosen example illustrates the key principles of qualitative research. I have used my example here – illustrate as you wish Ask students to discuss how these key principles differ and are similar to those found within quantitative research. For example, judgement in qualitative research replaces validity and reliability but the intent (to ensure quality of the research process and how it may inform wider understanding) remains the same.

Part 2: The characteristics of qualitative research Some of the main characteristics of qualitative research as outlined by Hastie and Hay (2012) and Patton (2002). Spend some time discussing the various characteristics. For reference, In contrast to quantitative research, which aims to control phenomenon (or what might be also called variables), the qualitative research process attempts to leave phenomenon in their natural setting. As such, there needs to be a tolerence of complexity and an element of uncertainty in how these phenomenon (variables) interact As a consequence, the nature of knowledge generated through the qualitative research process is largely subjective in its nature. Unlike the quantitative research process which is deductive, the qualitative research process is an inductive process. This means that findings or understanding emerge from how the researcher interacts with the participants or focus of the study. As such, the focus of qualitative research often changes from the orginal aim after the process of research has begun. This is often referred to as the ‘bottom up’ approach to knowing as the researchers questions are based on emersion within the field of study as opposed to hypothesis generated from a detached and objecitve viewpoint As a consequence, the qualitative research process necessitates that researchers have a commitment to close scrutiny and the process begins with detailed observatations of the world, broadening out and connected to more abstract ideas and generalitations. This need for a fluidic or open-ended approach also necessitates the need for open-ended questions that are often exploratory rather than explanatory in nature Consequently, qualitative research is often seen as a reflexive process, in which there is a circular relationship between cause-effect e.g. one cause will lead to another effect, which in turn will lead to another cause.

Part 2: The characteristics of qualitative research Student task 1: Read through the abstract and methods section and identify examples of these characteristics Some of the main characteristics of qualitative research as outlined by Hastie and Hay (2012) and Patton (2002). Spend some time discussing the various characteristics. For reference, In contrast to quantitative research, which aims to control phenomenon (or what might be also called variables), the qualitative research process attempts to leave phenomenon in their natural setting. As such, there needs to be a tolerence of complexity and an element of uncertainty in how these phenomenon (variables) interact As a consequence, the nature of knowledge generated through the qualitative research process is largely subjective in its nature. Unlike the quantitative research process which is deductive, the qualitative research process is an inductive process. This means that findings or understanding emerge from how the researcher interacts with the participants or focus of the study. As such, the focus of qualitative research often changes from the orginal aim after the process of research has begun. This is often referred to as the ‘bottom up’ approach to knowing as the researchers questions are based on emersion within the field of study as opposed to hypothesis generated from a detached and objecitve viewpoint As a consequence, the qualitative research process necessitates that researchers have a commitment to close scrutiny and the process begins with detailed observatations of the world, broadening out and connected to more abstract ideas and generalitations. This need for a fluidic or open-ended approach also necessitates the need for open-ended questions that are often exploratory rather than explanatory in nature Consequently, qualitative research is often seen as a reflexive process, in which there is a circular relationship between cause-effect e.g. one cause will lead to another effect, which in turn will lead to another cause.

Part 2: The characteristics of qualitative research: Example One of the main advantages of qualitative research is that it allows researchers to gain an indepth understanding of the participants’ personal constructs and experiences. The aim here, therefore, was to progress beyond “popular” sport psychology approaches that emphasize macrocomponents such as confidence and coping with adversity as underpinning the construct and to identify the micro-components of mental toughness (Jones, Hanton & Connaughton 2002). Student task 2: In reading the abstract and intro what do you think the value of qualitative research is to SES Here provide an illustrative example of where the characteristics of qualitative research are evident within your chosen case study. While time constraints will prevent going through every characteristic I think the most important characteristics are the appreciation of subjectivity and the need for close scrutiny. There are also some similarities with quantitative research and these should also not be ignored. The first task is designed to encourage students to begin looking for clues to the characteristics of qualitative research within literature. In this example, the focus of the study is investigating emerging teaching subjectivities and gain deeper understanding of the stories of pre-service PE teachers. The second task is a discussion task aimed at encouraging students to begin thinking about the usefulness of such an approach. Here, you may wish to facilitate the discussion more strongly in relation to programme specificities.

Part 3: The usefulness of qualitative research(?) “Qualitative research is particularly useful when seeking to understand people’s beliefs, values, feelings and motivations. It is particularly useful, therefore, for describing and/or answering questions about the perspectives of the groups under study; for example, on occurrences, contexts, events or even practices in their natural settings. Perhaps, for this reason, qualitative research has been described as a set of methods that ‘illuminate the invisibility of everyday life’ (Hastie and Hay, 2012, p.81) Qualitative research enables enriched understanding of people’s beliefs and the reasoning behind people’s actions. As well as addressing questions the process of qualitative research also enables new questions to be raised about a culture and the practices of individuals Provides insights into the ‘natural setting’, therefore providing a more ‘real’ picture of individuals actions and practices Explain to students at this stage much of what we have covered is the starting point rather than the complete picture. There are within many of these points nuanced and complex differences and areas of further explanation. However, it is useful to have a foundation for these further explorations that will take place in weeks 9 and 10 and then across into term 2.

Review and plenary tasks Today the following has been covered, Outline of the key purposes behind the use of qualitative research Identified some of the main characteristics of qualitative research Identified some of the reasons why the qualitative research process may be useful to developing our understanding and knowledge of particular phenomenon or issues. Plenary tasks (to be completed for week 9) Locate and read pages 1-6 of the reading (located in module specific resources folder) Based on this reading summarise the characteristics of qualitative research evident In your own words, identify what the usefulness of the qualitative research approach is Important to emphasise that while different, in many respects the process of qualitative research shares some similarities with quantitative research process. Regardless of what approach is chosen, there needs to be a focus on developing excellent questions and using appropriate designs and this is where the focus of week 9 will lie. Outline the plenary task and direct students towards the resources on moodle. For the first plenary task, direct students to a certain section of the chosen paper – in my case this reflects the abstract and introduction, where the characteristics of qualitative research should be evident Take a bow, dim the lights and exit stage right – well done again team!!