Educational Action Research Todd Twyman Week 2

Presentation Demonstration Explanation of why the study is needed Explanation of why the study is needed Referencing empirical literature (research) Referencing empirical literature (research) Detailed description of methods and procedures. Detailed description of methods and procedures. Explanation of how you will evaluate the results. Explanation of how you will evaluate the results. Scoring: Content = 10; Clarity = 5 Audience: School Board

Qualitative Data Analysis Making meaning out of text. Making meaning out of text. Sort of like analyzing poetry… Sort of like analyzing poetry… Look for themes that recur Look for themes that recur Pay attention to subtle nuances Pay attention to subtle nuances Search for contradictions Search for contradictions Grab onto particularly insightful quotations; they give your research life. Grab onto particularly insightful quotations; they give your research life.

Coding Qualitative Data Read through the entire manuscript / transcript. Read through the entire manuscript / transcript. Go back through, making note of ideas that seem particularly important. Go back through, making note of ideas that seem particularly important. Group the ideas/themes in a format that makes the relationships between them visible. Group the ideas/themes in a format that makes the relationships between them visible. Display the relationships graphically. Display the relationships graphically.

Coding Qualitative Data Read through the entire manuscript / transcript once more. Read through the entire manuscript / transcript once more. Revise your graphic as needed. Revise your graphic as needed. Write a ‘codebook’ that details the themes you used to cluster your data. Write a ‘codebook’ that details the themes you used to cluster your data.

Qualitative Data Analysis Goal: Practice Techniques for Coding Qualitative Data Method: 1. Interview (5 minutes each) 2 people in the class about their reasons for going into education as a profession. Take legible notes! 2. All notes go in a pile to be distributed for analysis. 3. Analysis activity.

Interviewing Write a list of questions to start you off. Write a list of questions to start you off. Add follow-up questions to gain greater depth. Add follow-up questions to gain greater depth. “Tell me about…” “Tell me about…” “Help me understand…” “Help me understand…” AVOID ‘shut-down’ questions: AVOID ‘shut-down’ questions: “Why did you…” “Why did you…” Yes/No questions Yes/No questions

Write Questions Take 5 minutes to jot down some questions that you believe will address the research question: What life experiences prompt people to go into education for a profession? Take 5 minutes to jot down some questions that you believe will address the research question: What life experiences prompt people to go into education for a profession? Remember: you may need to guide people gently down the path of in-depth responses! Remember: you may need to guide people gently down the path of in-depth responses!

Taking Interview Notes Paraphrase BUT check to be sure you got it right! Paraphrase BUT check to be sure you got it right! Something especially eloquent/telling? Write it down verbatim! Something especially eloquent/telling? Write it down verbatim! Don’t be afraid to [respectfully] ask for greater depth of explanations. Don’t be afraid to [respectfully] ask for greater depth of explanations. Use your own personal shorthand, but be consistent with it. Use your own personal shorthand, but be consistent with it. 5 minutes per interview

As you code: Read Read Re-read, writing down themes Re-read, writing down themes Cluster themes Cluster themes Display graphically Display graphically Re-read Re-read Revise graphic as needed Revise graphic as needed Select key quotations Select key quotations

Analysis Activity: Part I Individual Coding Read and code at least 4 interview transcripts. Read and code at least 4 interview transcripts. Look for themes that emerge. Look for themes that emerge. Be prepared to share… Be prepared to share… 15 minutes

Analysis Activity: Part II Group Coding Meet in groups of to share your findings. Meet in groups of to share your findings. Represent the group findings graphically. Represent the group findings graphically. Be prepared to share. Be prepared to share. (15 minutes) (15 minutes) 15 minutes

Debrief Analysis Activity Share your findings. Any surprises? Any surprises? Did any potential misunderstandings creep in? Did any potential misunderstandings creep in? What good interview techniques were demonstrated? What good interview techniques were demonstrated? What was the hardest part of the coding activity? What was the hardest part of the coding activity?

Homework Read Nothing Up My Sleeve: Unveiling the Magic of Statistics Read Nothing Up My Sleeve: Unveiling the Magic of Statistics Continue to work on your own project. Continue to work on your own project.