A few weeks ago, I watched the zoom session where everyone shared their research journeys, their aims, and their reflections on this whole process so far. It was great to hear how everyone was getting on. Regrettably, I haven't blogged in a while, so I thought I would share where I am in relation to my inquiry and Module 3...
Within my inquiry, I am exploring the relationship between the teacher and the student in dance education. I proposed to interview 3 dance teachers, as well as receive questionnaires from 4 dance teachers, and 4 dancers that trained professionally. I struggled to recruit participants at first. I had luckily conducted 2 interviews early in September, but couldn't quite secure a 3rd interviewee. This also happened with my questionnaires. So I cast the net wider (maybe a bit too wide in the end) and managed to receive 13 questionnaires back, which was amazing, but this large amount of data may prove challenging during the next stages.
In the end, I managed to conduct 3 interviews with dance teachers who all had very different backgrounds. My first was particularly challenging, possibly because I lacked experience as an interviewer. When I read the transcripts back, I am frustrated that I didn't ask them to expand on certain topics. However, this reflection helped with my 2nd interview, and even more so with my 3rd.
The thought of having to collect data was hanging over me since Module 1, but it has actually been rather enjoyable. I have loved hearing people's stories and opinions on my research topic. My thoughts have been challenged, and I have learned a lot about assumptions. Rule No.1 of interviewing was not to communicate my thoughts, opinions, and assumptions to the participants. This can be done verbally, through the use of questions, and even physically (facial expressions, nodding of head, etc). This was tricky but so effective, and I believe it has made me a more active listener.
I have also found it has made me ask more questions in my workplace. From experience (and a theme that has appeared from my research), children want to be heard. They appreciate the friendly encounter but don't always know how to express themselves. When I am on the playground and a student comes to me to tell another student has been mean to them, before I speak to the other student, I ask what happened, and how it made them feel. I think it's important for them to fully express this, and I hope this little reflection can help them move on and not make the same mistakes as their peers.
The data from my questionnaires is really helping me sculpt my themes, and I am fortunate that most participants expanded on their thoughts, however, I am sometimes left wishing I could speak to my participants in person and ask further questions on certain things. But I suppose this is where the data from my interviews, literature, and myself come into this.
So where am I now? Currently staring at this...
Hi Alice, my apologies for only just seeing this Blog - I've been a bit slack with my blogging this term. This looks familiar ;) I was overwhelmed by all the data I had to get through and organize. Like you I ended up with a lot of it, 8 interviews!!! Which wa great for having material but obviously hard to organize, structure and analyze. Like you said, triangulation was often plaguing me! And what was also different is just when I thought I was getting there, I would find and think of something that relates to this and interlocked with it. The connectivity was great but it gave me another strand to try and pull together in a coherent way.
ReplyDeleteI hope you've got on ok and are on the home straight now. I look forward to the presentation in January.
Best wishes, Lauren xx