Thesis Seminar Module 10: Method V - Holy Week

Thesis Seminar Week 10 RecapThesis Seminar Week 10 Recap - Notes

🎯 Understanding

Instructors will understand that…

• High-quality qualitative findings depend on systematic, recorded data (e.g., interviews, observations, documents) collected ethically and analyzed iteratively to ensure each research question is fully addressed.

• During the final weeks of data collection, researchers must make strategic decisions about what additional evidence is still needed (and from which sources) to strengthen triangulation and credibility.

• The data analysis section should clearly explain what was done with the data (organization, coding/categorization, quantification where relevant) so readers can follow the logic from raw data to themes/findings.

🎯 Language Objective

Students will be able to…

• write a clear 150–175 word Data Analysis paragraph that (a) names the analytic approach, (b) describes coding/categorization steps, and (c) explains how evidence was linked back to each research question.

• produce a brief “data coverage check” (one sentence per research question) identifying which data sources currently support it and what additional data (if any) is still needed.

• use precise academic verbs and method language (e.g., coded, categorized, triangulated, compared, interpreted) to describe ongoing analysis during data collection.

🎯 Vocabulary

• triangulation

• data coverage

• credibility / trustworthiness

• evidence

• recorded data

• coding

• categories

• themes

• analytic approach

• iterative analysis

• audit trail

• pseudonyms

• confidentiality

🎯 Things to Consider

1. Your last day to collect data is April 18, 2026.

2. By April 18, 2026, your interviews, classroom observations, and documents needed to answer your research questions should be completed.

3. Develop your data analysis section while on break, due May 4, 2026.

4. Remember to complete your reflection for week 10 by April 5, 2026.

5. Remember to make sure you are collecting data from documents (content), recorded interviews, and recorded classroom observations.

🎯 Data Sources for doing a Qualitative Study

Triangulate different data sources to fully answer your research questions. Consider the possible data sources as you collect data each day:

1. Interviews

   1. One-on-on semi-structure interviews

2. Classroom Observations

3. Documents:

• Questionnaires from teachers, students, administrators, parents, etc. – four possible data sources

• Interviews with teachers, students, administrators, parents, etc. – four possible data sources

• Classroom observations

• Collecting text, audio, and video from planning (e.g., lesson plans, etc.) and any didactic materials and technologies used in class – each a possible data source

• Collecting text, audio, and video from student homework, projects, etc. – each a possible data source

• Etc.

• Only data obtained from recorded interviews and classroom observations should be used to analyze data related to your study. Avoid using any data from casual conversations where no instrument was used and which were not recorded.

• Avoid intervening unless absolutely necessary. See me if you feel you must do an intervention.

• Each time you collect data, analyze it to determine how it answers your research questions and then plan on what additional data you still need.

• Make sure you have received an informed consent form from each teacher (participant). Determine whether you need an informed consent form of students and obtain one if necessary.

Participants (one paragraph between 150-175 words)

• Who are your participants?

  • Avoid using their names but what are their titles, responsibilities, and/or rank? State you’ll use pseudonyms to protect the confidentiality of your participants.

  • What demographic information relates to your study (i.e., answering your research questions, purpose, problem, etc.)?

    • Age

    • Experience working at the school and/or overall years of experience

    • Gender

    • Groups currently teaching and/or groups taught? Ages of the students, levels of the students, group sizes, etc.

    • School information: public or provide, general location (city), size, mission and vision, etc.

    • Socioeconomic information

• Why did you choose your participants?

  • Explain the rationale for choosing participants

• What permissions did you get to collect your data from your participants

  • Informed consent form

  • Any other special permissions

Instruments and Procedure (one paragraph between 150-175 words)

• Describe the instruments and procedure used to collect the data to answer your research questions. Describe your instruments and include a citation to the appendix section (e.g., “(see Appendix A)”, “(see Appendix B)”, etc.). Organize the paragraph chronologically in a way that would facilitate one to replicate your study.

Data Analysis (one paragraph between 150-175 words)

• The data analysis will be discussed during our next whole-group session, April 12, 2024 at 11:00 AM in our regular classroom.

• In this section, include how you analyzed your data throughout the entire data collection process.

• For qualitative research, include how you coded and categorized your data, including any software used.

• Describe how you analyzed descriptive data (i.e., quantitative data) to create tables and/or figures showing percentages, frequencies, etc.

For examples of method sections

• For examples of how to develop a method section, refer to the different empirical studies included in your literature review.

• Refer to the example discussed during whole-group session from February 28, 2025.