In narrative inquiry “narratives or stories are the object of analysis” (Caine et al., 2013, p.
583); hence, I analysed data through reconstructing stories in Chapter Three of this work.
Narrative analysis includes storylines, characters and settings that both influence and are influenced by the principals’ lived experiences (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). Analysis of narratives was done by the inductive process, moving from the specific data from each participant to general data. Inductive analysis is defined by Brantlinger et al. (2005, p. 196) as a “process of reasoning from specific to general.” This approach was also advanced by Elbaz-Luwisch (1997, p. 76) who argued that “in analysis of narratives, the desired outcome
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is generalizations about a particular phenomenon based on narratives generated by or about that phenomenon”.
Basit (2003) declares that data analysis can be the most difficult aspect of the research process and initially I thought so too as my journal entries below highlight:
How on earth does one put all the data together?
I simply do not know where to start.
The more data I generate, the more overwhelmed I become!
(My journal entry - 16 June 2015)
I am certainly not in a good space for writing.
Massive pieces of data are lying in my room, but I have no idea where to get the energy to write.
You know, when you are invited by a supervisor to a group support session, and you wish you could disappear to the world of no man and I had this feeling because there was virtually nothing to deliver to the supervisor.
(My journal entry - 19 August 2015)
The difficulty with data analysis is that in qualitative research “throughout analysis, researchers attempt to gain a deeper understanding of what they have studied and to
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continually refine their interpretations” (Basit, 2003, p. 143). Hence, for quite a while, my difficulty was that I did not know where to start. However, as I interacted with my supervisor and co-supervisor I discovered that it was actually an exciting stage of my work. It took time for me to realise that “the analysis of qualitative data continues throughout the research and is not a separate self-contained phase” (Basit, 2003, p. 144). Actually Basit (2003, p. 152) asserts that “several analyses may be undertaken during the course of the fieldwork.” Before assimilating the above ideas, my supervisor’s remark made absolutely no sense to me when she told me to work on my analysis chapter while I was busy reconstructing stories. I told her I was still completing the latter and she insisted these are simultaneous processes.
I must admit though that after generating field texts from a variety of methods, I found it very hard to put the stories together. Another frustrating part of data analysis was selection of field texts to use in stories. I had massive pieces of these at my disposal. I had to be very selective when deciding on what to use and what to leave out. For instance, each participant was requested to furnish one collage, three artefacts and five photographs, but the participants got carried away with the excitement of sharing their stories such that; in as much as I did all I could do to maintain consistency in respect of the data generation instruments with each participant, some furnished additional data beyond what had been requested. That is why Naledi for example, is the only one with a story presenting her school motto; and Jeff presenting a Hiawatha song he sang as a boy.
It was also a nightmare to identify the conceptual and theoretical frames for analysing my data. But, the moment I understood these, I began to enjoy data analysis like never before.
However, the feelings of uncertainty never left me. I recall a session when I presented the analysis of my first narrative using my conceptual frame in the presence of my peers; each time the supervisor asked me to clarify myself, I got more and more frustrated, such that I could not even hear her commending me for the good work I had done. If it were not for a colleague who shared the supervisor’s comments with me when I vented my frustration with her after the session, I would have stayed in the dark. I certainly appreciate the research support sessions that were offered throughout the course of this study.
The breakthrough with the choice of the frame for analysing my data, as well as the methods to be employed, was a writing retreat that instilled love for use of poetic inquiry and collage portraiture for data analysis. It was after that special writing retreat organised by our supervisor, that I wrote a letter of appreciation below:
30 28 November 2015
Dear Dr Pillay
Gratitude for a writing retreat
I hereby would like to register my warm appreciation for the writing retreat you organised for our Masters group at Asseggay Hotel on 25 November 2015.
Attending the session cited above was such a blessing for me. Of all the things I learnt to apply in my research study, I appreciate that I am now confident to use poetry as a method. We had intensive sessions on this method in the Researching Teacher Development module last year. However, I must be honest that I never loved this method such that even for an assignment on research practices, I consciously left it out and instead insisted on using interviewing in its place.
I am very grateful that after the morning session at Asseggay, I realised that I could actually use poetry to synthesise my study. This will certainly enrich my dissertation. Thank you once more for the patience you show whenever you interact with us.
Yours sincerely
Nonhlanhla Dube
(A letter of appreciation I wrote to my supervisor)
To analyse the data, I employed two analytical frames which are discussed below.