RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.10 DATA COLLECTION IN THE SCHOOLS
59 research methods, that is, triangulation. In this study the triangulation of data gathered through different instruments ensured the authenticity of research results.
3.8.3 Rigour
A trustworthy and reliable research has rigour. Dependability and rigour can be enhanced in qualitative research by recording data objectively and comprehensively including the use of audiotapes, videotapes and different levels of the transcription of data (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2007). All the interview sessions were recorded and every detail necessary was included to make the report as comprehensive as possible. Doing this enables future researchers to repeat the same research and come up with more or less the same results (Shenton, 2004).
60 and 4 majored in Early Childhood Education while 2 specialised in the General Course for teaching students from Grade 4 to 7. Their demographic information is presented on the table thus:
Table 1: Demographic Details for Mandleni Primary School ParticipantsN=6
ASPECT RESPONSE FREQUENCY
SEX FEMALE
MALE
4 2
AGE RANGE 20-25
26-30 31-35 36-40
1 2 2 1 PROFESSIONAL
QUALIFICATIONS
DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION 6
SPECIALISATION EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT GENERAL COURSE
4 2 TEACHING EXPERIENCE 0-5 years
6-10 11-15 16 years +
- 3 1 2 HIGHEST ACADEMIC
QUALIFICATION
‘O’ Level
‘A’ Level BED MED
4 2 - -
The interviews were held in quiet rooms that the teachers chose to ensure that there were no unnecessary interruptions. Most of the interviews went on very well. The teachers showed commitment to the research in general and the interview session in particular. As such, most of them aired out their views in a relaxed manner. I managed to interview all the six teachers at the school in one day. However, four of the participating teachers were a bit reluctant to share their experiences at first but later on they opened up and told me that at the beginning they thought it was a witch hunting exercise since all the interviewees were not Shangani speaking. The length of the interview sessions differed depending on individual teachers’
contributions and explanations. The shortest interview at this school was 20 minutes 44 seconds while the longest was 30 minutes 56 seconds. All the interviews were recorded using an audio recorder.
61 (ii)Bhizana Primary School
A total of six teachers were interviewed at school 2. Their demographic information can be presented diagrammatically thus:
Table 2: Demographic Details for Bhizana Primary School Participants: N=6
ASPECT RESPONSE FREQUENCY
SEX FEMALE
MALE
4 2
AGE RANGE 20-25
26-30 31-35 36-40
2 1 1 2 PROFESSIONAL
QUALIFICATIONS
CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION
DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION 2 4 SPECIALISATION EARLY CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENT GENERAL COURSE
4 2 TEACHING EXPERIENCE 0-5 years
6-10 11-15 16 years +
- 3 1 2 HIGHEST ACADEMIC
QUALIFICATION
‘O’ Level
‘A’ Level BED MED
5 -
1 (PENDING) -
Interview sessions were conducted two days after the interviews in school 1. The school administrators stated that they were going for a meeting and the Teacher in Charge was going to take care of my needs. The Teacher in Charge was very welcoming and she moved with me from class to class for introductions. The teachers were very welcoming and most of them had particular interest in the research since they are Shanganis. The deputy head’s office was used for the interviews with individual teachers and after interviewing a particular teacher, he/she would call the next teacher for the interview. There are two classes per grade and as such, a total of six teachers who teach the Grades 1 to 3 classes were interviewed. It was a very hot day but the teachers and administrators made sure that I was comfortable by providing me with cold drinking water. One of the teachers provided me with a laptop to charge my video cameras whenever they ran out of power. I was really comfortable and I enjoyed my stay at the school.
62 On average, interviews at this school were conducted for 28 minutes. A voice recorder was used to capture the data for later transcription and analysis.
(iii) Ntolwane Primary School
At Ntolwane Primary School I interviewed a total of three teachers teaching from Grade 1 to 3. At this school there is only one class per Grade that is why I had to interview only 3 teachers teaching from Grade 1 to 3.
Table 3: Demographic Details for Ntolwane Primary School Participants N=3
ASPECT RESPONSE FREQUENCY
SEX FEMALE
MALE
2 1
AGE RANGE 20-25
26-30 31-35 36-40
1 1 1
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
CERTIFICATE IN EDUCATION
DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION - 3 SPECIALISATION EARLY CHILDHOOD
DEVELOPMENT GENERAL COURSE
3
- TEACHING EXPERIENCE 0-5 years
6-10 11-15 16 years +
- 2 1 HIGHEST ACADEMIC
QUALIFICATION
‘O’ Level
‘A’ Level BED MED
2 - 1 -
At this school the school administrator was very welcoming but two of the teachers claimed that they were busy and had other things to attend to. They only availed themselves for the interviews two hours after my arrival. However, this was not much of a problem since there was one teacher who had availed herself on time so I conducted an interview with her first and then interviewed the other two after the tea break. The interviews were conducted in a bicycle shed that the teachers identified as the most suitable place for the interviews. The first two teachers were free to air their views during the interview session but the other one was a bit
63 reserved despite the efforts that I made to make the whole encounter free. The interviews took 24 minute 10 seconds, 29 minutes 3 seconds and 16 minutes 19 seconds respectively. A voice recorder was used to capture all interview data for later transcription and analysis. Observation of lessons followed after the interview sessions in the three schools.
3.10.2 OBSERVATION OF LESSONS (i) Mandleni Primary School
Lesson observations were done on the first day after the interviews. The school has two classes per grade and all the 6 teachers at Grade 1 to 3 levels were observed teaching a single 30 minute lesson. The classes are very large with an average of 50 pupils per class. Generally, the pupils were excited by my presence and my assistant who was capturing the lessons using the video camera. Some of the teachers were a bit tense at the beginning of the observations but as the lessons progressed they began to behave in a natural fashion. I consistently used the observation checklist to capture observational data whilst my assistant recorded all the proceedings using a video camera. This was done to ensure that all the detail was captured for later analysis.
(ii) Bhizana Primary School
Like at Mandleni school, lesson observations were done on the first of the two days spent at the school. The school also has two classes per grade. The teachers were very comfortable to teach their lessons in my presence. The classes are also very large and pupils had to scramble for the few textbooks available. The pupils continuously looked at my assistant who was video tapping the lessons and their teachers had to continuously remind them to pay attention. Each of the six teachers was observed teaching a single 30 minute lesson and all the observations were video recorded. I consistently used the observation checklist to capture observational data.
(iii) Ntolwane Primary School
The situation was a bit different at this school. There is only one class per grade and as such, only three teachers teaching Grade 1 to 3 were observed. I observed all the teachers teaching at the elementary level for a period of 30 minutes each. The classes have an average of 50 pupils per class. Like in school 1, the teachers were not very comfortable to be observed whilst teaching but they later on became relaxed and taught their lessons in a natural way. The pupils seemed surprised to see somebody video recording them and they constantly threw an eye at
64 my assistant who was video recording the proceedings. I was making notes on my observation checklist as the teachers delivered their lessons. The data was kept for later analysis.
3.10. 3 CONDUCTING FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS
I carried out focus group interviews on the second day of my visits to Mandleni and Bhizana Primary Schools and on the first day after the interviews and observations at Ntolwane Primary School. In all the three schools, it was post-observation focus group interviews for me to get clarity about things I noted during lesson observations.
i) Mandleni Primary School
On the second day of my visit to Mandleni Primary School, I conducted a focus group interview with all the 6 teachers who had been interviewed and observed the previous day. The teachers were so tense that when the first question was asked there was silence in the room and I had to repeat the question in a simpler way. However, when the first person gave his response, the teachers became relaxed little by little and as the session progressed, they freely shared their views regarding the use of Shangani as the medium of instruction. Several ideas were raised in the discussion and it extended to close to two hours of serious discussion. Some of the questions that I asked were to do with their views on the policy that says the learners’ language should be used as the language of instruction and how they experienced the implementation of that policy among other issues. I made use of the focus group interview schedule to guide the proceedings. However, I noticed that there was one teacher who only answered once after a colleague had asked her to also share her views on the issue at hand. The focus group session was video recorded and the data was kept for later analysis.
ii) Bhizana Primary School
All the participating teachers participated in the focus group interview on my second day at the school. All the stages for focus group interviews were observed and I made use of the focus group interview schedule to direct the focus group discussion. The major questions were on the teachers’ views towards the policy on the use of Shangani in teaching and learning and their experiences in the implementation of such a policy. There were a lot of insights that I gained from this focus group discussion as the participants freely aired out their views. However, I noted that the Shangani speaking teachers dominated the discussion while the non Shangani
65 speaking only came in when a new question was asked. The focus group took about two hours.
The focus group interview was video recorded.
iii) Ntolwane Primary School
The three teachers at the school were called in for a focus group interview in the afternoon after the interviews and observations. All the stages for focus group interviews were observed and I used the focus group interview schedule to direct the focus group conversation. The focus group discussion occurred in a free classroom and the teachers freely aired their views on issues to do with their experiences on the use of Shangani as the language of instruction. The debate was not as lively as the other two and this can be attributed to the number of teachers involved.
The focus group session took about 1 hour. The interview was audio taped.
3.11 SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY USED