ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION: TWO FORMS OF SUSTAINED SCHOOL LANGUAGE CHANGE
4.1 Introduction
The findings and discussion in this section of the study arise out of analysis and interpretation of the data framed by what is termed sensitising concepts borrowed from Gephart (1999). This author uses the term in his explanation of grounded, qualitative research which he claims often begins with sensitising or orienting concepts. He states that sensitising concepts provide the researcher with a general sense of reference and guidance in approaching empirical instances. Sensitising ideas are examined or applied through micro level observations of interactions in specific settings and are thereby elaborated or further developed to capture and reflect discovered features of the phenomenon examined. Thus, sensitising concepts, according to Gephart (1999), act as theoretical lenses to help the researcher find examples as well as patterns in the meanings represented in data.
The micro level observations of interactions in the study involved extraction and close analysis of data slices reflecting ideas corresponding to each of the sensitising concepts.
While the slices of data corresponding to a particular sensitizing concept were similar on some dimensions, they differed in terms of other dimensions. Comparative analysis of data slices led to clustering of similar data slices into themes which were then integrated to generate initial categories and sub-categories which formed the basis for generating a theoretical understanding of school language change. Analysis also involved comparison with extant literature for elaboration and refinement of emerging theoretical understandings. The table which follows (Table 4.1) summarises the data analysis process used in the study:
Literature on change and multilingualism Features of Grounded Theory
Critical Questions Sensitising Concepts Categories, Sub-categories and Themes Theorizing Moments
Two forms of sustained SLC
What are the experiences of identified One form of sustained change occurs when the Pressure to effect SLC Pressure to effect SLC iinfluenced by power and personality language change agents in their attempts to sustain controlling pressure is constant, unrelenting and Changing teacher‟s mindsets Managing pressure optimally to maximize SLC
sustain language policy and practice change inescapable. Changing the racial composition of the staff
in linguistically diverse primary schools in KZN? Revising the school language policy
Prioritising the learning of isiZulu
Pressure from the education department
How and why was school language change by Managing pressure to effect change
these change agents sustained/not sustained?
The second form of sustained change occurs when Acceptance and integration of SLC Impact of language attitudes and attitudes to change
How do the experiences of the change agents there is acceptance of the need to change, whether the Educators‟ resistance to change on SLC illuminate the process leading to sustained school effort comes mainly from others or from oneself. Without Educators‟ acceptance of change
language change? some such acceptance, change efforts tend to become an Parents‟ resistance to change Antithetical positions of the two forms of sustained SLC -
exercise in conformity under some perceived pressure. Differing conceptions of change balancing pressure with encouraging acceptance and
integration
Preconditions for SLC
Great change cannot be durable unless the
surrounding network is supportive of that change. Support for SLC
In-school support Inducing key stakeholders to engage in and support SLC
Planning for multilingualism, multiliteracy and pluralism Support from parents and the SGB balanced by understanding their potential for change.
through schooling requires the active involvement of Support from the education department
agents from the community, as well as the school engaged Support from NGOS and other organisations Augmenting potential for meaningful engagement with SLC
in developing a school context/culture that supports through capacity building.
multilingualism, multiliteracy, and pluralism, beyond that
which exists in the societal culture.
To change anything, living or inanimate, it is necessary to Potential of targets for SLC
try to understand the nature, structure and potential of Potential of the school
that thing or organism if the process of change is to be Potential of educators
constructive and beneficial rather than damaging. Potential of parents
What emerges clearly from the nomenclature of change Preconditions for institutional language change
systems is the fact that change is effected by one Change Agents inducing change in others
individual inducing it in others. Other educators inducing change in colleagues
Understandings developed from initiating
SLC
What are the experiences of identified It is more than possible that the levels of understanding Value of MT communication with key stakeholders Understandings developed from initiating SLC inform further
language change agents in their attempts to sustain achieved by some change agents greatly surpass their Value of MT education further initiatives to drive and sustain SLC
sustain language policy and practice change ability to initiate change processes. De/merits of MLE strategies
The data analysis process illustrated in the above table began with the critical questions that underpin the study. The critical questions informed the selection of sensitising concepts. Hence, to explore the experiences of language change agents in their quest to sustain initiated school language change and to address the questions of how and why school language change was sustained or not sustained, sensitising concepts dealing with critical change issues were selected to orient and guide the analysis. These change issues encompass preconditions for change, sustainability of change and consequences of intended change drawn from Douglas (1997) and guiding principles enabling a shift from monolingual to multilingual education drawn from Skutnabb-Kangas & Garcia (1995).
Using the sensitising concepts as theoretical lenses to view the data resulted in identifying and extracting slices of data that corresponded with each of the sensitising concepts.
These slices of data are captured in the data analysis and record section of the study as responses from various sources including the four change agents and significant others (educators, managers, support staff) in the four schools. Comparative analysis of the data slices revealed that they were similar on some dimensions and differed on other dimensions and were grouped accordingly to generate themes linked to a particular sensitising concept which were then integrated to develop sub-categories and categories.
For example, applying the sensitising concept dealing with one form of sustained change yielded among others the following themes: Prioritising the learning of isiZulu, Changing teachers‟ mindsets, Revising the racial composition of the staff. These themes were integrated to generate the sub-category of Pressure to effect School Language Change.
This sub-category was in turn integrated with another sub-category dealing with forms of sustained change (Acceptance and Integration of School Language Change) to generate the category: Two Forms of Sustained School Language Change.
The data analysis generated three main categories of concepts explicating school language change as reflected in the table. Engaging with the categories and the emerging insights resulted in the manifestation of theorizing moments as captured in the table.
These theorizing moments comprise the initial phase in formulating a theoretical understanding of school language change. The theoretical framework for understanding SLC is developed in the final chapter of the study.
The data analysis section of the study spans chapters four, five and six and use the main categories captured in the table as the foci of the analysis chapters. The analysis section is sequenced as follows:
This chapter focuses on the two forms of sustained school language change, viz. pressure to sustain school language change and acceptance of the need for school language change. Chapter five focuses on preconditions for school language change that include support for school language change, understanding the nature and potential of individuals and the school for language change and the precondition for whole school language change. Chapter six focuses on understandings developed from initiating school language change.