MAPPING THE METHODOLOGY
3.5 Mapping the research design of the study
3.5.2 Mapping how data are constituted
node of the study the rapport with research participants would be built under false pretences. Such tacit mistrust could not elicit open and free communication (Henning, Van Rensburg & Smith, 2004). The moral and ethical dilemmas that confronted me led me to decide not to embark on covert research at the industry node of the study. I informed the human resources personnel of my decision, and subsequently requested permission to conduct research within the pharmaceutical industry.
will reveal the convergences, divergences, alliances formed or subversions in the network in terms of policy construction and SKAV constitution. During the examination of ties I explored the ways that the network of relations is composed, how they emerge and come into being, how they are maintained, how they compete with other elements, and how they are made durable over time (Latour, 2005). This means that (as discussed in Part A, Chapter Two) the analysis maps the relations among actors. Data are constituted at the level of policy construction and SKAV constitution at each node.
3.5.2.1 DoE node
At the DoE node data are constituted by observation of mediation of policy in order to answer the following research question: How is policy constructed and which SKAV are constituted in practice at the DoE node? Mediation of policy was observed for its entire duration, i.e. 4.5 days, in the Phoenix North region. Mediation of policy was held at the Phoenix Teachers’ Centre which has conference rooms and conference facilities. The mediation of policy was video recorded from the back of the conference room, covering almost the whole room. Personnel from the Phoenix Teachers’ Centre conducted the video recording (as they do on a regular basis), at a predetermined cost. The recording began 10 minutes prior to commencement of the mediation session.
The video recording is a mirror image of the practice of mediation of policy. When viewing the video recording, I looked at the actors networked into the practice of the subject advisor, the associations formed with these actors, the actions of these actors and how these associations shape the practice of the subject advisor. These steps allowed me to constitute data in respect of how practice gets performed and how policy is constructed during practice. For the collation of data in terms of SKAV constitution, I drew on ANT’s notion of network. I examined what is done in practice in terms of activities undertaken and associated the activity to a particular LO contained in the gazetted NCS- FET Life Sciences Policy. Methodologically the NCS-FET Life Sciences table of cognitive development, table of science process skills and table of attitudes and values
its associated AS and the specific competency being developed. To identify the LO engaged in practice it is necessary to focus on the nature of the activity: such as, does it entail scientific inquiry and problem solving, construction and application of knowledge or understanding the interrelationship of Life Sciences, technology, the environment and society? By examining the keywords outlined in each activity, the AS and the competency to be developed can be identified.
3.5.2.2 Schools node
At the schools node an open-ended questionnaire, classroom observation and post- observation focus group interview were used to answer the second research question:
How policy is constructed and which SKAV are constituted in the practice of policy implementation (see Appendix D, Annexure D3, p. 216 for questionnaire). The questionnaire was used to establish, firstly, which teachers in the Phoenix North region were involved in teaching the NCS-FET Life Sciences curriculum, and secondly, which teachers were still engaged in the teaching of module one (pertaining to aspects of biotechnology) of the curriculum. In other words, the questionnaire was used to purposively select teachers for this study; the teachers still engaged in the teaching of module one would become the core from which the sample of teachers for observation would be drawn.
The questionnaire was piloted with 10 Life Sciences colleagues two months prior to data capture to identify and correct any flaws in the questionnaire (Cohen & Manion, 2002).
During the piloting session the respondents were presented with the questionnaire and asked to answer the questions. Respondents were reminded that there were no wrong or right answers - only honest answers. After the questionnaire was piloted it was delivered personally to 45 Life Sciences teachers in the Phoenix North region. I believed that delivering the questionnaires personally would enable the participants to know about the study first-hand. A total of 45 questionnaires were collected from the Life Sciences teachers, indicating a return rate of 100%.
During delivery of the questionnaire to the first Life Sciences teacher, I was regaled with anecdotal incidents about the Life Sciences teachers in this region. As mentioned previously, I had a very close working relationship with the Life Sciences teachers in this region and had been away from the region on sabbatical for two years. I was bombarded with information about developments in the region and decided to record the anecdotal incidents in a journal (see Appendix D, Annexure D2, p. 209), thus adhering to Latour’s position that “everything is data” (Latour, 2005, p. 133). This was not part of the data constitution strategy originally conceptualised for this node. This journal was maintained during all three stages of data constitution at this node. Writings from this journal are used to corroborate findings during the network tracing activity.
The questionnaire consisted of six questions aimed at seeking the responses of Life Sciences teachers on issues such as FET mediation sessions, SKAV focused upon, the module and section they are currently teaching, factors that constrain or enhance the development of SKAV, and correlation between SKAV developed via the NCS-FET policy and SKAV needed by industries using the application of biotechnology.
The observation of Life Sciences lessons was conducted at four schools in the Phoenix North region. Lessons of Life Sciences teachers engaging with module one, i.e. tissues, cells and molecular structures and aspects of biotechnology, of the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy were observed. During this stage of data constitution many of the Life Sciences teachers (28) were away on FET courses organised by the KZN DoE. These teachers also teach other learning areas, such as Mathematics Literacy, Economic Management Sciences (EMS), Travel and Tourism and Hospitality Studies. Twelve Life Sciences teachers had already completed modules one and two and could not form part of the sample. They planned to spend more time on their engagement with evolution, a section they had never taught before. Of the remaining Life Sciences teachers, all five volunteered to have their lessons observed via video recordings.
Observations were conducted at the four schools over a period of one week (five days).
was spent not only observing Life Sciences lessons, but also video recording the teaching and learning ethos of the school in terms of security, cleanliness, physical infrastructure, school fees, and the DoE policy and its impact on the school. In respect of the Life Sciences lessons observed, only one lesson per teacher (of one hour) was video recorded and transcribed.
Data obtained through the questionnaire and observations of lessons were presented to the five Life Sciences teachers during a post-observation focus group interview held at the Phoenix Teachers Centre (which was centrally situated for all five). The focus group interview was video recorded by personnel from the Teachers’ Centre from the back of the room. Teachers were requested to comment on the findings in respect of the format of their lessons, assessment, and their reasons for focusing on particular SKAV (see Appendix D, Annexure D7, p. 234).
When observing the video recordings, data were constituted by noting which actors are enrolled by teachers during their practice of implementation of policy. Furthermore, I examined the ties, associations, actions and alliances formed with these networked actors, and the impact of these actors on their practice of teaching. This afforded me the opportunity to ascertain how practice gets performed and how teachers construct policy in their practice.
To establish data on SKAV constituted in practice, I relied on ANT’s conceptualisation of a network and how actors are connected together by associations. I examined the activities the teachers engaged learners in during practice. The activity was associated with the LOs contained in the NCS-FET Life Sciences Policy in order to identify which LOs learners were engaged with. I connected to the words used in the activity to identify the ASs and SKAV constituted in practice. To empirically identify these competencies, they were matched with the NCS-FET Life Sciences table of cognitive development, table of science process skills and table of attitudes and values (see Chapter Two for tables).
3.5.2.3 Industry node
At the industry node my intention was to answer the third research question: How is policy constructed and which SKAV are constituted in practice by industry using the application of biotechnology in the NTEW? Three data sources were used: the Chief Education Officer, mentors and NTEW. Data were constituted through observation of mediation of workplace learning, semi-structured interviews with the Chief Education Officer and mentors, and informal conversation with NTEW. I was not allowed to video record mediation of workplace learning in the production room due to issues of espionage and company policy.
Observation of mediation of workplace learning was conducted over 10 days using the observation schedule. I encountered a dilemma prior to observation as I was uncertain how to empirically identify the SKAV enrolled during the mediation process. I expressed my dilemma to the human resources personnel and I was networked with the agency that evaluates NTEW performance and the in-house workplace learning programme. The evaluator from the agency was extremely helpful and supplied me with a copy of a schedule of SKAV needed in this industry and the characteristics of the SKAV so that they could be empirically identified (see Appendix E, Annexure E3, p. 238). This schedule is used by this accredited agency to evaluate NTEW and workplace learning, and delineates the thirty three competencies needed in the NTEW into thirteen LO1;
seven LO2 and thirteen LO3 competencies. The NTEW are expected to display these thirty three competencies when they are being evaluated. The evaluation is a formal way to ascertain if the NTEW qualify as registered pharmaceutical assistants. Equipped with this structured observation schedule I began observing mediation of workplace learning for six NTEW who schooled in the Phoenix North region.
A semi-structured interview was used to obtain data from the mentors and the Chief Education Officer on SKAV needed by the biotechnology industry in the NTEW (see
semi-structured interview was used since it allowed the respondents space for self- expression and allowed for probing to provide detailed, elaborate answers to questions on the SKAV required by industries (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005). Putting together the questions for the semi-structured interview was guided by the gaps identified in the literature in respect of: unpreparedness of learners for the world of work (JIPSA, 2007;
Fish & Crossland, 1995), the knowledge base needed in prospective NTEW, the basic SKAV required to be present in prospective NTEW, the type of workplace learning programmes available to NTEW for the development of SKAV required in this industry, and support services available for NTEW who are not coping with the WPL programme in place.
Once interview questions were finalised they were piloted with two education officers in the pharmaceutical industry prior to data-capture, to check the clarity of the questions and eliminate ambiguities or difficulties in wording. Informal conversations called “snap- shots” held with NTEW were also audio recorded and transcribed. A snapshot is a replica of the original image or representation (Delphion, 2008). In other words, this was a true representation of the actors’ explanations or how they accounted for their actions. The snapshot provides a brief glimpse into an actor’s life. In this study the snapshot centred on three issues: who they are, what they did and what they say, in keeping with ANT’s theoretical underpinning for tracing the trajectory of an actor.
The data from the semi-structured interview and the snapshots were used to constitute data in respect of policy construction. I paid attention to what the actors said or did about schooling and the policy to note the actors enrolled and the impact of these on the construction of policy. To establish the SKAV constituted during mediation of workplace learning, the observation schedule was used for the six NTEW from the Phoenix North region. The SKAV contained in the observation schedule were connected and associated to the activity undertaken by the NTEW during mediation of workplace learning. This was done in order to identify the SKAV enacted by the NTEW. The observation schedule had three columns to reflect whether the NTEW were competent at enacting the SKAV, needed more practice (could enact the SKAV but not with confidence), or needed help
(they could not enact the SKAV). During the observation of mediation of workplace learning a cross was placed in the relevant column for each of the 33 SKAV for the six NTEW observed. A separate observation schedule was used for each NTEW.
Photographs were taken of the enactment and enrolment of SKAV during the observation period.
The data collated needed to be assembled, which is described in the next section.