METHODOLOGY - THE PURPOSE, LIMITATIONS FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

CHAPTER 5: THE PURPOSE, LIMITATIONS FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

3.2. METHODOLOGY

There are three approaches applied in research studies. These approaches are:

quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods (Creswell, 2013). I adopted the qualitative approach for this study whilst guided by the following three elements:

 The philosophical assumptions about what constitutes knowledge claims;

 General procedures of research (strategies of inquiry); and

 Detailed procedures of data collection, analysis and writing.

This study evaluated the implementation of the Reading and Writing Instruction Programme (RWIP) at schools in their natural settings with a need to have an in-depth

understanding of the implementation processes. The qualitative approach was suitable because it helped me to collect empirical data from the people who implemented the RWIP, and enabled me to explore their little-known behaviours, attitudes and values.

(Grbich, 2013). This approach was specifically aligned to the research paradigm of my choice – “The Social Constructivist Theory”.

Paradigms are worldviews of beliefs, values and methods for collecting and interpreting data. Grix (2010) explains a paradigm as our understanding of what one can know about something and how they can gather knowledge about it. The Social Constructivist Theory assumes that there is no objective knowledge independent of thinking. ‘Reality is viewed as socially and societally embedded and existing within the mind’ (Grbich, 2013:7).

According to Grix (2010), reality is fluid and changing, and knowledge is constructed jointly in interaction by the researcher and the researched through an agreement (Dixon- Roman and Verenikina, 2007). Social Constructivist Theory’s main focus in research is to explore the way people interpret and make sense of their experiences in the world in which they live and how the contexts of events have impacted on their constructed understandings of the world (Grbich, 2013).

The Social Constructivist paradigm was suitable for my evaluation study because it helped me to focus on gathering constructions, descriptions and analyses from relevant people including teachers, parents, RtR staff and HODs jointly reflecting on them and seeking synthesis and consensus (Owen and Rodgers, 1999). Open-ended questions enabled me to listen carefully to how and what the participants said and did in their natural settings, i.e. the two primary schools in Lobethal Circuit.

The assumptions of Social Constructivist Theory match with the description of qualitative study by many authors who describe the qualitative approach as a systematic subjective approach used to describe life experiences and give them meaning. It is an empirical inquiry that investigates the case or cases by addressing the “how” or “why” questions concerning the phenomenon of interest (Yazan, 2015). This definition matches with Merriam in Yazan (2015: 139) when she describes qualitative study as “a holistic, intensive description and analysis of a bounded phenomenon such as a programme, a person, a policy, an institution, a process or a social unit.”

Qualitative research usually involves in-depth investigation of knowledge through participant observation, interviews and documentary analyses (Bryman, 2008, use 2 or more sources). Based on the definitions and interpretations above, a qualitative approach was deemed suitable for my research study because it helped me to get answers for the questions I had about the implementation of the RWI programme.

Qualitative approach can be identified with following five strategies: Ethnographies, Grounded Theory, Case studies, Phenomenological research and Historical/Narrative researches. Since this study evaluated the implementation of the Reading and Writing Instruction Programme at schools in their natural settings, “and needed to provide a holistic understanding of the implementation process”, a qualitative approach using case study design was adopted (Mabasa, 2013: 134). A case study is described as a strategy that enables the researcher to explore in-depth a programme, an event, an activity, a process, or one or more individuals (Stake, 1995). Case studies are based on direct observation and interaction with subjects/participants (Creswell, 2013). The case (s) are bounded by time and activity, and researchers collect detailed information using a variety

of data collection procedures over a sustained period of time. In order to understand how the RWIP was implemented, I interacted with the participants during interview sessions, during observation of lesson presentations and when I analysed relevant documents that were used for Home Language teaching.

3.2.1. Case study design

Yin (2011) defines a case-study as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context. A qualitative case study is an approach that allows for the exploration of the phenomenon in its context so that the embedded contextual factors in which the event, person or policy one is analysing are identified or uncovered (Grix, 2010). Stake (2010) explains it well when he writes that a case study is

“the study of the particularity and complexity of a single case, coming to understand its activity within important circumstances”. The case study design helped me to capture the views and interests of different stakeholders. It also enabled me to probe in some depth, the issues and concerns about the programme that stakeholders raised, and to explore challenges that were experienced during implementation.

3.2.2. Categories of case studies

There are several categories of case studies. Yin (2011) notes three categories, which are: exploratory, descriptive and explanatory case studies. Exploratory researchers set to explore any phenomenon in the data which serves as a point of interest to the researcher. Descriptive case studies are used to describe the natural phenomena occurring within the data in question, while explanatory studies examine the data closely

both at surface and deep level in order to explain the phenomena in the data (Zaidah, 2003).

Other researchers like McDonough and McDonough (1997) included categories such as interpretive and evaluative case studies. In interpretive case studies the researcher aims to interpret the data by developing conceptual categories. On the other hand, evaluative studies make the researcher go further by adding their judgement to the phenomena found in the data (McDonough and McDonough, 1997).

3.2.3 Types of case studies

Stake (2005) distinguishes three types of case studies as “intrinsic”, “instrumental” and

“collective case studies”. In intrinsic case studies the researcher examines the case for its own sake. The researcher undertakes the study because of genuine interest in the case not because it is a good representative of other cases (Mabasa, 2013: 140).

According to Stake (2005), instrumental case studies are those studies in which the researcher selects a small group of subjects in order to examine a certain pattern of behaviour; for instance, to see how tertiary level students study for examination. When using collective case study, the researcher coordinates data from several different sources, such as schools or individuals. In other words, collective case studies may be explained as extension of instrumental case studies. They are used in order to get a better understanding of the phenomenon. The researcher used intrinsic case study solely because of her own interest in the RWIP. Learners in Lobethal Circuit had a problem with reading and writing so she felt it was important for her to actually see how the RWIP was

implemented, so that she could identify the gaps and share results with relevant stakeholders in order for them to determine the impact.

3.2.4. The aims of a case study

Yin (2011) indicates that one of the aims of case study design is to closely examine a very small geographical area or a very limited number of individuals as subjects of the study within a specific context. Stake (2010) supports Yin by saying that case studies are meant to generate an in-depth understanding of a single or small number of cases. Case study researchers focus on the uniqueness of a case and the lessons that one can learn from that case (Mabasa, 2013:141). The case study design helped me to obtain in-depth understanding of the implementation of the Reading and Writing Instruction Programme in schools around Lobethal Circuit.

3.2.5 Advantages of case studies

There are many advantages of using case studies. Yin (2009) alluded that case study designs are highly commended for their close examination of the data because they are conducted within the situation in which the activity takes place. This gives the researcher an opportunity to observe within the environment different activities about a particular case. Case study design helped me to interact with the participants and report on what I had experienced and the feelings that stakeholders had about the RWIP (Stake, 2005).

Furthermore, I was able to explore the challenges and constraints that are experienced by different stakeholders in implementing the Reading and Writing Instruction programme (Zaidah, 2007).

Stake (1995) argues that case studies are important because through them the writer can enhance the understanding of the readers by estimating through the words and illustrations of their reports, the natural experience acquired in ordinary personal involvement. ‘The natural experience that the evaluator gains from the setting helps him/her to give a thick description in the report’ (Mabasa, 2013: 142).

3.2.6 Disadvantages of case studies

Despite the many advantages that come with case study designs, they still receive many criticisms from different quarters. Case study designs are criticized for their lack of preciseness, lack of accuracy and exactness. In most studies, researchers allow biased views to influence the direction of their findings and conclusions (Yin, 2011). Another disadvantage of case studies is that they provide very little basis for scientific generalization, since they use a small number of subjects, some are conducted with only one subject. ‘Their dependency on a single case exploration makes it difficult to reach a generalizing conclusion’ (Zaidah, 2007:4).

Stake (1995: 7) supports Yin (2011) when he points out that a case study is “seen to be a poor basis for generalization”, especially when seen from the traditional notion of generalisation. Case studies are often labelled as being too long, difficult and produce a massive amount of documentation (Yin, 2009).

The use of qualitative case studies in this research was informed by the research question: “How is the Reading and Writing Instruction Programme implemented in the primary schools in Lobethal Circuit?” This helped me to understand the phenomenon and the interpretation of meanings within the participants’ real-life context. The design also

helped me to capture the different views and opinions of the stakeholders in the two schools of Lobethal circuit (Stake, 2005).

3.3. THE RESEARCH SITE

Dalam dokumen Evaluating the Implementation of the Reading and Writing Instruction Programme in the Foundation Phase of Lobethal Circuit in Sekhukhune (Halaman 61-68)