For various reasons this study adopted a qualitative design. which gave me a great opportunity to initially explore the research questions set through working with texts.
This research approach helps us develop an understanding of the social world in which we live and reply to the question ‘Why things are happening the way they are happening’ (Hancock, Windridge & Ockleford, 2007). This means that qualitative researchers are more interested in developing explanations of social phenomena.
Kielmann, Cataldo and Seeley (2012) share the same sentiment that qualitative researchers are regularly interested in making meaning of what they observe and hear in a specific context. Further they aver that their main aim is always explaining rather than describing, thus they rely more on the interpretive approach in building understanding. Kielmann, et al., (2012) believe that qualitative research is humanistic in nature, based on two perspectives: firstly, it is due to its focus, which is based on personal, subjective and experiential meaning: and secondly, it seeks to attach meanings to specific behaviours and how things are done in each context. Bertram
57
and Christiansen (2014); Cohen, Manion, and Morrison (2011) maintain that qualitative approach aims to collect verbal, textual, visual and observational data with the purpose of providing an in-depth understanding of actions and meanings.
Therefore, this research design was appropriate for this study as I wanted to acquire a deeper understanding from the participants’ point of view in relation to the underlying concern.
3.2.1. Characteristics of Qualitative Research
The qualitative design is characterised by the fact that the researcher is offered an opportunity to achieve primary data through a direct conversation with participants, either on a one-on-one interview or a group interview as it is based on people’s everyday experience (Mohajan, 2018). In this study, I used semi-structured interviews as a direct conversation with participants to develop a clear understanding concerning opinions, experiences and feelings that shape their daily experiences of teaching in a rural context. Mohajan (2018) further avers that a researcher in a qualitative study must ensure that he/she goes to people (participants), the setting, field, and institutions to gain a true reflection of behaviour patterns in their natural setting. Thus, the researcher becomes the primary instrument for data collection and analysis. Likewise, the entire two weeks were spent in the field, exploring the three schools and the true reflection of the setting in which these schools are located. This enabled me to observe external factors that impact the experiences of the studied novice teachers in their schools in various ways. The understanding of participants’ behaviours, experiences, and opinions was thus achieved through a thorough analysis of interview transcripts, which resulted to the formation of themes and reported findings of the study. worth noting is, that Mohajana (2018) stated that findings in a qualitative study are typically presented in these forms: “themes, categories, concepts, or tentative hypotheses or theories”.
3.2.2. Advantages of Qualitative Research
There are benefits or advantages associated with the use of qualitative design across the field of research. Qualitative data are normally based on human experiences and observations; thus, such data are more truthful and reliable. This suggests that the more the researcher is close and involved, the more chances they will gain an insightful view of the field. This, in turn gives a researcher the opportunity to find issues
58
or concerns that are not scientifically discovered using positivistic studies (Mohajan, 2018). On the other hand, qualitative research design allows the use of multiple data collection tools, one or more data analysis strategies, and different theoretical frameworks that are aligned with qualitative research study (Patton, 2005). The qualitative tools to collect data in qualitative research include observations, semi- structured and structured interviews, and focus groups. Open-ended questions remain the main question structure, allowing a participant to respond using their own way and words compared to quantitative tools with a fixed response. Also, qualitative methods allow the researchers to be reflexive as much as they can, carefully listen to participants, and engage in conversation according to their personalities and styles (Mohajan, 2018). This process of engagement in qualitative research normally yields non-numerical data and, in most cases, produces text: however, sometimes it may be in the form of maps, pictures and audio and visual recordings (Kielmann, Cataldo &
Seeley, 2012). Similarly, this study produced textual data from interview transcripts and properly read for analysis and reporting purposes.
3.2.3. Disadvantages of Qualitative Research
There are two major critics against this kind of research. The findings of qualitative study are not generalisable to a larger population because (1) the sample group is relatively small in a qualitative study as it requires a limited number of respondents, and (2) participants are normally not selected randomly (Hancock, Windridge, and Ockleford, 2007; Mohajan (2018). In social related studies, the purposive sample strategy is the most convenient and recommended one. In this instance, the researcher made use of four independent participants who were selected purposefully as they were declared to meet the developed criteria for the purpose of the study.
Qualitative research is also criticised based on data analysis (Patton, 2005; Mohajan, 2018). Qualitative research mostly yields non-numerical data, which may be texts, and therefore, the proper analysis of textual data consumes a lot of time and cost effective as it does not only comprise the data but includes the process of transcribing, coding, and interpretation of data. This suggests that there must be a lengthy time for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. The focus of qualitative researchers often leaves out contextual sensitivities as they give more attention to meanings and
59
experiences. A researcher’s involvement in data gathering can also influence the responses of participants.