Chapter 4 Research procedures
4.2 Qualitative research approach
4.2.2 Research design
My research design took the form of a multiple case study. A multiple case study allows the researcher to analyse phenomena within and across settings. In my case, approaching my study through a multiple case study design allowed me to discover the relationship between theory and the actual lived experiences of participants in various similar settings (Creswell & Creswell, 2017:78; Creswell & Poth, 2018:24–30).
The individual choristers, conductors and administrators in the four cases had unique experiences, yet several comparable common elements were viewed across cases.
Merriam (2009:25–28) summarizes the strengths of such a research design as (a) accessibility and reliability, (b) seeing a vividly descriptive narrative of the setting and the situation through the researcher’s eyes, and (c) decreased defensiveness and resistance to learning. While the first two are self-explanatory, decreased defensiveness refers to the ability of a multiple case study to dispel fears of researchers forcing their construction of reality on others (Creswell & Creswell, 2017:79; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016:31). There is very little likelihood that I would have readers accept my construction of reality in all four cases. This is because my study required me to explore differences within and between cases and eventually analyse findings across them (Yin, 2014:22–35). Multiple case study as the chosen strategy of inquiry gave me a deeper holistic view of the research problem as well as furnished me with tools necessary to study the complex phenomenon that my four unique cases represent effectively (Merriam, 2009:35; Stake, 2008:125–127; Yin, 2009:25–28, 2014:33–35). In qualitative research, a case study that includes both the process and product of an investigation must have clearly defined boundaries that delimit a given phenomenon (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016:2, 38; Stake, 2008:125–127; Yin, 2014:33–
35). Case studies allow us to experience situations and individuals in depth (Creswell
& Creswell, 2017:78) in settings that we would not normally have access to. In my study, I was able to hear the unique stories from choristers, fellow conductors and administrators in a different role as researcher, and this allowed me to look at choral musicing from a whole new point of view (Merriam, 2009:30–36).
67 4.2.2.1 My cases: A brief description
Being a multiple case study design, it is important to briefly elucidate my four chosen cases, which informed the study through both in-case and cross-case analysis. As I indicated earlier in Chapter 1, my multi-case study investigated four selected cases involving junior secondary school choristers, conductors and their administrators from the Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces of Zambia. I assigned pseudonyms to the four cases as follows: Dandelion, Hibiscus, Asparagus and Cauliflower. These pseudonyms carry a special significance as they all have unique characteristics and experiences attached that correspond with the particular cases. The four choirs were previously involved in the annual National Schools Arts Association of Zambia (NASAAZ) choral competitions, the annual Independence Choral Festival, or other festivals and choral performances between 2018 and 2020. All four cases involve junior secondary school choirs. The study involved a total of 40 participants, while each case involved eight choristers, a conductor and a school administrator.
The Zambian post-primary school system has both secondary schools (Grades 8 to 12) and high schools, which are senior secondary schools (Grades 10 to 12). Junior Secondary school refers to Grades 8 and 9 (typically ages 12 to 16), after which junior secondary examinations are written to qualify for senior secondary school. A brief description of each case follows below.
a) Dandelion
This forty-member school choir is a girl's Catholic but government-aided secondary school located in a densely populated suburb in the capital city of Zambia, Lusaka. Its membership, ranging between ages 12 and 16, is open to all pupils in the school. The school follows a liberal arts philosophy, and the arts are at the centre of its curriculum.
The choir director, a music teacher, however, reserves the right to choose members who participate depending on the nature of the event. The choir is both a competition and festival choir and is a perennial participant in the NASAAZ competitions and other festivals.
68 b) Hibiscus
The choir is made up of about 35 choristers (girls) aged between 12 and 16 coming from different suburbs of Lusaka. The nationalities and races of the choristers are predominantly Zambian of African and Asian descent. This choir also has children of Rwandese, Burundian and Somalian descent, whose parents are mostly business people in Lusaka. The choir is mainly a perennial participant in the NASAAZ competitions and other festivals and features practices such as auditioning to join and the commitment to the choir's values, which include excellence, patriotism, loyalty and hard work. The choral competition-winning history that the choir boasts of dates back to British colonial rule, and consequently creates high expectations from the community, school administrators and music teachers.
c) Cauliflower
The choir annually has an average of 50 members, including boys and girls of ages between 12 and 16. The nationality and race of the choristers are Zambians of African descent. Being organised mainly for competitions within and outside the province, membership is by audition. Sometimes teachers, choir directors “poach” good singers and choreographers from nearby townships to help boost the choir. Visiting choir directors from churches, other schools and the community are sometimes invited to prepare the choir for competitions. The choir has been crowned national champions in the NASAAZ choral category several times.
d) Asparagus
Recently upgraded from being a primary school into a secondary school because of a rising need in the locality, it draws pupils from several primary schools around the town. The school choir here, with age ranges 12 to 16, has an average of 50 pupils, boys and girls, of Zambian and African descent. The choir participates in several competitive and non-competitive events. The major highlights are the annual NASAAZ competitions, local school performances as well as the Independence choral festival.
69 4.2.2.2. Cross-case demographic profile of participants
a) Age
Participants of the study were within the age range of 10 to 55 years (Table 1-1).
Choristers, who were all pupils from the four schools in the study, ranged from ages 10 to 20. Choir conductors' ages ranged from 28 to 45 years, while school administrators ranged from 45 to 55 years of age.
Table 1-1: A summary of participant age ranges Age range 10-
15 16-
20 21-
25 26-
30 31-
35 36-
40
41- 45
46- 50
51- 55
56- 60 Choristers 27 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Conductors 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 0
Administrators 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0
b) Grades
Participants in the study came from different grades (see Table 2-1). Initially, participants in the study were supposed to be choristers in junior secondary classes (Grades 8 and 9) who had participated in choral activities. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated disturbances in the school activities and calendar, some of the study participants had, at the time of interviews, moved to higher grades in senior secondary school. The experiences they shared, however, were still based on their junior secondary school choir experiences.
Table 2-1: Summary of school grade (choristers)
Grade 8 9 10 11 12
Choristers 2 12 14 2 2
70 c) Job designation
As indicated in Table 3-1, all four conductors interviewed were music teachers in the particular schools, and all the four administrators interviewed were headmasters/headmistresses of the schools they represented.
Table 3-1: Job designation (conductors and administrators)
d) Residential areas
Two out of eight choristers from Asparagus and Cauliflower schools did not respond to the question about where they live (Table 4-1). Six out of eight (75%) from Dandelion school are from low-density neighbourhoods, while five out of eight (63%) from Hibiscus school are from middle-density residential areas (Table 4-1).
Table 4-1: Summary of residential catchment areas
School Choristers from low- density residential areas
Choristers from middle- density residential areas
Choristers from high- density residential areas
No response from choristers
Asparagus 0 4 1 3
Cauliflower 0 2 3 3
Dandelion 6 2 0 0
Hibiscus 2 5 1 0
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