SELECTING THE VEHICLE FOR THE JOURNEY
4.7 The Question of Validity: A Reliable Vehicle
For any study to be considered trustworthy, the data needs to be reliable. The human instrument, which is the main instrument, used in my studies does fall short of guaranteeing scientific objectivity. However, there is a system of useful checks and balances. The need for objectivity can sometimes lose perspective and skews the research object's beliefs and practices on the display board if one makes the researcher's cultural beliefs and practices invisible (Harding, 1987).
Harding (1987) goes on to challenge traditional research by emphasizing that feminist researchers and behaviours are part of the empirical evidence whether for or against the claims advanced in the results of the research. The credibility of the evidence of this study will certainly be open to scrutiny. What is important to note here is that introducing the 'subjective' element into analysis in fact increases the 'objectivity' of the research and decreases the 'objectivism', which often hides the true evidence from the public. In order for data to be trustworthy I elucidate, how this study will meet the following criteria (Lincoln & Guba, 1985):
• Credibility (data must demonstrate truth)
• Transferability (must provide 'thick' description)
• Confirmability (the construct used to counter the term objectivity in naturalistic research; in order to confirm the data one can use external
auditing, triangulation techniques and reflexive journals) to confirm the data
The way these constructs apply to this research is explained in the discussion below.
4.7.1 Triangulation
I use the process of triangulation, which allows for cross-checking data and interpretations through the use of multiple data sources and data collection techniques. Triangulation helps one to reduce the likelihood of misinterpretation and clarifies meaning. It must be noted that no observation or interpretation can be perfectly repeated; however, triangulation serves to clarify meaning by identifying different ways in which the phenomenon can be seen (Flick in Denzin
& Lincoln, 1998).
The technique of triangulation with multiple data sources endeavours to establish credibility, dependability and confirmability. It is important as the study unfolds and information is gathered that steps be taken to counter check the data against at least one other source. Anderson (1993) explains that triangulating to interpret converging evidence points to a clear conclusion. Hence, conclusions derived by different data sources are far stronger than those suggested by one alone. The different data sources in this study that are used to triangulate the information are:
• Interviews with learners
• Autobiographies
• Lesson observation
• Learners' written work
In the next section I discuss how I collected the various data sources and how it helped me to reduce investigator bias and to make the data trustworthy. In my research I was able to establish credibility by engaging in life history, where there was persisistent observation. I also triangulated with multiple data sources. The lengthy period of study (1998-2003) allowed me to learn more about the learners'
culture and to build trust. It also assisted in detecting distortions that might have crept into the data. This lengthy involvement also helped me to detect whether the learners' answers were merely to please me as the investigator (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Building trust is a developmental process and time-consuming. The life history approach falls within the naturalistic paradigm where the human instrument is the primary data-gathering source. All instruments are value-based and interact with local values, but it is also the human being who is in a position to identify and take into account the biases of the world.
4.7.2 Transferability
As a naturalistic enquirer I needed to demonstrate as accurately as possible the multiple realities of the learners' life world. For the data from such a source to be credible, it must demonstrate the truth. To make generalizations from such a data source would not be possible because there are always differences in context from situation to situation and even a single situation differs over time. However, for transferability to take place, I provide a 'thick' description on the focus of inquiry, which is necessary to enable someone interested in trying to make the transfer to reach a conclusion about whether such transfer can be possible. The person who is making the transfer needs to accumulate sufficient evidence about contextual similarity. The individual who may wish to make a judgment about transferability would need information about both contexts to make that judgment. It is not possible for me as an inquirer to know all the contexts to which someone may wish to transfer my findings. Hence, it is not reasonable to expect the range of contexts to which there might be some transferability. As a naturalistic inquirer I provide in-depth information that is context specific and context bound.
Transferability can take place because I used purposeful sampling which, among other reasons provided the widest possible range of information for inclusion in 'thick' description (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). The description details everything about the focus of inquiry that a reader may need to know in order to understand the findings. The adult learners are hand-picked and a full description of their profiles will follow in Chapter Five.
4.7.3 Credibility
In a rapidly changing society such as South Africa, individuals are forced to make sense of competing ideologies, values and beliefs. In my life history research, which spanned six years (1998-2003), there were many changes that occurred in the lives of the respondents. Reinharz (1998) comments that in studies that are especially of long duration, researchers may have to find new ways of doing research; or may discover that the circumstances of people that they are studying have changed. This will require alteration of data collection plans and research methodologies. In this study some of the learners' circumstances had changed.
Thus to track learners and to keep up with the new 'data gathering' and action of the individual behaviour, meant that I had to use other methods to discover their experiences. As a researcher the multi-method approach allowed me to fill in some of the pieces of the jig-saw puzzle in my search for understanding critical women's issues. The multi-methods add new information by using one type of data to validate the other. I was able to increase the credibility of this research by ensuring commitment to thoroughness. In addition to writing their stories the learners were asked to bring along pictures or photographs that they could paste alongside their story to jog their memories or to assist them when words failed. In the next section I discuss the data sources that ensured transferability, credibility and confirmability.