Approaches to Teaching and Learning Data Analysis What

Approaches to Teaching and Learning Data Analysis

What kind of data is available? l l l l Recorded classes Diary accounts Teachers’ logs Questionnaires Students’ work Observers’ notes Fieldnotes

Data Analysis Qualitative Quantitative

Content analysis and coding Look for repeated language or ideas in the texts that you have. Use coloured pens, index cards or another system to code the responses. Your codes can either be ‘a priori’ (you decide on these before you start to code) or they can emerge from the data. Questionnaires are likely to have a priori categories for closed questions; fieldnotes, diaries, tapescripts are likely to have a mixture of both.

Analysis of Spoken Discourse Coding systems e. g. IRF Types of: e. g. questions (open vs closed; genuine vs display; lower order vs higher order) or answers (one word; medium turns; long turns). Quality of: e. g teacher talk; student talk; explanations (vocabulary/grammar); instructions; teacher-student interaction; checking understanding.

Continued Amount of: student talk/teacher talk; whole class work/pair work/group work/individual work; wait time; thinking time; working with students’ answers (dialogic talk); silence; one student speaking….

Triangulation A tool used in qualitative research to help ensure validity (that the research is of good quality and acceptable. Internal validity: that the claims made are trustworthy; external validity: how generalisable are our claims). . Researchers elicit multiple perspectives on the situation being studied.

Choosing data for analysis ‘Talk is designed to be heard, not read, so never move straight from recording to transcribing: always take time to listen carefully. ’ Richards, 2003: 180

Finding information ‘If you listen to the tape you’ve made, your first reaction will be, ‘Nothing’s happening’. In my experience, this is always the case when someone new to analysis listens to a tape for the first time…. . listen to your tape over and over again …until you find part of the lesson where something interesting is happening. ’ Richards, 2003: 181

Transcribing This should be as detailed as is necessary. Only transcribe the sections you feel are necessary to your discussion. General rules: 1. Number the lines if the section is long. 2. Indicate who is speaking. 3. If you ‘tidy up’ the transcript, say how you have done this. 4. If you can’t hear, write (inaudible).

Action Research topic: teaching grammar using a C-R approach Data collected: Students’ questionnaires Lesson recording Diary notes Tutor’s feedback notes Peers’ feedback How will you integrate this into your assignment?

C-R Introduction Setting, participants, data Discussion of C-R literature Research design The Lesson Results: Student feedback/Peer Feedback Analysis of spoken data Evaluation Conclusion