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5.2 Qualitative Data Analysis Douglas (2003) Describes Data Analysis Within ...

Douglas (2003) describes data analysis within GT is chiefly as coding, which is the result of raising questions and giving provisional answers about categories and their relations. Pertinently, researchers in a practitioner field claim the stance of practitioner-researchers intent on generating substantive Grounded Theories that come out of the ground of our respective practices and are useful for enacting those practices Piantanida et al (2002).

The data were subject to constant comparison, continuously compared and contrasted in order to discover emergent themes as well as interesting patterns that demonstrate when common perspectives are shared (D'Onofrio, 2001; Goulding, 2005). The researcher then looks for links, through the identification of concepts that move towards explaining the data (Goulding, 2005). Finally, a core category is constructed and a model generated (Glaser and Strauss, 1967).

Analysis via NVivo allowed the researcher to analyse large amounts of disparate data concurrently with data collection. Pandit (1996) advocates the use of qualitative data analysis software packages to aid the process of GT building, suggesting that the principal advantage of using such a program is that it simplifies and speeds the mechanical aspects of data analysis without sacrificing flexibility, thereby freeing the researcher to concentrate to a greater extent on the more creative aspects of theory building. Drisko (2004) supports this view but places no emphasis on any single package, but NUDIST on which NVivo is based is well documented in qualitative analysis (Rouse and Dick, 1994). Walsh (2003) supports the use of NVivo for handling large amounts of textual data and simplifying and formalising the analytical process.

Initially, the data undergoes open coding , the process of identifying, naming, categorizing and describing phenomena found in the data (Borgatti, 2005). Subsequently, Axial coding relates codes to each other through a combination of inductive and deductive thinking (Borgatti, 2005). Finally, Selective coding brings the data together into a central code or model. Sampling continues until no new or relevant data appears (Douglas, 2003). By the time of completion of four interviews, data saturation was apparent. At the completion of interviews five and six, saturation was confirmed and data collection was halted.

6. Ethics

The ethical issues were mainly to do with inconveniencing participants. To address this, all interviews were carried out outside normal working hours eg. during lunch breaks, at participants' convenience. All the research data were anonymised. Ethical issues of confidentiality of children in the classes were addressed by not requiring participants to identify any individual children, only individual differences and occurrences of SEN.