Qualitative data is information which does not
present itself in numerical form and is
descriptive, appearing mostly in conversational
or narrative form.
Words, phrases, text…
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Notebooks
Open-ended questions
Papers
Journal entries
On-line discussions, blogs
Email
Twitter/ ‘tweets’
Notes from observations
Responses from interviews and focus groups
Qualitative analysis is the
“interplay between researchers and
data.”
Researcher and analysis are
“inextricably linked.”
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Inductive process
◦ Grounded Theory (“Open coding”)
 Unsure of what you’re looking for, what you’ll find
 No assumptions
 No literature review at the beginning
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Deductive process
◦ Theory driven
 Know the categories or themes using rubric, taxonomy
 Looking for confirming and disconfirming evidence
 Question and analysis informed by the literature, “theory”
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Coding process:
◦ Conceptualizing, reducing, elaborating and relating
text– i.e., words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs.
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Building themes:
◦ Codes are categorized thematically to describe or
explain phenomenon.
What have students learned from a particular
activity?
What is the mental process of a student
engaged in a particular intervention?
What are the key transitions that occur as
undergraduates acquire metacognitiveregulation skills? (Stanton et al., 2015)
Read through the student reflection paper
and highlight words, parts of sentences,
and/or whole sentences with some “code”
attached and identified to those sections.
Why?
Read through this reflection paper and code
based on this question:
What does the term "scientific research" mean?
Why?
What does the term "scientific
research" mean to you? What do you
think doing scientific research entails?
Terms
Discovery
Inquiry
Methodical
Making observation
Answering question
Experimentation
Proposing hypothesis
Testing hypothesis
Analyzing results
Positive control
Negative control
Communicating results
Review and criticism of results
Assessing validity of claims
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Several individuals code material (triangulation).
2.
Meet to decide on common set of terms.
3.
Code again using common set.
4.
Can go through steps 1-3 several times.
5.
Analyze codes: qualitatively and/or
quantitatively.
What is the research question of this study?
What are the key transitions that occur as
undergraduates acquire metacognitiveregulation skills? (Stanton et al., 2015)
Why is qualitative analysis suited for looking at
this research question?
Background
Self-regulated learning (metacognition imp):
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understand what the task involves
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ID strengths and weaknesses
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Create plan for completing task (planning)
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Monitor how well plan is working (monitoring)
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Evaluate and adjust plan as needed (evaluating)
What was the experimental approach of this study?
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Self-evaluation assignments after two tests
E1-SE
E2-FT
Prompts
The questions attempt to get at whether students are
planning, monitoring and evaluating.
Code student answers.
How did the authors approach the coding of
student answers?
With “metacognitive regulation in mind”.
Theory-driven, not open coding.
How did the authors approach the coding of
student answers?
E1-SE: They developed a coding system
(“sufficient/provides evidence” or
“insufficient/provides no evidence”).
Applied this to planning, monitoring, evaluating
(self-regulated learning/metacognition).
How did the authors approach the coding of
student answers?
E2-FT: Coded for evidence that students followed
study plan developed. Coding system
(“yes/followed plan” or “no/did not follow plan”).
Applied this to planning, monitoring, evaluating
(self-regulated learning/metacognition).
Example of results
Example of results
Analysis of student answers led authors to propose a continuum
of metacognitive regulation
• Don’t be scared! Most projects do not require this type
of depth of qualitative analysis.
• Many studies can benefit from mixed methods (qual &
quant).
• If you want to know student opinions, analyze long
answer questions in exams, or essays, you may want to
consider qualitative analysis.
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Use mixed methods, multiple sources.
Triangulate your data whenever possible.
Ask others to review your design
methodology, observations, data, analysis,
and interpretations (e.g., inter-rater
reliability).
Note limitations of your study whenever
possible.
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Read the literature: What is accepted in your
field?
Read books or articles on qualitative research
Collaborate with a qualitative researcher
Or, just pick their brain over coffee
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Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods
Research, Creswell, J.W., and Plano Clark, V.L.,
2006, Sage Publications.
Discipline-Based Education Research: A
Scientist’s Guide, Slater, S.J., Slater, T.F., and
Bailey, J.M., 2010, WH Freeman.
Educational Researchers: Living with a Lesser
Form of Knowledge, Labaree, D.L., 1998,
Educational Researcher, 27(8), 4-12.
Processing Field Notes: Coding and Memoing.
In Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes, 1995,
Emerson, R.M., Fretz, R.I., and Shaw, L.L. (pp.
142-168). Chicago: The University of Chicago
Press.