Stages of Data Transformation

Wolcott (1994) identifies three stages of data transformation from raw stage to the interpretation state. They are: Description Analysis Interpretation Conclusions Each one is explained

Description
It involves staying close to data as originally recorded. You draw heavily on field notes and interview transcripts, allowing the data to somewhat speak for themselves (Glesne, 1995, p. 10).

Example of description
Balancing their lunch trays on their knees (somehow that cafeteria smell of the hot dogs; applesauce, and lukewarm milk never changes in schools). Andy and Danielle describe the positive things that have happened for Revin over the last week. They tell us about the points hes earned for suing good language, his recent triumph over a classmate in a computer game, and how they and Kevin resolved an issue on the playground. (Glesne, 1995, p. 97)

Analysis
Analysis is the identification of key factors in the study and the relationships among them. This method typically extends description in a systematic manner. (Wolcott, 1994) Often the word analysis is used equivocally. The word is often used for data analysis in a narrow sense; or it is used for all three stages of data transformation: description, finding patterns, interpretation, and report writing as data analysis.

Analysis continued.
Data analysis is the process of organizing and storing data in the light of your increasingly sophisticated judgments, that is, of the meaningfinding (or meaning mining) interpretations that you are learning to make about the shape of your studyBy each effort of data analysis, you enhance your capacity to further analyze. (Glesne, 1999, p. 132)

Example of Analysis
The evolution of the Instructional Support Team (IST) in the three schools raises some interesting points. On the one hand, the three principals spoke during the original and following interviews about the positive aspects of naturally occurring collaborative structures that appeared to lessen the need for the more formal IST structure. On the other hand, they viewed the somewhat more formalized versions of their ISTs that had evolved over time as being necessary and generally positive (Wolcott, 1994, p. 142)

Writing stage as analysis: example

A lot of my insights and much of the understanding I gained from my research data came through the writing process. For me, writing is the final organization of my thoughts (Gordon, cited in Glesne, 1999, p. 153).

Ways to approach analysis

Identify patterned regularities in the data Highlight your findings: keep breaking down the elements until there are small enough units to invite rudimentary analysis, then begin to build the analysis up from there. Display your findings: Make use of graphics and visualization, photographs are considered as visual facts that can be presented with or without interpretation; p Poster session is yet another format for presentation; computer presentation is yet another way;

Analysis continued
Contextualizing data in a broader analytical framework: Ask What can be learned from this experience?
[Summary of Wolcott, H. F.(1994). Transforming qualitative data: Description, analysis, and interpretation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Pp 9- 54]

Analysis - risks
Data may be filtered through the researchers particular theoretical position and biases. Deciding what is important- what should or should not be attended to when collecting data and analyzing is a dilemma. Data contradictory to the researchers view may be excluded. Biases that cannot be controlled should be discussed in the written report Where the data only partly supports the predictions, the report should contain enough data to let readers draw their own conclusions.

So Analysis:
addresses the identification of essential features and the systematic description of interrelationships among them- in short how things work. In terms of stated objectives, analysis also may be employed evalualtively to address questions of why, for example, a system is not working or how it might be made to work.

Interpretation
Interpretation is often seen as part of analysis; Interpretation means to make sense of the data available; meaning-making; raising a question like: what does this mean? In the process of interpretation, the researcher transcends factual data and continuous analysis and beings to probe into what is to be made of them (Wolcott, 1994, p. 36).

Example of interpretation
(Furney, 1997, 174, 175) In brief then, the schools in this study of CT 230 have helped to confirm my belief that caring for students should constitute the central purpose of education and guide its efforts to chance.in placing students at the centre of the agenda for school reform, a host of related changes become apparent.

Continued.
.The challenge to care for students implies an agenda to promote social justice and deal with issues of diversity. placing care at the centre of a school also seems at the centre of a school also seems to require the establishment of a form of leadership that is both visionary and participatory, and creates a sense of shared responsibility and an openness to change.

Caution
Interpretations need to remain within or rooted in the data and they should be tenable, should not be far fetched; They should convincingly emerge or strongly based on the data; remain within the scope of data; Cannot draw conclusions from specific to general;

Group Activity
Study your classroom and everything in it and write a couple of paras as a classroom as to what extent this classroom is conducive for effective teaching and learning. (15 minutes) Please analyse and interpret the data you gathered for themes and then analyse and interpret them. (15 m) Share your report with the entire class for discussion (30)

Validity, reliability
The concept of validity, reliability, and generalizability have become what Kvale (1995) calls the scientific holy trinity. The words validity reliability and generalizability are so tightly associated with positivism that it is almost impossible to disentangle them from their ontological an epistemological roots." Finley, Mindscape, p.11)

 We need new ways to talk about concepts associated with trustworthiness and usefulness. Kvale (1995) suggests we need a way out of the validity paradox altogether. For, as he asserts, valid research would be research that makes questions of validity superfluous. (p. 38).

 Reliability, as it pertains to the replicability, of research findings, is essentially a non-issue in qualitative research. And generalizability, as it pertains to the usefulness of research findings, we consider as a part of our discussion of validity." Finley, Mindscapes, p, 11,12) Virtually any careful, reflective, systematic study of phenomenon undertaken to advance human understanding can count as a form of research. It all depends on how that work is pursued. (Eisner, New Frontiersp.7)

Epistemological Difficulties
WE SEE/UNDERSTAND THINGS/PEOPLE/EVENTS/ THE WORLDS AROUND US NOT AS THEY ARE, BUT AS WE ARE!

Human Experience of the Reality

References
Bogdan, R. C. & Biklen, S.K. (1998). Qualitative research in education: an introduction to theory and methods. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Wolcott, H. F. (1994). Transforming qualitative data: description, analysis, and interpretation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks: Sage.