Monday, March 24, 2014

You've Got Your Data...Now What?

“Analyzing and Interpreting Qualitative Data” – Patton
            It was great that this article came when it did during the semester; it’s as if my professors are talking with one another about the material they’re teaching. A lot of the material in this article aligns with my Action Research course and how to make sense of the data once we’ve received it.
            I appreciate knowing the difference between analysis and interpretation when it comes to data collection. In past projects, I have tried to do both at the same time, which has hindered me from really giving strong attention to either. For the interpretation, it is necessary to reflect upon all other parts of your project. I have taken my data and looked back to my problem and purpose statements along with my literature review to see if my project has filled any gaps, supported pre-existing findings, or providing new knowledge in the field.

            With qualitative research, there can be a lot of data that comes in and it is important to make sure that the researcher has a handle on it all and can make meaning of it. For Dr. Hallett’s class, we learned about the importance of coding our research and how beneficial it can be. For my assessment project, I plan to use coding when making connections between different questions as well as participants’ responses as they relate to the learning outcomes I created.

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