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CHAPTER FIVE: DATA ANALYSIS
currently connecting these fields some ground-breaking mapping needed to
be done in this research. I also wanted to find my own avenues Of interest in
this action research. I will narrow down research guestions for any follow-ups
of this investigation.
The process of the research also advanced my understanding of research
methodology. Some of the data collection methods did not prove effective,
for example the tools I had explored to engage participants in a collaborative
research, like asking them to write a research diary in places where I worked
on longer series in the first cycle. As I realised the ineffectiveness of this tool
I tried to narrow it down to offering possibilities of further reflection, like
leaving sheets of sugar-paper for the students to write on when I was not there.
There was some feedback on these sheets, but not enough to use in the analysis.
In the second cycle I took it one step further by framing the participants as co¬
researchers and asking for their feedback from a research perspective as well.
I felt this was more genuine with the groups that had come together specially
to participate in the research, in the case of the full class that participated
the dynamics did not make it possible for all of the participants to take this
frame seriously. My interest in developing collaborative research that relies
on students more is undeterred, but I believe I will implement it when I work
with a group for a longer period of time.
To be able to locate the possible DEs I asked the group after the first lesson
to write down the moment that was the most exciting for them. As I was
unable to use the results of this collection in any way I gave up on this form
of data collection.
Though I was able to use data from the video recording of the lessons the
quality of these recordings were poor in most cases and I was unable to use
them for anything else than crude documentation of what happened in the
lesson. Even the wide-angle lenses would not always cover the full classroom,
or scenes were not visible because they were covered by participants. I believe
more productive uses of video recordings could also be explored.
There was a great difference in amounts of addition material created
around the drama lessons between the different age-groups. The 9-11 year
olds enjoyed drawing and many of their art work could be used as data
created. The secondary students were able to give more reflected and precise
reflections verbally in the focus groups and in the questionnaires. I have
relied on such materials in the analysis accordingly.
The choice of groups participating in the research was diverse. While it was
useful for my personal development that I could work in different contexts and
with different groups, in two cases I felt that the research itself would have
been more productive with a smaller group or a group with better internal
dynamics. The challenge in these cases became to keep the drama lesson
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