Action Research: Data Analysis

by

Melissa A. Blodgett

November 7, 2010

As an action researcher, the purpose of researching my specific topic can be realized

through the analysis of the data I have collected. In order to begin the data analysis process I will

first need to reduce my data into a format that can be easily analyzed. According to Rudolph

Tere “qualitative data analysis is a very personal process with few rigid rules and procedures”

(2006, ¶ 2) so that how data is formatted is at the discretion of the researcher. Tere also refers to

the different types of qualitative data analysis as falling on a data analysis spectrum. For

example, different types of data analysis are positioned at the higher end of the spectrum, such as

reflective types of analysis while at the other end of the spectrum are those types of data that can

be counted or coded. Highly qualitative data analysis lends itself to on-going data analysis such

as personal and focus group interviews. The emerging themes gathered from these interviews can

be cause for reflection by the researcher and lead to adaptations and refinement of issues and

topics presented for further discussion in future interviews. Tere also indentifies three general

types of qualitative data analysis: thematic, content, and discourse analysis.

Thematic data analysis involves the analysis of themes that emerge from the data that has

been collected. The themes emerging from the data are not imposed by the researcher, but are

inherent in the data itself. Tere closely connects thematic analysis to comparative analysis in

which data from different individuals are compared and contrasted to one another to identify new

issues that may be identified within the course of data analysis.

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Content analysis is a more mechanical process of data analysis when compared to

thematic analysis. In content analysis, the data collected by the researcher can be coded in a

predetermined and systemic way. It is at the discretion of the researcher to establish the

parameters of the codes they are ascribing and what system(s) of codes they chose to use. The

most common, according to Tere, is to code by content and may be “numbers or words, to

specific characteristics within the text” (2006, ¶ 7). Researches may have set lists of categories

already in mind as they begin to code their data or may develop categories as they begin to

process the data collected by multiple sources such as transcripts of interviews, field notes, and

journal entries. Research literature read prior to data analysis can also help to explain emerging

themes.

Discourse analysis falls in the middle of the data analysis spectrum and is also known as

conversational analysis. This method of data analysis looks at “patterns of speech, such as how

people talk about particular subject, what metaphors they use, how they take turns in

conversation, and so on” (Tere, 2006, ¶ 7). In discourse analysis, speech performs an action

rather than describing a specific condition or state of mind. Analysis of discourse data is

typically reflective, but can involve some measurement, such as counting the number of times

individuals participate in focus group discussions and an individual’s ability to relate to his / her

peers.

Tere (2006, ¶ 9) gives the following suggestions prior to beginning the data analysis

process and I intend to follow his model.

1. You need to think about the data from the moment you start to collect the information.
2. You need to judge the value of your data, especially that which may come from
dubious sources.
3. As your research progresses you need to interpret the data so that you, and others, can
gain an understanding of what is going on.
4. Finally, you need to undertake the mechanical process of analysing the data.
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In contrast to qualitative data analysis, Lucia Jenkins identifies that the processing of

quantitative data involves the “precise measurement and analysis” (2007, ¶ 1) of the data

collected. The data collected in this way is in the form of numbers and statistics” (Jenkins, 2007,

¶ 1). It is then up to the researcher to build a statistical model to explain what has been observed.

For example, the quantitative data I will be analyzing for my action research project are student

Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) scores. These scores are generated based on a pre-

determined scoring system that processes a student’s Lexile level (reading comprehension level).

I will then compare individual student’s initial (September) Lexile level scores to their

subsequent scores (January and May) to prepare and present my quantitative data analysis.

Qualitative Data Analysis

Active participation observation notes: It is my intention to analyze the written notes kept

by myself and my co-teachers periodically throughout the course of my action research project.

In theory, I would project six week intervals although this may prove too time consuming in

actual practice. I will transcribe our notes into a typewritten (verbatim) format and then begin to

analyze the data using a thematic approach. Common themes in our respective notes may reveal

whether or not students are demonstrating differences in their ability to comprehend text using

the visual innovations and strategies we are introducing. I can then use this data to reflect on a

particular visual innovation and whether its effectiveness seems worthy of further use, question

whether the strategy could be reconfigured to be more effective, or if the student’s ability to

comprehend text is being positively influenced by the research strategies. It is by comparing and

contrasting the observation notes of the participant action researchers that common themes can

arise, which in turn can help direct and further the action research process.
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Authentic assessment techniques: For the analysis of student portfolios, I would first

establish a rubric to which I have identified particular qualities and specific items to include in

my data analysis. For example, a student produced work sample was collected in which students

were to summarize a particular text using a visual comprehension strategy. The rubric I

established includes a checklist with the following items; the student must have a picture of the

main character boxing and another of picture of the same character losing the fight and knocked

out in the ring. The visual depictions, along with a short text description of the events, are what

would be evaluated according to the rubric. The use of rubrics adapted to individual work

samples will support my analysis of student produced work products and reflect on strategies that

may be more influential than others.

Field notes: Field notes or written observations regarding a particular event will be

transcribed and analyzed for content. I will look for similarities in comparing my field notes to

those of my co-teachers and code key words and phrases to effectively analyze any emerging

commonalities. Some key words or phrases I may look for include: student focused,

comprehend(ing) text, visual innovation / strategy, engaged, active participation, learning

process, making connections, etc. I would then use the codes attributed to each key word or

phrase to evaluate and process this data for its impact on my action research topic. Although I

have read about some computer software programs that can help save time in various aspects of

the data analysis process, including coding of key words / phrases and counting their frequency. I

do not know if the purchase of one of these programs would be worth the investment given the

number of participants in my action research project. Tere states it well when he says “although a

computer can undertake these mechanical processes, it cannot think about, judge or interpret

qualitative data” (2006, ¶ 10).

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Focus groups: In order to analyze the data collected from transcribed focus group

sessions, I will use content analysis with coding of keywords and phrases to a specific rubric that

I have established with my fellow researchers. As each of us will conduct focus group sessions,

differing themes may emerge that we can add to our rubric of key word / phrases and / or

eliminate those that are no longer relevant. Student participation in focus groups may yield key

words / phrase such as “I’m reading better”, “I like drawing pictures”, “can think about the

story”, “know what’s going on”, “confident”, etc. The data obtained in the focus group sessions

can then be compared and contrasted to the data collected by the teachers as participant

observers / field notes. Often what teachers observe can vary greatly from the observations of

students and even from student to student. By comparing these observations, additional insight

into current teaching practices and student perceptions is possible.

Open ended questionnaires: I chose not to use a Likert scale format for my action

research project given the population of students with whom I currently teach. I did not feel that

the majority of my students would honestly address the questions on a Likert scale and would

instead randomly circle answers to complete the form. In using an open-ended questionnaire, I

have provided a means for students to reflect on the questions posed to them and compose a

short response in their own words. To analyze the data collected from the questionnaires, I will

use content data analysis and coding of key words / phrases. I have specific details that I am

looking for in student responses. For example, I could include the following sample questions on

the student questionnaire “Do you feel the visual strategy helped you understand the text?” and

“When you read, do you get “pictures in your mind?”. Students will not be permitted to simply

respond yes or no, but must at least respond in one complete sentence. The data analyzed from
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student questionnaires can then be used to effectively drive instructional content while

supporting those students who continue to struggle with reading comprehension.

Student journals: The content of student journals will possibly have some overlap in

student thought, feelings, and emotions. I intend to develop a daily prompt to which the students

will be given a set amount of time to respond. The prompts will change on a daily basis and

relate to the visual reading comprehension innovations and student perceptions in accessing text.

I will then use content data analysis to identify key words / phrases in student journal responses

for coding. Some examples of student responses may be “I like it”, “read better”, “can

understand more”, “helps me”, “easier”, etc. I can only speculate on what students may write, but

their journal responses can be compared and contrasted to reveal common themes and to reveal

unexpected insights that may serve to broaden my research or make adaptations to meet the

educational needs of my students.

Teacher journals: My co-teachers and I will keep a daily reflective journal to record our

thoughts, feelings, and emotions regarding our shared action research project. Although our

journals will be personal, the data contained in these journals can offer a shared insight into our

experiences and identify the similarities and differences we are experiencing throughout the

course of our research. I will probably use a combination of thematic and content data analysis

techniques to reduce the data retrieved from our respective journals into a format for future

display. I will use thematic data analysis to identify common themes such as “in Lesson 1 using

visual innovation strategy X, students seemed to comprehended the material”, “student Y

displayed improvement in small group instruction using strategy X”, “strategy Z seems to be

effective”, “during Lesson 2 the students seemed focused”, “in Lesson 2 I noticed that it did not

work well”, and so on. These common themes can also by analyzed by content and context and
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will provide an overall picture of teacher perceptions throughout the course of the action research

project and support the decision making process as we reflect on our teaching practices and

content innovations.

Qualitative Data Analysis

I will use the results generated from the individual SRI assessments to compare student

performances during the school year. Evidence of an influence in student reading comprehension

levels will be displayed in numerical values called Lexile levels. “A book, article or piece of text

gets a Lexile text measure when it's analyzed by MetaMetrics. . . . A Lexile text measure is based

on two strong predictors of how difficult a text is to comprehend: word frequency and sentence

length” (What is a Lexile measure?, 2010, ¶ 2). The Lexile levels generated from SRIs will most

likely be my strongest data source for evidence of influence in reading comprehension. Although

I must consider the possibility that this assessment does have its flaws, it currently is an accepted

and research based diagnostic tool used in educational research and literature across the nation.

Data Analysis

The process of data analysis in action research is no small task. According to

Dictionary.com, the definition of analyze is “to examine carefully and in detail so as to identify

causes, key factors, possible results, etc” (2009, ¶ 2). As an action researcher, I must truly

embrace this definition and follow only where the data I collect leads me. The data analysis

techniques used are at the discretion of the researcher, but should be consistent with the type of

data collected. According to Mills (2007), “data analysis is undertaken when researches want to

summarize and represent data that has been collected in dependable, accurate, reliable, correct,

and “right” manner. Researchers interpret data to make sense of the research findings, to answer

the questions “so what?” ” (pp. 138). It is my goal, as an action researcher and educator, to
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attempt to answer Mills’ “so what?” question by clear, concise, and well-though out techniques

for data analysis. The answers to “so what?” will hopefully be revealed as I journey into the

interpretation and implications of my research data.

References:

Analyze. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved November 07, 2010, from

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/analyze

Jenkins, Lucia (2009). Fundamentals of quantitative research: Consideration in research

methodology.

Suite 101.com. Retrieved November 5, 2010 from http://www.suite101.com/content/

fundamentals-of-quantitative-research-a149406

Mills, Geoffrey E. (2007). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Tere, Rudolph. (2006). Qualitative data analysis. Retrieved November 5, 2010, from http://e-
articles.info/e/a/title/qualitative-data-analysis/

What is a Lexile measure? (2010). MetaMetrics. Retrieved November 5, 2010, from http://-
lexile.com/about-lexile/lexile-overview/