Thematic Analysis Exercise

A researcher wanted to describe the experiences of teachers who lost their jobs during the lockdown.
The interview transcripts are given below. Make a thematic analysis of the interviews. Follow the
procedure below.

Interviews

Researcher: What were your thoughts when you lost your job during the pandemic lockdown?

Participant 1: Having a family to feed simply makes it very difficult. We’re simply not prepared for it. We
had no savings. The bills kept coming but I had no more salary. We’re still bit lucky because my wife did
not lose her job. She worked online from home. However, it was not enough for us So we adjusted. We
removed a lot of stuff from our grocery list and buy the very important ones. The situation was really
bad I could not help cursing the government officials on face book. The government was simply
incompetent. They knew from the very start that the virus will hit the country and yet their response to
this pandemic is basically lame. They could have done a lot better and avoided business closures.

Researcher: How did you go through all of these?

Participant 1: I have no choice but to keep going. Being together with my family helped a lot. My little
kids cooperated They did not demand the usual stuff they had before the pandemic. They simply kept
me going. Praying also helped us. I know our situation was far better than others. As the lockdown
dragged on, we eventually adjusted. And despite the financial difficulties, I did not lose focus on our
main goal which is to keep ourselves safe from Covid.

Researcher 1: Did you try finding another teaching job?

Participant 1: I tried but the schools were not hiring. The private schools in our area, like our school had
laid off many teachers. I tried applying for other jobs, but got no replies. I think business is really bad at
this point.

Researcher 1: Do you think the worst is over?

Participant 1: Maybe in the health perspective because everyone in the family got vaccinated already.
Financially however, it is still not good. In a month or two, if I will be able to find a job we will be
practically in deep financial trouble.

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Researcher: When did you learn that you are losing your job?

Participant 2: A month before the opening of the school year. When the school year finished in May, we
had no idea that our school will close. Two months into the lockdown our school was still able to give us
our salary. In June however, they said there were no enrollees for the next school year. The school told
us they tried to ask help from the government but it did not give anything.

Researcher: How did you go through it?

Participant 2: It wasn’t easy. I was not prepared for it. I have been working in that school for ten years
already. I was angry, how come the government could not provide assistance to private schools when it
was spending a lot during the pandemic. The government simply ignored the private schools during the
lock down. I have to convince myself all the time that the most important thing was we were surviving.

Researcher: Did you try to find another job?

When the lockdown eased a little bit in August things did not improve. I could not find a new job. No
school was hiring. During the first few months of the lockdown it was still a little easy because we have
savings. In July everything’s gone and I have to rely from my family’s assistance. We are five in the
family, and my kids they are teen agers already so our budget for food was quite high. Luckily in
September my wife was asked to report back by her employee on a weekly basis. So her income made
us afloat.

Researcher: Do you think the worst is over?

I don’t know. Maybe when I get a job again. Maybe if this pandemic is over. But for now I just don’t
know. I just have to keep myself and my family safe from covid.

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Researcher: What were your thoughts when you lost your job due to the pandemic?

Participant 3: It was sad. Shocked and sad. Luckily I have some savings and I am still single, no family to
support. My thoughts went to my colleagues who lost their jobs as well. They had families to support
and I know, just like me they were not prepared for this.

Researcher: How did you go through this?

Participant 3: The financial burden is manageable. Losing my job however, also meant being
disconnected more. I felt more isolated. If I were teaching, somehow I would be talking to students
online, and to colleagues as well. I have to spend lots of time in social media to divert my attention.

Researcher: Do you think the worst is over?

Participant 3: I don’t know. It still very different, maybe when I get a job again. Things can really get
worse anytime so I just have to make sure that I am safe. When I lost my job I worried about my finances
but I worried more of my safety. I knew a lot of people who became infected with Covid and a few even
died already.
Thematic Analysis
1.Identify the significant statements and interpret. You may add more rows
Significant Statements Interpretation
Having a family to feed simply makes it very difficult. We’re Pandemic
simply not prepared for it. We had no savings. The bills kept Work from Home Set-up
coming but I had no more salary. We’re still bit lucky Financial Stability
because my wife did not lose her job. She worked online
from home. However, it was not enough for us So we
adjusted. We removed a lot of stuff from our grocery list and
buy the very important ones.
A month before the opening of the school year. When the
school year finished in May, we had no idea that our school
will close.
It was sad. Shocked and sad. Luckily, I have some savings
and I am still single, no family to support

I have no choice but to keep going. Being together with my Life contentment
family helped a lot. My little kids cooperated They did not Constrained freedom
demand the usual stuff they had before the pandemic. They Life Adjustment
simply kept me going. Praying also helped us. I know our
situation was far better than others.
It wasn’t easy. I was not prepared for it. I have been
working in that school for ten years already.
The financial burden is manageable. Losing my job
however, also meant being disconnected more. I felt
more isolated.

I tried but the schools were not hiring. The private Job Searching
schools in our area, like our school had laid off many Teachers laid off
teachers. I tried applying for other jobs, but got no Lockdown
replies
When the lockdown eased a little bit in August things
did not improve. I could not find a new job. No school
was hiring. During the first few months of the lockdown
it was still a little easy because we have savings.

Maybe in the health perspective because everyone in Prioritize Health

the family got vaccinated already. Financially however, Perspective
it is still not good. Challenging emotions

I don’t know. Maybe when I get a job again

: I don’t know. It still very different, maybe when I get a

job again. Things can really get worse anytime so I just
have to make sure that I am safe.

The situation was really bad I could not help cursing the
government officials on face book. The government was Families to support
simply incompetent. They knew from the very start that Government Incompetence
the virus will hit the country and yet their response to
this pandemic is basically lame.

I was angry, how come the government could not

provide assistance to private schools when it was
spending a lot during the pandemic. The government
simply ignored the private schools during the lock down.

They had families to support and I know, just like me

they were not prepared for this.
Praying also helped us. I know our situation was far Provide assistance
better than others. As the lockdown dragged on, we Concern to others
eventually adjusted

I was angry, how come the government could not

provide assistance to private schools when it was
spending a lot during the pandemic. The government
simply ignored the private schools during the lock down.

If I were teaching, somehow I would be talking to

students online, and to colleagues as well.

I tried applying for other jobs, but got no replies

Job Application/Issue
In July everything’s gone and I have to rely from my Family’s Assistance
family’s assistance. We are five in the family, and my
kids they are teen agers already so our budget for food
was quite high
In a month or two, if I will be able to find a job we will be
practically in deep financial trouble. Coping with Financial
Problem
I just have to keep myself and my family safe from Safe from covid
covid. Surviving Era

I knew a lot of people who became infected with Covid

and a few even died already.
2. Study the interpretations in #1. Think of the broader concepts that maybe formed by
clustering some interpretations. Write that concepts under themes.
Themes Interpretation Clusters
Pandemic Stability
Work from Home Set-up Work from Home
Financial Stability

Life contentment Freedom

Constrained freedom Contentment
Adjustment
Job Searching Job
Teachers laid off Resources
Lockdown

Health Perspective Challenges

Challenging emotions
Families to support Assistance
Government Incompetence
Provide assistance Coping with lockdown
Concern to others

Job Application Application

Family’s Assistance Resources
Coping with Financial Financial Aspects
Problem Safety
Safe from covid