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Evidence Guide For School Excellence: Qualitative Data

Qualitative data refers to non-numerical data such as notes from observations, interviews, or focus groups. It provides detailed insights into people's experiences, opinions, and behaviors. Some benefits of qualitative analysis include allowing customized solutions based on local context and flexibility to adapt to emerging issues. However, qualitative data can be open to multiple interpretations and harder to analyze than quantitative data. When analyzing qualitative data, researchers look for patterns and themes in cases to help answer research questions. Assessing the quality of qualitative data may consider criteria like credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

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31 views2 pages

Evidence Guide For School Excellence: Qualitative Data

Qualitative data refers to non-numerical data such as notes from observations, interviews, or focus groups. It provides detailed insights into people's experiences, opinions, and behaviors. Some benefits of qualitative analysis include allowing customized solutions based on local context and flexibility to adapt to emerging issues. However, qualitative data can be open to multiple interpretations and harder to analyze than quantitative data. When analyzing qualitative data, researchers look for patterns and themes in cases to help answer research questions. Assessing the quality of qualitative data may consider criteria like credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability.

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Queresminoctavio Rupava
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Evidence Guide for School Excellence

Qualitative data

Understanding qualitative data

What is qualitative data? Qualitative data is also context-specific, so it is not always


possible to use the data to say something about situations
Qualitative data is data that is not easily reduced to numbers. outside of that context. This differs from quantitative analysis,
Qualitative data tends to answer questions about the ‘what’, in which a robust sample can be used to make generalisations
‘how’ and ‘why’ of a phenomenon, rather than questions of about a population.
‘how many’ or ‘how much’.
The collection and analysis of qualitative data can also be time-
consuming.
In a school setting, qualitative data may include:

• Notes from classroom observations What are qualitative methods?


There are numerous qualitative research methods that can be
• A student’s work sample with comments from their teacher
used when conducting qualitative research. These can include
• Feedback from a teacher about a student’s progress (but are not restricted to):
• A transcript from a focus group with parents • Interviews
• Audio/visual recordings of a class • Focus groups
• A transcript from a staff meeting • Surveys*
• Case studies
Qualitative data can be collected through a range of methods,
described below. • Observation
• Document analysis
What are the benefits of qualitative analysis?
More information about different types of qualitative research
Qualitative analysis allows for a detailed examination of the methods can be found on the Future Learning Unit’s website.
thoughts, feelings, opinions and/or experiences of individuals,
The usefulness and appropriateness of different qualitative
groups or communities. By taking into account the local
research methods will vary depending on the context and
context, qualitative analysis can assist in developing solutions
purpose of the research. In qualitative research, the focus is
that are tailored to the particular context.
not so much on the ‘robustness’ of one instrument versus
Qualitative research allows for flexibility and adaptability when another, but choosing the most appropriate instrument for the
undertaking research, so a study can be adapted and tailored in information that you are seeking.
response to emerging issues, problems or trends. It provides the
opportunity to collaborate with participants and include them The size of the sample will also vary depending on the context
as an active part of the research process. and purpose of the research. There is no overall ‘optimal’
sample size.
Qualitative analysis can also be useful for providing a narrative
around quantitative data. Quantitative data (e.g. test scores)
may tell you that your student’s NAPLAN scores have improved *Note, surveys can provide both qualitative and quantitative
over time. You may then want to use qualitative data (e.g. data. Generally, surveys that use scales (e.g. strongly agree
classroom observation, a focus group with teachers) to – strongly disagree) or ratings, such as Tell Them From Me,
determine how and why scores have improved. provide quantitative data. Surveys that allow for free-text
responses provide qualitative data.
What are the limitations of qualitative analysis?
Qualitative data can be harder to analyse than quantitative data,
as the data collected is not inherently objective, and thus can be
open to multiple interpretations.  

NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WWW.DEC.NSW.GOV.AU


Analysing qualitative data

How do I analyse qualitative data? How do I know if qualitative data is ‘high-quality’?

Qualitative data analysis involves the identification, While there is not a single set of criteria to assess the quality
examination, and interpretation of patterns and themes in data of qualitative research, there are some existing markers that
and determines how these patterns and themes help answer qualitative research is commonly judged against (see: Tracy,
the research questions at hand. 2010; Anfara, Brown & Mangione, 2002).
Qualitative analysis focuses on cases (rather than variables). A Criteria that can be considered when attempting to assess
case could be an individual person, a whole class of students quality include:
or an instance of a particular phenomenon (e.g. bullying).
Comparative analysis between and across cases can be a • Credibility – are the results of the research credible or
powerful way of identifying patterns in the data. believable from the perspective of the participant in the
research?
Questions that can be considered when analysing qualitative
data include (but are not limited to): • Transferability – has the researcher adequately described the
research context and the assumptions that were central to the
• What patterns/common themes emerge around specific items research?
in the data?
• Dependability – have the research methods accounted
• How do these patterns (or lack thereof) help to shed light on for changes in the research setting and how have these
the broader study question(s)? influenced the research?
• Are there any deviations from these patterns? • Confirmability – has the researcher acknowledged their own
position in the research? Have the findings been triangulated
• If, yes, what factors could explain these atypical responses?
with other data to confirm and strengthen the findings?
• What interesting stories emerge from the data?
• How can these stories help to shed light on the broader study The quality of the data is usually also a reflection of the skills and
question? rigour of the researcher. The researcher needs to be involved
in every step of the analysis, be responsive, flexible and a good
• Do any of the patterns/emergent themes suggest that listener, and able to reflect on their own role in the research.
additional data needs to be collected?
• Do the patterns that emerge support the findings of other
corresponding qualitative and quantitative analyses that have
been conducted?
Methods of analysing qualitative data usually include (but are not
limited to):
• Documentation of the data and the process of data collection
• Organisation/categorisation of the data into concepts/themes
• Connection of the data to show how one concept/theme may
influence another
• Testing theories, by evaluating alternative explanations and
searching for negative cases.
The final report of any qualitative analysis may include a number
of formats such as text, maps, charts, images and/or sound.

NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WWW.DEC.NSW.GOV.AU 2

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