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Analyzing is a challenging endeavor. As a novice researcher, I have found quite hard trying to capture the essence of data. Everything seems important since every little piece of information opens a window to start reflecting upon your teaching practice. As Auerbach (2003) points out your research concerns should be kept visible so that the researcher focus his/her attention on relevant text. Following this author's advice, I used a mapping strategy to organize relevant text and start grouping it according to emerging patterns. However, sometimes you get so immersed in the data that you start walking away from your research purposes. Burns (1999) talks about dialogic validity as a criterion that supports the study validity, and in addition, offers the researcher the possibility to test his/her hypothesis, find out new approaches to the data, and argument his/her points of view. She refers to "peer-review" as a powerful tool that encompasses a reflective dialogue with a "critical friend". In my case, my "critical friend" is my research director.
After showing him the first version of the map I did and establishing a reflective dialogue, I refined it and came up with a more depurated map that shows key concepts around which the analysis will continue.
Please click here to have access to the second version of the map that groups emerging patterns and ideas taken from the teachers' journal.
References
Auerbach, C. F. (2003). Qualitative Data : An Introduction to Coding and Analysis. New York : NYU press.
Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative action research for English language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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