A new phase begins...

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After finishing the data collection process, the analysis begins. As Burns (2001) points out this phase of action research implies moving towards the research component, where the researcher gets deep into the data by using data analysis procedures as well as analytical tools to explain what happened and why.

Corbin and Strauss (2008) define analysis as looking from different angles at a substance and discovering its dimensions and properties. These two terms allow the researcher to properly define an object, event or action. The researchers break apart the data and later on put all the gained knowledge back together to draw conclusions about the topic being analyzed. Indeed, the knowledge the researcher gains is marked by his/her own beliefs and assumptions. In the words of this authors, “analysis is an interpretative act” (p.47); however, it does not mean that the whole process lacks validity. What action research looks for is understanding the teaching practices and the learners themselves to increase professional knowledge. The researchers’ view will always be “grounded” in the data.

The level of analysis will depend on the researcher’s expertise, background, willingness to go beyond as well as the instructional design of the implementation and the data collection process. Corbin and Strauss (2008) identify the following three levels: description, conceptual ordering, and theorizing. This last is the most difficult to achieve because it implies having a well-developed hierarchy of categories, systematically interrelated, forming a theoretical framework that explains the phenomena under study.

References

Burns, A. (2001). Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers. Cambridge: University Press.

Corbin, J. & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Sage Publications, Inc, 3rd edition.