ASSIGNMENT 2

HMEF5103
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
MAY 2019 SEMESTER

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION

1. Answer in English.

2. Number of words : 2500 – 3000 words excluding references.

3. Submit your assignment ONCE only in a SINGLE file.

4. Submit your assignment ONLINE.

5. Submission date : 12th August 2019 until 19th August 2019

6. This assignment accounts for 50% of the total marks for the course.

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

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OBJECTIVE:
The objective of this assignment is to provide you the opportunity to write a paper based on
the analysis of qualitative data.

INSTRUCTIONS:
You are required to complete all TWO (2) parts of the assignment.

QUESTIONS:
You are required to conduct research on the topic “Rethinking our public school education:
What do we change? What do we keep?”

PART 1: Data Analysis

In this part of the assignment, you will analyse all the data that you have collected for the
topic “Rethinking our public school education: What do we change? What do we keep?” Use
a two-step procedure to analyse your data.

Step 1: Indexing and Charting Data

 Identify sections of the data (audio/video recording of interviews and interview

transcripts, and documents) that correspond to various themes established in
Assignment 1. Ensure that the themes are relevant to the research objective.

 Identify data samples for each theme and prepare a chart for all the data that you
have collected.

Step 2: Conducting Inter-rater Reliability Test

Conducting an inter-rater reliability test involves:

 preparing two lists: one comprises a list of themes and the other a list of data
samples.

 getting one or two colleagues to match the themes to the data samples. If there are
disagreements, resolve the discrepancies by discussion.

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Note: Inter-rater reliability is described as “the extent to which different coders, each coding
the same content, come to the same coding decisions” (Rourke, Anderson, Garrison
and Archer (2001, p.6). This verification process is necessary as some amount of
subjectivity may be unavoidable in coding transcripts.

PART 2: Data Interpretation and Presentation of Findings

This part of the assignment requires you to interpret the data and report your findings.

Assignment Description

Based on your qualitative data collection and data analysis, write a paper that is a response
to the topic “Rethinking our public school education: What do we change? What do we
keep?”

You may include the following outline for the paper:

 Data analysis:
 describe how data were indexed and charted,
 describe the associations between themes
 include a diagrammatic outline of inter-related themes

 Inter-rater reliability: explain how it was conducted

 Data interpretation and presentation of findings: explain how data was interpreted
and write the outcome of the analysis of the data.

[Total : 50 marks]

References:

Srivastava, A. & Thomson, S. B. (2009). Framework Analysis: A Qualitative Methodology for

Applied Policy Research. JOAAG, Vol. 4. No. 2.
http://joaag.com/uploads/06_Research_Note_Srivastava_and_Thomson_4_2_.pdf

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 ATTACHMENT
ASSIGNMENT RUBRIC
HMEF5103 QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/ JANUARY 2019
Excellent Unsatisfactory/No
Good Fair Low Response Max
Criteria Weightage Marks
4 3 2 1 0
Thematic framework 4.0 An excellent Good description of Basic description of Weak description of Poor or no 16
description of thematic framework thematic framework thematic framework. At description of
thematic framework showing: showing: least one of the thematic framework.
showing: following is described:

 How data from  How data from  How data from  How data from
interviews and interviews and interviews and interviews and
documents/ audio documents/ audio documents/ audio documents/ audio
visual materials are visual materials are visual materials are visual materials are
categorised under categorised under categorised under categorised under
themes and themes and themes and themes and
categories. categories. categories. categories.

 How data from both  How data from both  How data from both  How data from both
sources are charted sources are charted sources are charted sources are charted
and merged. and merged. and merged. and merged.

Inter-rater reliability 3.5 An excellent Good description of Basic description of Weak description of Poor or no 14
description of inter- inter-rater reliability inter-rater reliability inter-rater reliability description of inter-
rater reliability demonstrating: demonstrating: demonstrating some but rater reliability.
demonstrating: not all of the following:

 Verification  Verification procedure  Verification procedure  Verification procedure

procedure for for categorisation for categorisation for categorisation
categorisation scheme. scheme. scheme.
scheme.

 Use of data samples  Use of data samples
from both sources from both sources
(interviews and (interviews and
documents). documents).
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 Use of data samples  Use of data samples
from both sources from both sources
(interviews and (interviews and
documents). documents).
  How themes are  How themes are  How themes are  How themes are
matched to data matched to data matched to data matched to data
samples. samples. samples. samples.

 Calculation of  Calculation of  Calculation of  Calculation of

reliability statistics. reliability statistics. reliability statistics. reliability statistics.
Findings or outcomes of 5.0  Excellent discussion  Good discussion on  Basic discussion on Weak presentation  Poor or no 20
data analysis on significance of purpose of the study. purpose of the study. showing one or two but discussion on
the topic. not all of the following: purpose of the
study and/or data
 Excellent  Good description of  Basic description of  Discussion on purpose analysis
description of procedures for data procedures for data of the study. procedures.
procedures for data analysis and how analysis and how
analysis and how thematic framework thematic framework  Description of  Does not
thematic framework was derived/ Write-up was derived/ Write-up procedures for data demonstrate
was derived/ Write- demonstrates strong demonstrates good analysis and how ability to use
up demonstrates ability to use ability to use thematic framework Framework
very strong ability to Framework Analysis. Framework Analysis. was derived/ Write-up Analysis and does
use Framework demonstrates basic not appear to
Analysis. ability to use answer the
Framework Analysis. objective of the
study.
 Research objective  Research objective is  Research objective is  Research objective is
is extremely well- well-answered using somewhat answered to some extent
answered using outcomes of analysis. using outcomes of answered using
outcomes of analysis. outcomes of analysis.
analysis.

Total 12.5 50