Francis (2013) asserts that data are gathered from many sources that the researcher believes will provide insight into the period of time or foci of research interest. It was necessary to consult literature dealing with FA in schools over time. Some of the sources consulted were relatively old, since there was a need to trace the evolution of FA through time. FA provisioning in schools has not been a permanent feature of school curricula since formal school education began. The advent of FA in schools is historically nuanced and situated. Francis (2013) asserts that historians begin their quest initially by posing a question that is historically contextualised. In the case of this study the questions were where, how and why did FA come to schools?
There are many approaches that can be adopted to explore research questions that are historically situated (Brennan 2011, in Francis 2013). History is the study of past events.
There are many types of historical research approaches, such as oral histories, historiography, social and chronological historical accounts, all of which offer a window to glimpse what has occurred in times gone by (Ibid). According to Francis (2013:56), understanding the past to inform the present and the future is a recognised field of qualitative research inquiry. Looking at the past to inform the future is a common feature of research. Interest in how people lived in the past has and will continue to captivate future generations of people globally (Ibid). An understanding of the history of FA gives us a better grip of contemporary issues pertaining to FA provisioning in the school context.
A study of past FA provisioning practices was necessary for this study in order to inform future trends and practices. Warelow and Edward (2007:57, in Francis 2013:56) affirm that understanding of the present is made clearer when we are able to look to the past and the present, and examine how the present has been informed by the past, and acknowledge that both, the preceding and the present, are mutually important. It was also necessary to be cognisant of the important fact that times change and future generations of researchers, like those of today who are interested in history, will need to be mindful not to judge yesterday on contemporary beliefs and understandings (Sweeney 2005, in Francis 2013). When we view the elementary stages of FA provisioning in ancient times, we must be careful to situate them in the ancient context and time. We do not have to judge them on the basis of modern times.
Data for historical research are generated using techniques that include reviewing texts often located in libraries and other archival repositories (Lusk 1997, in Francis 2013:58), collecting artefacts that provide insight into the lives of people in the past and investigating archival or documentary evidence. Data sources may include primary and secondary sources. Primary data sources are evidence left by those who have lived during the time or events being studied (Wood 2011, in Francis 2013). Much of the literature consulted for this study was from secondary sources, which assumed historical attributes.
Secondary sources of data are accounts of historical events or time provided by others who may or may not have used primary data sources to construct and theorise on the same foci as a researcher who is new to the field of study (Lewenson 2011, in Francis
2013:60) Reviewing the historical commentaries of others provides insight and often clues to data sources that may not have been considered. This approach may also provide a level of confirmation for researchers when the interpretations of others’
investigations align with their own (Ibid). This concurrence was noted where a number of different authors and researchers agreed on certain aspects of FA. Godden and Forsyth (2003, in Francis 2013) advocated this process, suggesting that ensuring familiarity with events of the day, including the social, economic and political situations, provides background for understanding the period and the people. Recognising that secondary data sources are always another’s interpretation is central to the process of critique and establishment of an audit path for the study (Francis 2013).
The scope of the literature review demanded that sources consulted conformed to the dictates of the topic and research questions. Since the study was located in the discipline of school health and safety, the journals consulted had a lot to do with health and safety issues in a school environment. The topic straddled across disciplines, hence the literature review was of necessity a potpourri that included issues on the psychology of workplace safety, medicine, law and emergency care. It was sometimes very difficult to locate the literature review within one particular field, as it inadvertently veered into uncommon territory and talked about purely legal niceties such as the “law of delict” and the “basis of negligence”. Legal terms do not predispose themselves to the dictates of paraphrasing because that may alter or distort their meaning. For this reason many of the legal provisions were quoted verbatim. Shifting from the legal field, the literature took another trajectory and went on to assume purely medical jargon, talking about medical terms such as CPR, coronary thrombosis and AED. The research topic charted the scope of the literature study.
Having covered the salient aspects of the literature review that answered the research questions, I felt that my information-seeking was broad and good enough to ensure that all the relevant literature concerning FA had been consulted. The literature search from the UNISA library provided a wide range of sources on the topic. The literature search broke down the research topic into small manageable chunks and provided the literature that was related to the sub-topics. I consulted this literature to suit the research study. It was easy to refer to the sources, as the UNISA literature search
provided direct “url” links to the original e-journals, e-resources and full texts online.
Besides the literature provided in the literature search, I also consulted literature relevant to my study through the Google Scholar search engine. The sifting mechanism ensured that I did not consult material that was irrelevant to my study. I believe that the number of sources consulted was broad enough to cover the salient aspects of the research study. I am a qualified level 3 first aider and the knowledge and skills I acquired through this course assisted me to embark on the study from an informed position.