It is important for the reader to understand that the Analytic Taxonomy chart was reworked four times. I first had thirteen themes, then narrowed it to ten. After I established subcategories, I consolidated it further to arrive at seven themes. Another researcher may have organized the data through a different lens. I went through the process of topic coding. As Lyn Richards (2011) suggested, I tallied how many times each participant’s transcript contained any reference to the identified themes and topics.
Simply determining which topics were meaningful to my participants wasn’t enough. What was most important to this inquiry was unearthing what was meaningful to my participants in relation to their experiences in and beyond the community art garden project. To do this I went deeper into my transcripts and used what Lyn Richards (2011) has referred to as “taking off from the data” (p. 77). I asked myself questions, such as ‘How did this quotation highlight a specific theme?’ and ‘Why was this interesting?’ This process allowed for greater analysis as opposed to just describing what the original record conveyed.
Throughout this process, I discovered additional concepts, such as gender and art education. As previously mentioned, only four male students, one father (my welder), and one male artist (Roadsworth) were involved in this study. One male teacher offered to be involved, but later opted out by not returning his questionnaire. Rather than include gender as a theme or category, I simply mention it as a topic which I have set aside to consider for further research.
Within the many layers and multiple interpretations, I remain concerned with the phenomena and how the participants viewed their world. I reported on both the positive and negative aspects of my findings that focused on answering my research questions. Bragg and Buckingham (2008) suggest that when one considers how to interpret material collected and designed by student participants, it is important to explore the content and form.
As well as audible expression, I looked carefully at the visual expression. How were the students defining outdoor spaces on their maps? How were they grouping seating and planting arrangements? What did their visual representations describe? What did their visual images say about how they interpret the natural world? According to EduGAINS, “Student voice is a metaphor for student engagement and participation in issues that matter to learning” (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013, p. 2).
As posited in the Ministry of Education’s EduGAINS website (2013):
As educators study student learning in collaborative inquiries, they are observing that children express voice in a variety of ways – in writing, art and drama; in gesture, body language and even silence. In this sense, student voice is not something that we grant to students, but rather something we tap into. By
broadening the definition of how children can and do express voice, educators are taking diverse approaches to “hearing” student voice. (p. 2)
Data interpretation will be discussed according to cultural, artistic, and professional literature. Symbols and descriptive words will be the focus of data organization. Arts-based reflexivity requires drawing out main themes from the data, which was ultimately made up of various art forms in response to this inquiry. Through the examination of themes, I attempted to
be sensitive to the frequency of similarities. A structured format was a critical organizational necessity to manage information.
Before analyzing the data, I needed to transcribe all interviews, observations, journal entries, notes, and other documents. This provided me with the opportunity to dig deep into the bounty of information. I began to see key words and phrases that helped me to determine how sections related to my inquiry objectives. I also saw similarities in participant artwork.
I pruned through my own journal entries and tried to make meaning. Connecting to my own experiences, I looked for reoccurring patterns as I picked and pruned through a bounty of data to uncover significant relationships. Weaving my own narrative throughout formal text was important, as I wanted to connect my personal experiences to those of my students and
community members. It was important to maintain a balance of all three branches within the context of this research. Ideas, sketches, and photographs were included in my personal journal entries and throughout my altered book. As I feel that I communicate more strongly using visual representation, my artmaking was an important outlet that helped to scaffold my writing.
As discussed by Sinner et al. (2006), “Arts-based educational researchers are always seeking to understand the parameters of good art and good research and they are never satisfied with any checklist, template, or formula” (p. 1229). How then does an a/r/tographer provide analysis in response to visual data? As the authors explain, “interpretations in a/r/tography are based on a reflexive and reflective stance to analysis” (p. 1251). Gouzouasis’s answer comes in the form of a question: “Who is best equipped to assess a work of a/r/tography?” (p. 230). He continues to suggest that analysis comes from “communities of informed creators, readers and participants” (p. 230). The value and quality of artwork is therefore subjective; each individual is entitled to their own opinion.
Within the confines of the required thesis format, I attempted to use an engaging display that highlighted the artwork of my student participants and myself.
Throughout the data analysis, I continuously asked myself the following questions: What patterns and common themes emerged? When I first set out, I didn’t know what would grow from my inquiry and therefore I grouped the data to discover commonalities. What interesting stories emerged? I wanted to provide narrative feedback and share my participants’ stories, which are a characteristic of qualitative research. How did this information provide me with insight into my inquiry questions? I wanted perspectives other than my own worldview. After I finish coding, how will I summarize my findings so that rhizomatic connections can be made? I was seeking the appropriate graphic organizer in which to portray the connections using visual art as a mode of representation (Springgay et al., 2008).
Barone and Eisner (2012) ask, “Is the study relevant to the population and the condition is what is intended to address?” (p. 162). Through participant feedback, I was able to gather insights to verify my interpretations. I remained true to myself and reflective about any personal biases and predispositions as I remained open to all interpretations.