Fabricación del clínker

design

The issue of power relationships was also an important consideration for the researcher in her role as a lecturer at the university. On one hand, a positive aspect of the teacher- student relationship was that there was already a positive relationship of trust between the students and the researcher in that one of the first modules the participants had taken in their first trimester at the University was led and co-taught by the researcher. A relationship had been built to some extent through teaching the participants in tutorials. Further, the research is the Personal Development Tutor to overseas Chinese students studying on the accounting degree programme at the University and so had had the opportunity to meet individually with students at least once in this capacity by the time of the focus group interviews. The researcher was concerned about the potential for students to feel obliged to participate in the study due to the teacher-student

relationship existing with the researcher. The researcher saw that there was a

possibility that responses to questions asked in focus group meetings might be tailored by participants to offer the ‘right’ answer for various reasons such as: desire to please or avoid criticism of a teacher, older person or a person in authority. The researcher’s

concern was that data gathered might not adequately reflect the perceptions and views of the students.

The researcher’s searched literature in order to identify ways of mitigating the power relationship issues identified and found little concerning specifically Chinese student participants in focus groups and the nature of social, cultural issues and power relationships with teachers. The researcher widened considerations of power relationships in focus groups to considered literature on vulnerable groups, such as children, in focus groups as examples of where focus group participants have little social power. The purpose of this was to identify any issues with power relationships which might highlight areas of attention for the researcher in conducting the focus groups with the students. This literature discusses a variety of important ethical considerations of power relationships in researcher participant interactions and these are especially apparent where participants have little power in the relationship. Authors such as Vaughn et al.(1996) note that there are no obvious solutions for such ethical dilemmas. Their recommendation is to treat all participants with the same respect and understanding as any other participant.

In order to address the concerns relating to power relationships and the effect this might have on the data gathered from the focus groups the researcher took a number of steps, aimed at enhancing the quality of the data gathered so that it reflected as far as possible an objective depiction of the participants’ views. The steps the researcher took include: a reflection on the style of leadership of the focus group to encourage

participants to feel that they can speak openly and accurately about their views. The researcher spoke to the students in advance of the study to explain the purpose of the

research and to invite participation. At this point, it was stated clearly, more than once, that participation was not obligatory and that the students could decline with no impact on any aspect of their studies or otherwise. The researcher consciously adopted a friendly and approachable manner during these discussions. The focus group sessions were held in a separate room, chosen specifically to be neutral and not a teaching or lecture room in order to remove, as far as possible, feelings and ideas of the existing teacher student relationship between the researcher and the participants. The

researcher chose times for the focus interviews (Wednesday afternoons) when students did not have classes and thus sought to avoid the issues of worries or concerns about attending lectures or tutorials on time. Soft drinks, fruit and snacks were made available for each session and participants invited to have these if they wished. Confidentiality was stressed at the start of each session. In order to enhance trust in the process and to encourage participants to speak freely, the researcher noted aspects of the study process. The researcher: confirmed that the discussion would remain confidential; asked participants to respect the confidentiality of what each other said once the meeting was concluded; stressed that the recordings of the discussion would held securely in a locked room and files of data transferred to pc files would be password protected; noted that data on the recording device would be deleted after transfer; and made clear at the start that the research project had no bearing on grades or marks on the programme. The purpose of the research was explained as being to enhance understanding of the participants’ experiences in order to improve student experience where possible or relevant and the researcher encouraged the participants to speak freely. The researcher took care to show concern for the needs and well-being of the

students during the meetings, presented a friendly, welcoming and open manner, showed consideration towards the participants and took an approach of treating the participants as equals. To minimise the researcher’s lecturer role in the eyes of the students the researcher wore casual clothes to the focus group meetings.

After the data were gathered the researcher met with three participants. The researcher outlined her initial perceptions of the broad ideas and themes found in the early analysis of the data gathered and sought confirmation, or otherwise, that these were in keeping with the ideas and perceptions the participants had wished to express in the focus groups. The purpose was to gain broad assurance as to whether the data gathered reflected the perceptions and views of the participants and to confirm whether the initial direction of interpretation of data was in line with the participants’ views. The

participants to this discussion confirmed the elements presented as being in line with the perceptions expressed in the focus groups.