LA ECONOMÍA COLONIAL COMO CAPITALISMO COLONIAL

Assuming the evidence gained from the Stage One survey might confirm the anecdotal evidence that preschool teachers also experience lack of confidence in relation to the Visual Arts, Stage Two should probe the perceptions of individual teachers to gain a more idiosyncratic view of their teaching contexts and perceived needs (Aim 2). To do this (See Table 3.3.1), focus groups were considered but ultimately rejected because the public nature of such sessions presented problems in terms of teachers being prepared to discuss insecurities and perceived inadequacies in front of their peers. One-on-one interviews were preferable as this format would offer individuals better protection and potentially yield richer data about the problem and its dimensions. Nevertheless, the Stage Two interview protocol was planned to minimize encroachment on preschool teachers’ very busy schedules and was thus restricted to seven open-ended questions offering participating teachers the chance to be more expansive about their survey responses and idiosyncratic circumstances. The final question related to Stage Three and teachers’ potential participation. A copy of the Stage Two Interview questions is included (Appendix B).

3.3.3 Stage Three – Working with individuals

The Stage Three plan was to select up to three preschool teachers from diverse preschool settings with a view to developing individual programs to meet their particular needs in relation to Visual Arts teaching, albeit with existing resources. Four potential strategies are identified in Table 3.3.1 but no decision was made about which might be appropriate for this stage as it was designed to build on needs identified in Stages One and Two. Hence the detailed discussion of this occurs at the end of Chapter Six i.e., after the discussion of both Stages One and Two results.

3.4 From ethics to the field

Permission to conduct the project as planned was sought from and granted by the two relevant bodies – firstly, the Human Ethics Committee of the Australian

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must also be obtained from primary school Principals responsible for individual preschools.

In the subsections which follow, infield strategies and deviations from the plan documented in 3.3 are described.

3.4.1 Stage One - Survey

The practicalities of accessing ACT preschools necessitated a range of strategies:  The timing of the project coincided with the beginning of the ACT school

year and Principals were, mostly, unavailable. Advice that a personal approach was more likely to be efficacious was then followed.

 A networking strategy was recommended by Mr Tim Grace, then Principal of Wanniassa Hills Primary School who facilitated contacts with colleagues, including Principals in other ACT primary schools known to be interested in promoting the Arts in general.

 Following these introductions an invitation was received and accepted to attend a meeting of the ACT Professional Teachers’ Professional Association (PTPA) at which Mr Grace was also present. This gave an opportunity to outline the project and invite participation.

 For reasons of efficiency and the hard to reach nature of the target population, the Snowball approach to sampling was adopted after Biernacki and Waldorf (1981).

The PTPA meeting provided an opportunity to describe and promote the research to interested attendees. Those preschool teachers who intended completing the survey were advised to make an individual approach to their Principal for permission to participate in the project. One preschool teacher said she did not feel confident to do this, believing such a request would not be welcomed. Another Principal later sought email clarification regarding approval for the research to be carried out in ACT preschools and was satisfied when advised

Design and Methods that permission from ACT Government, Education and Training, had been obtained.

The inclusion of a carefully written introductory Letter to Principals (Appendix D) and an Information Sheet for Teachers (Appendix F) was designed to reduce a potential high level non-response rate. As explained in 3.3.1 the survey was paper based to ensure anonymity and precautions were taken in this regard. A package containing five documents was sent to each Principal and/or preschool teacher who had expressed interest in the project and/or willingness to participate: 1. Letter to Principals (Appendix D)

2. Survey for Teachers (Appendix A)

3. Consent Form for Teachers (Appendix E) 4. Information Sheet for Teachers (Appendix F) 5. Information Sheet for Parents (Appendix G)

The Information Sheet for Teachers (Appendix F) outlined the purpose of the project and its importance, the planned stages and estimated time commitment. The Consent Form for Teachers (Appendix E) enabled teachers to provide their contact details separately from their surveys to indicate they wished to be considered for Stage Two. Hence respondents were instructed to keep the two separate and return each in the separately addressed, differently coloured and postage paid envelopes provided.

The distribution of the packages coincided with the commencement of a school holiday period and consequently the initial response was slow but gained pace two weeks into the new school term. Knowledge of the project spread by word of mouth with two teachers contacting the researcher to request a survey document and one Principal indicating she would like more than one preschool teacher in her school to have the opportunity to participate.

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3.4.2 Stage Two – Interviews

Since all but one preschool teacher respondent indicated willingness to proceed to Stage Two, 10 agreements to participate were opened at random to select interviewees for Stage Two; these included eight teachers from ACT preschools and two from ACT primary schools with a preschool ‘classroom’. Letters were sent to these teachers inviting them to proceed to individual interview (Appendix H). With the permission of the relevant school Principal, interviews were held in each teacher’s school. Stage Two Interview questions are included (Appendix B). As a preliminary to each interview, all protocols outlined by the Education and Training Directorate of the ACT Government and the further requirements of individual schools/preschools were followed.

Interviews were pre-arranged and confirmed by email 24 hours prior with each teacher; all agreed to the use of an audio recorder (after Denscombe, 2004). Time constraints on individual teachers were significant as each gave some designated planning and administrative time to the interview. Each teacher gave signed permission to proceed according to the terms of the Stage Two agreement

Consent Form for Teachers (Appendix I). Availability for, and interest in, proceeding to Stage Three was confirmed at the end of each interview.

All interviews and notes were transcribed verbatim by the researcher; part sentences and other phenomena being included.

3.4.3 Stage Three – Working with individuals

Since all ten teachers expressed willingness to proceed to Stage Three, a selection process was necessary. Given the primary purpose of Stage Three was to test the feasibility of a potential solution for individual teachers, it was decided to maximize the diversity of participants. The objective criteria chosen were educational background, professional experience, preschool context and geographical location. The application of these criteria to select three teachers for Stage Three is described in 6.3. These selected teachers were informed by

Design and Methods letter (Appendix H). The three relevant Principals were also informed (Appendix J) through letter of thanks sent to all Stage Two participants which included the names of teachers selected for Stage Three (Appendix J).

Given the diverse backgrounds and different issues and needs of the teachers, a broad framework for the conduct of Stage Three was planned to both accommodate diversity and maintain a common structure. Over a three month period this included, for each teacher, a preliminary meeting, a project journal, individual meetings at a time of each teacher’s choosing and a post program interview. These are discussed in greater detail in Chapter Six.