Normas Internacionales de Información Financiera

Neuman (2006:194) acknowledges that although most researchers agree on the basic principles of reliability and validity, qualitative researchers rarely employ these terms because they are closely associated with quantitative measurements. The idea of using terms which are pertinent to qualitative studies is further explored by authors such as Shenton (2004) and Bowen (2005). Shenton (2004:63) advocates Guba‟s strategy as one way which qualitative researchers employ to address rigour and trustworthiness in qualitative studies and to distance them from the positivist paradigm.

Since I have used a qualitative mode of enquiry in this case study I discuss the four strategies employed to ensure vigour and trustworthiness of the whole study in this section.

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3.10.1 Credibility

Bowen (2005:215) describes credibility as the confidence which one can have in the findings of the study. I started by observing the challenges experienced by teachers when identifying learners who experience barriers to learning in the Full-Service School where I was working. My next step was to read about such challenges from local and international literature and then familiarising myself with the teachers. I spent one day with them to establish a good rapport and to lay a foundation for the data collection. I was careful not to spend too much time with the participants during my first day before the actual interviews, because as Shenton (2004:65) advised there are side effects such as the distortion of professional judgment, and some participants may withdraw from participating. When the teachers from Intermediate and Senior Phases made a sudden withdrawal I suspected that my preliminary visit could have made them suspicious that I was going to judge their work.

Triangulation is employed to augment the credibility of the findings. It is the use of several methods of data collection which can then be used to cross-check the accuracy of the data. For Shenton (2004:66), the strength of triangulation lies in enabling viewpoints of individuals to be verified against others, and a richer picture constructed. During the interviews I started by interviewing the chairperson of the ILST alone, proceeded to the three HoDs and then the two teachers. This strategy gave me the opportunity to corroborate data from the chairperson with that from the HoDs and the two teachers. Interviewing the chairperson alone and the HoDs and the two teachers separately gave each participant a chance to express their ideas and describe their challenges without fear (Shenton, 2004:66). At the end of the interviews I had a rich description of the teachers‟ challenges from a wide range of informants, with some disagreements and agreements about such challenges in one rural Full-Service School.

Since the university assigned me to a supervisor I have worked closely by emailing each section completed for comments, requesting advice when I experienced difficulties. I also arranged for face-to-face visits to discuss the progress of the research and presented it at the 2nd Annual Education Students Research Conference in Pretoria (UNISA) for scrutiny and recommendations. Member checks are a strategy used to verify if the participants‟ words convey what they actually intended to during the interviews, and can be done on the spot or at end of the data collection (Shenton, 2004:68). After making transcriptions I gave the participants an opportunity to read them to ensure that what they told me during the interviews had been accurately captured. Shenton (2004:69) writes that making a thick description of the phenomenon helps give the reader an insight into the actual situation and

54 context in which the study was conducted. I made a complete description of the research site (the school), teachers, learners and the conditions under which the school is operating.

Low-inference descriptors from the participants are almost literal and the terms used are those used and understood by them (McMillan & Schumacher 2006:325). In Chapter Four, the descriptions of the participants‟ ideas are mostly presented in quotations from the recorder and my field notes. This was done to reduce my inference and present descriptions which capture the exact meaning which the participants assigned to the phenomenon.

3.10.2 Transferability

In quantitative studies, researchers use the terms „external validity‟ or „generalisabilty‟ to refer to the extent to which the results one study can be used as knowledge to explain other situations and populations (McMillan & Schumacher 2006:8). While Shenton (2002:69-70) argues that qualitative studies are usually conducted in small environments with a limited number of participants, and therefore their results cannot be used to explain other cases, this author also suggest that sufficient descriptions of the context and the participants under study can enable the reader to compare the phenomenon described in the study with their situations. It is against this background that I have made an extensive description of the rural Full- Service School and the participants under study. The results cannot be used to explain the challenges of teachers in identifying learners who experience barriers to learning in all rural Full-Service Schools but they can be read and understood in the context of this particular school and comparisons can be made with the situations in others in a similar context.

3.10.3 Dependability

Neuman (2006:196) describes reliability as meaning dependability or consistency. Dependability can be addressed in a qualitative study by ensuring that the processes are reported in detail to enable future researchers to repeat it, and allowing the readers to develop a thorough understanding of the methods used and their effectiveness (Shenton 2004:71).

In this study, I addressed dependability by describing the research design, the research site, population, sample selection, data collection strategies and methods of data analysis. I also

55 described my role as the researcher in the research field and acknowledged the influence that my employment as a teacher in a rural Full-Service School could have on the study.

3.10.4 Confirmability

Shenton (2004:72) describes confirmability as relating to the steps taken by the researcher to ensure that the results of the study are the experiences of the informants rather than the characteristics of the researcher. The bias of the researcher is thus reduced. Although the study was conducted in a rural Full-Service School other than the one in which I worked, it was imperative for me as the researcher to ensure confirmability as a strategy to reduce my bias in the results of this study. I therefore employed the following steps to ensure my influence was under check in this study:

Reflexivity - McMillan and Schumacher (2006:327) explain reflexivity as a strategy to rigorously scrutinise oneself as a researcher throughout the study in order to acknowledge bias or minimise it. This strategy was used to establish confirmability of the research results. In order to monitor my bias, I wrote my reflex notes before the interviews and immediately after each interview to report my actions and those of the participants. These notes helped me when I was writing my tentative interpretations of the data collected (McMillan & Schumacher 2006:350).

Details of methodological issues - In this chapter I have provided a detailed description of how I collected the data through the interviews and analysed the documents so that the reader can determine how far can the results can be accepted as credible (Shenton 2004:72).

Acknowledging my views - I have clearly stated my views as „my observations‟ in this study so that the participants‟ views are not confused with mine.