Protocolo de Gotemburgo

In order to explore teaching practice using the perspective of activity theory, a qualitative research design was employed. According to Silverman (2005) qualitative research designs tend to work with relatively small number of cases. It has been noted that qualitative researchers ‘are prepared to sacrifice scope for detail’ (Silverman, 2005: 9). The detail in qualitative research is found in the precise particulars of such matters as people’s understandings and interactions. This is because qualitative research tends to use a non-

Qualitative research lends itself to describing what is going on with a specific topic, as well as presenting a detailed view of a topic as it takes place in its natural setting (Creswell, 2002). On the contrary, the use of quantitative methods to examine a phenomenon calls for the use of predetermined categories of analysis that may undermine levels of depth, detail, and openness (Patton, 2002). Those constraints could hinder the development of vivid examination of the experiences of student teachers during teaching practice.

Patton (1985) contributing towards qualitative inquiry explained that:

Qualitative research is an effort to understand situations in their uniqueness as part of a particular context and the interactions there. This understanding is an end in itself, so that it is not attempting to predict what may happen in the future necessarily, but to understand the nature of that setting, what their lives are like, what’s going on for them, what their meanings are, what the world looks like in that particular setting…the analysis strives for depth of understanding (Patton, 1985:1).

It has been stressed that qualitative research methods can provide a deeper understanding of social phenomenon under study. According to Denzin and Lincoln (2000):

Qualitative researchers stress the socially constructed nature of reality, the intimate relationship between the researcher and what is studied, and the situational constraints that shape inquiry. Researchers seek answers on how social experiences are created and given meanings (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000:10).

Teaching practice design issues are particularly suited to a qualitative research approach due to their composition, i.e. teaching practice design is concerned with the setting and the context associated with the how and what of the activity being studied. A qualitative inquiry would help answer the research questions of what is going on in particular activity setting by examining the experiences of the subjects under study within a professional activity system. Activity theory emphasizes, among other things, examining the setting in which an activity takes place.

Specifically, a cross-case qualitative research design was adopted for this study. Cross-case study as described by Patton (2002) enables the exploration and interpretation of experiences of student teachers within and across different school settings. This can allow the collection of comprehensive, systematic, and in-depth information about cases of interest even though they are placed in different settings (Patton, 2002: 447). Stake (in Patton, 2002) noted that using a cross-case study design to explore a phenomenon allows for a ‘coming to understand its activity within certain circumstances’ (p. 295). To fully understand the experiences of student teachers on teaching practice it is important to examine their experiences in a manner that allow for a deeper understanding of what, how and why people undergo such experiences in their teaching practice. An activity theory framework has the capacity to delve on the

issues that student teachers experience and also on the settings in which teaching practice is conducted.

5.2.1 Sampling strategy: Purposive sampling

Qualitative research uses non-probability sampling as it does not aim to produce a statistically representative sample or draw statistical inference. Purposive sampling is one technique often employed in qualitative investigation. With a purposive non-random sample the number of participants in a study is less important than the criteria used to select them. The characteristics of individuals are used as the basis of the selection of the research participants.

In addition, Flick (2002) states that:

What is decisive for choosing one sampling strategy over the other is whether it is rich in relevant information. Sampling decisions always fluctuate between the aims of covering as wide a field as possible and of doing analyses that are as deep as possible. The former strategy seeks to represent the field in its diversity by using as many different cases as possible. The latter strategy, on the other hand, seeks to further permeate the field and its structure by concentrating on single examples or certain sectors of the field. Considering limited resources (human power, money, time etc.) these aims should be seen as alternatives rather than projects to combine (Flick, 2002: 87).

This statement by Flick (2002) was very crucial in the study. In addition, the constructivist assumption about knowledge generation helped me to use purposive sampling in this study. In particular, I used fewer cases of student teachers at two secondary schools. In activity theory, subjects are considered within the activity system. The proposed subjects or primary participants in this study were selected through purposive sampling from student teachers on teaching practice. Merriam (1998) suggested that ‘purposive sampling is based on the assumption that the investigator wants to discover, understand, and gain insight and therefore must select a sample from which most can be learned’ (p. 61). Purposive sampling means that the ‘researcher handpicks the cases to be included in the sample on the basis of his/her judgment of their typicality’ (Cohen et al., 2000: 103).

Denzin and Lincoln (2000) state that:

Many qualitative researchers employ purposive sampling and they seek groups, settings and individuals where the processes or phenomenon being studied are most likely to occur (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000: 370).

I expected that I would be able to build up a sample that fitted the specific needs of the study through purposive sampling. The needs of the study were to do with experiences of student teachers during teaching practice. I purposively included student teachers who were in second year and third year of their teacher education programme. I also involved convenient sampling by selecting student teachers who showed willingness to participate in the study. I

did this on the assumption that it was going to be unethical to force individuals to participate in the study. I also wanted to make sure that I had a sample of participants who would be able to present honest and critical views on their experiences.

There are different approaches to purposive sampling, some of which focus on different aspects of the sample members. In some cases, sample members may be chosen for reasons such as where sample members are considered as more extreme. This may be a source of bias in the research study. In this research study, I did not purposively select members based on characteristics such as ‘members with more extreme views’. I selected participants based on the virtue that they were conducting teaching practice in central Malawi. There was no secret research agenda I wanted to achieve other than interpreting student teachers’ experiences in line with the hermeneutic research approach.

According to Silverman (2005) one is likely to choose a site that, while demonstrating the phenomenon in which we are interested, is accessible and will provide appropriate data reasonably readily and quickly. The choice of central region of Malawi as the research site for empirical data collection was necessitated by pragmatic reasons such as ease of access and this minimized travelling cost while at the same time I was able to meet many student teachers. These participants demonstrated the typicality of features required for the study such as ‘being in second and third year’ and ‘on teaching practice’ (Cohen et al., 2000).