Issues with data and data collection
Questions relating to my data collection were raised both in the exhibition feedback and in my learning set. Most concerned sample size or question choice and related to the data I collected via the on-line communities in cycles 1 & 2.
Size of groups and choice of participants
In the first two cycles I invited participants via on-line communities in which I'm involved. These were, in the main, teachers or teaching assistants with an interest in displays. This was a deliberate choice as these were to be the target audience for the blog. I wanted to start to build up a group of interested people around the resource.
I did not intend them to be a representative sample as this is not an important factor in action research, unlike an experimental methodology. It was not to obtain statistically valid data about the usability of the blog but rather to find out what some people who were knowledgeable about displays thought of the changes. It was possible this would attract people who were interested in becoming involved in building the resource
These self-selected participants would have caused issues about validity in a scientific study but this in not the case in a first person action research context. The data I collected from the two on-line groups and from comments on the blog was triangulated with quantitative data collected from the blog statistics and critical incidents noted in my learning journal. The data from all these sources was then analysed and plans for the next actions were made. I was looking in particular for any data that jarred or made me uncomfortable, that challenged my assumptions or made me question my actions.
To my mind it's disconfirming evidence which most effectively drives the
research process. (Dick, 2006)(1)
There were responses that influenced my actions but none of them challenged my underlying assumptions. Perhaps this was due to the small numbers involved or to people's reluctance to be critical in this context.
Choice of questions asked of the groups in cycles 1 & 2
I chose to repeat the same set of questions in cycles 1 and 2. The questions were very open and general, aimed at simply getting people to engage with and discuss their response to the blog. In a scientific study I might have asked the same questions in a number of groups hoping to compare responses. In my second data collection changes had been made to the blog. I could have rephrased the questions but this would have made very little difference as I still wanted to ask broad, open questions rather than focus them on specific issues dictated by me.
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(1) Dick, B. (2006) Discomforting Evidence, Action research and evaluation on line resource archive, AREOL discussion list (unpublished)
(2)McNiff , J.( 2002), Action research for professional development, Concise advice for new action researchers. Available,
URL: http://jeanmcniff.com/booklet1.html Last accessed 24/4/06