Complete thesis - Murdoch University

lists the criteria suggested by Anderson and Herr (1999) and those of Krefting (1991) byproviding strategies aimed at addressing the quality issues raised by undertaking ActionResearch. Evaluation of the research undertaken will take into consideration these criteria.Table 4.3: Addressing possible weaknesses of non-positivist research (based on Krefting (1991)and Anderson et al (1994))Validity Addressed byCriterionOutcome Did it solve the problem?Process Was the activity educative and informative?Democratic Was the research undertaken in collaboration with all involvedwith the problem under investigation?Catalytic Did the research transform the realities of those involved?Dialogic Could the research be discussed with peers in different settings?Credibility prolonged and varied field experience; time sampling; reflexivity (field journal); triangulation; member checking; peer examination;interview technique; establishing authority of researcher; structuralcoherence; referential adequacyTransferability nominated sample; comparison of sample to demographic data;time sample; dense descriptionDependability audit; dense description of research methods; stepwise replication;triangulation; peer examination; code-recode procedureConfirmability audit; triangulation; reflexivity4.2 Data acquisition and evaluationData are not interpreted after they are collected...data collection itself is an interpretiveprocess(Ezzy, 2002, p 77-78)Evaluation of learning interventions comprises the acquisition and analysis of data that providesuseful feedback on the impact of the intervention. From the moment the researcherbegins to consider and reflect on the research, data analysis and interpretation have commenced.Approaches to evaluation may be categorised on the basis of the overarching perspectivetaken for the gathering and analysis of data. These strategies also span the scientificto participatory/action continuum. Scientific models of data collection and analysis focuson the need for objectivity and the reliability and validity of the quantitative methods advocated.A formal qualitative model emphasises the importance of observation, the valueof subjective judgement and the need to retain the phenomenological quality of the contextunder study, while participatory models of research acknowledge the qualitative model but199