The Journal of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

sizes facilitates the interpretation of the substantive, as opposed to the statistical, significance of a
research result. In this instance, the effect size illustrates the strength of the relationship between
being involved in studying the unit EDF4512 and the change in responses to the survey.
The written reflective journal entries were analysed within Nvivo9, where general tree nodes
were established and then more specific child nodes emerged as responses were further analysed
and reclassified. This process was developed with the initial data set from the 2008 cohort and then
refined for the larger data set including the 2009 and 2010 cohorts. Emergent themes from the
written reflections arose as a result of constant comparison and inductive analysis (Lincoln & Guba,
1985; Denzin & Lincoln, 2005).
The constant comparison method (Patton, 1990) was used as the main tool in examining the
data, whereby representative quotes were identified and extracted after a number of readings of the
data. This formed the first-order analysis, which showed thematic descriptions of the 6 identified
categories. In the first instance, descriptive codes were used to identify potentially interesting
comments, and this was followed by more inferential coding where conceptual linkages were made
between the categories. Throughout the process, peer debriefing with colleagues and reflexive, selfcritical
appraisal was also considered to be an important part of the data analysis and triangulation
process as outlined by Lincoln and Guba (1985).
Results and Discussion
Results are presented utilising charts and tables, interspersed with participant reflections,
offering the richness of this data set juxtaposed with the numerical data analysis and reflecting the
mixed methods utilised in gathering the data.
Background data
There was an unequal gender representation among respondents, with the majority being
female – 267 females (80%) and 65 males (20%). However, this is not too far removed from the
overall gender representation within the teaching profession, where 71% are female and 29% male
(ABS, 2009). Sixty-two per cent (206) of the respondents were on-campus students, while 38% (126)
were DE students, which is also representative of the cohort composition at the time, although this
appears to be changing with a trend towards growth in the number of DE students due to course
changes at Monash with the elective being offered more widely.
Item categories
The following 6 charts outline the mean score differences in the pre and post survey
responses for each set of statements. Each chart is followed by a table which includes all the
nonparametric statistical data related to each item in the category, including the effect size.
Following from the statistical analysis, a range of reflective comments have also been included to
illustrate and highlight the range of responses within each category and in some instances portray
conceptualisations of broader changes of opinion that occurred over the semester.
1. Needs and support
There were 8 items that Gagné categorized as relating to needs and support for gifted
students. All 8 statements were positively framed so that a higher post score represented a positive
development of opinion – i.e. an indication that opinions had become more positive towards the
needs and support for gifted students at the second time of the survey administration – i.e. at the
conclusion of the 13 week course. Figure 1 illustrates the pre and post mean scores while Table 1
outlines the Wilcoxin signed rank test scores and the effect sizes for the individual items within this
category.
As Figure 1 illustrates, opinions were reasonably positive to begin with for most of these
statements, with half rating above 4 in the first set of responses and only one item rating below 3,
indicating a level of disagreement.
Gifted and Talented International – 26(1), August, 2011; and 26(2), December, 2011. 35