Qualitative Research Methodology

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Table of Contents
1.0 Purpose of the Study..............................................................................................................................4

1.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................4

1.2 Rationale for selecting a qualitative research design............................................................................4

2.0 Data collection.......................................................................................................................................6

2.1 Selecting Interviewees.......................................................................................................................6

2.2 The Interview Procedure...................................................................................................................7

2.3 The choice and the rationale for the selection of the documents.....................................................8

3.0 Coding and emergent themes.................................................................................................................9

3.1 Data familiarization...........................................................................................................................9

3.2 The Coding Process..........................................................................................................................10

3.3 Description of how themes were derived........................................................................................12

3.4 List themes derived.........................................................................................................................13

4.0 Data Analysis......................................................................................................................................15

4.1 Thematic Framework.......................................................................................................................15

4.2 Indexing and Charting data..............................................................................................................16

4.3 The association between themes....................................................................................................17

5.0 Inter-rater reliability test......................................................................................................................19

5.1 Conducting IRR................................................................................................................................20

6.0 Findings and outcomes of data analysis...............................................................................................22

References.................................................................................................................................................27

APPENDIX 1: TRANSCRIPT .....................................................................................................................

APPENDIX 2: Document used.....................................................................................................................

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Coding Process……………………………………………………………………………….…11

Table 2. Stages of theme developmen……………………………………………………………………

13

Table 3: Emergent theme and color…………………………………………………………………..…14

Table 4: Diagrammatic outline of inter-related
themes……………………………………………....18

Table 5. Inter-rater reliability Table…………………………………………………………………….19

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1.0 Purpose of the Study

1.1 Introduction

Improving the teaching process to ensure successful delivery of teaching experience

among learners is a new challenge facing many teachers across the globe, especially in the wake

of the Covid-19 pandemic. Teachers must be equipped with relevant skills to overcome the

existing challenges; lack of teamwork and support between learners, and inadequate time to plan.

Moreover, they should be able to address the new challenges brought about by the epidemic to

remain effective in the classroom setting. Extensive use of teaching strategies and the appropriate

adoption and integration of modern technology is deemed to make learning more interesting and

ease the burden faced by teachers. As such, sharing weekly emails specifying readings, new

videos, and projects for the upcoming weeks is anticipated to improve the quality of learning and

teaching, respectively. The purpose of this study is to identify some of the current and emerging

challenges faced by teachers due to Covid-19 pandemic and also to identify and analyze the

skills teachers should have to overcome these challenges. This paper explores qualitative

research design, data collection, and coding and emergent themes, respectively. The proper

application of qualitative descriptive analysis proposed in this article assist yield credible,

meaningful, and practical results for teaching.

1.2 Rationale for selecting a qualitative research design

Qualitative research design is the most appropriate framework to conduct this study. It is

significant in educational research because it addresses the ‘why and how’ research questions

and facilitates an in-depth understanding of phenomena, experiences, and context (Tilley, 2019).
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Reason chose this framework over others as it allowed to ask questions that could not be easily

stated into numbers when attempting to understand individual experience. Qualitative research

best suits this subject because it covers a wide range of concepts with a broad variation in

assumptions and analytic rules (Weinberger, 2018). Most remarkably, qualitative technique

contributes hugely to interpretation of emerging phenomena and helps to improve understanding

instead of simply authenticating earlier deductions from other studies. That said, qualitative

techniques can facilitate a practical framework to inspect structural challenges linked to the

favoring of prevailing discourses in the education sector (Tilley, 2019).

Another explanation for choosing qualitative technique is that it entails the required

instruments, which can induce and help in problem-solving (Weinberger, 2018). The reliance on

qualitative data tools, for instance, open-ended questions, observation, and in-depth interviews

both audio and video, are applied to gather correct data from interviewees (participants) in the

area of choice. As such, the technique used in data collection provides a comprehensive

explanation of the research with regard to the interviewees involved (Tilley, 2019). The

participant’s reflection offers plentiful data concerning real-life situations (e.g. Covid-19

pandemic) and real people (teacher and learner). Furthermore, the approach through which data

is reclaimed in the qualitative research approach is considered by many scholars as unique and

valuable. That said, the dependence on the gathering of non-numerical primary data, for instance,

words, by the investigator, who also plays the role of the instrument himself makes this

technique worth offering accurate and descriptive information.

Lastly, another justification for considering a qualitative research method is that it views

individual behavior and thought from a social perspective and covers extensive phenomena to

comprehend and appreciate them methodically (Nowell, et al. 2017). Individual behaviors,
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including thought, interaction, norms, and reasoning, are studied holistically because of the

profound analysis of occurrences. Therefore, the close connection existing between the

researcher and the interviewee in this methodology makes it easy for the interviewee to

contribute massively to the shaping of the whole research.

2.0 Data collection

2.1 Selecting Interviewees

Interviewees commonly referred as respondents or participants are people who agree to

participate in research (Jamshed, 2014). Selecting interviewees was the first step in this phase.

For the purpose of this research, open-ended questions were employed to perform the interview.

Open-ended questions define questions that demand the respondent to answer by elaborating on

the main points. The importance of open-ended questions is that they assist the researcher to see

things from the participant’s viewpoint and in their genuine words, which improves accuracy and

reliability of the entire outcome. There were three interviewees in this research. One of the

interviewee was Madam Phua (Secondary School Principal) who invited me to her office for the

discussion. Her vast experience in teaching gave me the chance to ask suitable questions

concerning learning and the effects of Covid-19 in learning, and she answered correctly. The

reason for choosing the principal in the interview was to obtain accurate information concerning

the other teachers, all learners, and the school preparedness to overcome Covid-19 crisis in terms

of adopting new learning methods. The principal concluded that despite the wide adoption of

modern technology in learning, there was a growing challenge for developing learning

experiences for learners that feels like it is not interceded by the Internet.

Another interviewee chosen was Miss Wong (Primary School Teacher) and we

conducted the interview in a school canteen. Miss Wong, a Year 2 and 5 class teacher teaches
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both Science and Mathematics. The reason for choosing Miss Wong for this interview was to

acquire more information about teacher’s attentiveness to modern technology in learning and

helping students during the lockdown. The last interviewee was Teacher Josephine (Nursery

School Teacher), who is English teacher for N1, N2, K1 and K2, teaching students aged 3 to 6.

The reason for choosing Teacher Josephine was to establish whether online teaching was

possible for the children below 6 years of age. Her contribution was inevitably valuable. The

interview was recorded in audio to promote efficiency in data collection. The reason for

choosing the three participants and asking them specific questions was to examine their

experience and response to past situations. Besides, different categories of educators could

provide opinions from different perspective. The aim of this approach was for the interviewees to

contribute to research findings by responding to every question asked by the researcher.

2.2 The Interview Procedure

The interview is a technique commonly used in qualitative research. A semi-structured

interview approach was adopted by the researcher as a strategy to cast their net wide enough to

capture as much as possible. Appropriate locations were chosen for each participant to facilitate

seclusion and avoid disruption during the interview. The entire procedure required each

respondent to answer all the questions or half of them. Moreover, they were also allowed to

discuss other themes of their choice in depth, if they preferred. They were also allowed to

emphasize on their answers in regard to subject matter and questions asked. The interview

procedure was designed in a way that obtains the most relevant data about the challenges facing

teachers in the wake of Corona virus.

Most remarkably, other additional skills were required to transcribe the obtained

information. Interview transcription denotes the procedure of documenting a conversation that

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occurred during the interview session with the three respondents (McGrath, 2019). Transcribing

is a valuable practice, which assists you to conduct analysis. There are various approaches used

to transcribe an interview, including manual transcription and verbatim transcription, among

others. In this research, verbatim transcription was chosen over the other models. Using this

method of transcription, it was possible to note down every single word, even all the expressions,

pauses, and emotions, for example, hesitations, laughter, and stuttering, and so forth. The

approach is highly valuable in education research where the main focus revolves around what is

said and the manner it is said (Nowell, et al. 2017). During this process, several details of the

interviewees were obtained, including; their names, location of the interview, duties performed,

speaker designation, time stamps, and other relevant items.

2.3 The choice and the rationale for the selection of the documents

The reliance on document analysis was heavily used by the researcher to give meaning

and voice around the topic of inquiry. To obtain the triangulation purposes, there are various

forms of documents was used as a source of data to gain a better understanding of the subject

under a study. In this research, the choice of personal documents, which entails newspapers,

blogs, mails, journals, and other essentials that take account of person’s beliefs and experiences

were adopted. Moreover, the dependency on previous interviews was given priority and backed

by observation and document analysis. While carrying out the interviews, the researcher was

able to observe participants verbal and non-verbal cues as they reacted to different questions. For

example, the presence of pessimism in the comments made by Principal Phua was a clear

indication that the spread of the virus had negatively affected learning and the relation between

teachers and learners.

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The incorporation of document analysis was unavoidable, given its ability and precious

role in most arrangements of triangulation (McGrath, 2019). The researcher was forced to

navigate through a comprehensive planning procedure before real document analysis could take

place. This move was made to ensure that the obtained outcomes are reliable. The researcher was

required to develop a list of texts to examine, and this included the respondents. There was also a

need to assess how texts were retrieved with keen detail on cultural barriers. Considering this

practice enabled the researcher to develop suitable skills for research while at the same time

being able to understand the data being explored. This approach was significant during data

collection as it reduced bias.

3.0 Coding and emergent themes

The entire research relied on a step by step process, which started by first gathering data

through interviews, observations, and document analysis. To ensure a successful execution of the

whole research, the research engaged in data familiarization and this was followed by coding and

lastly a thematic framework.

3.1 Data familiarization

This is crucial phase in all types of qualitative analysis. The major areas of concern in

this phase included, listening to audio/video recordings, reading the transcript, note-taking to

help the researcher understand every detail of the data, and repeating similar procedures to get

more acquainted. It was significant for the researcher to have an overview of the obtained data

before engaging in the next process (McGrath, 2019). That said, the researcher started this phase

by first listening to the recording made during the three interviews. It is important to understand

that in the three interviews, there were significant data that was supposed to be well understood.
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In essence, the practice of data familiarization enabled the researcher to understand the topic of

interest from a broad point of view.

A part from the listening to the audio recorded, the researcher was able to familiarize

with the data by adhering to rules of observation. As such, the researcher familiarized with the

data by being keen an observing every word or body language that was made during the course

of the interview. The researcher was keen on the observational data, which contributes greatly to

the success of any given qualitative study (McGrath, 2019). While making these observations to

get more familiar with the data, the researcher was able to take important notes for future

reference. Taking these notes helped the researcher to actively and analytically starting thinking

about how the data acquired meant in relation to the topic under study. Besides, the researcher

made some efforts to organize and review documents in relation to the topic to get more

conversant with the data.

3.2 The Coding Process

by reading and re-reading textual data (e.g., transcripts of interviews, responses to qualitative
surveys), and listening to audio-recordings or watching video data. If you have audio data, we
recommend listening to them at least once, as well as reading the transcript, especially if you
did not collect the data or transcribe them. Making notes on the data as you read – or listen – is
part of this phase. Use whatever format works for you (e.g., annotating transcripts, writing
comments in a notebook or electronic file, underling portions of data) to highlight items
potentially of interest. Note-making helps you start to read the data as data. Reading data as
data means not simply absorbing the surface meaning of the words on the page, as you might
read a trashy novel or magazine, but reading the words actively, analytically and critically, and
starting to think about what the data mean. This involves asking questions like: how does this
participant make sense of their experiences? What assumptions do they make in interpreting
their experience? What kind of world is revealed through their accounts? We will illustrate this
with a brief example from Andreas’ interview:
Code within a qualitative analysis denotes a short word that emblematically allocates a

comprehensive attribute for a ration of language and visual data. The coded items included

longer passages, which encompassed lengthy explanations about the challenge’s teachers faced
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in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak. In concrete terms, just like a heading represents a book and a

movie in regard to a certain theme, so does a code by representing the important content in a

condensed manner. The researcher used open coding approach and this was accomplished by

classification of responses established in the data.

To successfully enable coding in this research, various forms of codes were identified in

this qualitative analysis (Vaismoradi, et al. 2016). Conceptual code was used to recognize the

main elements as well as dimensions of the research phenomenon. Similarly, relationship code

was utilized to classify the connections between dimensions, elements, and domains. Moreover,

respondent code was employed to locate the respondent’s negative, positive, and also

insignificance comments concerning a specific experience. Lastly, the setting code was used to

depict the common individualities of the respondents, in addition to the location where the

phenomenon occurred, correspondingly. The reliance on these codes was vital as it helped the

researcher to consolidate codes, and also facilitated for comprehensive classification and

comparison prior to the successive methodical steps.

Drawing on the above-mentioned, you can concur that coding is a means of indexing and

charting data in a unique way to facilitate a summary of incongruent data that permits the

research to make sense of them with respect to their study questions. Simply put, it is a means of

labeling data that is most significant to a specific event and situation that is required. For

instance, pinpoint several places during the interview where a participant mentioned something

appropriate to the question, instead of just examining the answer they provided chronologically.

Many studies propose that this sort of coding should be denoted as indexing to prevent

misperception with the more analytically significant coding for theory (Elliott, 2018; Erika,

2019). In this research, the researcher reading the whole transcript and comparing the data with

the information collected and noted that some issues had been repeated many times and decide to
include them. These issues were highlighted and a sample of extracted data confirming the
issues is included in Table 1.
Table 1: Coding Process
Open Code
Technology for effective
communication
Classroom management skills
Student’s attitudes
Properties
Google hangouts, Google
Meet, Jitsi Meet Slack,
Better teaching strategies
Enhanced integration
Improved learning skills, and
positive attitude
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Data extract
Madam Phua: the most
important pieces of
technology are those that
allows for communication
between students.
Teacher Josephine: Students
can learn at their own space.
Students have the flexibility
to go back to Google
Classroom to read, skip or
accelerate the lessons as they
choose.
Miss Wong: Yes, some of the
teachers love online
education and start to create
their YouTube channel for
education.
Madam Phua: I don’t see
teaching moving exclusively
online for a long time or if it
even makes sense to do that, I
think at least hybrid
instruction has benefits that
can improve students learning
in all classrooms.
Teacher Josephine:
Student’s show no interest in
studies. And too much
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“screen-time” which will

result in “eye-sight”
problems.

ICT computer skills Improved learning for Madam Phua: Strengthen

student-teacher interaction.
students Teachers need to ensure
students will comfortably
interact and ask questions. Is
a need to remind students to
turn on their videos so that
they will more responsible for
paying attention to the class
to avoid succumbing to other
distractions associated with
learning from home.

3.3 Description of how themes were derived

In qualitative research, theme is utilized as an element, attribute, and also as an element.

It serves a hidden subject that arranges a group of reiterating ideas, allowing the research to

respond to the research question in a suitable manner. It is important to understand that themes

comprise code that has a mutual aspect of reference and also with a degree of generalization that

puts together ideas concerning the subject under scrutiny. In this case, themes were derived from

the developed data from the entire interview. Studies consider themes as a thread of fundamental

meaning indirectly identified during the interpretative level and components of individual

understandings of respondents (Vaismoradi, et al. 2016). At this phase, it is essential to note that

every theme may comprise subthemes as sectors to acquire an inclusive view of data and more so

to expose a certain pattern in the respondent’s account.

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It is a known fact from diverse studies that descriptive nature created by some researchers

because of untimely closure of data analysis in relation to deriving a theme makes it problematic

to evaluate the quality of analytical procedure (Vaismoradi, et al. 2016). Furthermore, when

theme and category are occasionally used interchangeably, it leads to a lack of consistency

between the outcome and the approach of data analysis. So, while trying to derive themes for this

research, the researcher was extra careful about the mistakes that some researchers do. Most

importantly, during the early stages of theme development, there was a need to define the

significance of category and distinguish it from the theme in regard to the depth of the research.

Table 2. Stages of theme development

Phases Stages

Initialization Reading transcriptions, noting important units

Construction Labelling, classifying, defining, and

translating

Rectification and finalization Relating themes, stabilizing, and creating the

story line.

3.4 List themes derived

It is vital to ensure that the themes are accurate and suitable exemplifications of the data

acquired (Vaismoradi, et al. 2016). In this section, we turn the emergent theme and compare it

against its color. This approach is taken to ensure that no data is left unrepresented. Moreover,
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during this phase, vital changes can be made concerning adjustment. In case problems are

experienced with the derived themes, it is possible to split them, discard them, or even combine

them to develop new and more meaningful ones and representative of the situation.

The table represents 4 emergent themes with respective 4 colours. However, it is worth

noting that several changes can be introduced about the emergent themes to suit the needs of the

researcher (refer Table 3).

Table 3: Emergent theme and color

Emergent theme Color

ICT computer skills   

Teacher’s competencies   

Student’s attitudes    

Classroom management skills   

4.0 Data Analysis

4.1 Thematic Framework

Data analysis is a fundamental stage in any given research, especially qualitative study,

which amasses extensive amounts of data (Holmes & Eatough, 2015). There are numerous

approaches that researchers adopt to manage and analyze qualitative data; for instance, the

thematic framework being one of the most used in education research. A thematic framework

was used to identify patterns in the obtained data methodologically, and this was crucial towards

offering an informative description of the phenomenon. The process led to the creation of

significant themes without necessarily developing theory. The reliance on this approach of

analysis was helpful as it offered a great understanding of the phenomena. Another benefit of
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relying on this framework is that the interpretation of the respondent’s knowledges was

transparent and easy to code. The unified phases of this framework openly defined the procedure

that directed the systematic analysis of data. Using thematic framework enabled for easy location

of texts, which are connected by the same theme to permit for indexing.

Figure 1: thematic framework

Teacher’s
competencies
Teacher Challenges Classroom
management
Covid-19

Student-teacher
Student participation
interaction
Improved skills Student positive
attitude
Class room mngent.
Enhanced
communication

The procedure of coding is vital and necessary in handling the analytical procedure.

Components of data are professed as sharing commonality and are linked and indexed. The

proper utilization of the thematic framework is significant. This tactic to analysis is used to

organize and classify the major themes, approaches, and other categories. Every research study

requires a unique thematic framework containing a sequence of themes, which can be divided to

suit various needs. They can also be sub-themes, which evolve and are precisely tuned by the

researcher via the familiarization with the obtained data. After the researcher finds out that they

have a list of all themes, each is charted in a sole matrix. Hence, the feedback of every research

participant is then assigned to a column signifying a unique subtopic. The concluding phase of
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the data management element of the framework entails summarizing the initial data from the

main subjects to the suitable sections of the thematic framework.

4.2 Indexing and Charting data

Studies have continuously revealed that the aim of indexing in any given research is to

establish the transcripts into the framework classifications (Weinberger, 2018). Basically, this

marks the initial phase to coding an interview and later is followed by charting. Therefore,

indexing enabled the researcher to identify sections of the data that resembled certain themes.

Charting was the next stage, where the sets of data previously indexed in the earlier stage were

organized in charts of the themes (Holmes & Eatough, 2015). To complete this stage, the

researcher lifted the obtained data from the basic context and located the same charts, which

contained headings and subheadings that were created during the thematic framework. It is

crucial to understand that although the sets of data were lifted from various contexts, its source

of origin could be easily identified.

4.3 The association between themes

During this phase, the researcher was able to review the connection between the themes

developed to enhance clarity. In essence, themes are commonly extensive compared to codes,

and in most cases, you merge several codes to become a theme (Vaismoradi, Jones & Snelgrove,

2016). Having a great understanding of the connection between themes was rather helpful. This

ensured that the available themes were all accurate and useful and that they represented the

whole data. To have an extensive connection between themes, the researcher was required to

review the data set and compare the several themes against it. The purpose of this move was to

ensure that the connection between all themes were present in the data. Moreover, this provided
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a room for adjustments among the themes that did not align with research objectives. A crucial

step under the themes was naming them. The fact that the researcher had recognized the closing

list of themes, it was imperative to define and name each theme to develop a sense of uniqueness

(Holmes & Eatough, 2015). Outlining themes in this section comprised articulating what each

theme meant and trying to understand how the themes helped to measure the data.

It is worth noting that the interview data were primarily coded based on several themes,

such as classroom management skills, teachers' competencies, student attitudes, and ICT

computer skills. All these themes are related to the subject under inquiry. It is evident that

unexpected concerns and issue were observed and most of them reappeared in the three

interviews. For instance, the teachers constantly talked about developing learning experiences for

learners that feels as if it is not mediated by technology (Internet). The essence of this repetition

is to ensure that learners acquire the best experience using the recommended learning strategies.

Once the original categories were established based on the chosen transcripts, the themes

were determined, and the relations between themes were clearly recognized. Later, the themes

were assembled and arranged to generate a class of themes and subthemes (Weinberger, 2018).

The development of themes was founded on the precedence issues as well-versed by the research

aims. The emergent concerns obtained from the respondents were valuable in the research.

During this phase, a large number of themes derived were functional, for instance, explanations

and emotions. The identified transcripts were later reviewed to facilitate consistency in

classification. All corrections introduced were captured as a referral to be analyzed later. The

procedure of familiarization carried on to the point where the chosen transcripts were fully

examined and understood. To evade any intersecting between these themes, the development of a

thematic framework was necessary, and this encompassed of initial groups.

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Table 4: Diagrammatic outline of inter-related themes

Theme Sub-themes

The consequences of poor teaching Perceived consequences

Observed consequences

Classroom management skills The function of strategies in supporting

practice

Educational preferences and needs Educational challenges expressed by teachers

Attitudes observed from learners

5.0 Inter-rater reliability test

The valuation of inter-rater reliability (IRR) test is frequently crucial for research design

where data is gathered using interviews and other processes (Belur, Tompson & Thornton,

2018). The IRR test data employed in the research was limited to coding during the preliminary

phase of the systematic review, when the coder was engaged in deciding whether to take account

or disregard the abstract and title.

Table 5. Inter-rater reliability Table

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Sample Data Extract Coder Coder 2 Consensus %

1 Code agreement

Madam Phua: I have been checking in via 1 1 100%

phone and Telegram with my teachers and
students to better understand what support
they need..

….This is a serious equity issue. Not all 1 1.1 85%

families have access to reliable Wi-Fi.
Parents have to lay off due to COVID-19.
Students who do not have a network cable
will naturally not be able to attend classes
and will not be able to keep up with the
teaching progress.

….For me, the most important pieces of 1 1.1 1.1. 95%

technology are those that allows for
communication between students

Miss Wong: To make sure all students 1 1.1 90%

keep on their learning during the lock-
down period and teachers can also keep up
with the teaching progress..

….( Laugh ) Definitely is ICT knowledge 1 `1.1 95%

because I’m not good in this

……Teachers need to find the online 1 1.1 80%

instructional materials to their students, it
is time-consuming.

Teacher Josephine: Wow…I can honestly 4.1 4.1. 100%

say that in the first two weeks I was
working from 7pm to 2am every night ..

… Student’s show no interest in studies. 2 1.1 85%

And too much “screen-time” which will
result in “eye-sight” problems.
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…. It is really not fair for students not to 2 1.1. 85%

have access to education just because they
do not have the technology and equipment.

5.1 Conducting IRR

Inter-rater reliability test was evaluated across the study participants as estimation for the

rating procedure. For the teacher – learner rating subgroup, there was a connection coefficient

(Belur, Tompson & Thornton, 2018). Therefore, across the research respondents the calculations

of the coefficients resulted in reliability. Moreover, there were confidence interludes of

reliabilities for the participants, which indicated that they did not vary from each other in terms

of their response to the interview. As such, the researcher was able to identify how the lack of

study materials, such as Wi-Fi, laptops, and commitment to online learning presented itself as a

major challenge for the teachers. The researcher evaluated the inter-rater reliability within and

through rating subclasses. The IRR as articulated by intra-class relationship coefficients

evaluated the extent to which the tool employed distinguished between respondents designated

by the raters that arrived at comparable conclusions (Belur, Tompson & Thornton, 2018). Hence,

the researcher established that the inter-rater reliability is an excellent principle of the valuation

instrument. With the aim to assess IRR in broad detail, the quantity of arrangement required to

be measured in light of direction and extent of the recorded differences and repetitions. Such

factors offer insight about how related deviating ratings tend to occur and whether these ratings

appear for one respondent and rated in comparison to the other.

To highpoint the main concept to measuring IRR, the researcher used instances from the

interview aimed at understanding how teachers can adopt management skills and competencies

to improve the quality of teaching and help learners in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. There are
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notable differences in the identified columns, and the connection between these columns reveals

some sort of uniqueness (Belur, Tompson & Thornton, 2018). The test was achieved by

developing 2 columns. One column comprised the list of themes while the other contained a list

of data samples. The aim of using this approach was to ensure that one or two colleagues match

the theme to the data samples. Ultimately, the occurrence of any disagreement was supposed to

be resolved under a discussion forum.

To ensure transparency of this technique, the researcher compared phrases and codes to

define each respondent and later evaluated IRR. The test was assessed as the proportion of

approved codes over the entire codes obtained in the research. Afterwards, the researcher

calculated the entire IRR by analyzing the both the list of themes and samples (Belur, Tompson

& Thornton, 2018). In this research, respondents reacted to open-ended questions which were

coded by the research by relying on open coding. As a result, several codes were established

using the obtained data, then the responses were compared. By relying on this procedure, the

coder was able to steadily obtain 70% IRR and 80% of the entire codes (Belur, Tompson &

Thornton, 2018). It is important to understand that data set was structured in a manner that the

developed columns in the data set resembled to the provided score by the raters.

6.0 Findings and outcomes of data analysis

While qualitative research customs continue to improve, there is a considerable need for

strategies to support scholars in performing reliable qualitative research, especially in the

education sector. This essay sought to offer a direction towards using interviews and a qualitative

approach to provide insights and real-world instances into the challenges facing teachers. The

qualitative technique can assist researchers in obtaining necessary data and have access to

feelings and opinions of research respondents. This move can enable improvement and enhance
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an understanding of the implication that individuals attribute to their experiences. The closure of

learning institutions due to Covid-19 has largely interrupted learning in several countries across

the globe. This study aimed to establish and describe both teacher's and students' concerns linked

to the situations caused by the pandemic about online learning.

The study adopted a qualitative approach, and the whole framework relied on interviews

(Weinberger, 2018). The data was gathered using interviews that were performed on three

teachers. Based on the findings, the emerging situation occurring from Covid-19 has made

changes in the education sector and has increased teacher-learner challenges. The results approve

that the motivation and readiness by teachers to adjust to new technologies is likely to help

overcome the main challenges. Based on the interviews conducted, it is clear that not all learners

are able to participate in online learning, since some lack the necessary requirements such as

Laptops and Internet. From the teacher's perspective, conducting online learning cannot be

compared to the normal classroom setting. Teachers are forced to commit beyond normal

standards. However, the inspiration by teachers to advance their skills, as well as knowledge,

implies they are eager to boost the quality of education offered. The inadequate management

skills of teachers contributing to the research to integrating modern technology verify the need to

improve online learning across all learners.

The interpretation of data in this study was methodically conducted using suitable

approaches. Data was established to illustrate how an inclusive assessment of inter-rater

reliability can be performed in any specific research. By relying on the qualitative research

technique, data were obtained for non-numerical analysis. Moreover, in the qualitative method,

numerous ways of gathering data are involved. The role of interviews and observation in the
 24

research was helpful towards obtaining the much-required data (Vaismoradi, Jones, & Snelgrove,

2016).

Facilitating a clear explanation of data gathering and analysis is crucial. At the end of the

study, it was possible to explain how coding was performed. Teachers have faced several

challenges in the past years, and are now confronted with another problem as the Corona Virus

continues to affect the education sector. The primary purpose of this study was to explore these

challenges and the strategies that could be implemented to ensure that high-quality education is

provided to the learners. Qualitative methods are applied to understand numerous human

experiences in all manner of complexities in addition to the natural setting. The widespread

impacts of Covid-19 are classified under a new phenomenon that has interrupted normal school

systems. The application of the qualitative method is suitable here since it examines relevant

questions that are aimed at finding the most appropriate solution. To achieve this, qualitative

research adapts to the perception that reality is publicly constructed, an implication that truth

cannot be evaluated directly. The qualitative study interview sought to establish and acquire an

understanding of various themes concerning the emerging pandemic and the quality of teaching

offered.

Interviews were performed following the right procedures, and the most relevant

questions were precisely asked. Observational data gathering in the research involved the

comprehensive observation of the participants and other events to learn more about interactions

and other behaviors with regards to the subject matter. Qualitative data can be managed to ensure

proper analysis. The reliance on the thematic framework was applied to help in data analysis. A

keen selection of data was performed to ensure that every step occurred according to the plans

(Vaismoradi, Jones, & Snelgrove, 2016). The first categories were established based on the
 25

chosen transcripts, and this provided an opportunity for other themes to be decided. During the

next phase, the thematic framework was inspected to locate the occurring connection and te

occurring resemblance.

Furthermore, there was a need to examine whether there was a match between the

phenomena circulated in the whole range of data. This move demanded a thematic framework to

explain teacher’s challenges and the way forward. While demonstrating the benefits of relying on

the thematic framework, it should be observed that there are several limitations to this procedure.

For instance, using this framework may be time-consuming and, in this case, require devotion

from the researcher. Although it has been claimed that this framework is appropriate for beginner

researchers, the attendance of expert qualitative researchers can facilitate the significant factors

of the analysis, which add benefits. This study sought to enrich a great understanding of the

challenges facing teachers and the necessary measures that can be adopted to promote online

learning and accommodate all learners. The findings of this study can be applied to other

learning institutions to help teachers overcome similar challenges.

Similarly to other qualitative approaches, collecting and analyzing data was performed

simultaneously to promote clarity. This move helped to increase the depth and quality of the

overall process. The practice of data analysis required the researcher to familiarize themselves

with data to ensure precise outcomes (Vaismoradi, Jones, & Snelgrove, 2016). The researcher

was also anticipated to transcribe the interview and attain the sense of the whole readings by

repeatedly double-checking them. While the framework analysis requires the researcher to

review all aspects of data analysis, other approaches can choose other options. Several key steps

were followed to avoid making mistakes. Open coding was necessary to gather suitable codes

and the required themes and categories.

 26

Based on the data gathered from the three participants (all teachers), there was evidence

that teachers continue facing more challenges, particularly during the outbreak of Covid-19.

Based on the study findings, it is quite right that the pandemic has a wide-ranging impact on the

respondents. In terms of instructional strategies, there is a need to have the proper engagement of

modern technology to support online learning. The fact that some learners do not access online

learning is an indication that the process demands more funding to make it practical (Cleland,

2017). Online teaching can only be compared to regular education when all the learners are

operating on the same platform and have the necessary resources. The reliance on zoom, as

evidenced by the interview, can promote active learning.

However, there are still some challenges in terms of delivery of good teaching experience

and ensuring that the learner's attitude is positive. Numerous learning strategies can be accepted

in the teaching practice to boost the quality of experience provided to the learners. More studies

should focus on other approaches of engagement that have the potential to impart literature-

based instruction on the learners. However, this should be performed using the best possible

means, even if it means adopting several technological approaches that improve performance

with the practice. In essence, this should integrate scaffolding the most suitable instruction and

establishing the most appropriate means to promote engagement and change the attitude of

learners in regards to online learning.

Insufficient knowledge about modern technology used to facilitate online classes and the

varied students' backgrounds is a significant challenge to accessing quality education during this

period of epidemic. More so, teachers are performing several tasks concurrently, and this makes

it rather challenging to manage digital learning. As a result, this interferes with the quality of

learning and teaching. The increased number of learners presents another challenge for the
 27

effective planning of the new online classes. Therefore, teachers are required to spend additional

time preparing and working in digital classes, which somehow affects their involvement in

personal matters.

parents, together with findings from studies from other countries that analyze the
factors influencing the quality of educational systems and the use of technology,
are foreseen to assist in the advancement of educational systems, the adaptation of
education strategies, and the further organization of online learning so that the
methods implemented have positive and long-term effects on all parties and
beneficiaries of the educational institutions involved. Therefore, these findings can
be of great value to policymakers, educational leaders, and teachers. The findings
and practical implications of this study can also greatly benefit mental health
professionals and school psychologists, who can provide emotional support,
increase motivation, improve attitudes toward change, and support the
advancement of knowledge of sustainable educational skills of each beneficiary of
 28

the education system. Furthermore, the findings of this study can serve as a
factors influencing the quality of educational systems and the use of technology,
are foreseen to assist in the advancement of educational systems, the adaptation of
education strategies, and the further organization of online learning so that the

References
Belur, J. Tompson, L. & Thornton, A. (2018). Interrater Reliability in Systematic Review
Methodology. Sociological Methods & Research, 3(2).

Cleland, J. (2017). The qualitative orientation in medical education research. Medical education,
29 (2), pp. 61-71

Elliott, v. (2018). Thinking about the coding process in qualitative data analysis. The qualitative
Report, 23(11), pp. 2850-61. Retrieved from
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3560&context=tqr

Erika, Y. (2019). Themes do not just emerge – Coding the qualitative data. Data science.
Retrieved from https://medium.com/@projectux/themes-dont-just-emerge-coding-the-
qualitative-data-95aff874fdce

Emmel, N. (2015). Themes, variables, and the limits to calculating sample size in qualitative

research. Journal of social research methodology, 6 (1),pp. 685-86.

Holmes, J. Eatough, V. (2015). Framework analysis. Qualitative research in psychology, 13(2).

Jamshed, S. (2014). Qualitative research method – interviewing and observation. J Basic Clin

Pharm, 5(4), pp. 87-88.

Noble, H. Heale, R. (2019). Triangulation in research, with examples. Evidence-base Nursing,

22(3). Retrieved from https://ebn.bmj.com/content/22/3/67

McGrath, C. (2019). Twelve tips for conducting qualitative research interviews. Medical
teacher, 9(1), pp. 1002-6.

Nowell, L. Norris, J. & White, D. (2017). Thematic Analysis: Striving to meet the
trustworthiness criteria. Journal of qualitative methods. Retrieved from
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1609406917733847

Tilley, S. (2019). The role of qualitative research in educational context: A Canadian

perspective. Education Management, 35(75).

 29

Vaismoradi, M. Jones, J. Snelgrove, S. (2016). Theme development in qualitative content

analysis and thematic analysis. Journal of nursing education and practice, 6(5), pp. 100-

110.

Weinberger, Y. (2018). Using qualitative research methods to cope with the educational

complexity. Journal of education and human development, 7(1), pp. 135-45.

APPENDIX 1: TRANSCRIPT
Interview transcript
Interviewee: Miss Wong (Primary School Teacher)
Date of interview: 23 July 2020
Time: 10a.m-11a.m.
 30

Location of interview: School canteen

List of Acronyms: MW=Miss Wong, IN=Interviewer

IN: Hi, Miss Wong. Thank you for accepting my interview today. Like what I am
telling you before, I am having an assignment which I need to have an interview
with the topic current and emerging challenges faced by teachers and need to
establish some of the skills you think teacher should have to perform their works
effectively. Well…can we start now?
MW: Sure…
IN : Can you tell me what level and what subject you are teaching?
MW: Em…I am currently a Year 2 class teacher…and also teach Year 5 Science
and Mathematics.
IN: During this MCO period, can you tell me why should teachers employ zoom or
googlemeet class to teach the students online?
MW: Well…to make sure all students keep on their learning during the lock-down
period and teachers can also keep up with the teaching progress.
IN: So what has been the hardest part about moving your classes online?
MW: ( Laugh ) Definitely is ICT knowledge because I’m not good in this. I was
really at a loss at first… The next is students’ concentration and interaction. Is
difficult to ensure that all students are attentive and listening to your lecture.
Especially Year 1 and 2 students.
IN: Loss? What do you mean?
MW : Em…it can be said that everything start all over again. Actually I don’t know
much abot ICT and I really afraid to use these devices. At the beginning, I need to
search for textbooks and activity books online because I didn’t take it home. Then I
have to search suitable online learning materials for my students. I spent lots of
time to learn how to use the Zoom to create an online learning platform for my
students. And also have to arrange a suitable time for teaching. Because it’s not
easy to get a time when everyone is free…Besides, I also have 2 children to take
care. So I have to make sure that my children will not disturb me when I teach
online. It was really messed up at first…(giggles).
 31

IN: Wow! Sounds really not easy…So how does lack of the instructional materials
affect the teachers?
MW: Em…teachers need to find the online instructional materials to their students,
it is time-consuming… I really spend a lot of time looking for teaching materials
online. Not only takes time but also very exhausting. Fortunately, my network
cable is not bad… ( Laugh )
IN : Ya…a strong network cable is really important. Beside that, what are some of
the challenges that are experienced in online learning?
MW : I really encountered a lot of problems when I first started. Such as…students
can’t cope well… poor network…teacher having problem to share screen, students
can’t join Zoom…parents don’t know how to download the apps due to lack of
technological knowledge, attention span for lower level students…slow Wi-Fi
causes impatience… not many student join online classes and many more…
IN: So how do you overcome these problems?
MW: Well…there are no guidance and you have to self-explore in this new skills
and knowledge. Teacher need to “multi-task” in conducting and observing. And the
most important is be patient.
IN : Because yours is a primary school student right?
MW : (Laugh) …Not only that, but also the parents. Many of my parents don’t
know how to use new technology, they keep asking you how to download zoom
apps, why they can’t log in Googlemeet…why they can’t join the online classes…
So we must to be patient and guide them step by step.
IN : So your job not only teach students but also parents (Laugh)…
MW : Yup! (giggles)
IN : What are your biggest concerns about online teaching?
MW: Students’ attendance and their cooperation. Very few of my students were
participate in online classes and difficulty in chasing up students who are not
submitting homework online. At school, I can question them and come to a solution
with the issue. But online they can evade you by ignoring you.
IN: What do you think about the problem of students who don’t have the same
access to the technology and equipment necessary for online education?
 32

MW: Well…absolutely heir learning progress will fall behind. Many of my

students’ parents are not by their side during MCO. Because many of their parents
work in Singapore. As a result, none of them have online classes and they have not
kept up with the progress.
IN : So who is with the students during MCO?
MW : Some of them stay with their grandparents or nanny house.
IN: Oh, I see…In your opinion, why are some students uncomfortable with the
participation on the online classes during this pandemic period?
MW: At first, students will find it very fresh and interesting. But after a time, they
felt dull. And also… I think some of them have no idea on how to handle it and
slow Wi-Fi causes impatience. I have had an experience that I tried to share screen
but it was unsuccessful. The poor network cable caused my students to lose
patience. In addition, Zoom can only use for 45minutes, so there is not much time
left for my class that day.
IN: Do you find it hard to adapt to the face-to face drift on the online teaching and
learning?
MW : Yes, a bit hard for the young and active students. And for me as I don’t have
a suitable working place in my house.
IN: How does online classes enhance effective learning in connection with the
students and teachers during this pandemic period?
MW: Students can learn extra knowledge through online and the online learning
games like quizizz or wordwall are attractive, it makes most of the students feel
learning themselves. Hence, the effective learning takes place in this online class.
IN: Do you foresee a crisis like this making online education more palatable or
appealing to teachers?
MW: Yes… some of the teachers love online education and start to create their
Youtube channel for education.
IN: What lessons have you learned about teaching your students remotely?
MW : Gain some technology knowledge in my online teaching… Be patience and
spend more time following their up their work and interact with parents for the
lesson learned.
 33

IN: Is really worked hard for you during this period. And really thank you for
having time to answer my interview today, thank you.
MW : You are welcome…and all the best to you ya.

[END]

APPENDIX 2: Document used

Type of Document Description

UNICEF (2020) The document offers insights about response

plan to help children in South Asia during this
pandemic.

Retrieved from:
 34

https://www.unicef.org/rosa/documents/press-
release-covid-19-global-humanitarian-
response-plan

The World Bank (2020) The document provides financing details to

help the affected countries during this crisis.

Retrieved from:

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-
release/2020/03/03/world-bank-group-
announces-up-to-12-billion-immediate-
support-for-covid-19-country-response