The Patterns and Themes from Data Gathered

By going back to your research question, you need to analyze the data to review the purpose of the study. It gives you the direction of
finding a solution to a problem which could be done in two ways. These ways are (1) describing a situation, incident, or occurrence; and
(2) recognizing the main themes that come out from the field notes of your interviews, citing in a word for word format.

The following steps to consider in analyzing the themes are:

1. Identify the main themes. In each question, carefully study the descriptive responses of your
respondents to understand the meaning they convey. Since the participants express themselves in
various words and languages, choose the wording of the themes in such a way that the implication of
the responses classified under a theme is precisely signified. The basis for assessing the wording of
unstructured interviews therefore tends to be these themes.

2. Assign codes to the main themes. The researcher should assign codes (numbers or keywords) to the
main themes obtained from the frequency of occurrence through a random selection of few responses to
an open-ended question or from your observational or discussion notes.

3. Classify responses under the main themes. The identified themes classify the responses found in your
transcripts of all your interviews or your notes.

4. Integrate themes and responses into the text of your report. Put together the identified different themes
into the text of your report. Your choice depends on the way you want to communicate the findings to
your readers. Although some people have done it either by using verbatim or word-for-word responses or
by getting the frequency of the theme and a present sample of the responses.

Example: Question 1
What is your perception on the implementation of K to 12 Curriculum?

The table shows the perception of the participants in the implementation of K to 12

Curriculum. Based on the responses of the participants, their perceptions on the implementation of K

to 12 imply positive feedbacks such as making students more prepared, learning more on the line

of interest and exposing students to activities and challenges needed for college. Participant 1

said that K to 12 Curriculum makes a student more prepared before entering college.

Participant 2 said that he is learning many things about the subject and his line of interest.

Participant 3 said that he is trained to be exposed in many activities and challenges needed for

college. This implies that the implementation of K to 12 Curriculum makes students ready for

college.

Table 8
Coded Responses as to Teachers’ Ideas about Lifelong Learning in Mathematics

Extract Question Answers Codes / Categories

1. What is your idea T1SU: Hmm...(pause)...lifelong learning is a Continuous learning
about lifelong continuous process...(pause)...it forms mastery and
learning in leads the learner to successfully achieve their Skills and mastery
Mathematics? goals...(pause)...teachers simply learn continuously
=

T2SU: Lifelong learning is a continuous Continuous upgrading

upgrading of the new trends in mathematics
teaching...(pause)...it develops integrative Integrative disciplines
disciplines in all aspects as a result of learning
mathematics...(pause)...simply put, it is important Important
to every educator =
T3ADU: Lifelong learning is a continuous Skills
upgrading of skills by attending symposium and
conducting research...(pause)...as it is very Professional activities
important to educators, they...ahm...we should be
functionally literate...(pause)...promote Functionally literacy
advancement to be globally competitive =
T4ADU: Lifelong learning in Mathematics should Openness to change
be open to change for a new knowledge... (pause)...
being able to apply mathematical theories to the Real-life application
real world and emerging problems...(pause)...being
able to learn and appreciate mathematical
applications in real life problems...(pause)...and
being interested and updated to the recent trends in
mathematical concepts and pedagogies =

Table 8 presents the responses of the respondents during the interview regarding their ideas

about lifelong learning in mathematics.

Lifelong learning is a continuous process (Ayuma, 2002). This is the common notion when

this particular topic is being tackled. In this context, lifelong learners are always acquiring knowledge

which are developed into skills. With this, the learners’ skills enable them to master their crafts.

Relative to this, Rose (n.d.) used the term MASTER to describe the six stages where he

believes to be the key to become an effective learner. This refers to Motivation, Acquire, Search,

Trigger, Examine, and Reflect. These stages enable the learners to master their skills which enhance

their innate potentials. In the lifelong process, it is very important that learners are motivated to

continuously learn. This could be done through acquiring and searching different facts which are

important to the learners. Once the learners are triggered with these facts, they are able to examine the

facts and reflect on the importance of these things to their learning (Skills You Need.com, 2015).

Parallel to the above discussion, it is well noted that a lifelong learner should have self-

motivation. There is a need for a learner to feel positive about learning and about his ability to learn.

Effective learning, on the other hand, requires a learner to acquire information through different
modes of learning acquisition like reading, listening, observing, practicing, experimenting, and

experiencing.

Based on the results of the interview, it was stressed that lifelong learning is a continuous

upgrading. Different disciplines are integrated to come up with a well-rounded learning, that is, there

is a need for a lifelong learner to know other things from other disciplines not just mathematics. Thus,

lifelong learning is very important most especially to teachers. Delors (1999) as cited in Ayuma

(2012) posited that learning requires mastery of different learning tools rather than just an acquisition

of these tools. These tools are consisted of different disciplines which requires integration so as to

have an integrative learning that is a prerequisite to a well-rounded development of learning.

There are different activities where lifelong learners can be involved. These activities may

include seminars, training, forum, community services, and even travelling in the country or to other

countries just to do benchmarking to schools. Thus, with these professional activities, lifelong learners

become functionally literate, that is, they can do things based on what is needed in the situation. With

this finding, Miller (2010) stated that professional development activities are important to all teachers.

These activities are instrumental in developing and enhancing teachers’ competencies which yields

the development of their skills, knowledge, and disposition, making them functionally literate.

Moreover, it is very important for lifelong learners to be open with change. They must look at

life in the real world scenarios. They must accept the fact that change is the only permanent thing in

this world.
Table 4

Influence of Helicopter Parents to the College Students’ Problem-Solving Skills

Category Thematic Category Key terms Characteristic Level 3 responses

Q1. Growing up, what does your father/mother do when you have problems?
P1 Participative Participate Informant #1
“Ginagawa nila lahat para ma-solve ang mga
problema ko…” [They try their best to solve
my problems]

P2 Suggesting Suggest OR help Informant #2

“They ask what my problem is, and they try
to help me...”
P3 Complicating Complicate OR Informant #3
difficult “Yung nanay ko paminsan, nakikiusyoso.
Hindi pala, most of the time. Simple lang
problema ko, gagawin nyang complicated.”
[Most of the time, my mother complicates
simple problems]

Table 4 reveals the influence of helicopter parents to the college students’ problem-solving

skills. As can be seen, when it comes to parental involvement in solving the college students’

problems, they are participative, suggesting, and complicating.

Parents participate in solving their college children’s problems. According to Ingen et al.

(2012), children of helicopter parents do not learn how to solve their own problems as their parents

swoop in to fix the problem. Moreover, according to Tsai (2014), parental monitoring was negatively

correlated to problem solving confidence, problem solving style, and problem approaching attitude.

This implies that when their parents participate in solving their college students’ problems, they rob

them of the opportunity to learn how to fix their own problems.

On the other hand, there is a complicating involvement where they get complicated solutions

from their parents. In connection to this, inhibiting their child from overcoming everyday obstacles on

their own can hinder the development of these valuable problem-solving skills (Selsky, 2013). This

implies their parents’ involvement impede their growth in problem solving.