Using qualitative data analysis tools ‘fit for purpose’ for making sense of teacher educators’ use of digital technologies in their pedagogical practices

Abstract

This article describes the analysis process associated with an ethnographic study in which data were generated through interviews, observations, focus groups and hanging out techniques. The purpose of the study was to make sense of how teacher educators’ specific technological and pedagogical practices were formed, with particular focus on the possible influence of their culture. The researcher used various analysis strategies involving the integration of a number of digital data tools (NVivo-10, Mindjet, Inspiration-8-IE, and Microsoft applications) that served different purposes at different times. The article argues that researchers should consider using an integration of different digital tools, applying them as ‘fit for purpose’ at various times during data analysis. It suggests doing this will assist researchers to seek a deeper understanding of qualitative data and manage the ‘messiness’ of analysis, while assisting with the complexity of the meaning making process