The DOI matches its Crossref record; 36 of the 37 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Applying Thematic Analysis to Education: A Hybrid Approach to Interpreting Data in Practitioner Research
Open accessAbstract
Thematic analysis (TA), as a qualitative analytic method, is widely used in health care, psychology, and beyond. However, scant details are often given to demonstrate the process of data analysis, especially in the field of education. This article describes how a hybrid approach of TA was applied to interpret multiple data sources in a practitioner inquiry. Particular attention is given to the inductive and deductive coding and theme development process of TA. Underpinned by the constructivist epistemology, codes were driven by both data per se and theories, through a “bottom-up” and “top-down” approach to identify themes. A detailed example of six steps of data analysis is presented, which evidences the systematic analysis of raw data from observation and research journals, students’ focus groups, and a classroom teacher’s semistructured interviews. This example demonstrates how classroom practice was unpacked and how insiders’ insights were interpreted through the theoretical lens while also allowing the participants to express themselves. By providing step-by-step guidelines in data coding and identification of themes, this article contributes to informing qualitative researchers, especially teacher-researchers who undertake their research in the classroom setting.
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Using thematic analysis in psychology
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“In “Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology,” Braun and Clarke (2006) delineate a straightforward, step-bystep approach to conducting TA and now is referred to as reflexive TA (Braun & Clarke, 2019).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialResearch Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
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“…made to detail a step-by-step guide to apply TA to practice in psychology, nursing, and sport and exercise research (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Braun et al., 2019; Braun et al., 2017; Clarke & Braun, 2014; Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2006; Nowell et al., 2017), there is a paucity of description…”
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“In addition to detailing the steps of conducting TA as other practical examples have undertaken (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2006; Nowell et al., 2017), this article has its strength in outlining multiple data collection tools and their associated analytical processes.”
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MethodHousing finance inaccessibility: evidence from the Nigerian Pensioners
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“Xu and Zammit (2020) point out that thematic analysis is especially useful when researchers want to explore new topics or develop theories from the data.”
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“Formal instruction and preparation 4 (9) 8 Formal instruction and preparation 10 (10)”
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“Thus, a thematic analysis (Xu & Zammit, 2020) was employed to determine the overarching themes of research-supported practices for students with EBD.”
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“Previously used in education research (Xu & Zammit, 2020), the hybrid analysis process allowed us to advance existing TLT theory in tourism and hospitality education and training while uncovering new patterns and themes from the data associated with the pedagogical practices required to develop an…”
Díaz, B., Lynch, C. F., Delgado, C., & Han, K. K. (2025) · International Journal of STEM Education · doi:10.1186/s40594-025-00538-2 · Cited by 11
“The data were analyzed using a hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development (Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2006) following Xu and Zammit (2020), which was specially built for education data through an adaptation of the six stages of thematic analysis of (Braun & Clarke, 2006).”
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“are often appropriate in educational research [10], [11].”
BackgroundRatnam, C., Keel, C., & Wickes, R. L. (2022) · Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1177/14407833221145524 · Cited by 6
“We then integrated a ‘ bottom up ’ , inductive strategy (Xu & Zammit, 2020, p. 4) where we analysed data without knowledge of each other ‘ s codes.”
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“It is a widely used, flexible analysis method for qualitative data (Maguire &Delahunt, 2017; Xu & Zammit, 2020).”
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Digital K–12 STEM Education through Human–Robot Interaction: Investigation on Prerequisites
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Khawaja, A., Puustinen, M., Chapman, A., et al. (2025) · Journal of Curriculum Studies · doi:10.1080/00220272.2025.2482201 · Cited by 5
“Although inductive coding is often associated with grounded theory (see Xu & Zammit, 2020), our aim was not to generate new theory but to find recurring meanings across the data.”
Morgan, H. J., Bowles, H. C. R., & Bush, A. (2025) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci14050278 · Cited by 5
Wilson, S., Murcia, K., & Leaver, T. B. (2025) · Early Child Development and Care · doi:10.1080/03004430.2025.2518300 · Cited by 5
Vonderheide, C. C., Giraldo‐Santiago, N., Grunberg, V. A., Levey, N., Brewer, J. R., McDermott, K. A., Rush, C. L., Presciutti, A., Greenberg, J., Ritchie, C. S., et al. (2025) · Pain Management · doi:10.1080/17581869.2025.2532363 · Cited by 5
Hennessey, A., MacQuarrie, S., Pert, K., Mason, C., & Verity, L. (2025) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2025.1675773 · Cited by 9
Impacts of AI on Human Designers: A Systematic Literature Review
Sinlapanuntakul, P., & Zachry, M. R. (2025) · IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication · doi:10.1109/tpc.2025.3588655 · Cited by 6
“Drawing and adapting from Gatos et al. [49] and Li et al. [14], we used Miro as a remote qualitative analysis space and conducted an inductive/deductive hybrid thematic analysis [50], [51] (see Fig.”
COVID-19 Frames the News: An Examination of Race and Pandemic Frames in Newspaper Coverage
Ponder, M. L., Kasymova, S., Coleman, L. S., Goodman, J. M., & Smith, C. (2023) · Howard Journal of Communications · doi:10.1080/10646175.2023.2263737 · Cited by 5
“The combination of deductive and inductive coding techniques allowed us to develop a comprehensive, balanced view of the data analyzed (Xu & Zammit, 2020).”
MethodShafiee, F., & Jamshidi, O. (2024) · Special publication. · doi:10.61186/jea.10.20.81 · Cited by 5
Im, H., Saleh, M., & Khetarpal, R. M. (2024) · Ethnicity and Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2024.2385112 · Cited by 6
“This study employed a hybrid thematic analysis approach, which blended inductive and deductive methods to yield rich and nuanced themes and insights (Xu and Zammit 2020).”
Hanham, J. (2024) · Mentoring & Tutoring Partnership in Learning · doi:10.1080/13611267.2024.2396470 · Cited by 5
“In the fourth phase, the two coders discussed and revised the candidate themes using a recursive process that involved going back and forth between the candidate themes, the coded data, and raw data (Xu & Zammit, 2020).”
Tay, E., Makeham, M., Hargreaves, A., Laba, T., & Baysari, M. T. (2024) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-024-11614-8 · Cited by 6
“Researchers used both inductive and deductive coding to analyse the data [10].”
MethodCortes, M. A. N., & Bolivar, L. L. C. (2024) · F1000Research · doi:10.12688/f1000research.157746.1 · Cited by 5
“…the interpretation of a particular phenomenon, after following a rigorous system that includes collecting the data, engaging with it, codify, generate code categories, conceptualize themes, and contextualize and represent the findings (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Peel, 2020; Xu & Zammit, 2020).”
Stepped care and digital intervention service model design in the multidisciplinary sleep service
Winter, S., Crocker, S., Rolls, T., Curtin, D., Haratsis, J. M., & Szollosi, I. (2025) · Internet Interventions · doi:10.1016/j.invent.2025.100830 · Cited by 5
Guiñez-Cabrera, N. A., & Obando, K. M. (2022) · Actualidades Investigativas en Educación · doi:10.15517/aie.v22i1.49066 · Cited by 5
Local Wisdom in Designing ESP for Community-Based Tourism Practitioners: A Study of Needs Analysis
Kurniawati, L. A., & Malasari, S. (2022) · SAGA Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics · doi:10.21460/saga.2022.32.135 · Cited by 11
“Then, the qualitative data were coded and thematized (Xu & Zammit, 2020).”
MethodWilbur, K., Teunissen, P. W., Scheele, F., Driessen, E. W., Yeung, J. K., & Pachev, G. (2022) · Journal of Interprofessional Care · doi:10.1080/13561820.2022.2090910 · Cited by 5
“…use of deductive (use of an established educational outcome framework) and inductive coding taken to identify gaps in espoused theory (intended curriculum) and professional practice in the workplace (enacted curriculum) is analysis suitable for social constructivism methodology (Xu & Zammit, 2020).”
MethodPre-service EFL teachers’ perception on educational video production technology: A needs analysis
Avifah, I., & Fajri, M. S. A. (2022) · International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE) · doi:10.11591/ijere.v11i3.21149 · Cited by 5
“To analyze the questionnaire data, we used a thematic analysis, a method which enables the researcher to derive themes and interpret them from the data [41], [42].”
MethodKuma, F. K., Yusoff, M. E. B., & Apreku-Djan, P. K. (2022) · Journal of the Knowledge Economy · doi:10.1007/s13132-022-01062-2 · Cited by 5
“This process offers the opportunity to modify the framework when it becomes necessary (Xu & Zammit, 2020).”
García, B. C. (2023) · Journal of Transformative Education · doi:10.1177/15413446231152237 · Cited by 5
Eizadirad, A., & Chambers, T.-N. G. (2023) · Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice · doi:10.33423/jhetp.v23i1.5790 · Cited by 5
“Interview responses were examined using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a theoretical paradigm and thematic analysis as a methodology for data analysis (Clarke & Braun, 2017; Green et al. 2007; Denzin & Lincoln, 2000; Xu & Zammit, 2020).”
Deuchar, A. (2023) · Journal of Education Policy · doi:10.1080/02680939.2023.2245793 · Cited by 7
“The iteration between theory and material (Xu and Zammit 2020) revealed how the discursive work performed through the texts affirms its humanism.”
Ahsan, N., Malik, F. A., Mughis, W., et al. (2023) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-023-10438-2 · Cited by 5
“Most men work as fishermen, laborers, or daily wage earners, and speak various languages, including Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, and Urdu [22].”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Xu, W., & Zammit, K.
- Affiliations
- Western Sydney University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Xu, Wen
- Venue
- International Journal of Qualitative Methods
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2020-01-01
- Volume
- 19
- ISSN
- 1609-4069 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3017081314
- Semantic Scholar
- ef33d721af2df64450ea917acadf108460bfc0de
- Cited by
- 634
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 122 · 2025: 161 · 2024: 121 · 2023: 111 · 2022: 85 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 6
- FWCI
- 87.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Qualitative Methods (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Research and Methods
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Research and Analysis
- Keywords
- thematic analysis, practitioner research, teacher research, theme development, constructivist epistemology, teaching practice, multi-source data
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