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Cited by 634Qualitative Research Methods and ApplicationsEducational Research and MethodsEducational Research and Analysis

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

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Xu, Wen, Zammit, Katina·2020·International Journal of Qualitative Methods
DOI 10.1177/1609406920918810
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Abstract

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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Crossref · 10.1177/1609406920918810

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Show all 37 references

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Fair Go Team, 2006, School is for me: Pathways to student engagement
  2. New South Wales Department of Education and Training, 2003, Quality teaching in NSW public schools
  3. Roberts K., 2019, BMC Medical Research Methodology, 19, 1
  4. Saldana J., 2016, The coding manual for qualitative researchers

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Metadata

Authors
Xu, W., & Zammit, K.
Affiliations
Western Sydney University (AU)
Corresponding author
Xu, Wen
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Qualitative Methods
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2020-01-01
Volume
19
ISSN
1609-4069 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1177/1609406920918810
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
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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