View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by White Rose E-theses Online A Q Methodological Study of the Support Valued by Students with English as an Additional Language R L Stollery Submitted for Doctor of Educational and Child Psychology (DEdCPsy) April 2013 A Q Methodological Study of the Support Valued by Students with English as an Additional Language Richard Luke Stollery Submitted for Doctor of Educational and Child Psychology Department of Educational Studies April 2013 1 Abstract This study investigated the viewpoints of students with English as an Additional Language (EAL). Specifically, I used Q methodology to highlight some of the viewpoints of learners with EAL on the strategies used by adults to support them in school. A Q set of 46 statements was produced, with each statement describing a strategy for supporting learners with EAL. The Q set was developed firstly through the use of two focus groups involving 11 students aged between 9 and 15, secondly through consultation with relevant professionals, and thirdly through a literature review. I then asked 30 participants aged between 9 and 18 to express their viewpoint through a Q sort exercise, by ranking strategies according to helpfulness. Factor analysis was used to identify viewpoints which were common to a group of participants. In the results section I present each of the emerging viewpoints as a Q sort arrangement, and also as a written description produced by interpreting the factor analysis results. The four viewpoints which emerge are discussed, along with the implications for professionals needing to provide personalised support, and also stay in touch with the viewpoints of individual students with EAL in school. It is hoped that the current research will address the need within the literature to include the voice of students with EAL in planning for their education. 2 Contents Abstract....................................................................................................................2 Contents...................................................................................................................3 1. Introduction..........................................................................................................6 2. Literature Review..................................................................................................8 2.1 Factors at a Society / Community level ...................................................................8 2.2 Factors at the school level .......................................................................................9 2.2.1 The status of the languages and culture of bilingual students .........................9 2.2.1.1 Overall models of bilingual education........................................................9 2.2.1.2 Language use in a multilingual mainstream classroom............................11 2.2.1.3 The status of bilingual students’ culture ..................................................13 2.2.2 School policies for grouping and separating students ....................................14 2.2.3 Setting learning tasks at the right level...........................................................15 2.2.4 Teaching techniques and resources for bilingual students .............................16 2.2.5 Support for bilingual students’ social experiences .........................................17 2.2.6 School Ethos....................................................................................................18 2.2.7 Summary of school level factors .....................................................................18 2.3 Family systems.......................................................................................................18 2.4 Individual differences ............................................................................................19 2.4.1 Cultural identification......................................................................................19 2.4.2 Differences in ability levels..............................................................................20 2.5 Presence of student opinions within the literature...............................................21 2.6 Summary................................................................................................................21 2.7 Research Question.................................................................................................22 3. Methodology .............................................................................................................. 23 3.1 Overview of Q Methodology .................................................................................23 3.2. Overall philosophical position ..............................................................................23 3.2.1 Defining philosophical terms (Ontology, Epistemology, Methodology) .........24 3.2.2 Critical Realism................................................................................................24 3.2.3 Social Constructionism....................................................................................25 3.2.4 Abduction........................................................................................................ 27 3.3 Theory of Q Methodology ..................................................................................... 27 3.3.1 Overview of the current study ........................................................................ 27 3.3.2 Creation of the Q set.......................................................................................28 3.3.2.1 Sampling methods for Q sets....................................................................28 3.3.2.2 Sampling methods in the current study ...................................................29 3.3.2.3 Refining the Q sample ..............................................................................31 3.3.2.4 Status of the Q set ....................................................................................32 3.3.3 Selection of Participants (the P set) ................................................................32 3.3.3.1 Criteria for participant selection...............................................................32 3.3.3.2 Finding participants..................................................................................33 3.3.3.3 Pre-sorting information about participants..............................................33 3 3.3.4 Q sorting.......................................................................................................... 33 3.3.5 Analysis of Q sorts........................................................................................... 36 3.3.6 Ethical approval and participant consent........................................................ 36 3.3.6.1 Standards of privacy and confidentiality.................................................. 36 3.3.6.2 Standards of informed consent ................................................................ 37 3.3.6.3 Standards of protection for research participants ................................... 37 3.3.6.4 Standards of debriefing research participants ......................................... 37 3.4 Why Q methodology?............................................................................................ 37 3.5 Positionality ........................................................................................................... 38 3.6 Possible Criticisms of the Methodology................................................................ 38 3.7 Research Quality Criteria ....................................................................................... 39 3.7.1 Quantitative Research Criteria ........................................................................ 39 3.7.2 Qualitative criteria relevant to interpretation ................................................ 41 3.7.2.1 Owning one’s perspective......................................................................... 41 3.7.2.2 Situating the sample................................................................................. 41 3.7.2.3 Grounding in examples............................................................................. 41 3.7.2.4 Providing credibility checks ...................................................................... 41 3.7.2.5 Coherence................................................................................................. 42 3.7.2.6 Accomplishing general versus specific research tasks.............................. 42 3.7.2.7 Resonating with readers........................................................................... 42 4. Analysis and Results ................................................................................................... 43 4.1 Information on the size and composition of the P set .......................................... 43 4.2 Initial results .......................................................................................................... 45 4.3 Factor extraction.................................................................................................... 45 4.4 Factor Rotation ...................................................................................................... 48 4.5 Creation of Factor Arrays....................................................................................... 51 4.6 Responses to the post-sort questionnaire............................................................. 54 4.7 Qualitative