Year 1 Course Pages

Phase Five Requirements Overview

For Phase 5 (Analyzing and Interpreting), you will work to make sense of the "looking and listening" that you did during phase 4. During this phase, you will identify different "chunks" of data that you deem "significant", selected from the information you collected in Phase 4. You will explain what you think those significant pieces tell you and why.

What to Submit for This Phase

Creating a T-Chart

To analyze and interpret your data, you will create a T-chart that indicates "Significant Chunks" in the left-hand column and "What Your Chunks Tell You" in the right-hand column:

Follow the directions below to develop your T-chart:

1. Do a Quick Read: Briefly skim through all the information you have (i.e., interview notes, observation notes, student work, etc.)

2. Identify Significant "Chunks": Read through your data (information collected during the "looking and listening" phase) more carefully. As you read, use a colored highlighter to identify significant "chunks" (portions of your data). A "chunk" might be as short as a phrase or as long as several paragraphs. If you have student work or other data that is rather lengthy, you may need to summarize what you see. That summary would be considered a "chunk."

3. Create a Chart: Create a T-chart like the one above. On the left side of the chart, include those chunks that you highlighted (and any summaries you wrote for data that cannot be chunked) in step 2.

4. Decide What Your "Chunks" Tell You: On the right side of the T-chart next to each "chunk," write down what you think that chunk tells you (i.e., your interpretations). In other words, what new insights does the information in that chunk provide you?

    

   Write down your initial interpretations immediately after identifying and recording your "chunks" in your T-chart. Then put the chart aside for a day or two before coming back to it. You would be surprised how many new interpretations will occur to you if you allow yourself some time to mull over which "chunks" you identified as being significant and why.

    

Guidelines for the T-Chart you Submit

Organizing the Significant "Chunks" in Your T-Chart

Organize the chunks that you include in the first column of your chart in such a way that chunks that will be interpreted in the same way, or chunks that support one another are together.

Providing a Context for the "Chunks"

Keep in mind that the reader needs to understand the context from which the chunks were pulled. Therefore, include narrative comments to indicate where the chunk came from, when it was collected, and any other pertinent information that the reader would need.

Finding the Appropriate Number of "Chunks" to Include

The number of significant "chunks" that you include in the first column of your chart will largely depend on your question, the type of data you collected, and the number of people working on your project. If possible, include at least 10 significant "chunks" per data source that directly answered your question. However, the more you include the stronger your interpretation is likely to be.

A Note about Interpreting the Information

Please keep in mind that any conclusions you draw are not definitive. Your data simply "suggests" conclusions, but does not "prove" that these conclusions are absolute truisms. (The same can be said for any research or inquiry project.)