Tool 1: Survey
The survey I created was not appropriate for my new evaluated Inquiry. The questions I used were to find out how people viewed their own experience of dance within education mostly at a primary level.
"For a survey to be useful in the process of Inquiry I need the questions and answers to be specific in there intention and delivery. I now realise what I need to do to improve my survey."
Abygail Martin, Blog: Wednesday, 20 April 2011, 6a Pilot Survey
The pilot survey served a purpose. I learnt how to a use a survey using Survey Monkey appropriately and found the relative merits and limits in addressing my questions that relate to the workplace and the particular sector of knowledge I am looking to accumulate.
Advantages
- An easy way to acquire information. Creating the survey with Survey Monkey was quick and uncomplicated with options to facilitate your line of questioning. The site was very helpful allowing for different types of questions that needed different methods of feedback. For example you could create a question that requested simple Yes and No answers (which are easier to compare) or a question that solicited more information making answers more personal and opinionated.
- Easy to access through other social networks on the internet. I found that I could access participants; my 'target audience' efficiently by posting the link on Facebook and my Blog and they could access it visa versa. This means I can get the answers I need from the appropriate participants with relative ease. Thus creating results that are comparable and fair.
- Sometimes answers were limited. The creator has to be very specific in the type of question they ask to ensure feedback is relevant. Comment boxes allowed for elaboration but I feel people did not tend to write detailed answers. I would have to be very clear of what information I needed and why the question was asked in the first place to help the participants understanding of their influence on my research. This may help accuracy.
- People may lie or be bias when answering questions for many reasons.
- The skipping of questions made comparison difficult. If someone wanted to skip a question I think it would be helpful to create a 'why box' to help the creator understand results.
Tool 2: Pilot Interview
The interview I first conducted was over the phone with a past student of mine who is now in professional training. I started with a structured approach as I asked questions about the facts, for example; where she is training, and then a semi structured discussion took place were opinions, hopes and aspirations were visited. I wanted to understand how this individual felt about her training past and present and what she would hope to achieve in the near future and there after. This way I could get a real clue as to what her experiences have been within the area of knowledge I am looking to acquire and how advanced dance training is going to equip her for the big wide world.
Advantages
- With an interview you can question feedback. Something might come up that was not expected and you are able to delve into information that you may not have come across with a simple survey. Surveys can be general. Interviews are personal and findings can be more accurate in result. Interviews are good for the interviewees understanding of the participants reasoning.
- One to one interview was relaxed and easy to follow.
- You can judge positive and negative reactions as you perceive them.
- As I am still in touch with participant it is easy to contact her and to record progress or developments.
Disadvantages
- Face to face interview would be a lot better. Some where neutral and comfortable so the conversation/discussion can flow naturally.
- As I had to take notes I had to pause the interview many times to take catch up on what was being said. This disruptive the natural flow of discussion, made it slightly uncomfortable with long silences and also added limits in itself as the participant didn't want to say to much for me to have to write (would use Dictaphone in future).
- As I knew the participant quite well and the participant being an ex-student, she was eager to impress. Answers may have been slightly exaggerated or underplayed according to what she thought I hoped the answers would be. I tried to stay platonic and professional without using my voice when asking a question to convey notes of persuasion. This was also difficult.
- Compared with the survey this process was very time consuming. I would imagine it would be more so if I had to arrange a face to face meeting, which will be the case in the near future. This will be difficult because of time scheduled commitments in the participants and my own timetable. Note taking was also tedious but necessary.
For this tool I had to have two different focus groups. One was with past and present students and the other with friends who had undergone advanced dance training in the past.
For the first group I asked about their advanced dance training, one student is a first year training in London at a well known dance college three others are at a government funded college in the area (on different courses) and two others are studying A-levels, all are training in advanced dance. I wanted to ask them about their experiences and what they are looking to achieve. Where they were now in their progress and their future potential.
With my second focus group I talked to two ex-professional dancers who had had very successful careers and who had under gone career transition, two dancers dancing professionally at the moment and an old friend who I took advanced training with and whose career had took a completely different direction. Again here I wanted to compare experiences and the reality of a career in dance and relative success after advanced dance training.
For ethical reasons I previously seeked permition from participants, participants parents if the student was under 18 and from my own employer.
Advantages
- With two focus groups I can compare results of an aspiring young dancer and a matured dance professional.
- Discussion took a life of its own which added to the complexity of the results.
- A array of opinions, hopes and realities were compared and work-shopped which was great for depth and variety unlike an interview with just one participant.
Disadvantages
- Some comments seemed contrived and were not natural due to saving face in front of other professionals/students.
- It was hard to host, take notes and engage while keeping track of the discussion and who had said what. I did not have a dictaphone as mine had broken so this is something I need to rectify for future meetings.
- As professionals usually work away it will be hard to get them back in the same room again for a while or contact them. Skype may help or even group messages on facebook like SIG.
- Very time consuming trying to arrange times that suited everyone.
- It was hard to get real answers to my questions and come to any finalised conclusions. However the different points of veiw were incredibly interesting.
Tool 4: Pilot Observation
For my pilot observation I observed fellow participants within an advanced class I took part in. I studied their reactions, recall, level of dance technique and how their own previous training got them where they were now. One student was in her 3rd year at a very prestigiouse college in London another was looking to take her advanced exams and others were about to embark on a career of dance all were friendly and welcoming.
Advantages
- It was fun, friendly and familiar. I enjoyed the experience.
- Everyone was positive and happy to help after I had explained the purpose of my observation.
- This is a primary source. I can see first hand natural reactions that are not contrived.
- I did not know any of the participants previously so didnt have any pre-conceived opinion or assuptions on individuials.
- The class occurs weekly so I can go back and record progress and developments.
- It was hard to ask everyone if they minded my observation before hand. Slightly embarrasing when I hadnt met them before. Also the participants may have behaved slightly different if they hadnt of known I was observing them. They may have adapted their behaviour. However, this would not have necessarily influenced results negatively. It would only mean individuals would have tried harder to impress, meaning I could see full ability and utility of their body.
- I wrote up my conclusions at the end of the class once I had arrived home. Maybe in the future it would be better to record the class to help with recall of occurances. I may have left important incidents out or completly missed them when particepating in the class. Furthermore, watching a class rather than participating would have been more appropriate, as then I can take notes as the class progresses. Furthermore, being aware of the participants rather than my own involvment in the class.
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