using sorting strategy in qualitative analysis
TRANSCRIPT
Using Sorting Strategy in Qualitative Analysis
Moving from Codes to Categories & Themes
PhilipAdu,Ph.D.
Methodology Expert
National Center forAcademic & Dissertation Excellence (NCADE)
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
@drphilipadu
8 StepsStep 1:
Assess the characteristics of each code
Step 3:Put the 1st and 2nd dominant codes into
clusters 1 and 2 respectively
Step 2:Determine the
dominant codes Step 4:
Explore potential relationship between the
dominant codes and other codes
Step 5:Put the selected codes into their
respective clusters.
Step 6:Put the
remaining codes in clusters based
on their relationships
Step 7:Label the clusters
Step 8:Sum up the code
frequencies under each
cluster (category or
theme)
Below are examples of the codes created based in the relevant information selected from the transcripts.
…
Its meaning
What it represents
Its frequency
Its generality
Assess the characteristics of each code in terms of:
Its meaning
What it represents
Its frequency
Its generality
If you were to explain
what the code is about
to the research
community, what
would you say? In
simple and practical
terms, what does it
the code mean?
Assess the characteristics of each code in terms of:
Its meaning
What it represents
Its frequency
Its generality
What kind of participants’
response does the code
represent? At this stage,
you could revise the code
(i.e. label given to the
relevant information in
the data) if needed.
Assess the characteristics of each code in terms of:
Its meaning
What it represents
Its frequency
Its generality
How many ‘chunks’ of relevant
information are assigned to
the code?
Assess the characteristics of each code in terms of:
Its meaning
What it represents
Its frequency
Its generality
Based on the significant
information coded, how many
participants are connected to
the code? The number of
sources of the significant
information under each code
Assess the characteristics of each code in terms of:
Its frequency
Its generality
How many ‘chunks’ of relevant
information are assigned to the
code?
AND
Determine the dominant codes by looking at:
Based on the significant
information coded, how many
participants are connected to
the code? The number of
sources of the significant
information under each code
What are students’ benefits of a flipped classroom?
11 Codes were
generated
2nd
dominant code: ‘Helpful course materials’
Two potential dominant
codes were identified
1st
dominant code:
‘Improves engagement’
AND
Code Generality (out of 10
participants)
Frequency
Helpful course materials 5 7
Improves engagement 5 8
Increases motivation 2 3
Increases performance 3 4
Increases students' satisfaction 1 1
Increases value on learning activities 2 2
More prepared for lessons in class 3 3
Perceived students' learning 1 3
Positive view of the course taken 2 2
Promotes active learning 2 3
Reduces stress 1 1
What are students’ benefits of a flipped classroom?
Put the 1st and 2nd dominant codes into clusters 1 and 2 respectively
Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3 Clusters 4
1. Improves engagement 1. Helpful course materials
What are students’ benefits of a flipped classroom?Explore potential relationship between the dominant codes and other codes
Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3 Clusters 4
1. Improves engagement
1. Helpful course materials
Code Generality Frequency
Helpful course materials 5 7
Improves engagement 5 8
Increases motivation 2 3
Increases performance 3 4
Increases students' satisfaction 1 1
Increases value on learning
activities
2 2
More prepared for lessons in
class
3 3
Perceived students' learning 1 3
Positive view of the course
taken
2 2
Promotes active learning 2 3
Reduces stress 1 1
What are students’ benefits of a flipped classroom?
Put the selected codes into their respective clusters Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3 Clusters 4
1. Improves engagement (8)
2. Increases motivation (3)
3. Promotesactive learning (3)
4. More prepared for lessons in class (3)
1. Helpful course materials (7)
2. Increases value on learning activities (2)
Code Generality Frequency
Helpful course materials 5 7
Improves engagement 5 8
Increases motivation 2 3
Increases performance 3 4
Increases students' satisfaction 1 1
Increases value on learning
activities
2 2
More prepared for lessons in
class
3 3
Perceived students' learning 1 3
Positive view of the course
taken
2 2
Promotes active learning 2 3
Reduces stress 1 1
What are students’ benefits of a flipped classroom?Review the remaining codes to determine whether there are potential relationships among them.
Put the codes in clusters based on their relationships
Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3 Clusters 4
1. Improves engagement (8)
2. Increases motivation (3)
3. Promotesactive learning (3)
4. More prepared for lessons in class (3)
1. Helpful course materials (7)
2. Increases value on learning activities (2)
1. Increases performance (4)
2. Perceived students' learning (3)
1. Increases students' satisfaction (1)
2. Positive view of the course taken (2)
Code Generality Frequency
Helpful course materials 5 7
Improves engagement 5 8
Increases motivation 2 3
Increases performance 3 4
Increases students' satisfaction 1 1
Increases value on learning
activities
2 2
More prepared for lessons in
class
3 3
Perceived students' learning 1 3
Positive view of the course
taken
2 2
Promotes active learning 2 3
Reduces stress 1 1
What are students’ benefits of a flipped classroom?
Create a cluster for the code which doesn’t have any connection or relationship with the clusters
Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3 Clusters 4 Cluster 5
1. Improves engagement (8)
2. Increases motivation (3)
3. Promotesactive learning (3)
4. More prepared for lessons in class (3)
1. Helpful course materials(7)
2. Increases value on learning activities(2)
1. Increases performance (4)
2. Perceived students' learning(3)
1. Increases students' satisfaction (1)
2. Positive view of the course taken (2)
Reduces stress (1)
Code Generality Frequency
Helpful course materials 5 7
Improves engagement 5 8
Increases motivation 2 3
Increases performance 3 4
Increases students' satisfaction 1 1
Increases value on learning
activities
2 2
More prepared for lessons in
class
3 3
Perceived students' learning 1 3
Positive view of the course
taken
2 2
Promotes active learning 2 3
Reduces stress 1 1
What are students’ benefits of a flipped classroom?Examine the codes in each cluster.
Label the clustersCluster 1: Improves students engagement
Cluster 2: Increases value on learning activities and course materials
Cluster 3: Increases academic performance
Clusters 4: Increases students' satisfaction
Cluster 5: Reducesstress
1. Improves engagement (8)
2. Increases motivation (3)
3. Promotes active learning (3)
4. More prepared for lessons in class (3)
1. Helpful course materials (7)
2. Increases value on learning activities(2)
1. Increases performance (4)
2. Perceived students' learning (3)
1. Increases students' satisfaction (1)
2. Positive view of the course taken (2)
Reduces stress (1)
Note: Be creative and flexible in this process. You could use one of the codes to label the cluster if it best represents the codes in the cluster. You could call the cluster categories or themes. If there are a lot of clusters, you could do further analysis to generate themes.
What are students’ benefits of a flipped classroom?
Sum up the code frequencies under each cluster (category or theme)Cluster 1: Improves students engagement (17)
Cluster 2: Increases value on learning activities and course materials (9)
Cluster 3: Increases academic performance (7)
Clusters 4: Increases students' satisfaction (3)
Cluster 5: Reducesstress (1)
1. Improves engagement (8)
2. Increases motivation (3)
3. Promotes active learning (3)
4. More prepared for lessons in class (3)
1. Helpful course materials (7)
2. Increases value on learning activities(2)
1. Increases performance (4)
2. Perceived students' learning (3)
1. Increases students' satisfaction (1)
2. Positive view of the course taken (2)
Reduces stress (1)
SummaryStep 1:
Assess the characteristics of each code
Step 3:Put the 1st and 2nd dominant codes into
clusters 1 and 2 respectively
Step 2:Determine the
dominant codes Step 4:
Explore potential relationship between the
dominant codes and other codes
Step 5:Put the selected codes into their
respective clusters.
Step 6:Put the
remaining codes in clusters based
on their relationships
Step 7:Label the clusters
Step 8:Sum up the code
frequencies under each
cluster (category or
theme)
Philip Adu, PhD.
Methodology Expert
National Center forAcademic & Dissertation Excellence (NCADE) The
Chicago School of Professional Psychology
You could reach me at [email protected] and @drphilipadu on twitter.
To cite this document,copy the following:
Adu, P. (2017, August 27). Using Sorting Strategy in Qualitative Analysis. Retrieved August 26, 2017, from
https://www.slideshare.net/kontorphilip/using-sorting-strategy-in-qualitative-analysis