Dependability
Dependability involves the reliability of the findings and ensuring that
the methods used and the process of interpretation are documented. An attempt
was made to provide a comprehensive and clear outline of instrument development,
research methods and analysis measures to increase the likelihood that
the
study could be repeated. According to Lincoln and Guba (1985), dependability
can also be established through an audit. In this study, the auditor examined
the process by which the various stages of the study, including analytic
techniques, were conducted to determine whether this process was applicable
to the research undertaken and whether it was applied consistently.
Transferability
The use of thick description was important in this study to capture the
reality of the participants and as a means to better understand the complex
social
phenomenon of family literacy. Further, the rich and carefully detailed
descriptions offer interested readers an opportunity to be able to compare
contextual
factors from this study to other settings and determine if findings
from this inquiry may be applicable to other persons in additional contexts.
Summary of the Study Methods
In this section I provided a description of the research paradigm and
methods
used in my study. Following from the qualitative case study framework
chosen for this research, I, as the researcher, was the primary means
of data
collection, interpretation, and analysis. The choice of methods was
based on a sociocultural
perspective and driven first by the significance of the subject
of family literacy and second by an emphasis on understanding the nature
and
meaning
of literate behavior. To learn about the role of family environment
and literacy development, I relied upon descriptive research in the form
of
naturalistic observations. Interrogation served to uncover what was
done and why. My
role
for data collected in the schools was that of a non-participant
observer (Creswell, 1994; Cohen and Manion, 1989). The primary research data
were a combination of audiotaped recordings of personal communications
between the parents and me. Several short interviews with the parents were
conducted
in person at their home. External expert review and peer analysis
of
the transcriptions and coding process helped ensure the validity of
the
codes and categories developed from the data.
In the next chapter, Presentation
of Findings, I provide a summary of the data collected, beginning
first with data gathered in the home setting and then I look at data
from the school context.
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