Data Analysis... It's Reading Between the Lines!

I had a resourceful Skype tutorial yesterday, and it has helped guide my thinking and continued analysis. At this point I have collected all of the data (interviews complete) and begun reflecting, writing, and discovering. 

I had been comparing the responses of my participants to see where there is overlap agreements, differences, and themes emerging among high school dance teachers across the U.S. An intriguing thing I have found is the amount of participants who do not practice (or at least speak of and value) the ideas that the literature is telling readers to stress in their dance pedagogy practices. For example, much of the theorists and articles I read discuss the importance of including student self-assessment/ reflection/ writing as a major factor of their overall grade, as a source of skill demonstration and growth in their dance technique courses (not just physical demonstration). I do not do this nearly enough in my own practice, and I found that while many of the participants do, they don't weigh it as heavily as high stakes, one-shot assessments like performances and projects. These discoveries have lead me to realize that much of my analysis is going to be in what the data is not telling me directly. If I'm being told 'A, B, and D,' I shouldn't necessarily spend my energy trying to understand 'A, B, and D,' but rather question, 'Why isn't there a C?' What values are missing in the data, and why do I think that is so?

I was reminded during my conversation with Adesola that I can't be putting the cart before the horse. I have to remind myself of the original inquiry, regardless of if the data I ultimately end up is what I expected or not. While the responses were interesting, and I plan on discussing them a great deal in my analysis, I have to remember to revisit my original question and let that be the driving engine.

I was even going to ask for support on the literature review and professional artifact, but was appropriately interrupted and reminded that I can't even start to consider these things if my analysis is still in its early stages. The analysis happens first, because more literature may need to be added. The analysis happens first, because then I will know how to present it. I have a tendency to have things super neatened up and planned from the start, but I have to let go and allow the process to be a bit dirtier!