Using Sorting Strategy in Qualitative Analysis

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

[email protected]

@drphilipadu

mailto:[email protected]

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.

…

When moving from codes to

categories and themes,

you could…

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?


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.


Its meaning

What it represents

Its frequency

Its generality

How many ‘chunks’ of relevant

information are assigned to

the code?


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


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


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


1. Improves engagement

1. Helpful course materials

Code Generality Frequency






Increases value on learning

activities

2 2

More prepared for lessons in

class

3 3


Positive view of the course

taken

2 2


Reduces stress 1 1


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)








activities

2 2


class

3 3



taken

2 2


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







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)








activities

2 2


class

3 3



taken

2 2


Reduces stress 1 1


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. Helpful course materials(7)

2. Increases value on learning activities(2)


2. Perceived students' learning(3)



Reduces stress (1)








activities

2 2


class

3 3



taken

2 2


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



3. Promotes active learning (3)








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.


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)



3. Promotes active learning (3)








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

[email protected]

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




https://www.slideshare.net/kontorphilip/using-sorting-strategy-in-qualitative-analysis

Using Sorting Strategy in Qualitative Analysis

Education