June 6, 2012

Parents' choices about language mode and use

Kate Crowe is one of my PhD students who is working on a fascinating and important topic. She is examining parental choices about the language mode (speech / signing) and language (English / Arabic / Greek / etc) for children with hearing loss. She has asked over 100 parents using a survey that included both open-ended questions and closed questions. She has been analysing the quantitative data with A/Prof David McKinnon, and the qualitative data with Dr Loraine Fordham. This picture shows the first stage of analysis of the qualitative data - using the old-fashioned technique of reading and sorting meaning statements to create themes. She is now entering the data into NVivo to undertake further analyses of the important insights these parents have given about the factors that influence their choices.
Dr Libbey Murray and Kate Crowe discussing emerging themes from Kate's data (in Brisbane)
UPDATE February 2013:
Here is the link to the published paper from this research
http://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/part-of-our-world-influences-on.html