Principles of effective training for anyone who has to teach aspects of qualitative research

1. Learning People to be
Qualitative Researchers
Terrible grammar; great concept.
A presentation for anyone who has to
train others in qual.
Joanna Chrzanowska, FMRS
Genesis Consulting/QualitativeMind

2. Notice ‘to be’ qualitative researchers.
You can just do it, but excellence in qual demands you be one.
Because the researcher is the research instrument and therefore
influences the quality of the research for better or worse.
So some self-awareness and personal development is eventually
part of the job.

3. What do you think
Training
is?

4. Training is something we do
to others.
They learn what the trainer
wants them to learn.

5. Learning is different
Learning is about taking responsibility and using it to go somewhere. It’s a
very important change of perspective.
As children we learnt very
easily. We can all still find
learning easy and enjoyable.

6. Learning is about the construction of skills and
meaning, using ‘scaffolding’, language, practice,
engagement, and encouragement out of the
comfort zone.
It is not just transmitting information.

7. Your learners will already know a
lot about building relationships,
asking questions, listening well
and interpreting meaning. They
have done it since they could
talk.
But they don’t know they know it.
So much of the training is about
formalising the knowledge, and
building awareness of the skills,
in theory and in practice.

8. Principles of learning: 1
Get their attention!
Give a good reason to listen and
participate.
I find that looking at qual skills as
life skills, that will help in a
variety of situations, is a good
start.

9. Principles of learning: 2
Signpost and share objectives.
They don’t know what they don’t
know, so they feel a little lost.
Telling them what will happen
and what they will get from it
will give them confidence.

10. Principles of learning: 3
Remind them of what they
already know.
For example: do a group exercise
about what skills are needed
for managing a
discussion, and they will come
up with a number of relevant
points, just from life
experience.

11. Principles of learning: 4
Present the content.
In chunks, with exercises in
between.
Include video if you can, or at
the very least, do an
interviewing demonstration
yourself, giving them an
observation sheet to give
feedback.

12. Principles of learning: 5
Practice.
Give clear instructions and
developmental feedback.
Start with simpler exercises;
end up with a practice
group discussion. Ideally
video-record it so you can
all watch later and analyse
what happened.

13. You should leave them with a set of principles and a
cognitive map that they can apply to all the work
they do.
In this way, grasshopper, they can carry on learning for themselves..

14. Here is an example of a ‘map’ that can be applied to project
design, guide design and even analysis.
Culture
Shared meanings, values, ‘rules’, symbols, discourses.
Individual
Rational and conscious
Social
What people say they think and do;
conscious perceptions, Group attitudes and behaviour
attitudes and behaviours Social influence, group norms
Individual Emotional
What people really mean, do, need,
desire, engage with. Sometimes out of
conscious awareness.

15. Result: constantly increasing confidence