Sample and Sampling Procedures. To collect quantitative data purposeful sampling was used to select participants for the study. The criteria for selection of participants were: teachers of different departments with more than three years of teaching experience. Teachers of English Language, Kazakh Language, Russian Language, Mathematics and Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Art and PE departments were chosen to participate in the study. Overall, about 80 of teachers with more than three years of teaching experience were to have taken the survey, however, 77 responses were returned (more than 60 % of the teachers at the school). Based on the results of survey, 1 representative teacher from each department was invited to participate in interview. Teachers of 20 year experience and more than 3 years teaching experience at the research site took part in interview. In order to ensure comparable qualitative data the same ‘purposeful’ sampling approach was chosen to be employed for recruiting interview participants. This allowed the selection of relevant participants who provided information that was compared to that of the quantitative data. The research site was one of the schools for gifted children in Southern Kazakhstan. The chosen school is a suitable research site for this research since major school reforms were first piloted in this school before being mainstreamed to the rest of Kazakhstan.
Sample and Sampling Procedures. Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, the target population of the research that the present study investigated is 12th grade students attending a school for gifted and talented in Kazakhstan, who have already reached the age of 18. The study used non- probability purposive sampling because the focus of the research is to study PVRC bullying specifically among students who are defined as academically gifted. Aspects of bullying were analysed according to gender, language of instruction, ethnicity, academic performance and residence. Those characteristics were used as additional information for descriptive analysis as well as to investigate the relationship between the variables.
Sample and Sampling Procedures. Following the suggestion of Xxxx & Xxxx (1996) who suggested start with those participants you found first, and then ask them to refer you to others ‘if there are no candidates who can fall into the category of the interest’ (p.113). Two teachers of Grade 4 and 5 were the first willing to participate after the first meeting, where I presented myself and the aims of my research. Then in the further conversations other teachers volunteered to take part in the observations. Thus, the participants were comprised of five female classroom teachers and one male teacher. They were recommended by each other through snowball sampling. None of the teachers had special training in inclusive or special education but had some experience working with disabilities as employees at this school. See Table 1 for the description of the study participants. Table 1. Description of Participants Participants Age Experience subject SEN* number / total students number Teacher 1 58 27 years all in Primary, Grade 4 3 / 28 teacher 2 37 15 years all in Primary, Grade 4 2 / 23 Teacher 3 53 25 years all in primary, Grade 5 0 with severe needs / 18 Teacher 4 50 30 years all in correction class, Grade 9 5 with severe mental disabilities Teacher 5 28 6 years English to Grade 5 to 11 average of 20 students in class Teacher 6 25 2 years English to grades 1 to 9 2 / 20 in average *SEN - students with special educational needs The Instruments for Data Collection The approach of collecting data in ethnography evolved during the research process. Interviews and observations were not structured or fixed in advance but were more of an open nature. They formed the triangulation of methods for data collection and underpinned the points to observe in the school. Both information during and after the interviews played a role on formation of a general overview of the situation and attitudes of teachers. Bearing this in mind, I took two interviews from each teacher and had informal discussions with each after observing their lessons. The teachers also showed me the artefacts of the students, their progress portfolios and discussed the methods for teaching following the observations. Non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews were the best methods of data collection in this research as they provided a process of open and comfortable conversations between teachers and researcher. The procedure for observing the lessons was planned in advance to observe the points the researcher was interest...
