Themes

1
Themes

• Using Codes to Find Themes
• Pia DiPaola
• Psy 360L
• Fall 2006

2
First Step

• Look through all of your datayes again.
• Make sure you have the right codes for your
  research.

3
Example Codes

• Codes from my project last year
• Toys
• 235 books in the room
• Group toys and individual toys
• Physical center
• Windows are all down at kids eye level.
• Toys shelves are accessible to children
• Policies
• The facility has specific guidelines for how
  faculty work.
• Laws regulate
• Faculty
• Teachers put personal touch to each class. Have
  flexibility

4
Look over your dataagainanswer the following
questions
Taken from Professor Munozs webpage

• What are patterns that are present in the data?
• What are similarities between data?
• How do the codes interact?
• Are there two or three codes that are connected
  in some way?
• What emerges out of these interactions?
• What are the themes that emerge out of the data?

5
What are your answers?
An example of my answers would be

• Toys
• 235 books in the room
• Group toys and individual toys
• Physical center
• Windows are all down at kids eye level.
• Toys shelves are accessible to children

These codes interact because they are things you
can see, touch, feel, which take up physical
space.
6

• Ask yourself
• IS THIS INTERACTION IMPORTANT TO MY RESEARCH
  QUESTION?
• If yes You might have a theme!
• If no- Keep looking for more meaningful
  interactions

The next slide is an example of if the
interaction IS meaningful and a theme develops.
7
ThemeLearning through the physical environment
Codes
examples
Toys
Physical Center
Books
windows
Bookshelves
Stuffed Animals
Play areas
trucks
8
Again what did you get from your answers? Other
interactions
Another example from my work would be

• Policies
• The facility has specific guidelines for how
  faculty work.
• Laws regulate
• Faculty
• Teachers put personal touch to each class. Have
  flexibility

These codes dictate what happens at the physical
center. Laws as well as individual differences
influence what learning the child is exposed to.
9
ThemeThe influence of policies on learning
Government Laws and Policies
Teachers personal preferences
Daily schedule
Child to Faculty ratio
Toys in room
Employment screening