Investigating change in subjectivity: the analysis of Q-sorts in longitudinal research
Morea, N.
It is advisable to refer to the publisher's version if you intend to cite from this work. See Guidance on citing. To link to this item DOI: 10.1016/j.rmal.2022.100025 Abstract/SummaryA growing number of studies in applied linguistics have used Q methodology to systematically explore language learners’ and teachers’ subjectivity (e.g., opinions, beliefs, identity, emotions). However, very few studies have used Q methodology and its technique to investigate change over time or after an intervention, partly because of a lack of guidelines on how to analyse Q-sorts completed by the same subjects at different time points. This article aims to provide guidance on how paired Q-sorts can be analysed and to discuss the opportunities and challenges in using the Q-sort method within repeated-measures research designs. To achieve this aim, a systematic review of longitudinal studies (observational and experimental) across research fields was conducted. Twenty-five studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected and scrutinised. Although the review revealed a high degree of heterogeneity in the approaches used to analyse paired Q-sorts, these could be grouped into three broad categories, labelled “Q-factor analysis”, “descriptive statistics” and “inferential tests”, which are summarised and critically discussed. Based on the findings of the review and in line with the principle of holistic inquiry characterising Q methodology, a mixed-methods analytical approach is then proposed and exemplified using a dataset from a quasi-experimental study on pre-service teachers’ beliefs about multilingualism.
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