Visibilities and invisibilities in data reuse: video records of practice in education

Jasmine Smith,Elizabeth Yakel,Kara Suzuka,Rebecca D Frank

doi:10.1177/14687941211005955

Abstract

This article investigates data reuse or the secondary analysis of qualitative data, specifically video records of practice in education, which are used to study the complex cognitive, social, and logistical issues involved in teaching and learning processes. It examines reuse through the lens of the invisibilities experienced by educational researchers who perform secondary analysis on video records of practice. Drawing on 22 in-depth interviews with educational researchers, we examine how they conceptualize secondary analysis of qualitative video data and cope with invisibilities in the data. For example, knowing the original research question was not sufficient: reusers needed to understand more about the intentionality of the data producer. They also sought more information on the reflexivity of the original researcher and how this influenced data production. Additionally, reusers discussed the creation of evidence from the video during secondary analysis as teaching and learning themselves entail invisible processes.

Highlights

Data reuse or secondary analysis is plagued by gaps in data documentation and unknowns regarding the original data collection activities
We examine how data reusers perceive the invisibilities inherent in qualitative data, originally collected with other research aims, through an examination of educational researchers who reuse video records of practice to study the complex cognitive, social, and logistical issues involved in teaching and learning processes (Lewis 2007)
Our results examine how educational researchers negotiate the reuse of video records of practice

Summary

Introduction

Data reuse or secondary analysis is plagued by gaps in data documentation and unknowns regarding the original data collection activities. In order to meaningfully reuse data, data reusers must overcome these and other challenges. This problem is even more acute in qualitative research, where the investigator is so closely linked to data production: the data producer is literally part of the instrumentation. We examine how data reusers perceive the invisibilities inherent in qualitative data, originally collected with other research aims, through an examination of educational researchers who reuse video records of practice to study the complex cognitive, social, and logistical issues involved in teaching and learning processes (Lewis 2007). This article focuses on researchers who have sought and reused digital video records of practice to study educational activities, practices, and processes

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion