Comparison of answers

After I had completed a breakdown and comparison of answers from the teachers, I turned to the interviewees and moving from paragraph to paragraph as I had done with the questionnaire, compared the answers from the various experts as I did with the teachers. I quoted answers directly from the transcripts and put references next to their names referring the reader to the relevant appendix where the transcript is. I wrote a whole paragraph giving the synopsis of my interview with the teacher who carried out the test.

Layout of the chapters

Having decided on the main lay-out of the two chapters, I began to complete each section starting with the questionnaires and extracting quotations from the various teachers to complete the section. For example, "The importance of colour" was the first heading. All 22 teachers agreed it was important and then I quoted for example, one teacher commented colour "gives and insight to their emotional and psychological state". I did this throughout the various sections, at all times referring the reader to the relevant appendix e.g. (appendix 1.1). I did this throughout both chapters.

Setting out the Findings/ Discussion of Findings

I laid out the chapter of the Finding by, first of all, tackling the questionnaire and then moving on to the interview but I decided to, basically, use some of the questions in the questionnaire making their subject the heading for the section and keeping them through the interviews and also the discussion of the findings so that suitable comments and comparisons would be easy to make. The main general headings were:

The importance of colour

Response to stimuli such as pictures or shapes

Use of signs and symbols in class

I added for the interviewees to extract more technical information:

The psychological and emotional development of children

Continuing Findings

I continued considering what I should put in my findings chapter. Having explained the responses to the questions from the teachers at the two schools, I began to look at how I could discuss the advice I received from the interviews I had carried out in early March and mid-April when I interviewed the teacher who had actually carried out the field test. She was very encouraging. She and the children had enjoyed using the system and she was keen for it to be introduced into all the schools. I transcribed all the interviews I have recorded and have the transcriptions in the appendices as appendix 2.1 - 2.6.

Questionnaire

First I looked at the questionnaire. Ultimately I passed out 30 questionnaires to the two schools and was pleased to receive back 22 well-thought out and encouraging responses. These I tabulated and put the results in the appendices. First appendix 1 was a copy of the questionnaire I sent out and I followed this with appendices chart 1 - 8 which gave the results of the questionnaire using pie charts and bar graphs according to the information supplied.

In the text of the chapter I have explained the reasons for the questions and the teachers response to it. In a number of cases I have given direct quotes from some of the questionnaires. All the teachers thought my idea was very good and one or two actually wished me good luck if I went ahead with the project.

Time to write the Findings

After writing the Methodology and carrying out the various interviews I had had to do, I began considering the findings section of the dissertation i.e. what sort of information I had received from the interviews and questionnaires which I conducted.

Constructing the Final Piece

The signs were designed on A4 paper in the form of a square with the corners rounded so that, if the child picked one up he/she would not hurt themselves. They were then cut into shape and glued to foam board. On the reverse I placed a piece of "Velcro" which would then adhere to the main board which would be placed at the front of the class. The teacher can then attach the sign to the board at will, if necessary, taking it off the board to hold it up to emphasise a point.

The special needs signs I made slightly smaller and laminated them so that they would not be damaged if a child got hold of one.

I will be doing a test run for a prototype of the final piece from 6 - 14 April with a teacher from St Clara's school and then doing a follow- up interview with her to find out how she and the children got on. I am keeping my fingers crossed but am quietly hopeful all will be well.

Finally I have come up with a name for the product "Early Signs" and am toying with the idea of extending my designs to "Early Letters" and, possibly, "Early Numbers" if the present project comes off .