Thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analysing, and interpreting patterns aka themes within qualitative data. After completing my interviews and receiving the questionnaire responses, I followed the six steps recommended by Clarke and Braun (2017):
Step 1: Become familiar with the data
Step 2: Generate initial codes
Step 3: Search for themes
Step 4: Review and refine themes
Step 5: Define and name themes
Step 6: Write up
I will only cover the first 5 steps in this blog post.
Step 1: Become familiar with the data
To do this, I printed out the interview transcripts for annotation. I highlighted phrases that stood out to me in terms of psychological safety and sharing. I noted initial observations, such as mentions of trust, fear of judgment, or collaborative practices and used thematic content analysis to identify common themes
across the transcribed interviews (Clarke and Braun, 2017).
Rough notes after transcribing, reading and re-reading the interviews and questionnaires as follows:
Participants seem to value safe spaces for for exploration and sharing unfinished ideas and drafts without fear of judgment.
Large groups and unfamiliar settings tend to inhibit participation. Strategies like anonymity and proactive facilitation (e.g., encouraging participation) can help create safer online spaces.
Feeling respected and being able to express oneself freely, even when views differ, are key to psychological safety.
Participants associated this with an inclusive atmosphere where differences are acknowledged and accepted.
Step 2: Code generation
I have decided to use. open coding – I don’t know what is going to emerge out of the research (if anything!) so this seems to be the best approach.
Using the initial notes as a starting point, I started to work through the data (transcripts and questionnaire responses) to create codes. Codes are concise labels that captured key features of the data relevant to the research question. This step involved both data-driven (inductive) and theory-driven (deductive) approaches.
I highlighted different segments of text and assigned descriptive codes, e.g., “fear of criticism,” “peer support,” “power imbalance,” and “trust-building activities.”
I then colour-coded each group according to the relevant code (e.g., codes related to fear in orange, collaboration in green, etc.) and then pulled out each code and put it onto Miro.
Examples of codes:
- Fear of critique in competitive settings
- Feeling excluded in group activities.
- Competitiveness with peers discouraging sharing.
- Encouragement to share drafts.
- Safe spaces for experimentation.
Step 3: Searching for themes
The thematic analysis of the questionnaires and interviews revealed several initial emergent themes, listed below:
- Curating safe spaces
- Respect, inclusion and identity in creative spaces
- Creating non-competitive learning environments
- Group dynamics
- Cultural barriers
- The role of the tutor
- Designing it into the curriculum
Step 4: Review and refine themes
During my analysis, I found I needed to take a closer look at my initial themes to make sure they really captured what my participants were telling me and that each theme told its own clear story. Looking back at my data, I wanted to be certain they worked together naturally within each theme.
I noticed some themes were actually telling similar stories and some codes appeared in multiple places (e.g., cultural aspects appear under both Cultural barriers and Respect, inclusion and identity)
“Curating safe spaces” and “Creating non-competitive learning environments” also have significant overlap – both deal with fostering supportive learning atmospheres so the themes of these can most likely be combined… similarly, “The role of the tutor” and “Group dynamics” both touch on interpersonal relationships in learning.
Initial thoughts…
- Curating safe spaces could be elevated to an overarching theme, with Creating non-competitive learning environments as a sub-theme
- Designing it into the curriculum and The role of the tutor could be merged
- Cultural barriers could be integrated into Respect, inclusion and identity for a more cohesive narrative
Step 5: Define and name themes
Defining and naming themes involved clearly articulating what each theme captured and its significance in answering the research question. This step ensured the themes were distinct, cohesive, and meaningful. It also helps me to clarify the meaning of each theme and, crucially, how it helps me to interpret the data.
The defined themes I ended up with:
Creating conditions for trust: The foundational environmental and interpersonal conditions necessary for learners to feel secure enough to share their work and ideas.
Structure and empathy: The intentional pedagogical frameworks and institutional structures that facilitate safe sharing and learning
Overcoming cultural barriers to sharing: The identification and navigation of cultural differences that impact willingness and ability to share in educational settings
Power dynamics in groups: The recognition and management of power relationships and their impact on group interaction and learning
Examples of data
Questionnaire responses
Anonymised student interview transcript
References
Clarke, V. and Braun, V. (2017) ‘Thematic analysis’, The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(3), pp. 297–298. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1262613.