Following a literature review and establishing my research focus, this blog post outlines the methodological approach adopted to explore the research question: What learning and teaching activities can help create a culture of belonging for international students within creative business postgraduate courses?
Being an ethnographer by training (I am not a numbers academic!!), my study employs a qualitative, exploratory research design, grounded in the principles of being inductive where a hypothesis is not being tested – I am exploring a phenomenon. The lens for conducting this research stems from an interpretivist philosophy, which assumes that knowledge is generated through interpreting and understanding the meanings that humans attach to their actions (O’Reilly, 2012). The research aim is to understand some of the experiences and perspectives of PG international students and identify specific activities that nurture a sense of belonging within creative business postgraduate environments.
Research summary:
- Qualitative: The focus is on gathering rich, in-depth data that captures the nuances of student experiences.
- Exploratory Framework: Given the limited research on belonging in this specific context, the study seeks to uncover patterns and generate insights rather than test hypotheses.
- Inductive Reasoning: Themes and patterns are identified organically from the data, ensuring the findings are grounded in participants’ voices.
- Interpretative Approach: Emphasis is placed on understanding and interpreting the meaning behind participants’ responses to reveal deeper insights. (Denzin and Lincoln, 2011)
To gather the relevant data, I first thought of a multi-method approach, namely a survey and a focus group. As students took some time to respond (1 week+) and I reached 11 respondents, my ARP tutor suggested I only conduct a survey and a focus group may not be needed. I felt unsure at first as I am aware of the limited participants but even with such a small sample I was able to uncover some interesting findings. The survey was produced via Microsoft Forms, incorporating 10 questions, 3 being open-ended. My tutor suggested I format it by starting with closed questions and end with free text to inspire more participation. This format allowed participants the flexibility to share their thoughts and experiences in their own words, ensuring a wealth of qualitative data for analysis. Questions focused on understanding students’ perceptions of belonging, their experiences with learning and teaching activities, and their suggestions for improvement.
Sample Characteristics:
Participants: 11 students enrolled in the MA Strategic Fashion Marketing (MASFM) course at London College of Fashion (current students 2024-25 and from the 2023-24 academic year). This judgement sample was purposefully selected to include diverse perspectives from students within the program including students from China, Brazil, Austria, America, Chile, India, Germany, and Taiwan. The sample was based on the researcher’s judgement and the aim of the research, looking for those who have had the experiences relating to the researched phenomenon (Kruger, 1988).
To ensure the reliability and validity of findings, the following measures were taken:
- Transparency: The entire process, from data collection to analysis, was documented thoroughly.
- Reflexivity: The researcher remained aware of personal biases and their potential influence on interpretation.
- Triangulation: Themes were cross-checked with existing literature and key stakeholders to enhance credibility.
While the methodology provided actionable insights, one clear limitation was that with 11 participants, findings may not fully capture the diversity of experiences across all international students.
By centering students’ voices and experiences, the study aims to offer actionable recommendations to educators and institutions striving to create inclusive and supportive learning environments.
References:
Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S. eds., 2011. The Sage handbook of qualitative research. Sage.
Kruger, S.V., 1988. Focus group interview. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 14(4).
O’ Reilly, K., 2012. Ethnographic methods. Routledge.
Saunders, M.N. and Lewis, P., 2012. Doing research in business & management: An essential guide to planning your project. Pearson.