open-ended data was analysed together with the interview data collected using thematic analysis.
Article IV is a qualitative study informed by the systematic review findings reported in Article I. Teachers’ ways of supporting music students in managing and coping with their experienced workload were explored through the open-ended data together with the interview data collected using thematic analysis.
Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomenological approach—which is based on Husserl’s (1931) transcendental phenomenology—was chosen as a research methodology for the MSW project. This methodology offered an effective qualitative approach to obtaining a meaningful understanding of the essence of human experience, particularly when researching experiences of everyday life in order to support individuals or groups who have
similar experiences (Jääskeläinen, 2022b). In addition, Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomenology provided detailed steps that were useful when attempting to find a model for a compact and practical research-based analysis procedure for processing and incorporating students’ feedback into administrative and teaching developments and educational policies. In the research plan and data collection stages prior to the data analysis procedure, Moustakas (1994) transcendental phenomenological approach was adapted following other scholars’ procedures (e.g., Creswell, 2007; Creswell et al., 2007; Dell et al., 2014; Moerer-Urdahl & Creswell, 2004) (see Table 3).13
See Jääskeläinen (2022b) for a full explanation of the adaptation of the methodology of transcendental phenomenology.
13
Table 3. The adaptation of Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomenological approach used in this dissertation prior to the data analysis procedure
Phases 1–3 of the adaptation of the transcendental phenomenological approach 1. Determining the
methodological approach
Rationale for adopting transcendental phenomenology:
• Provides a step-by-step approach to qualitatively capture the insights and key features of music students’ experiences.
• Suitable for examining different contexts of multiple educational institutions across both Finland and the United Kingdom that had expressed an interest in participating in the study.
• Compatible with the practical time constraints (researcher’s full-time work alongside doctoral studies) and the scope of the study.
• It would have been possible to include more countries if the researcher had the ability to devote more time to data collection.
2. Identifying a phenomenon of interest to study
The workload experiences of music students in higher education:
• Researcher’s familiarity with the phenomenon due to experience working in music study programmes within university administration.
• The topic of student workload appeared to be both an important and a neglected area of study in higher music education, according to the literature review.
3. Practising epoche Bracketing of researcher’s own experiences; identifying hidden assumptions, and remaining persistently curious about the phenomena (LeVasseur, 2003):
• Practising reflection (Alvesson & Sköldberg, 2009) to identify the hidden
assumptions (e.g., workload is often understood as including only negative aspects of overload and stress).
• Practising reflexivity (Bolton, 2010) to ensure that these hidden assumptions do not interfere with the study (e.g., remaining open about different nuances of music students’ workload that may differ from general assumptions about students’
workload).
• Recalling the researcher’s own experiences in relation to playing piano as a hobby and working in the university administration, to become more aware of the researcher’s own biases.
• As a researcher, acknowledging the advantages of not having a music background (e.g., no interference from related biases and preconceptions, such as assigning stereotypes to different instrumentalists) as well as the disadvantages (e.g., difficulties in achieving an in-depth understanding during discussions with participants).
•As a researcher, preparing myself before the interviews and data analysis to be able to recognise and acknowledge the participants’ unique experiences (e.g., discussing unclear matters with supervisors and colleagues in the doctoral community, observing music students in the classes, and interviewing music teachers).
(Continued)
Phases 4–6 of the adaptation of the transcendental phenomenological approach 4. Data collection of
individual experiences of the phenomenon
Gathering data on music students’ individual experiences of their workload:
•Obtaining ethical approvals from the related research ethics committees (Uniarts Research Ethics Committee in Finland and Conservatoires UK Research Ethics Committee in the United Kingdom), and research permissions from the seven randomly chosen higher music education institutions in Finland and the United Kingdom.
• Sending an invitation to participate voluntarily (and without compensation) via participating institutions’ student email lists and newsletters.
• Collecting data through both a survey and interviews (with both including an information sheet and consent form).
5. Two general- purpose questions for the interviewees
Conducting the semi-structured in-depth interviews:
• Interviewing on a one-to-one basis (with the author of this dissertation as the interviewer), either in face-to-face sessions on campus or remotely via Skype and WhatsApp (spanned from 30 to 90 minutes).
•As part of the MSW project, focusing on two general-purpose questions (Creswell, 2007) about the experiences of the phenomenon and the associated contexts (such as the learning environments and the university culture) in order to gain a common understanding of the participants’ experiences: 1) What has the participant experienced with regards to the workload of their studies? And 2) Which contexts have influenced the participant’s experiences of the workload for their studies?
•Subdividing these two broad questions into several questions (informed by current research, e.g., Deasy et al., 2014) that focused on the music students’ experiences of coping with workload and stress in higher music education:
o Please tell me what it is like to be a student at the higher music education level.
o How would you characterise your experience of being a student in terms of the workload for your studies?
o How do you cope with the workload?
o If you think about your own workload experience, is there anything stressful about being a student?
o What is that stressful/workload experience like?
o How do you cope with stress? Do you have any strategies?
o How has your participation in this research affected your experience in terms of increasing your awareness and your ability to better cope with your study workload?
o Other topics associated with study workload and life in general, depending on the themes that arose from the participants’ interests (see Rubin & Rubin, 2012).
6. Validation Ensuring the quantity and quality of the collected data:
•Audio-recording the interviews (20 hours in total) which were then transcribed verbatim by the researcher (10%) and a transcription service (90%) (406 double- spaced pages in total).
• Sending the transcripts to the participants to be corrected before undergoing data analysis.