A reflection on the methodology used for a qualitative longitudinal study

This paper presents a reflection on the methodology used for a qualitative longitudinal study of the teaching of Modern Greek (Greek) in Western Australia under the Seconded Teachers from Greece Scheme (STGS). The study, a first of its kind, addressed an area of need in the teaching of Greek, investigating the perspectives of the key stakeholders in teaching Greek as a second language in WA under this particular scheme. The study was located within the interpretivist paradigm, with the theoretical position being that of symbolic interactionism. The methodology used was that of grounded theory and the research methods included document study, semi-structured interviewing, and participant and non-participant observation. The data analysis methods included coding, specifically open-coding and related methods. The reflection reported in this paper sheds light on the positive aspects of the methodology used for this study, as well as the issues that arose along the way, drawing conclusions that will hopefully assist other researchers undertaking this type of study.