Testing Lecture Comprehension Through Listening-to-summarize Cloze Tasks

6.5 Transcription of TAPs, Retelling Protocols and Interviews.......

and Interviews

In order to facilitate qualitative data analysis, all the recorded audiofiles must be
transformed into words and this process is called transcription. Transcription is a
lengthy process which needs patience and prudence. Walford’s method of listening
to the recordings repeatedly was used during the transcription of TAPs, retelling
protocols and interviews. Walford (2001) holds the view that repeated listening can
strengthen the sense of the event and avoid trusting the transcript blindly. Because
the TAPs are all the participants’thinking fragments, a strong sense of event is
needed to make sure what all those fragments mean in the particular context. In the
current project, the researcher observed and heard the participants carefully and
wrote downfield notes in the whole process of qualitative data collection, and could
identify those vague parts in the reported TAPs during the interview phase. The
transcripts were double-checked to make sure they were faithful to the original
recording. The transcription of the current study abides by the following rules:

a. translation. Translation is an important issue because not all the original

wording can correspond to the diction meaning exactly the same as in the target

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Background questionnaire

and TAP instruction

TEM 8 Mini-lecture (familiarization version)

(30 min per participant)

TEM 8 Mini-lecture (research version)

Listening for the 1sttime and taking

notes (8 min/person)

TEM 8 Mini-lecture (research version)

Filling the gaps and verbalizing

thoughts (20-30 min/person)

TEM 8 Mini-lecture (research version)

Listening for the 2ndtime and retelling

each episode (30 min/person)

Follow-up interview (15-20 min/person)

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

Fig. 6.2 Data-collection procedures in the qualitative part of the research

6.5 Transcription of TAPs, Retelling Protocols and Interviews 79