Beyond stage theory

A great deal of spelling theory has focused on identifying stages of development

that children go through in learning to spell (e.g. Frith, 1980 & 1985, Bear and
Templeton 1998, Gentry 1981, Henderson & Templeton, 1986). Stage
theorists argue that learners progress through stages of development in
their knowledge of word structure. Knowledge increases in complexity
from letter-sound patterns to spelling rules to meaning-based-patterns
(Sawyer & Joyce, 2006).

Constructivist theory
Constructivist theory has also been influential in thinking about how people
learn to spell. These theorists propose that spelling knowledge is gained
through writing and reading in personally meaningful contexts (Ferreiro &
Teberosky, 1982 in Treiman, 2017). The learner will construct knowledge of
spelling conventions in their own way by building on prior knowledge and
extracting what they need when taking part in a rich variety of reading and
writing experiences. This theory is particularly relevant in adult learning
contexts where students have been found to learn spelling more successfully in
real world contexts that are meaningful to them (Sawyer and Joyce, 2006;
Grief, Meyer & Burgess, 2007).

Dual route theory and triple word theory

Dual route theory proposes that there are two separate routes to learning how
to spell – phonological and orthographic (Sawyer & Joyce, 2006). The
phonological route uses sounds, letter clusters, and syllables and
graphemes. It is used for words with regular letter-sound spellings. The
orthographic route involves tapping into a memory store of whole words.
It is used to spell irregular words. This theory has been criticised for not taking
into account morphology (Treiman, 2017), leading to the development of Triple
Word Theory which understands spelling competency as the ability to manage
phonological, orthographic and morphological components of language
(Daffern, 2017).

According to Triple Word Theory, learning to spell requires the working

memory to successfully store, process and analyse phonological,
orthographic and morphological wordforms, which is fostered through
explicit instruction (Daffern, 2017). This theory intersects with the
Overlapping Waves Theory in that it does not see spelling as a progression of
stages from phonological to orthographic to morphological. Instead, the three
components of language develop together (Daffern, 2017).

Basic Descriptive Qualitative Research Design

A basic descriptive qualitative research design is a type of research approach that aims to provide a
detailed and comprehensive description of a phenomenon or situation. It is commonly used
when the researcher wants to explore and understand a particular topic or issue in depth. Here
are the key components of a basic descriptive qualitative research design:

1. Research Question: Clearly define the research question that guides the study. This question
should focus on describing a specific phenomenon or situation.
2. Sample Selection: Determine the participants or cases that will be included in the study. The
sample should be selected purposefully to provide rich and diverse perspectives related to
the research question.
3. Data Collection: Choose appropriate methods for data collection that will allow for a detailed
description of the phenomenon. Commonly used methods in qualitative research include
interviews, observations, and document analysis. Consider using multiple data collection
methods to triangulate the findings.
4. Data Analysis: Analyze the collected data to identify patterns, themes, and categories that
emerge from the participants' responses or observations. This process involves organizing
and coding the data to uncover meaningful insights and descriptions.
5. Interpretation: Interpret the findings in relation to the research question and existing
literature. Look for commonalities, differences, and unique perspectives within the data.
Generate an overall description of the phenomenon under study.
6. Trustworthiness and Rigor: Ensure the credibility, transferability, dependability, and
confirmability of the research findings. Use techniques such as member checking, peer
debriefing, and maintaining an audit trail to enhance the trustworthiness of the study.
7. Reporting: Communicate the findings through a comprehensive and coherent research
report. Include quotes or excerpts from the data to support the descriptions and themes
identified. Present the results in a clear and organized manner.

It's important to note that a basic descriptive qualitative research design does not aim to test
hypotheses or establish causality. Instead, it focuses on generating rich descriptions and insights to
deepen understanding of a particular phenomenon or situation.
Thematic analysis is a method of qualitative data analysis used to identify and analyze
patterns or themes within a dataset. It is commonly used in social sciences, psychology,
and other qualitative research fields. Thematic analysis involves systematically coding
and categorizing data to uncover recurring patterns, concepts, or ideas.

Here is a general overview of the steps involved in conducting a thematic analysis:

1. Familiarization with the data: Researchers start by immersing themselves in the

data, whether it is interview transcripts, focus group discussions, or any other
form of qualitative data. They read and re-read the data to gain a thorough
understanding of its content.
2. Generating initial codes: Researchers begin to identify and assign codes to
meaningful units of data. A code is a label or tag that captures a concept or idea
within the data. This process involves marking sections of the text that are
relevant to the research questions or objectives.
3. Searching for themes: Researchers search for patterns and connections between
the initial codes. They group similar codes together to form potential themes.
Themes represent higher-level concepts that emerge from the data.
4. Reviewing and refining themes: Researchers review and refine the identified
themes. They analyze how the themes relate to the data and refine them
accordingly. This step may involve merging or splitting themes, as well as revising
the coding structure.
5. Defining and naming themes: Researchers assign clear definitions and names to
each theme to ensure they accurately represent the underlying concepts. This
step involves creating a thematic map or framework that outlines the
relationships between the themes.
6. Writing the analysis: Researchers develop a narrative or analytical account of the
themes, supported by illustrative quotes or examples from the data. This written
analysis should provide an in-depth exploration of the identified themes and
their implications.
7. Validating the analysis: Researchers may seek feedback or validation from
colleagues or participants to ensure the credibility and reliability of the thematic
analysis. This process helps to enhance the rigor of the analysis and ensure that
the interpretations accurately reflect the data.

It is important to note that thematic analysis can be approached in different ways, and
there are variations in terminology and procedures across different researchers and
disciplines. However, the general principles outlined above provide a framework for
conducting thematic analysis.