Qualitative Research

Qualitative research can be used to explore an undergraduate cross country woman’s team culture and how each individual has an influence on the team. Wright expresses why the qualitative research method is a valuable way to collect data due to holding to the philosophical belief that each individual perceives phenomena experienced in the environment in unique ways (2014, p. 68). It is through this method of research that a thorough study can be done on how the cross country culture develops. Culture is defined as the set of beliefs learned and shared by members of a community along with a set of rules which guide the members through their everyday behaviors (Wright, 2014, p.68). There are a few steps which will need to be followed to collect
It is important for the team members to understand the goal and value of the data which the researcher is collecting. The research can begin by observing the group at meets and practices. Through these observations can the researcher begin to understand the culture and dynamics of the team. Wright clarifies that “each culture has an established set of values that are stable but can be slowly modified over time. Values help each member of a cultural group share common conceptualizations guiding their judgments of values” (2014, p. 68). Gathering information can be done first with observation and then using the data which was collected through observing to create questions to pose to the members of the cross country team. Some questions which might be helpful to determining the culture of the group is knowing demographic facts, patterns of participation in culture and this sport aligned with parental encouragement in childhood and pattern of well-being and health from this sport (Miles & Sullivan, 2012, p. 313). It is through questioning the members of the team that a clearer picture of the individuals and the
Wright expresses the morals of the team can be explored through asking questions about a meet or practice along the lines of what made the runner feel good after and what made the runner feel bad after (2014, p. 68). Some questions may include: “the extent and nature of teammate influence, recollections of positively and negatively impactful groups, the degree and types of interdependence perceived among teammates, and insights about approaches used to develop ideal group environments” (Evans et al., 2013, p. 451). The interview could be collected through audio-records to allow for the answers to be listened to multiple times and get all the information out of the recordings. It could be valuable to do individual interviews as well as group interviews with a few different members to see how the culture is explained and even see the interactions in as the interview goes on. The interviews would be semi-structured to allow for common themes and ideals to be brought out from the interview, but also give the participants the ability to shape and move the conversation in whatever way they will is