Naujos kokybinių tyrimų tendencijos, vizualiniai metodai, vaizdiniai duomenys ir jų analizė

LTStraipsnyje apžvelgiamos pastaruoju dešimtmečiu plintančios naujos tyrinėjimų kryptys, atsiradusios dėl vizualinės kultūros ir technologijų plėtros, tokios kaip menu grįsti tyrimai (angl. art-based research), vizualiosios patirties bei meniniai tyrimai (angl. artistic research). Nagrinėjamas vaizdinės informacijos aktualumas šiuolaikiniuose socialinių mokslų ir edukologijos tyrimuose, atskleidžiamos vaizdinių metodų galimybės įtikinamai nagrinėti atvejų studijas, naudoti metodų trianguliacijas. Apžvelgiami vizualinių duomenų, tokių kaip archyvinės medžiagos, fotografijų, žemėlapių, objektų, vaizdo interviu, medijų, paveikslų, grafikų rinkimo ir analizės būdai, aptariamos vizualinių metodų taikymo problemos, technikos ir etikos klausimai. Straipsnyje taikomi teoriniai, aprašomieji ir analitiniai tyrimo metodai, siekiant apibrėžti naujų tyrinėjimo tradicijų įvairovę šiuolaikiniuose socialinių mokslų ir edukologijos tyrimuose plintančias tarpdisciplinines tendencijas.

ENArticle is based on the theoretical substantiation of the qualitative research methodology and focuses on the visual data expression. New research trends and qualitative research methods including visual dimensions are discussed. New educational-interdisciplinary research trends of the recent decade caused by the development of visual culture and technologies (art-based research, artistic research) are reviewed. The importance of visual information in modern social and educational research is analysed, and possibilities of visual methods to persuasively examine case studies and use the method of triangulation are revealed. Ways of collecting and analysing visual data (archive materials, photographs, maps, objects, visual interviews, mcdias, pictures, graphs) arc reviewed and problems of applying visual methods, technological as well as ethical issues are discussed. Various research traditions and methodologies, observations of different kinds, based on rich visual materials are singled out. It is explained how these materials are turned into descriptive data, into the intcrpretational analysis of the oral and written text (visual interviews, essays, autobiographies), information analysis of documents and artefacts, drawings and graphic information, the use of special visual and sound equipment. One of the advantages of visual methods is that an observation recorded and supplemented by technologies stimulates a deeper reflection of the research phenomenon or educational process and better understanding of their meaning.Recently, audio-visual materials have been employed to examine phenomena in which the image is the main way of communication, when the attitudes, views and experiences of individuals or processes in action are expressed more visually than verbally. Then an analysis of visaed data is necessary; it requires understanding and explanation of symbols, meanings of images and semiolic knowledge. The application opportunities and methodological criteria are not clearly defined m educational research; that is why alternative research practices are applied cautiously. Because attempts are made to adapt methods of visual anthropology, ethnography or sociology, certain difficulties arise while dealing with educational problems. Visual 'texts' can be more difficult to understand, they are often subjectively understood and interpreted. Due to these reasons, such research has difficulties in recognition by scientific community. Visual methods can be extensively applied in researching.school culture, educational environment, students' everyday behaviour, and phenomena of children's culture. For instance, "the obvious but hidden" school culture manifests itself in the communicative atmosphere, ethics, in observing the general climate, environment, image and other things, characterising the organisation's culture and its uniqueness. Visual methods can be employed to record all observed events, situations, rituals, objects, means, spaces, behaviour and various other everyday activities. It is difficult to perceive the school culture only descriptively, because there are things that are simply seen and felt although they are not spoken about. In such cases, the ethnographic approach is one of the most suitable. In educational research, complex methodologies, based on figures and words as well as various epistemological insights shaping educational policies, are most often used. [...].