A Codebook-Guided Thematic Analysis of Government Policies on Leadership in Primary Schools, Supporting Novice Researchers Through the Research Journey

This presentation will explore the challenge of analysing large amounts of qualitative data via the application of a codebook. The employment of a codebook is to support the use of a thematic analysis, as per Braun and Clarke's (2006, 2012, and 2019) framework, for a large dataset derived from participant interviews in a PhD study. The focus of the research was a critical evaluation of the impacts of Government neoliberal policies on leadership and experiences in primary schools, in the UK. A codebook supported the thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2019), providing a structured guide for identifying and categorising themes within the extensive interview data. Beyond its analytical use, the codebook was a valuable tool for the novice researcher, offering consistency throughout the lengthy research process. This dual role ensured a comprehensive exploration of the data and supported the researcher in navigating the complexities of thematic analysis. The paper therefore explores the ways in which integrating a codebook within a thematic analysis enhanced the methodological rigour, contributing to the reliability of findings, and making it an essential strategy for seasoned and novice researchers.