EXPLORING BEYOND CONVENTIONAL BOUNDARIES: BODY MAPPING AS A DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUE IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Abstract

Qualitative research has traditionally relied on specific methodologies for data collection, with interviews being the predominant and preferred approach. Vast quantities of information have been published regarding traditional mechanisms for collecting qualitative data, but few studies have addressed more unconventional mechanisms such as body mapping. This is a distinctive technique commonly used in health sciences. It offers a versatile alternative that encourages participant creativity, reflexivity, and protagonism. It was adapted for use in an educational study with the aim of eliciting participants' constructivist experiences and emotions related to a particular social phenomenon. It was used as part of a descriptive case study which employed two other triangulation techniques, namely semi-structured virtual interviews, and document collection. After the researchers’ reflective processes, it was concluded that body mapping represented an ideal means to facilitate the data collection process. The primary objective of the study, grounded in qualitative research, was to explore the perceptions of five primary English teachers in the Sarapiquí Regional Directorate of Education in Costa Rica regarding the return to in-person education amid the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the body mapping technique, three participants engaged in a face-to-face session, structured into seven phases: map outlining, reflections on distance education, reflections on combined education, reflections on in-person education, finalization of body maps, testimony giving, and concluding reflections on the technique. Although the focus was on in-person education (2022), the distance and combined modalities (2020-2021) were used to activate participants’ prior knowledge and to provide context for the study. This paper demonstrates the procedure followed in applying the body mapping technique for qualitative data collection in a study on the perspective and experiences of teachers, and highlights the valuable insights gained through its use.