Team Terrors Mark IV

She's back.

For one blissful moment, when she replied to an email within 24 hours, I thought things might have improved. I thought maybe, just maybe, doing the pilot study had helped her understand what the research was about and how to analyse interview transcripts.

Then last night she asked me how the participants could have got it so wrong. They've all given different answers to the same question!

She did the research on phenomenography and wrote an essay on the fact that the aim of that method of research is to identify variance and she still didn't understand that we were actually LOOKING for different answers from participants.

Her part of the final report is supposed to be analysing the transcripts and writing the essay to that effect. So far I've analysed the transcripts and sent her my three drafts, each one more detailed and on target than the last. She's supposed to do the same, then we compare them and work out where the 'right' spot is with them. I haven't seen her analysis. I have seen a 1500 word essay based on my first draft which was incomplete and, quite frankly, way off track.

I've had enough. I'm not prepared to wear a bad mark just because she doesn't get it. I'm sure she's trying - she just doesn't know what it's all about. Equally I'm not prepared for her to get a mark she hasn't earned. I'm keeping track of everything I do and everything she does and I'm going to apply for disparate marking based on contribution.

I've been getting cranky with her too and that's not a good thing. She's trying. I could explain it better, more thoroughly, but I'm already giving her more detailed explanations than I give my year 12 business class and they're only 16-17. She's a masters student and should be thinking like one.

I've learned something of myself in all this. I always thought I was accepting of other people - their personalities, efforts and abilities. And I am - as long as it doesn't threaten to drag my results down. I have limits. I guess it's a good thing to know.