Analysing Adolescent Education and Health Trajectories in Crisis Contexts: Examples From a Multi-Year Longitudinal Cross-Country Study

Abstract

Qualitative longitudinal research is a useful method for studying adolescent development, not least because the dimension of temporality in the analysis of longitudinal studies can help researchers understand the complexity of transitions during this unique and dynamic life stage. The Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence programme is a multi-year cross-country longitudinal study of adolescents in low- and middle-income countries. This article presents the methodological opportunities and challenges involved in analyzing such datasets, and seeks to offer insights for researchers undertaking qualitative longitudinal research. To ensure that both breadth and depth of such data are accurately represented in the analysis, a range of analytical approaches can be used. In this article, we provide key examples of how this data has been analyzed across a cohort of adolescent participants, exploring changes both pre- and post-Covid-19 including interactions with critical health and education services, and within individual life histories, exploring individual adolescent trajectories over multiple time points. Furthermore, we highlight how including caregivers’ and key informants’ perspectives can enhance triangulation of results. We show the importance of using a range of different approaches when analyzing a qualitative longitudinal dataset.