Education methods in context 20 markers with item

Question 1

Applying material from the item and your knowledge of research methods , evaluate the strengths and limitations of using unstructured interviews to investigate streaming

Answer 1

Intro- Unstructured interviews are a method that uses an informal structure in order to attempt to understand the participant, this method is favoured by interpretivist because se it allows greater vestehen to be created and creates more valid data. Using the item there can be inferences that this may be effective in investigating the affects of streaming… and could potentially be time consuming suggesting that other methods such as surveys and structured interviews may be

Strengths
1. Practical strength= Time- using unstructured interviews for a topic such as streaming is a strength because it is a relatively quick method compared to other methods such as experiments which require planning etc. this makes unstructured interviews strong in investigating streaming as it means that in depth data can be obtained by working class pupils and ethnic minorities without having to take them out of there school thus making them feel more comfortable and empowers respondents to speak about there true feelings  that are students . Furthermore..

2. Theoretical strength= Valid, rapport , sensitivity. As suggested by the item unstructured interviews are often effective in exploring the interviewees personal feelings about sensitive topics. this means that unstructured interviews will be useful in identifying working class ideas on the affects of streaming in lower sets especially if they feel that they could achieve higher. Because unstructured interviews are inform and are guided like conversations which means that students are more likely to feel at ease unlike other methods such as structured interviews. where they may not feel comfortable talking about there struggl
3. Ethical = informed consent, unstructured interviews are ethically sound because of the setting which is in a school the interview would have to be covert which means that the students will be aware of the research thus suggesting that informed consent will be available. And because of the nature of the interview the researcher would approach it with sensitivity due to the conversation like ..

Limitations
1.However, there is a practical limitation of participation. as suggested by the item” some pupils and teachers may refuse to participate” this may be because teachers do not get much time to themselves so the research would lack validity as we don’t get a thorough sense of the affects of streaming from both sides. Furthermore unstructured interviews require the reasercher to have personal skills which would allow them to get the best out of the interview if they lack and are very time consuming.

2. Positivists would criticise the use of unstructured interviews arguing that this would lack reliability. Positivists generally favour quantitative methods such as surveys , closed questionnaires etc because they use numerical forms of data and allow generalisations and correlations to be made. This is essential when investigating streaming because correlations can be made and trends can be compared on a national level . This may help look at the types of students that are being streamed ie ethnic minorities and the working class. This means that there may be better methods such as structured interviews , surveys or questionnaires which can be more effective in investigating streaming to make the research more representative
3. Ethical limitations - There may be possible issues of sensitivity, because of the nature of unstructured interviews( guided conversations) it means that there may be a risk of students stalking about sensitive information regarding there feelings about being streamed. they might also feel uncomfortable or awkward speaking about the effects of streaming because of wider factors such as rate , class , gender etc they might see it as a type of bias. There may also be issues of confidentiality because of the environment of the research in a schools there has to be confidentiality to protect the pupil

Question 2

Applying material from the Item and your knowledge, of research methods ,evaluate the strengths and limitations of using covert participant observations to investigate pupils with behavioural difficulties

Answer 2

Intro- Covert participant observations is a form of observation where it is not known that he is the researcher

Strengths
1. P - Access. One strength of using cover observations is easier access. This enables the researcher to witness the interactions between pupils first hand, and gain a true picture of the behaviour of students . Because some students may be marginalised and apart from the rest of the school it means that deeper information can be obtained about why they are acting this way. This suggest that there will be no external social pressures that may risk pupils being embarrassed or feeling uncomfortable during the observation. This is an effective and useful method for investigating pupil behaviour because students that have behavioural difficulties are seen as a closed group which are easier to access using covert observations

2. T- Interprevtivist would favour the use of covert observations because it provides validity. ( a true picture of whats happening) it avoids the Hawthorne effect from teachers and students. This is where people are aware that they are being watched so change their behaviour as a result, This means that a valid judgement of pupils can be made. Furthermore interpretivists would argue that this is an useful method to investigate pupils with behavioural difficulties because it means that …
3. E- Some ethical strengths include ..

Limitations
1. P- Covert participant observations have many practical issues such as the findings from this study may be conducted with reasercher bias this is because the reasercher is operating from a covert role which means they cannot take notes or include any relevnt findings at the time of the study which means that taking field notes will be impossible, The reasercher may also go native , this is where they may become biased or symathetic towards the group they are studying this may because of the senstivity of the reaserch which involves pupils with bahvioural difficulties.

2. T- Positivist would criticise this method arguing that it is not useful. this is because this method lacks reliability, this means it cannot be repeated again and get the same outcomes. This means that it will be hard to compare and investigate pupils with behavioural difficulties and there behaviour at school on a national level. There Wiil be a lack of correlations and trends which means that the findings may not be representative of society as whole .
3. E- Informed consent- There are many ethical limitations of using covert observations such as deception , and the lack of informed consent. because the investigation is operating covertly which means that pupils aren’t aware that they are being observed it means that they haven’t consented to the research. The investigation is very sensitive because it is looking at behavioural difficulties which may involve a disruptive home life , teacher labelling , potential discrimination etc there is an issue of privacy.

Question 3

Applying material from item C, and your own knowledge of research methods evaluate the strengths and limitations of using secondary data to investigate academic progress of pupils in schools.

Answer 3

intro-

Strengths
1. P - Cheap , easier access ,less time consuming - Secondary data is a useful method for investigating academic progress of pupils in schools because it is cheap and easier to access. “Often available in the public domain”. This means investigations regarding quicker to get done = less time consuming. Data van be compared on a national level which is more representative..

2. T- Valid & Reliable uses both interpretivist methods. - The use of both types gives the best of both worlds . it enables trends , correlations and generalisations on a national level be produced.
3. E- Lack of ethical issues makes this strong - There is a lack of ethical limitations because of the environment. because the investigating is taken place in a school where there are gatekeepers it means that there is already informed consent because sociologists are working with the most vulnerable in society.

Limitations 
1.P -  Access , Time consuming.  Data is not representative or valid. This is because schools may be selective in the type of data they are portraying and it may not be representative of all social groups including the working class and ethnic minorities, There is also the issue of gatekeepers in the form of parents and teachers. some parents may not want there childs academic progress shown .  Primary data methods in the form of observations may be more effective as researchers will be collective info first hand.

2. T- Because of the use of qualitative data that may be in the form of Results , Progress 8 , attendance stats , Homework marks there is a lack of detailed information on why they aren’t succeeding academically. This is a detached way of investigating academic progress and lacks vertshen and validity. The use of quantitive methods such as pupils work , Ofsted reports that give detailed information , There is a lack of generalisability which means that it will be difficult to find trends and correlations. The use of both types of data is time consuming
3. E- Possible issue of sensitivity.