Methods in Context - 1.2

Question 1

What are the issues posed with researching Classrooms?

Answer 1

Highly controlled setting with restrictions on time, behaviour, dress and language. Limits validity of research.

Question 2

Briefly outline the issues posed with researching teachers?

Answer 2

> Experience
> Headteachers
> Time
> GDPR
> Overworked
> Fear
> Gatekeepers

Question 3

Explain how Experience is a problem with researching teachers?

Answer 3

Experienced in concealing their real thoughts and feelings and putting on a show.

Question 4

Explain how Headteachers is a problem with researching teachers?

Answer 4

Headteachers may not want researcher in school, due to fear they may expose problems

Question 5

Explain how Time is a problem with researching teachers?

Answer 5

Limited time to take part in research

Question 6

Explain how GDPR is a problem with researching teachers?

Answer 6

Teachers bound by GDPR, have duty of care for kids, so won’t share data about their kids with researchers.

Question 7

Explain how Overworked is a problem with researching teachers?

Answer 7

• Overworked means they may be less cooperative

- Restricts data that can be gathered.

Question 8

Explain how Fear is a problem with researching teachers?

Answer 8

Unlikely to be critical of the school, due to fear they may lose job.

Question 9

Explain how Gatekeepers is a problem with researching teachers?

Answer 9

> Gatekeepers choose kids researchers can get data from, possibly selecting well behaved students.

> Heads and other leadership, may act as ‘gatekeepers’, restricting info and areas you can go, classes, you can observe.

Question 10

What may be the best area to research teachers?

Answer 10

• Staffroom likely to be backstage, where teachers more offguard and relaxed.
• So can gather their true opinions, more valid data, but issue of access.

Question 11

Briefly outline the issues posed with researching pupils?

Answer 11

> Power
> Reluctancy
> Speech Codes
> Informed Consent
> Attitudes
> Vocab Skills
> Vulnerable 
> Hierarchy
> Memory

Question 12

Explain how Power is a problem with researching pupils?

Answer 12

• Less power than adults, so hard for kids to state views openly.
• As schools are hierarchies, they’re scared they might get in trouble.

Question 13

Explain how Reluctancy is a problem with researching pupils?

Answer 13

Reluctant to open up to researchers, as they’re not used to interacting with adults other than parents and teachers.

Question 14

Explain how Speech Codes is a problem with researching pupils?

Answer 14

Speech codes may be a barrier to gaining trust from certain groups of students e.g. Gangs.

Question 15

Explain how Informed Consent is a problem with researching pupils?

Answer 15

Young kids can’t fully understand purpose of research, so not possible to get full informed consent.

Question 16

Explain how Attitudes is a problem with researching pupils?

Answer 16

Attitudes of pupils towards school may have influence PSS unlikely to criticise school, ASS more likely, affects validity.

Question 17

Explain how Vocab Skills is a problem with researching pupils?

Answer 17

Vocab skills, limited compared to adults, can’t understand difficult concepts.

Question 18

Explain how Vulnerable is a problem with researching pupils?

Answer 18

More vulnerable to physical and psychological harm than adults.

Question 19

Explain how Hierachy is a problem with researching pupils?

Answer 19

Kids may see researchers as part of the hierarchy and act accordingly.

Question 20

Explain how Memory is a problem with researching pupils?

Answer 20

Young persons memory less developed than adult, may find it hard to recall info.

Question 21

Briefly outline the issues posed with researching parents?

Answer 21

> Unrepresentative
> Parents Busy at work
> Contact
> Impression Management
> GDPR
> Fear

Question 22

Explain how Unrepresentative is a problem with researching parents?

Answer 22

> Unrepresentative, as only MC parents likely to participate in research.

Question 23

Explain how Contact is a problem with researching parents?

Answer 23

Parents not in school, so difficult to contact and research.

Question 24

Explain how Impression Management is a problem with researching parents?

Answer 24

Parents may try to ‘impression manage’ with researchers, exaggerating involvement in kids education to make them look good

Question 25

Explain how GDPR is a problem with researching parents?

Answer 25

Gaining access to parent’s addresses, hard schools won’t give it to you, due to GDPR.

Question 26

Explain how Fear is a problem with researching parents?

Answer 26

Parents also unwilling to open up, due to fear of being seen as having inadequate parenting skills.

Question 27

How is gender of researcher an Issue in Researching schools?

Answer 27

• If researcher is female, male teachers may assume she’s a feminist researcher, perhaps w/ a particular agenda .
• So make effort to hide true attitudes as a result.

Question 28

Define Impression Management

Answer 28

involves projecting an ‘idealised image’ of ourselves

Question 29

Define Gatekeepers

Answer 29

Individuals who control which information is presented.

Question 30

Define Frontstage and Backstage

Answer 30

Differences in how present ourselves, when we were infront of people e.g. in public or alone.

Question 31

Define Social Roles

Answer 31

Behavior, expected from certain people in society

Question 32

Define Boundaried Social Spaces

Answer 32

Areas off limit to researchers (e.g teacher interviews with parents)

Question 33

Examples of (G)EM words to use

Answer 33

> Impression Management
> Gatekeepers
> Frontstage/Backstage
> Vulnerability
> Boundaried social spaces’,
> Social Roles
> Class, Gender, Ethnicity, Age