Pupils Research Characteristics Flashcards
Why do students have less power?
Schools are hierarchical institutions
What is the difficulty of students having less power?
Students are less likely to express thoughts + feelings
More likely to if their opinions challenge the teachers
How can teachers use their power to control the research?
Can select which pupils are used for research
= Good image of school + themselves
What methods reinforce the power dynamic?
Formal - Structured interviews or Questionnaires
Why do formal research methods have a power difference?
The researcher determines what questions to ask and how answers should be formulated
How can researchers overcome the power difference?
Group interviews
What are the 2 different type of pupil’s response to the power difference?
Those that resent the power of teachers
Those who are okay with the power of teachers
How might pupils that resent the power of teachers react?
Less likely to cooperate with the research
How might pupils who are okay with the power of teachers react?
Feel empowered by participating in research
Able to express their true feelings about school
What is more likely to be limited of the Pupil?
Vocab
What will researchers have to take into consideration for vocabulary in questions?
How they word their questions
Why do limitations in vocabulary impact informed consent?
Sociologist may not be able to explain the nature of research in a way the pupils can understand
Why might particularly demanding questions be hard?
Young people use language in different ways from adults
What is the impact of a young person’s memory?
Limited as still developing
Unable to recall events when asked to do so by researcher
How do the divergent characteristics of pupils impact the research?
It’s important to match the gender and ethnicity of the young person and researcher
What are the results of limited power and ability?
Pupils are more vulnerable to physical and psychological harm
What does harm to participants make the researcher consider?
Whether the young persons participation is necessary
Whether they benefit from research
What do research guidelines contain?
Young people should be aware of what the research entails
Why might research guidelines impact the young?
They may not be mature enough yet to decide consent
What are child protection issues?
Personal data should not be kept unless it is vital to the research
How might participation from pupils be unbeneficial?
Stress may result
Questioning for long periods of time is inappropriate
What does the greater vulnerability of young people mean?
Greater ‘gatekeepers’ controlling access to pupils
Who are the ‘gatekeepers’?
Parents, heads, teachers, local authorities, boards of governors
Why might ‘gatekeepers’ pose problems?
You need to ask them for consent to research pupils which they may not always give
What is the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act, 2006?
Child protection law
They have a vetting and barring scheme on adults working in schools
What is the vetting and barring scheme?
Requires researchers to have Disclosure and Barring Services checks
e.g: Criminal records
Impact of the Disclosure and Barring Services?
May delay or prevent researchers from carrying out their research
What do the Barnardo’s and National Children’s Bureau have?
Special codes of practice for researching young people
What does the children’s charity Barnardo’s emphasise?
Informed consent
What does Barnardo’s also stress?
Children resist pressure to participate
Barnardo’s short guidelines for researchers
- Special care vulnerable groups
- Refer participants to support groups where needed
- Explain the limits to confidentiality
What is the advantage of studying pupils?
Sociologists know where to find them -
Legally required to attend school
What is the disadvantage of studying pupils?
Pupils with anti-school attitudes may truant
Pupils only attend schools during school day + term time
