Research methods in the context of education Flashcards
What are the four main groups and settings in education that sociologists may research?
- Pupils
- Teachers and other educational staff
- Parents
- Classrooms and schools
What are the practical issues associated with researching pupils?
Gaining access (including needing DBS) Distracting the kids
What are the ethical issues associated with researching pupils?
Informed consent
Anonymity
Protection from harm
Deception and debriefing
What are the potential theoretical issues associated with researching pupils?
Issues of validity- particularly if carrying out research with young children
Hawthorne effect
Researcher bias
Social desirability bias- especially if done in focus group
Implication of findings
What are the practical issues associated with researching educational staff?
Gaining access
Distracting the teachers or disturbing their lesson
Making them uncomfortable
Offending them by offering feedback
What are the potential ethical issues associated with researching educational staff?
Informed consent Anonymity Protection from harm Deception and debriefing Implications of findings
What are the potential theoretical issues associated with researching educational staff?
Hawthorne effect
Researcher bias
Social desirability bias (e.g. teachers may not want to admit prejudices)
What are the practical issues associated with researching parents?
Difficult to access
What are the potential ethical issues associated with researching parents?
Informed consent Anonymity Protection from harm Deception and debriefing Implications of findings Not victim-blaming e.g. suggesting they contributed to a child's underachievement
What are the potential theoretical issues associated with researching parents?
Hawthorne effect
Only wanting to see the best in their child
Their child might lie to them, they may not know as much with older children and teens
What are the practical issues associated with researching schools and classrooms?
Gaining access to a representative number of classes- not just the best-behaved one
Not disrupting or distracting classes
Might need a DBS check
Time consuming to visit all classes
What are the potential ethical issues associated with researching schools and classrooms?
Informed consent Anonymity Protection from harm Deception and debriefing Implications of findings
What are the theoretical issues associated with researching schools and classrooms?
Hawthorne effect
Schools differ from one another; one may not be representative of all
