researching education Flashcards
what is power and status like for pupils?
they have less power and status than adults making it difficult for them to state their views openly, especially if they contradict the views of adults (in an interview conducted by an adult interviewer.)
what did Labov find?
when black children were interviewed by a white researcher using formal, structured interviews, the children spoke using the restricted code, but when they were interviewed by a black researcher
what is ability and understanding like within pupils?
will depend on CAGE and cognitive ability. This can lead to them not understanding the questions in questionnaires or structured interviews.
what are some problems researchers face in terms of ability and understanding of pupils?
they will have to operationalise the concepts very carefully to ensure children can understand and answer the questions.
Their youth and lack of understanding may make it difficult for the researcher to gain informed consent.
what are the vulnerabilites and ethical issues?
-When it comes to social research, children are considered a vulnerable group as they can easily be psychologically harmed by the research which is unethical.
-the consent is given by the school and parents, but the researcher should also try to explain to the child they are taking part in research, however child may not be mature enough to understand. so, researching children means never having the full informed consent of the participants.
what are the laws and guidelines for pupils?
-Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (states that anyone who spends time with children
must have a DBS check which shows they are not a threat to
children’s safety.)
what problems does dbs check create for researchers?
the researcher would need a DBS check and, as they take time to get,
this may delay or prevent the research.
what is power and status like for teachers?
Schools are hierarchical so some teachers have more power and status than others. They also tend to be possessive over their classrooms and may see a researcher as a
trespasser so not allow them to carry out observations in their lessons.
