Practical Research Methods in Education An Early Researcher's Critical Guide

Contents

List of figures and tables

Contributors

Foreword

Editor’s introduction

Importance of research methodology · This book · The chapters

1. Using questionnaires

Introduction · Merits and limitations · Ethics · Using written questionnaires · Using online questionnaires · Using a word-association questionnaire · Conclusion

2. Using interviews

Introduction · Interviews · My research · Interview schedule · Conducting interviews · Analysing interview data · Ethics · Conclusion

3. Observations

Introduction · Observation in educational research · Participant or non-participant? · Structured or non-structured? · Validity and ethics · Observation in my own research · Conclusion

4. Involving children

Introduction · My research · Involvement · To what extent could I understand the data? · What about ‘power’? · And what about ethics? · Conclusion

5. Using video as data

Introduction · Benefits · Ethics · Challenges · Conclusion

6. Using quantitative data

Introduction · What is quantitative research? What are quantitative data? · Three types of quantitative design · Analysing quantitative data · Descriptive statistics · Inferential statistics · Conclusion

7. Document analysis

Introduction · Discourse and document analysis · Using document analysis in a research project · Data collection · Analysis and findings · Discussion · Conclusion

8. ‘Doing text’: Madness in the methods

Introduction · Ways of seeing research · The third (research) space? · Creative visual methods · We need to talk about Maggie · Wiring the audience · Digital transformations · (Negatively) Benefits Street · Hunger by the Sea · Comrades and curators · Doing text · Wrapping up

9. Q-methodology: A science of subjectivity

Introduction · What is Q-methodology? · Developing a Q study · Elements of Q · Factor analysis · Additional research methods · Use in an undergraduate dissertation · The ‘Explore University’ Q evaluation · Conclusion

10. Mosaic: Participatory research in the early years

Introduction · Using Mosaic · Stage 1: Children and adults gather evidence · Stage 2: Dialogue, reflection, interpretation · Stage 3: Deciding areas of continuity and change · Strengths and limitations · Conclusion

11. Ethnography

Introduction · Ethnography · Stages · My ethnography · Connecting to theory · Ethical issues · Some recommendations · Conclusion

12. Case study

Introduction · What is case study? · Implementing case study · Conclusion

13. Grounded theory

Introduction · Grounded theory · Examples · Choosing grounded theory · Issue 1: How to use the literature? · Issue 2: Theory or ‘persuasive perspective’? · Outcomes · Conclusion

Closing words

Index

Biography

Mike Lambert was Principal Lecturer in Education at the University of Wolverhampton, UK, where he developed a two-year undergraduate course on doing educational research. He has supervised the research work of many undergraduate and postgraduate students.

"Practical Research Methods in Education provides students engaging in or considering postgraduate study a refresher course by revisiting concepts and methodology in education research... Every chapter is well-written, thoroughly explained, and will be of use to novice researchers, those considering postgraduate studies, those needing concise and clear term definitions, and those looking to expand their research knowledge from second language acquisition to education in general." - Nicole Moskowitz, Jalt Journal: The research journal of the Japan Association for Language Teaching