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2000
Any research text which has reached a sixth edition must be doing something right and this book has been an international best seller for most of its history. The fifth edition published in 2000 demonstrated to readers that the authors were adept at maintaining currency and were not simply prepared to serve up a time honoured menu of superficial coverage of the broad range of possibilities for educational research. This tends to be the dominant model for research methods texts. The 6th edition of this text is even more impressive and goes even further with additional chapters on analysis; an extension to the paradigms debate including an introduction to the emergence of complexity theory (though I feel the paradigms discussion could have been taken a little further), and an important cross referencing feature which connects the text to a support companion web site.
This book will help you to plan, design and conduct quality research within the specific context of education and educational studies. An impressive cast of contributors discuss the reality of conducting research in different educational settings and provide practical advice for both undergraduate and postgraduate students and early career researchers doing research in education. The book discusses key philosophical issues such as understanding research paradigms, ethics and selecting appropriate methodologies but remains grounded in the practical experience of the researcher. It has comprehensive coverage of the whole research process from start to finish, is easy to navigate and helps develop key skills such as: •Time management •Creating good research questions and hypotheses •Constructing the literature review •Structuring a project •Writing a proposal •Managing data •Analysing data •Writing for specific audiences Packed full of learning features and showcasing a wide range of voices and opinions this book is an ideal guide for anyone conducting research in education or educational studies.
Review of Education, 2019
This article was written to address a gap in the literature. Having taught a Masters in Educational Research course on the Nature of Educational Enquiry for many years I have not found a paper or book that quite captured the kinds of arguments that made sense to me about educational research. I wrote the article initially for students on this course and then considered that it might be of wider interest. Thinking about the assumptions of educational research is widely taken to be critical for how research is designed, carried out and what it has to contribute to education as a practice. The subtitle of the paper is about the other reason why I consider this paper to be important. It is that much thinking about these research assumptions does not connect with philosophical thinking, appearing as scripts, what is written by others, and not originating from the understanding of those justifying their research approach and assumptions. Implications for Policy This paper might prompt those who advise about and decide on educational research policy at national level to reconsider their assumptions about the nature of educational research. This might be government agencies but also charitable organisations. This prompt derives from the pragmatist perspective adopted in thinking about the nature of educational research. There are two key pragmatist influences hereavoiding the trap of sharp dichotomies and recognising the fallibilist nature of knowledge assertions and claims. Policy making about educational research can take account of these by understanding the diverse research interests that drive research and enquiry done by professional researchers and reflective teachers. The linked policy implication is that for evidence to inform educational practice this means being open to these
EOL 590R1: Introduction to Research Methods in Education
This course is designed for master’s and doctoral students who wish to gain a general understanding of the process of conducting research in education. The course offers an introduction to a variety of design approaches including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods. Key concepts examined include: • Identifying a Research Problem • Reviewing the Literature • Design and Analysis • Communicating Evidence • The Ethics of Research At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to effectively evaluate and critique methods sections of research publications including journal articles and policy reports; engage in the process of preparing research relating to education policy, organization or leadership; and organize a presentation of research to an audience of peers.
RESEARCH METHOD IN EDUCATION: THE FRAME BY WHICH THE PICTURE HANGS
Research should be legitimized and clarified by the philosophical frame by which it metaphorically hangs. Such clarity is important in so far as it helps to provide a foundation for guiding researchers’ evaluations of the quality of their research findings. This article focuses on certain philosophical pre-conditions and justifications, i.e. the underlying, pre-theoretical or pre-scientific provisos / specifications / provisions for a researcher’s thinking and hence for his or her decisions about which methodology to follow and methods to apply when researching a problem. In order to achieve this aim, the article discusses the four “sides” or “panels” of the philosophical frame by which a researcher’s research method in general tends to hang, figuratively speaking, namely (a) integrated personality orientation, (b) transcendental orientation, (c) teleological orientation and (d) nomothetic orientation. Overlooking this “frame by which a researcher’s methodological picture hangs”, may have serious repercussions for how one does research.
Issues in Educational Research, 2006
In this article the authors discuss issues faced by early career researchers, including the dichotomy, which many research textbooks and journal articles create and perpetuate between qualitative and quantitative research methodology despite considerable literature to support the use of mixed methods. The authors review current research literature and discuss some of the language, which can prove confusing to the early career researcher and problematic for post-graduate supervisors and teachers of research. The authors argue that discussions of research methods in research texts and university courses should include mixed methods and should address the perceived dichotomy between qualitative and quantitative research methodology.
Why reading Educational Research can be a Challenge
Pre-service teacher education students, in most courses, are required to undertake some study of education research methods, to provide them with skills to read and make use of education research. However, the field of education research is a complex and difficult area. Perhaps focusing upon the most frequently used research methods could be a useful starting point. So, what type of research methods are most favoured in education? This article describes the authors’ attempts to answer this question, and the unexpected outcomes of the quest.