Research methods in context: groups and settings

Pupils - ability and understanding

Pupils may often struggle with self expression due to limitations of vocabulary, thinking skills and confidence which may mean they find it difficult to express abstract ideas. Not only this but pupils use language differently and young children's memory's are less developed

Pupils - power and status

Due to teachers being higher in the school hierarchy, they may have influence over pupil's ability to answer/act confidently (impression management). Pupils may also see the researcher as an authoritative figure

Pupils - practical and ethical issues

Pupils are a vulnerable group (age) and are more prone to psychological and physical harm which means they are subject to gatekeepers

Researching teachers - cooperation

Teachers often feel overworked and are fairly busy so they may not want to cooperate. However, as professionals they may want to support academic research

Researching teachers - power and status

Teachers have some control over their classrooms but may be reluctant to allow a researcher in.

Researching teachers - impression management

Teachers are used to being observed and it's likely they are able to present a favourable image through impression management as they know that what they say can affect their career prospects

Researching parents - unrepresentative samples

Depending on factors, it can effect the willingness of cooperation which effects their representativeness. For example, pro school m/c parents are the most likely to participate

Researching parents - impression managment

Parents may want to represent themselves in a positive light and so may exaggerate their involvement in their child's education as an example of impression management

Researching parents - cooperation

As everyones experience with education is different and there are factors (class, gender, ethnicity) may effect their willingness to cooperate

Researching parents - access

The home is a private setting and would be hard for a researcher to come into, especially as it is outside of the school which makes it difficult to contact. A school would have this information on record but would be reluctant to release it

Researcher's own experience

When looking at education it is likely that they are swayed by their own experiences when selecting a topic, interpreting data and formulating hypothesis. Not only this but as sociologists most likely have long experiences with education and so may be unable to empathise with students

Researching classrooms - control over the setting

Researching classrooms - access/gatekeepers

Researching classrooms - peer pressure

Researching schools - school's own data

Researching schools - access/gatekeepers

Researching schools - school organisation