Researching staff in an educational context

What are the practical issues with researching staff?

• selecting & negotiating access to research site (most convenient not necessarily most appropriate) ~ gatekeeper might refuse access to staff, particularly if they feel that staff accounts won’t present school positively or if they feel staff workload will increase

• if researcher uses insider perspective, (eg. working as supply teacher), staff might see them as authority figure & not be open to interviews (also theoretical issues with validity)

• gatekeeper might only grant access to trusted staff to protect school’s image

• gatekeepers control researcher to varying extents eg. Gillborn + Youdells’ (2000) study of 2 London secondary schools found that one was closely controlled by deputy headteacher so build less close rapport

• staff may refuse to participate in sensitive research projects (eg. racism, bullying)

• staff might think researchers are evaluating them

What are the ethical issues with researching staff?

• informed consent ~ have staff been pressured into participation by headteachers/ heads of departments?

• headteachers may be able to identify individual staff even if pseudonyms are used

What are the theoretical issues with researching staff?

• Hawthorne effect reduces validity

• if researcher uses insider perspective, (eg. working as supply teacher), staff might see them as authority figure & be less honest

• interviews influenced by interviewer bias/ power relations in school etc.

• sample of staff may not be representative eg. if only trusted teachers given access to

KEY TERM

the person or group in a particular setting with responsibility for allowing (?) a researcher to undertake research on that site

gatekeeper

KEY TERM

a researcher who shared social characteristics with the research participants

insider