Methods in Context Structure

  • Overview

    • Paper 1

    • 20 marker (30mins)

    • Education x theory

      Structure:

    • Can use PET (practical/ethical/theoretical)

    • Page 101-106 (LOOK AT)

    • Theory has to be there!

    • PTPCS (pupils/teachers/parents/classroom/schools)

    • Can speak about structure/marketisation

  • Pupils and tecahers may not wiah t take part -> getting in troube/riduel from peers

  • Develop a raopprt – allows them to get closer to the subejvcts/open up

  • WHAT – are we researching?

  • HOW – unstructured interviews

  • WHO – types of puils/tecahers

  • What might influence idnetitgy formation:

    • Setting/streaming

    • Male gaze

    • Hyper-heterosexual identity

    • Teacher labelling

    • Ethnocentric curriculum

    • Institutional racism

    • Laddish subcultures

    • Teacher racism

    • Nike identities

  • To consider:

    • Sensitivity of topic -> no report may not have wanted to discuss/could school be viewed negatively – assess to pupils/teacher refused (marketisation – schools image)

    • Implication for teachers?

    • Would schools want this ebing disccused?

    • Are pupils aware? -> tecahers could place dsicilnary/legal action if admit to vieweing female/ethnic pupils in a ceruab way/may need more probing as pupils may not be aware of the impact of certain processes

  • HOW:

    Unstructured interviews:

    • Higher validity

    • Ability to probe deeper/ask futher quesyions

    • Agin a better understanding of menaings and motivatiobs

    • Underatabd dfffernt types of idnenty that are formed

  • WHO:

    How teachers may react:

    • Reluctant to take part as they could disclose information that leads them to being discilines

    • Good at impression manegmnt so more likely to mantiana profefstional image while ebing interviewed

    • Could show bias towards school policies and produecres and therefore disclose less information

    Issues:

    • Likely to have a similar stautsu to the researchers and so be more oopen with then

    • Teachers may be put forward by the headteacgers as they know they will not disclose any information that harms the schools

  • Pupils who may be interviewed:

    • Working class pupils – nike idnetotes,s etting and streaming, anti-school subcultures’

    • Middle class pupils – prp school subcyltures

    • Ethnic minority pupilw – ethnocentric curriculum, radicaised expectations, subcultures

    • Male pupils – laddish subcultues

    • Feame pupils – male gaze/subeuct coices , hyperhetrosexual identies

    Band 5 – statements mentioj WHO AND WHAT AND HOW

    Methods in context – 20 marks

    · 4 paragraphs: 2 advantages + disadvantages

    · In the introduction list many general characteristics of the method

    · Conclusion can be very short – 1 sentence suffices.

    Mark scheme – level 1-3:

    1. (up to 11 marks) -> detailed discussion of pros/cons of method ONLY

    2. (up to 15 marks) -> apply the method to education in general

    3. (up to 20 marks) -> apply method to specific issue

    Brainstorm – planning a question:

    · 5 advantages of method

    · 5 disadvantages of method

    · Brainstorm 5 related issue to the issue

    (e.g., pressure to achieve high grades -> anxiety in high achievers/meritocracy – grades central to future success /cultural capital – middle class get ahead/pressure in marketisation context – > anti school subculture/’no hopers’ – often working class)

    · Combine + write essay!

    · (use item 2x in essay)

    Brainstorm practice:

    Evaluate the strengths and limitations of using secondary data to investigate the academic progress of pupils in schools:

    Strengths of secondary data:

    1. Less effort/time -> more time to focus on analysis rather than data collection

    2. Less costly -> no need to train staff/carry out experiment on own

    3. Can gather more data (more cultures/time periods) -> representative

    4. Ethical issues are less of a worry – pps should have already given consent/debrief etc.

    Weaknesses of secondary data:

    1. Data may be outdated/culturally or gender biased

    2. Data may not match purpose exactly

    3. Data collected by government could have political bias

    4. Authors reliability of documents is questionable/could have some mistakes (especially if historical)

    Academic progress:

    · DOCUMENTS - Compare target grades to A-level/GSCE results (school reports)

    · STATISTICS - Look at league tables

    Issues related to academic progress of pupils in schools:

    1. Effects of streaming – limits progress/entered for lower exams (+ labelling)

    2. A-C economy (educational triage – selective focus on a few students

    3. Nike identities -> middle class vs working class habitus (abandon educational success for cultural capital