Qualitative Research in Education
- Liz Atkins - University of Huddersfield, UK
- Susan Wallace - Nottingham Trent University, UK
This accessible and practical book is a perfect quick guide for graduate researchers in education. Looking at the interdependence of teaching and research, the authors show that a critical and analytical exploration of policies and practices is a necessary part of what we mean by being a 'professional' in education.
Drawing on the authors' substantial experience of teaching research skills at graduate level, as well as on their own experiences as active researchers, the book will guide you through:
- Discourse analysis
- Visual methods
- Textual research
- Data collection and analysis
This co-authored book is structured around a range of methods applicable to educational research and appropriate for use by practitioners at all stages of their professional development. It takes recognizable, 'real life' scenarios as its starting point for each discussion of method, so that readers are able to start from the known and familiar. As well as exploring theoretical aspects of research method, each chapter provides practical tasks and points for discussion and reflection. These approaches, taken together, are designed to build confidence and encourage reader engagement and enjoyment.
'This book successfully revives Lawrence Stenhouse's seminal work on the 'teacher-researcher' by showing the interconnectedness of teaching and research and stressing the key role of the practitioner-researcher. Its chapters provide comprehensive guidance for researchers at all levels on conducting small scale research in an ethical and reflexive way'
-Professor Jerry Wellington, Sheffield
I like the accessibility of this text and the fact it is linked to BERA. That helps us to convince students of the importance of ethical guidelines to education research.
Very good resource for international students who come to the UK to get an MA for which they are required to conduct a small research project; particularly suited for our MAs in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Applied Linguistics for Language Teaching, as students completing these degrees usually have some teaching experience and go on to become teachers. The book's focus on practitioner research makes it particularly useful for this reason. The chapter on Discourse analysis is also particularly useful for them, as many write their dissertations and assignments on classroom discourse and policy analysis.
- also useful for other education-related degrees, as it takes a general approach, and for other educational levels (undergraduate, PhD - introductory level)
- highly accessible style for students who need an introduction to research methods without difficult technical terminology; good explanations, definitions, examples and background information for the concepts discussed + further reading and websited for interested readers
- chapter summaries, key words and key points - very useful revision tools and comprehension checks
- reflective activities and key studies encourage an active and independent learning approach
Overall, a good text that covers all the crucial aspects of a qualitative research project in education, from philosophical assumptions to data collection and analysis, writing up and dissemination in formal and informal outlets.
A good book covering a good range of research at an appropriate level for our students.
we have requested copise for central and departmental libraries.
This is a very good book at the student level for two reason:
1. It gives a basic idea in how to conduct a qualitative research when you are not familiar with this type of research specially in the educational enviroment
2. The structure of the book facilitates to the students the steps you need to make in order to answer a qualitative research question
specially interesting chapter 6
A highly readable, accessible and comprehensive text. This is ideal reading for those setting up masters research within Education fields.
This book covers key methodological issues and qualitative research designs in the educational field. Each chapter includes examples that are particularly useful to understand ‘how’ to carry out research. The activities in each chapter are a good complement to reinforce knowledge and understanding of key concepts. This book is an ideal introduction for master and undergraduate students in Education who are doing or planning to do a small-scale qualitative research. I recommend this book to my second year students and use it as an essential reading at the master level. The examples are brilliant and this is the main reason why I chose to include this book in my teaching.
This book covers key methodological issues and qualitative research designs in the educational field. Each chapter includes examples that are particularly useful to understand ‘how’ to carry out research. The activities in each chapter are a good complement to reinforce knowledge and understanding of key concepts. This book is an ideal introduction for master and undergraduate students in Education who are doing or planning to do a small-scale qualitative research. I recommend this book to my second year students and use it as an essential reading at the master level. The examples are brilliant and this is the main reason why I chose to include this book in my teaching.
A highly practical text with real life examples. Theory and practice are linked in meaningful ways.
A good source book for those either undertaking a critical review or carrying out qualitative research
