Categorizing Educational Research
We can categorize research in many different ways. For
instance, it is carried out at different levels: undergraduate, practitioner,
Masters, doctoral and post-doctoral. It may be funded by an external body,
including government, or not have any allocated ?nancial support at all. It can
also relate to a wide range of themes, including (of course) education.
Educational research investigates learning, curriculum
and educational practice. lt can be carried out by practitioners or by
?outsiders? (and even by children and school students themselves). It may
achieve many things - your project may achieve these too. For example, it can:
? strengthen understanding of how centres, schools or
colleges function and how they might function better
? deepen understanding of educational practice, in the
classroom and elsewhere
? explore the feelings (?perspectives?) of those in
education about curriculum, styles of teaching and about learning itself.
It also comes in different forms. Here are some common
approaches, together with examples of each:
* Theoretical research
Theoretical research scrutinizes concepts and ideas (such
as equality and justice), rather than their practical application.
Example: Starting his discussion with: ?Teachers often
shut their students up?, Callan (2011) examined the tensions between the silencing
of students? derogatory comments and the ideals of free speech.
* Action or practitioner research
Action research investigates everyday actions, in work or
in our social lives, with a view to improving systems and practice. It is often
carried out by practitioners, such as teachers. Participants themselves may
also have direct input into design and monitoring of the investigation
(sometimes known as ?participatory' research).
Example: Rule and Modipa (2011) explored the educational
experiences of adults with disabilities in South Africa. The study?s
participatory, action-research approach involved people with disabilities
designing and conducting the investigation. The study was also an example of
?emancipatory research? which challenges social oppression of marginalized
groups.
* Evaluative
Evaluative research assesses the usefulness or
effectiveness of an organization or activity, possibly to indicate whether this
should be continued.
Example: Blenkinsop et al. (2007) evaluated the School
Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, which provided fruit to young children in English
schools every morning. They found that children?s fruit consumption increased,
but saw no wider or sustained impact on their diet.
* Experimental
This involves a structured experiment. Situations are
carefully organized, so that different scenarios can be investigated. For
instance, two student groups (one ?experimental?, the other ?control') are
taught the same thing in different ways. The researcher then tries to determine
which approach is more beneficial. To adopt this approach, it must be possible
to measure clearly the issue in question.
Example: Finnish research by livonen, Saakslahti and
Nissinen (2011) used two groups of young children to study the effects of an eight-month,
pre-school, physical-education curriculum.
* ?Cause and effect? research
Experimental research is usually associated with what I
call ?cause and effect? research - trying to find out if and how one thing
causes or affects another. For instance, does a particular teaching approach,
initiative or resource improve students? learning and achievement?
Example: Blatchford et al. (2011) studied over 8000
students to examine the effects of work by education support staff.
Uncomfortably for educators, it found that the students getting most support
tended to make less academic progress than similar students with less support.
* Case study
Case-study research involves in-depth investigation of an
individual, group, event or system, usually within its real-life context and
sometimes over a period of time (called a ?longitudinal? study).
Example: Forrester (2010) used a longitudinal case-study
approach to document the musical development of one child between the ages of l
and 4 years.
* Systematic review
Systematic reviews critically appraise a range of
research evidence or literature (or both) on a particular topic. From the
analysis, it identi?es key messages and continuing gaps in understanding.
Example: Sebba et al. (2008) searched electronic
databases and journals to ?nd and review 26 published research studies relating
to the topic of self and peer assessment in secondary schools.
* Exploratory
Exploratory research seeks to understand situations more
clearly and deeply than before, often from varied perspectives.
Example: Rassool (2004) explored ways in which children from
minority ethnic groups viewed themselves culturally and educationally within
British society.
* Comparative
Comparative research investigates two or more different
situations, for instance practice in different countries or institutions, and
makes comparisons in order to understand both situations better.
Example: Jerman and Pretnar (2006) compared the musical
abilities of l1-year- old children on the Caribbean island of Martinique and in
Slovenia. This comparison identi?ed common elements and some differences which
seemed to explain much better results on Martinique.
* Grounded theory
This approach is often used to create or produce an
overall theory from wide-ranging investigation, often culminating in an
intricate flow chart or diagram. The approach was ?rst formulated by Glaser and
Strauss (1967).
Example: Thomberg?s (2008) grounded-theory research in
Sweden developed a categorized system of school rules and sought to explain the
logic behind them.
* Ethnography
Ethnographic research studies cultures or groups in
naturalistic contexts, ?understanding things from the point of view of those
involved? (Denscombe, 2010: 80-81). Ethnographic researchers often immerse
themselves in the lives of those they are researching.
Example: Tang and Maxwell (2007) used observation,
interviews, daily conversations and questionnaires to investigate cultural
features of the Chinese kindergarten curriculum, ?nding that ?children are
taught to learn together rather than explore individually? and that children ?s
'spontaneous learning interests are welcomed but seldom developed in depth?.
References
Blatchford, P., Bassett, P., Brown, P., Martin, C.,
Russell, A., and Webster, R. (2011) ?The impact of support staff on pupils?
?positive approaches to learning? and their academic progress?, British
Educational Research Journal, 37(3): 443-464
Blenkinshop, S., Bradshaw, S., Cade, J,.Chan, D.,
Greenwood, D., Ransley, J., Schagen, S., Scott, E., Teeman, D. and Thomas, J.
(2007) Further Evaluation of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme. London:
Department of Health.
Forrester, M.A. (2010) ?Emerging musicality during
pre-school years: a case study of one child?, Psychology of Music, 38(2):
131-158.
Jerman, J., and Pretnar, T. (2006) ?Comparative analysis
of musical abilities of 11-year-olds from Slovenia and the island of
Martinique?, Education 3-13, 34(3): 233-242.
Rassool, N. (2004) ?Flexible identities: exploring race
and gender issues amongst a group of immigrant pupils in an inner-city
comprehensive school?, in V. Lewis, M. Kellett, C. Robinson, S. Fraser and S.
Ding (eds) The Reality of Research with Children and Young People. London:
Sage.
Rule, P. and Modipa, T.R. (2011) ? ?We must believe in
ourselves?: attitudes and experiences of adult learners with disabilities in
KwaZulu-Nata, South Africa?, Adult Education Quarterly, 28 February. Available
at: http://aeq.sagepub.com/content/early/recent
(accessed 27 January 2012).
Sebba J., Crick R.D., Yu, G., Lawson H., Harlen W. and
Durant K. (2008) ?Systematic review of research evidence of the impact on
students in secondary schools of self and peer assessment?, in Research
Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research
Unit, Institute of Education, University of education, University of London.
Tomorrow's Professor: Categorizing Educational Research
