Irena Andrews (Programme Leader)

Andy Davies
Keith Turvey (Course Leader)
Richard Wallis
MA Education (Teaching Leaders)


KV712 Research Contexts
Professional Enquiry 2013/14


Constructing knowledge
Masters level research aims to produce
warrantable knowledge

It can inform theory, policy and practice
We aim not only to find out, but also to
convince others
Frameworks guide and shape our inquiry
Research does not take place in a vacuum

A community of scholars who share similar
conceptions of proper questions, methods,
techniques and forms of explanations
Paradigm
the word that describes the community of
scholars and the conception of problem
and method they share (Schulman, 1986; Sparkes,
1998:11)

Paradigms provide particular sets of
lenses for seeing the world and making
sense of it in different ways (Sparkes, 1992:12)

Paradigms are basic belief systems that
represent the most fundamental positions
we are willing to take (Guba and Lincoln, 1998:24)

A set of assumptions which a group of
scientists or other theorists share, and
which form a basis for their investigations
(Kuhn, 1962, 1970 in Swann and Pratt, 2003:207)



3 elements of a paradigm
(Guba and Lincoln, 1998, p.201 - 220)

Ontology: What is the form and nature
of reality/truth?

Epistemology: What is the nature of the
relationship between the knower (you)
and what can be known (knowledge)?

Methodology: How can the enquirer
find out what s/he believes can be
known?
Quantitative Research

Views social world as hard and objective
and similar to the natural world

Assumes that clear cause and effect
relationships can be established while
scrutinising human behaviour

Knowledge of the social world is discovered
in the same way as scientists discover
knowledge about the physical world

Knowledge is gained only through our
senses

Facts are substantiated scientifically or by a
large number of people
Qualitative Research
Based on the premise that the social world
is different from the natural world and what
we see is not necessarily the truth

Cause and effect statements cannot
always be made to explain events

Social reality is created by human
experience rather than discovered

Aims to describe views, perceptions and
events scientifically to explain phenomena


Mixed Research approaches



Recognises multiple influences

Takes a pragmatic approach

Collects different types of data
simultaneously or sequentially to
best understand research problems




Influences on the research process
process
Adapted from Newby 2010 p 32

Philosophy

Paradigms
Educational
theory

Research
process

Methodology

Methods
Research
question

Philosophy


Paradigms

Educational theory







Research
process







Methodology


Methods

Research question

In groups discuss
What type of researcher am I and how can I
articulate this in the light of philosophy, values
and paradigms?

What type of researcher am I and how might that
affect my choice of methodology and hence the
sort of research I might do?

Why?

Common research models
in teacher research
What is:
Action research?
Case study?
Evaluation?
What type of outcomes might you
expect in each case?
Action Research

Research and action together

change to practices occurs within
the research project;

the research process has discrete
cycles;


literature reading is cyclical;

knowledge claimed from a
singularity, generalisability is fuzzy
Case Study and Evaluation

change to practices emerge
after the research project;
research process is linear;
literature reading provides
context for analysis;
knowledge claimed from a
singularity, generalisability is
fuzzy

Survey
change to practices emerge after the
research project;

practices drawn from the quantitative
paradigm;

research process is linear;

literature reading is context for analysis;

knowledge claimed is generalisable to a
defined population.





Experimental research
Aims to show relationship between cause
and effect eg effect of TAs on reading
ability
Groups need to be matched for age, gender,
social class, ethnicity etc
True experiment: a laboratory setting.
Variables isolated, controlled and
manipulated

Quasi-experiment: a natural setting.
Variables isolated, controlled and
manipulated. Difficult to match groups and
achieve corresponding features between
groups in a natural setting
Intended Research
Outcomes
Some associated
approaches
Some examples of
questions
Changes in practice
How can?
How has?
Action research

Evaluative case studies
How can we improve
teaching
How effective was .
Data gathered and
analysed Statements
of what is the case
Surveys:
Questionnaires and
Interviews (descriptive
analysis)
Ethnographic studies
(illustrative narrative)

What do teachers think
about the role of ICT in
the curriculum?
New explanations
explanatory theories of
what is the case
Experimental/quasi-
experimental research
(Hypothesis testing)
Ethnographic studies
Surveys open ended
and semi structured
interviews
Why are teachers
responding in this way
to this particular
initiative?
Data Collection tools
Questionnaires
Interviews
Focus Groups
Observation
Documentary evidence


Documentary evidence
Source is it current? Reliable?
Accurate?
Where did it come from and who is it
for?
How might interpretations of different
recipients (parents/pupils /teachers/
policy makers) vary?
What implicit values, ideologies or
assumptions about the social/political/
educational context are present?
What alternative discourses exist?





The place of the researcher
Detached observer:
One way mirror looking in from the
outside

Observer who balances participation
with detachment; closeness with
distance; familiarity with strangeness

Complete participant: Complete
participation, lives with the respondents

5 important focussing questions


1 What is the nature of the
phenomenon or process or social
reality that I wish to investigate?
2 What will count as evidence?
3 What broad area is the research
concerned with?
4 What is the intellectual puzzle?
5 What do I want to get out of it?
6 What do I want to be able to say?

(after Mason, J. (1996) Qualitative Researching London:
Sage Publications

An intellectual puzzle?
Research is not a report, or a quick fix
solution
Research is grounded in and informed
by theory
Theory is concerned with the systematic
construction of knowledge
It can explain phenomena
Enlighten about what is already known
and how that knowledge has been
constructed
Research based in a theoretical
framework can help us to formulate
questions and tell us how to proceed

Think about your Impact Initiative in the
light of a masters level research study

* How can the two activities complement
each other?

*Where are the potential tensions?

* How might you plan to address this?

Discuss

Frames for research questions

Research
questions
What
Context
Community of practice
You and positions
Concerns for whom and
why
Meanings/
frameworks
Data?
Ethics?
Feasible time &
resources
What/when/how?
Fit?
Enquire
into
what?
Researchable?
Concepts: What are the main concepts
in your research thinking? How will you
describe them?
Issues: Draw a map indicating the
key ideas of debate and contestation
that are relevant to your particular
concerns.
Contexts: Draw up a genealogy of the
key thinkers in your research area to
indicate the development of theories,
perspectives or methods
From: Blaxter et al (2001) How to Research Buckingham: Open University Press

Getting started individually start to
identify the following: