Critical evaluation of research methods in education

Paul B.

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Critical evaluation of research methods in education

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Abstract

On initial consideration, the question posed here seemed to bracket nicely few main points of the subject, but that impression appeared to be inequitable, especially when it came to making judgments concerning different methods and approaches to research projects. The word "method" is derived from the Greek words metá (with) and hódos (the way). Therefore, from etymological perspective, research method is a particular way of doing research, or the principle that informs its organisation. To start with a definition, a concise description of a research method is provided by Macionis & Plummer (1998: 42), who view it as a "systematic plan for conducting research". Another laconic definition of a research method is given by Myers (1997: 241): "A research method is a strategy of inquiry which moves from the underlying philosophical assumptions to research design and data collection."

Introduction.
The research needed for social practice.
The research method of teachers' biographies/autobiographies.
Favoured research tool: Questionnaire.
1. Collecting constrained data.
2. Macionis and Plummer's view of an interview.
3. Multiplicity of opinions and approaches.
Dissimilar opinions among researchers on the role of the observer.
1. Complex classification of the observer's roles according to Gold.
2. Two different types of observation according to Spradley and Burns.
Non-participant type of observations.
1. The aim of the study.
2. Data collection methods.
3. A checklist as a form of a highly-structured participant observation.
Conclusion.
Bibliography.

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[...] The participant observer as a human being: observations on the personal aspects of fieldwork. In: Burgess R. (ed). Field research: a sourcebook and field manual. London: George Allen & Unwin Guba, E. and Lincoln, Y. (1989). Fourth Generation Evaluation. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Gold R (1969). Roles in sociological field observations. In: McCall G. and Simmons J. (Eds) Issues in Participant Observation. Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley. Hitchcock, G. and Hughes, D. (1989). Research and the Teacher: A Qualitative Introduction to School-based Research. [...]

[...] In contrast to this opinion Holliday (2002: 10) thinks that new insight is gained when the researcher actively engages in a “learning culture” through making use of participant observation, structured interviews and literature studies.” This leads the study to further discussion of research methods in a form of interviews and observations, which are widely used in educational research for collecting qualitative data. Silverman (2000) thinks that the interview method clearly predominates as the single most preferred method in qualitative research, arguing that choice of the open-ended interview as the gold standard of qualitative research is pretty widely spread' (ibid: 291). [...]

[...] New York: Cambridge University Press. Burns, R. (2000) Introduction to Research Methods (4th ed). Sydney: Pearson Education Burgess, R. (1982) Field Research: a Sourcebook and Field Manual. London: George Allen & Unwin. Campbell, A., McNamara, O.,Gilroy, P. (2004) Practitioner Research and Professional Development in Education, London: Paul Chapman Carter, C. and Doyle, W. (1996) Personal Narrative and Life History in Learning to Teach. In Sikula, J., ed., Handbook of Research on Teacher Education. New York: Macmillan Carr, W. and Kemmis, S. [...]

[...] research approaches and methods discussed in this paper are action research, diaries and narrative accounts, biographies/autobiographies and stories, questionnaires, interviews and observations. The term “action research” is generally accredited to Kurt Lewin (1946) who provided a classic definition of the term: The research needed for social practice can best be characterized as research for social management or social engineering. It is a type of action-research, a comparative research on the conditions and effects of various forms of social action, and research leading to social action. [...]

[...] (2001) 'Action research', The Encyclopedia of Informal Education, http://www.infed.org/research/b-actres.htm . Accessed on December 24, 2006) Macionis, J. and Plummer, K. (1998) Sociology: a Global Introduction. London: Prentice Hall McCracken G (1988). The Long Interview. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Myers, M. (1997). Qualitative Research in Information Systems, MIS Quarterly Vol 21 June 1997, pp. 241-242. Silverman, D. (2000) Doing Qualitative Research: a practical handbook, London: Sage. Nunan, D. (1992) Research Methods in Language Learning. Cambridge University Press. Somekh, B.(1995) The Contribution of Action Research to Development in Social [...]

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