Key Issues for Education Researchers

Doing a small-scale research project is a compulsory element of an Education Studies degree. This book will guide and support students through their research, offering practical advice on designing, planning and completing the research and on writing it up. It outlines the philosophical approaches underpinning research, and talks through techniques in both quantitative and qualitative methods, how to design research instruments, and the collecting and analyzing of data.

Chapters cover:

- Research paradigms and social perspectives

- Ethical approaches to research

- Research methods including interviewing, questionnaires, observation and experiments

- Research diaries and personal biography

- Writing up your research

Each chapter includes points for reflection, encouraging students to explore different perceptions on the whole research project. Tasks in each chapter take readers through the process of designing and justifying their own research project. Essential reading for education studies students, it will also be very suitable for those doing masters courses in education, students on initial teacher training programs and of interest to others, such as classroom assistants, studying education on foundation degrees.