education: the research context

• What issues do sociologists study in education?

  Classroom interaction, pupil subcultures, teacher labelling
• Why must sociologists be aware of education's characteristics?

  It affects their choice of research method
• What is a challenge of using covert participant observation in studying pupil subcultures?

  Researchers may struggle to pass as pupils
• What difficulty might arise when studying parental attitudes using questionnaires?

  Illiterate parents may struggle to respond
• What are the key features of research characteristics in education?

  • Affects choice of research method
  • Presents opportunities and problems
  • Influences effectiveness of research
• What types of issues will be examined in the Methods in Context questions?

  Gender and subject choice, material deprivation
• What are the five main groups/settings in education that sociologists study?

  1. Pupils
  2. Teachers
  3. Parents
  4. Classrooms
  5. Schools
• What do the distinctive characteristics of educational groups affect?

  The choice of suitable research methods
• What personal characteristics of researchers can affect educational research?

  Their own experience of education
• What are the three major differences between studying young people and adults according to Hill and Alderson?

  Power and status, ability and understanding, vulnerability
• What practical, ethical, and theoretical issues arise from differences in studying young people?

  • Power dynamics in research
  • Understanding of research topics
  • Ethical considerations for vulnerable groups