Methods in context

• Practical issues of studying a school

  1. Getting past the gatekeeper/headteacher

  2. Timetable

  3. Exam time
• Ethical issues of studying a school

  1. You need a DBS check/legal document to protect children

  2. Children under 16 are vulnerable group

  3. Teacher place of work = stress

  4. Duty of care to protect employees and students

  4. Sensitivity of studying racism, sexism, truancy, material deprivation, etc.
• Theoretical issues of studying a school

  1. Validity reduced due to teacher in disguise

  2. Teacher see researcher as OFSTED/SMT

  3. Not representative due to pro-school/middle class more likely to participate
• Issues that impact the SAMPLE

  1. Pro-school students more likely to participate

  - already give up lunch/break to do revision so will be willing to do research

  2. Anti-school less likely

  - May be absent/truant

  3. Headteachers want to show off GOOD teachers/students.
• Guilty knowledge


  This term:

  - researcher may observe, bullying, racism, sexism, etc.

  - Do they protect participants OR do they tell authority (which may undermine trust).
• Characteristics of the RESEARCHER

  The researcher:

  - Most likely to be middle class

  - Speak in elaborate code

  - Dress well

  - Seem authoritative

  MEANS that they are seen as a TEACHER/OFSTED
• Hawthorne effect in a school

  Change behaviour, examples include:

  - Acting on good behaviour. Pro-school will exaggerate good behaviour

  - anti-school may act worse or better

  - Teachers are used to putting on a 'show' when being observed.
• Issues that STOP parents being involved in research in school

  Parents may refuse to get involved:

  - Work long hours/cannot get time off work

  - Have to use public transport

  - May have had bad experience of school

  - Have to look after other children
• Reasons why parents DO take part in research

  Parents choose to get involved:

  - Makes them look like good parents

  - Will benefit their child if they take part

  - gain advantage over other parents

  - positive experience of education and are used to attending parent evening, etc
• Places in a school context that are hard to access

  Hard to access the following:

  - Staffroom

  - Some classrooms such as behavioural/punishment/isolation

  - toilets

  - pupils homes
• Social groups that can always be researched in school

  You can research the following:

  - parents

  - teachers

  - pupils

  - truancy officer/attendance officer

  - Guidance Councillors

  - Head teachers
• Resources available if you CANNOT get access to the school.

  Secondary sources available

  - school websites

  - public documents such as minutes of meetings, OFSTED reports

  - GCSE results (split into gender, and ethnicity)

  - Free School Meals (indicates poverty/material deprivation)
• Sensitive topics


  These topics:

  - Material deprivation - Asking what materials/housing/diet is like

  - Cultural deprivation - Lack of cultural experiences

  - Bullying/racism/sexist - can be upsetting for students

  - Having to look after siblings/family members instead of studying/going to university can be overwhelming for students.

  ALL these are sensitive and can have a psychological impact on students when researching them.