Semi-Structured Interviews to Research Education
Semi-Structured interviews are the most common primary qualitative research methods used in education. There are many studies which employ them. […]
education, research methods, Sex and gender
research methods
research methods
Doing Social Research – From Research Design to Data Collection, Analysis and Publication
There are several stages of the research process in social research, and the actual data-collection phase is often only a
education, research methods
Structured Non-Participant Observation in Education
The most commonly used form of observation in education are lesson observations carried out as part of OFSTED inspections –
education, research methods, Social Action Theory (Interpretivism and Interactionism)
Participant Observation to Research Education
Participant Observation studies are favoured by interpretivists as they allow for the collection of rich, qualitative data, and for an
education, research methods, Social Action Theory (Interpretivism and Interactionism), Social class, wealth and income inequalities
Learning to Labour
The counter school culture resisted the school but ultimately limited working class kids to getting working class jobs
research methods
Interviews in Social Research: Advantages and Disadvantages
The strengths of unstructured interviews are that they are respondent led, flexible, allow empathy and can be empowering, the limitations are poor reliability due to interviewer characteristics and bias, time, and low representativeness.
research methods
Field Experiments in sociology
The practical, ethical and theoretical strengths and limitations of field experiments in comparison to lab experiments, relevant to sociology.
experiments, research methods
Experiments in Sociology – An Introduction
Experiments aim to measure the effect which an independent variable (the ’cause’) has on a dependent variable (‘the effect’). The
Questionnaires in Sociology: Strengths and Weaknesses
Social surveys, a quantitative research method using structured questionnaires and interviews, have theoretical strengths in detachment, hypothesis testing, representativeness and reliability, but face limitations in imposition, misinterpretation, and representativeness issues. They are practical for gathering large data sets but offer only superficial insights. Ethically, they provide informed consent and unobtrusiveness but may not be suitable for sensitive topics.
research methods
Social Surveys in Sociology
Social Surveys, conducted by various organizations, are standardized procedures to gather information from large populations. Using methods like questionnaires and structured interviews, they collect data on diverse topics. Prominent examples include the England and Wales Census and the British Social Attitudes Survey. These surveys can involve pre-coded or open-ended questions. While useful for broad social studies, surveys can impose researcher’s perspective or encounter interviewer bias, reducing their reliability and necessitating careful interview design and conduct.