Tag: methods in context

  • Secondary Data on Academic Progress

    What are the strengths and limitations of using secondary data to research the academic progress of students in schools? This challenging question came up in the methods in Context section of the November 2021 AQA A-Level Sociology exam, and students found it difficult according the Examiners Report, with significant numbers focussing only on quantitative secondary…

  • Reality TV School Shows – How Valid are They?

    Reality shows featuring schools have become common place on British T.V. over the last decade. One well-known example is the ‘Educating’ series, which started in Essex in 2011, then visited Yorkshire in 2014, and then another three series, with the latest airing in 2017. Each series followed one school through an entire year, with cameras…

  • Researching Teachers in Education

    Teachers are the ‘front line’ of education, with the primary day to day responsibility students’ education and well-being. If you want to understand the impacts that education policies are having on different types of student, then teachers are probably best placed to be able to tell you. However, there are a number of potential problems…

  • Experiments within schools

    What are the strengths and limitations of using laboratory and field experiments to research education?

  • How has Coronavirus Affected Education?

    The most obvious impact of the 2020 Coronavirus on education was the cancellation of GCSE and A-level exams, with the media focusing on the chaos caused by teacher predicted grades being downgraded by the exam authority’s algorithm and then the government U-turn which reinstated the original teacher predicted grades. While it’s fair to say that…

  • Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using participant observation to investigate pupil exclusions

    This 20 mark methods in context question came up in the 2018 A-level sociology 7192/1 paper, below is the full question and some thoughts about how you might go about answering it!   Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using participant observation to investigate…

  • AQA AS Level Sociology: Education with Methods in Context 2018: How I Would’ve Answered It.

    Just a few quick thoughts on what I thought about this paper and how I would have answered some of the questions… Q01: Define the term social solidarity… ‘Nice simple start: Social solidarity is… ‘instilling a sense of belonging to wider society, a sense of commitment to the importance of working towards society’s goals and…

  • Methods in Context Questions: A Full Mark Answer from the AQA

    Methods in Context Questions: A Full Mark Answer from the AQA

    An example of a full mark answer to a methods in context question from the AQA.

  • How to Answer Methods in Context Questions: A Model Answer from the AQA

    How to Answer Methods in Context Questions: A Model Answer from the AQA

    ‘Methods in Context’ questions appear on A Level Sociology Paper 1 (Education with Theory and Methods) and AS Sociology Paper 1 (Education with Methods in Context). Methods in Context questions will ask students to evaluate the strengths and limitations of any of the six main research methods for researching a particular topic within the sociology…

  • Methods in Context Essay Template

    A suggested template for the Methods in Context Question on one of the AQA’s 7191 (1)education and methods in context sample exam papers – the template should work for most Method in Context questions, but it won’t work for all of them (it’ll fit less well for secondary data MIC questions) Question: 06 Read Item…