ReviseSociology

Tag: Methods

  • Are one in five people really disabled?

    According to official statistics 19% of working aged adults, or one in five people self-report as being ‘disabled’, and this figure has been widely used in the media to promote pro-disability programming. How do we Define Disability? According to the formal, legal, UK definition under the 2010 Equality Act someone is disable if they ‘have…

  • Researching in Classrooms

    The classic method for researching in classrooms is non-participant observation, the method used by OFSTED inspectors. However, there are other methods available to the researcher who wishes to conduct research on actual lessons within schools. Classrooms are closed environments with very clear rules of behaviour and typically containing around 20-30 students, one teacher and maybe…

  • Researching Pupils in Education

    Educational researchers might reasonably expect to have to conduct research with pupils at some in their careers, given that they are at the centre of the education system. This post outlines some the challenges researchers may face when researching pupils in the context of education. It has been primarily written for students of A-level sociology.…

  • The Global Drug Survey – a good example of invalid data due to bias?

    86% of the global population have used drugs in the last year, and more people have used cannabis than tobacco. Almost 30% of the world’s population have used Cocaine in the last year, at least according to the 2019 Global Drug Survey. This survey asked adults in 36 countries about their use of drugs and…

  • Exam advice from the AQA’s Examiner Reports from 2018

    The AQA produces an examiner report after every exam, and it’s very good advice to look at these reports to see common mistakes students made last year, so you can avoid making the same mistakes this year! Below I’ve selected FIVE choice pieces of advice based on the two most common errors from the 2018…

  • Using contemporary examples to evaluate for theory and methods

    A level sociology students should be looking to using contemporary examples and case studies to illustrate points and evaluate theories whenever possible. In the exams, the use of contemporary evidence is something examiners look for and reward. Below are a few examples of some recent events in the news which are relevant to the theory…

  • Using interviews to research education

    Interviews are one of the most commonly used qualitative research methods in the sociology of education. In this post I consider some of the strengths and limitations of using interviews to research education, focussing mainly on unstructured interviews. This post is primarily designed to get students thinking about methods in context, or ‘applied research methods’.…

  • Blue Monday

    ‘Blue Monday’ is apparently the most ‘depressing’ day of the year… Accept it’s not. It’s actually the day of the year on which people are most likely to book a holiday, based on the following formula: A psychologist called Cliff Arnall came up with the formula in 2005. He developed it on behalf Travel (a…

  • Gender and Education: Good Resources

    Useful links to quantitative and qualitative research studies, statistics, researchers, and news paper articles relevant to gender and education. These links should be of interest to students studying A-level and degree level sociology, as well as anyone with a general interest in the relationship between gender, gender identity, differential educational achievement and differences in subject…

  • Nudge Politics: a sociological analysis

    Nudge Politics: a sociological analysis

    ‘nudge politics’ involves governments implementing small social policy measures to help people make the ‘right decisions’. This post considers some of the pros and cons of this type of social policy agenda.