′This book will provide a very valuable resource for developing teachers and their University tutors. There is great breadth and depth in reflections upon different aspects of researching school based practice and the reader is guided carefully through the challenging processes of devising enquiries, collecting evidence, analysing data and writing up research. The book can be used on different levels - from quick reference to thorough analysis on research methodology. The examples drawn from the work of new researchers on M level PGCEs and MA programmes provide excellent models for reflection′ - Simon Thompson, Director of Initial Teacher Education at the University of Sussex The new M-level PGCE courses require trainee teachers to demonstrate the ability to systematically research their own practice during professional placements. This book is designed to guide students through the research process, supporting novice researchers as they build research skills. The book will help new teachers beginning to use research literature to ask questions about published work, showing that the nature of knowledge sought, and how such knowledge is justified, depends on the standpoint from which questions are asked, what sorts of answers are deemed researchable and the audience to whom results are to be addressed. It also contextualises methodological issues alongside key ideas which teachers are likely to be concerned with, such as ability grouping, pupil voice, pupil behaviour, teaching approaches and pupil motivation. Focused clearly on the needs of the new classroom researcher, this book is a thorough and thoughtful guide to the research process.

The Good Research Guidehas been a bestselling introduction to the basics of social research since it was first published in 1998. This new second edition of the book offers the same clear guidance on how to conduct successful small-scale research projects and adds even more value by including new sections on internet research, phenomenology, grounded theory and image-based methods. The book provides: a clear summary of the relevant strategies, methods and approaches to data analysis a jargon-free coverage of the key issues an attractive layout and user-friendly presentation checklists to guide good practice. Practical and comprehensive,The Good Research Guideis an invaluable tool for students of education, health studies, business studies and other social sciences, who need to conduct small-scale research projects as part of undergraduate, postgraduate or professional studies.

Written in friendly and accessible language, this concise guide includes numerous practical examples based on the authors’ extensive experience in the field. The authors provide information and guidance on developing research skills such as gathering and analyzing information and data, reporting findings, and research design. They offer critical perspectives to help users reflect on research approaches and to understand the key issues in devising research questions.

The world of teacher research is rapidly changing following the introduction of Best Practice Research Scholarships. This was announced by the DfEE as part of a new Professional Development Plan in which teachers are to be allocated up to £3000 to do their own research (non-award bearing) with the support of an HE mentor. The TTA also believes that teachers should play a more active role in conceiving, implementing, evaluating and disseminating research. This book is for teachers who are looking, or being encouraged, to undertake research in their schools. Written by teachers and their HE research mentors, the book provides case studies which show teachers how to 'do' and 'use' research and how to 'do' effective pedagogy. Olwen MacNamara shows how a group of teachers set out to observe, describe, analyse and intervene in areas of primary education. The book can be raided for insights into research methods as well detailing professional issues about teaching and learning, and will be essential reading for teachers undertaking Best Practice Research Scholarships.

Written with the needs of students uppermost, Small-Scale Research is a direct, comprehensive guide for students doing theses, dissertations, papers and projects. It systematically works through the central methods of inquiry and demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches.

To the uninformed, surveys appear to be an easy type of research to design and conduct, but when students and professionals delve deeper, they encounter the vast complexities that the range and practice of survey methods present. To complicate matters, technology has rapidly affected the way surveys can be conducted; today, surveys are conducted via cell phone, the Internet, email, interactive voice response, and other technology-based modes. Thus, students, researchers, and professionals need both a comprehensive understanding of these complexities and a revised set of tools to meet the challenges. In conjunction with top survey researchers around the world and with Nielsen Media Research serving as the corporate sponsor, the Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods presents state-of-the-art information and methodological examples from the field of survey research. Although there are other "how-to" guides and references texts on survey research, none is as comprehensive as this Encyclopedia, and none presents the material in such a focused and approachable manner. With more than 600 entries, this resource uses a Total Survey Error perspective that considers all aspects of possible survey error from a cost-benefit standpoint. Key Features Covers all major facets of survey research methodology, from selecting the sample design and the sampling frame, designing and pretesting the questionnaire, data collection, and data coding, to the thorny issues surrounding diminishing response rates, confidentiality, privacy, informed consent and other ethical issues, data weighting, and data analyses Presents a Reader′s Guide to organize entries around themes or specific topics and easily guide users to areas of interest Offers cross-referenced terms, a brief listing of Further Readings, and stable Web site URLs following most entries The Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods is specifically written to appeal to beginning, intermediate, and advanced students, practitioners, researchers, consultants, and consumers of survey-based information.