Tab 1
, Primary Methods
Method Strengths Weaknesses Application to Education
Questionnaires Quick and cheap means of gathering large amounts of data from Data tends to be limited and superficial , limiting Used to study; subject/uni choice, bullying , the experience
Closed ended questions & Open ended large samples info that can be gathered of school , achievement and school factors , parental
questions Reliable as the questionnaire can be repeated , with the same Low response rate , due to large sample sizes at attitudes to education
questions
Useful for hypotheses testing cause and effect of relationships of
lack of completion Schools keep lost of pupils,staff and parents these can
two variables May be hard to understand by younger audience, provide accurate sampling frames from which they can
Favoured by positivists as they are detached and objective if language is complex draw a representative sample
Stand a better chance of being representative of the wider Questionnaires can be inflexible , the questions Schools may be reluctant to allow sociologists distribute
population are fixed questionnaires because of disruption to lessons that it may
Due to no obligation to answer they pose less threat to ethical They fail to produce a full valid picture as they cause
issues don't show how the attitudes and behaviours Children have shorter attention spans so may lack ability
change to complete questionnaires
Respondent may lie, forget, not know or try Power imbalance between adult researcher and pupil may
please or second guess the researcher block real answers
Interviews Informality of unstructured allows the interviewer to Structured restricts interviewees choice due to Use for pupil subcultures , pupils’ experience , class,
Structured , unstructured , semi structured , develop a rapport with the interviewee limited set answers language
group Allow the interview more opportunity to speak about those Structured gives very little freedom to clarify Younger audience may be less articulate , or understand
things they think are important complex questions complex questions
Easier to check other meanings , and use follow up Unstructured may be time consuming , looting te Schools can informal communication channels so question
questions sample size reducing representatives or interview may get around and influence future
There's more flexibility Unstructured are unreliable as not standardised responses from pupils or teachers
Structured interviews are suitable for gathering Risk of interviewer asking leading questions Schools may be reluctant to allow sociologists to conduct
straightforward factual info Interview may identity too closely with the interviews during lesson time
Structured data are quantifiable interviewees Power imbalance may influence interview to lie or
Structured reliably as questions can be repeated As not normal conversation , answers may not exaggerate their answers
truthful
May feel at pressure to answer questions
Observations Overt avoids the ethical problem of obtaining info by deceit Overt , you may refuse researcher permission Used to observe teacher pupil interactions , speech
covert/overt participant/non-participant Overt allows researcher to sk question that only an Participant their risk of cover being blown and codes , the hidden curriculum , teacher and pupil racism
outsider could ask may risk their safety Gain access to the meaning that teachers and pupils gie to
Covert reduces risk of altering people behaviour Ppt are very timeconsuming situations by immersing in the environment
Ppt can obtain rich qualitative data Ppt raises ethical concern and it's immoral to Risk of Hawthrone effect form teachers and pupils
Ppt allows researcher to enter with an open mind and have deceive others
better understanding Sample is small so can generalise
Difficult to replicate so lack reliability
There's risk of them getting to involved and
results may become bias
Experiments Lab are controlled , so are able to be replicated so more Lab usually use only small sample so are not Used for teacher expectations , classroom interactions ,
lab field reliable and more valid results representative labelling , pupil self concepts , the self fulfilling prophecy
Can find cause and effect Difficult to obtain informed consent Young pupils more vulnerable as less knowledge that
Field more valid as done in more natural environment with Experiment may cause harm to the participants their are being deceived
realistic results Lab there is risk of Hawthrone effect Lab docs on small aspect so many not get the wonder
Field may be unethical is done without consent or process of labelling , self fulfilling prophecy
knowledge Schools are large , complex institutions in which many
variables mean it's harder to control
Lab are artificial so may not tell us the real world of
education
, Primary Methods
Method Strengths Weaknesses Application to Education
Questionnaires Quick and cheap means of gathering large amounts of data from Data tends to be limited and superficial , limiting Used to study; subject/uni choice, bullying , the experience
Closed ended questions & Open ended large samples info that can be gathered of school , achievement and school factors , parental
questions Reliable as the questionnaire can be repeated , with the same Low response rate , due to large sample sizes at attitudes to education
questions
Useful for hypotheses testing cause and effect of relationships of
lack of completion Schools keep lost of pupils,staff and parents these can
two variables May be hard to understand by younger audience, provide accurate sampling frames from which they can
Favoured by positivists as they are detached and objective if language is complex draw a representative sample
Stand a better chance of being representative of the wider Questionnaires can be inflexible , the questions Schools may be reluctant to allow sociologists distribute
population are fixed questionnaires because of disruption to lessons that it may
Due to no obligation to answer they pose less threat to ethical They fail to produce a full valid picture as they cause
issues don't show how the attitudes and behaviours Children have shorter attention spans so may lack ability
change to complete questionnaires
Respondent may lie, forget, not know or try Power imbalance between adult researcher and pupil may
please or second guess the researcher block real answers
Interviews Informality of unstructured allows the interviewer to Structured restricts interviewees choice due to Use for pupil subcultures , pupils’ experience , class,
Structured , unstructured , semi structured , develop a rapport with the interviewee limited set answers language
group Allow the interview more opportunity to speak about those Structured gives very little freedom to clarify Younger audience may be less articulate , or understand
things they think are important complex questions complex questions
Easier to check other meanings , and use follow up Unstructured may be time consuming , looting te Schools can informal communication channels so question
questions sample size reducing representatives or interview may get around and influence future
There's more flexibility Unstructured are unreliable as not standardised responses from pupils or teachers
Structured interviews are suitable for gathering Risk of interviewer asking leading questions Schools may be reluctant to allow sociologists to conduct
straightforward factual info Interview may identity too closely with the interviews during lesson time
Structured data are quantifiable interviewees Power imbalance may influence interview to lie or
Structured reliably as questions can be repeated As not normal conversation , answers may not exaggerate their answers
truthful
May feel at pressure to answer questions
Observations Overt avoids the ethical problem of obtaining info by deceit Overt , you may refuse researcher permission Used to observe teacher pupil interactions , speech
covert/overt participant/non-participant Overt allows researcher to sk question that only an Participant their risk of cover being blown and codes , the hidden curriculum , teacher and pupil racism
outsider could ask may risk their safety Gain access to the meaning that teachers and pupils gie to
Covert reduces risk of altering people behaviour Ppt are very timeconsuming situations by immersing in the environment
Ppt can obtain rich qualitative data Ppt raises ethical concern and it's immoral to Risk of Hawthrone effect form teachers and pupils
Ppt allows researcher to enter with an open mind and have deceive others
better understanding Sample is small so can generalise
Difficult to replicate so lack reliability
There's risk of them getting to involved and
results may become bias
Experiments Lab are controlled , so are able to be replicated so more Lab usually use only small sample so are not Used for teacher expectations , classroom interactions ,
lab field reliable and more valid results representative labelling , pupil self concepts , the self fulfilling prophecy
Can find cause and effect Difficult to obtain informed consent Young pupils more vulnerable as less knowledge that
Field more valid as done in more natural environment with Experiment may cause harm to the participants their are being deceived
realistic results Lab there is risk of Hawthrone effect Lab docs on small aspect so many not get the wonder
Field may be unethical is done without consent or process of labelling , self fulfilling prophecy
knowledge Schools are large , complex institutions in which many
variables mean it's harder to control
Lab are artificial so may not tell us the real world of
education
