Research Methods and Methodologies in Education

About the Book

′This work will be of immense value to those who are undertaking a significant post-graduate research study in Education. The array of impressive contributors writes in an accessible and clear manner, and brings the attention of the reader to both technical and conceptual terms. This book certainly will be an addition to my own reference library′
- Susan Groundwater-Smith, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney

 

This straightforward and jargon-free book will provide students with the theoretical understandings, practical knowledge and skills they need to carry out independent research. The international contributors identify key research methodologies, data collection tools and analysis methods, and focus on the direct comparisons between them.

Each chapter sets out the strengths and weaknesses of a key research method by:

• identifying specific research designs
• presenting a series of relevant data collection tools
• highlighting which analytical methods which can be used.

The chapters cover the full range of methods and methodologies, including internet research, mixed methods research and the various modes of ethnographic research.

Additional online materials are also available including links to useful journal articles enabling further reading and exploration of each chapter.

This is a key book for M-level students and other postgraduates within Education and Educational Research Methods courses.

James Arthur is Head of School and Professor of Education and Civic Engagement at the University of Birmingham, UK. Michael J. Waring is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Sport, Exercise and Human Sciences at Loughborough University, UK. Robert Coe is Professor in the School of Education and Director of the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM), Durham University, UK. Larry V. Hedges (PhD) is Board of Trustees Professor of Statistics and Social Policy, at the Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, US.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS AND METHODOLOGIES IN EDUCATION How This Book Can Help You - James Arthur The Nature of Educational Research: Exploring the Different Understandings of Educational Research - Robert Coe Finding Your Theoretical Position - Michael Waring PART TWO: BASIC PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE IN CONDUCTING RESEARCH Design of Empirical Research - Larry V. Hedges Planning Your Research - Laura Day Ashley Conducting Your Research - Robert J. Coe Research Impact and Dissemination - Marilyn Leask PART THREE: KEY METHODS Dimension 1: Research Designs Action Research - Carol Munn-Giddings Naturalistic Research - Rob Walker Ethnographic and Representational Styles - Ghazala Bhatti Grounded Theory - Robert Thornberg Visual Methodologies - Jenni Karlsson Case Study Research - Laura Day-Ashley Issues of Truth and Justice - Ian Davies and Andrew Peterson Surveys and Longitudinal Research - Anna Vignoles Statistical and Correlational Techniques - Stephen Gorard Secondary Data - Emma Smith Impact Evaluation - Steve Higgins Interventions: Experiments - Peter Tymms A Systematic Review - Mark Newman and Kelly Dickson Mixed Methods - Gert Biesta Philosophical Research - Richard Pring Dimension 2: Data Collection Tools Observation-Based Research - Michael V. Angrosino In-Depth Interviews - Carolyn L. Mears Techniques to Assist with Interviewing - Rosalind Hurworth Focus Groups and Group Interviews - Anita Gibbs Internet-Based Methods - Rhona Sharpe and Greg Benfield Doing Blog Research - Axel Bruns and Jean Burgess Documentary Methods - Gary McCulloch Systematic Reviews - Carole Torgerson, Jill Hall and Kate Light Questionnaires - Peter Tymms Measurement and Validity - Ronald K. Hambleton Dimension 3: Analysis Methods Software and Qualitative Data Analysis - Graham R. Gibbs Statistical Analysis Tools - Paul Connolly Discourse Analysis - Elaine Vaughan Media-Analysis - Michael Atkinson Visual Methodologies and Social Change - Claudia Mitchell Grounded Theory - Michael Waring Ethnography as Epistemology - Judith L. Green, Audra Skukauskaite and W. Douglas Baker Biographical Research Methods - Michael Tedder Statistical Hypothesis Tests - Michael Borenstein Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) - Harvey J. Keselman and Lisa Lix Multiple Linear Regression - Stephen Gorard Multilevel Analysis - Mike Seltzer and Jordan Rickles Effect Size - Robert Coe Meta-Analysis - Larry V. Hedges

About the Author :
Professor James Arthur, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor of Education and Civic Engagement, University of Birmingham. He is Director, Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, an inter-disciplinary research centre focussing on character, virtues and values in the interest of human flourishing. He has written widely on the relationship between theory and practice in education, particularly the links between communitarianism, social virtues, citizenship, religion and education. He is Secretary to the Society for Educational Studies. Dr Michael Waring, Griffith Institute for Educational Research, School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Australia. He sits on the executive of the Society for Educational Studies, and is on the editorial board of the British Journal of Educational Studies and Higher Education Pedagogies. His research interests focus on the development of inclusive participatory pedagogy, assessment feedback, research literacy and the use of learning technologies as part of distance and blended learning in higher education and initial teacher education contexts. Generally, and as part of the exploration of this personalised learning agenda, he is interested in the use and innovative development of qualitative research methodology. Robert Coe, Director of Research and Development at Evidence Based Education, Senior Associate at the Education Endowment Foundation and Honorary Professor of Education at Durham University.  His research interests focus on the application of research to supporting improvements in educational practice, drawing on experience as a university professor and high school teacher, with particular expertise in evaluation methodology and educational assessment. Larry V. Hedges is one of eight Board of Trustees Professors at Northwestern, the university’s most distinguished academic position. He holds appointments in statistics and data science, psychology, education and social policy, and medical social sciences. Previously, he was the Stella M. Rowley Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. He received the Yidan Prize in Education Research in 2018 and the José Vasconcelos World Award of Education from the World Culture Council in 2023 He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Statistical Association, the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the American Educational Research Association. He is also a member of the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, which established an annual endowed lecture in his honor. He was selected to give the inaugural Hedges Lecture in 2016. Hedges was nominated by President Barack Obama to the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June 2012, and was elected Chair of the Board in 2016. Widely published, he has authored or co-authored 250 journal articles and 13 books including Coe, Waring, Hedges, & Day Ashley, Research Methods and Methodologies in Education, 3rd edition (2021, Sage London). He has also co-directed  research training institutes on research design  funded by the US Institute of Education Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation for the last 20 years.

Review :
′This work will be of immense value to those who are undertaking a significant post-graduate research study in Education at the M. Phil or PhD level. As well it will be helpful to commissioners of research who may have expertise in one method or another, but not the across-the-board insight when evaluating proposals that employ varied and innovative methods. Its array of impressive contributors writes in an accessible and clear manner and brings the attention of the reader to both technical and conceptual terms.

Not only does the handbook provide the reader with a range of research methods with their associated costs and benefits, but also draws attention to the need for careful and systematic planning at all stages of the inquiry. It cautions against employing any method without first evaluating its appropriateness to the questions being investigated, that is, the commensurability of the research to the purpose of the inquiry.

As a seasoned researcher I found myself refreshed and curious regarding the ongoing debates that continue to circulate around matters of validity and generalisability in increasingly complex contexts. It certainly will be an addition to my own reference library′
-Susan Groundwater-Smith
Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney

This is a superbly edited book on research and research methodologies that should be essential reading for Level 5/6 onwards in education and PE/sport related subject areas. It containes excellent content and references, and sets the area of research very well for everyone in whatever field of interest in educational contexts. Students will highly benefit from reading this book. Highly recommended as essential text. This is a comprehensive book on research methods which is enriched by the contribution of so many highly regarded academics. The content is very helpful for postgraduate students in that debates are outlined without supposing there are easy answers or necessarily agreement on the issues. Consequently, the volume presents a balanced and detailed account of research methods in education. The annotated reading lists are especially useful.

This is a comprehensive book on research methods which is enriched by the contribution of so many highly regarded academics. The content is very helpful for postgraduate students in that debates are outlined without supposing there are easy answers or necessarily agreement on the issues. Consequently, the volume presents a balanced and detailed account of research methods in education. The annotated reading lists are especially useful. A useful reference text with some interesting sections - this is its strength - the way it takes on different angles to education research. ′Issues of truth and justice′ for example is not a section I have come across very often. So useful but not central to our course. Language was too complicated for the level of my students. It also did not include the theoretical information I was interested in for my introductory research methods course. I recommended it to individual students to support their projects, who said they found it beneficial though. Very comprehensive text with some very helpful chapters. What would be good for a revised version would be to take into account the Carter Review of ITT recommendations and have a couple of dedicated chapters about assessment theory and practice for beginning teachers and small-scale research for beginning teachers, for example the use of Lesson Study in ITT assignments. Text provides insight into wide range of methodologies including on-line research and extends the way in which teachers can and should use research The book is comprehensive, covering a number of theoretical and practical concepts in research methods and methodologies, yet manages to remain concise. Particularly of note are chapters on impact, visual methods, and using resources to assist interviews because these concepts are not always addressed in methods texts. Some aspects have use for taught postgraduates and it will be a valuable resource for researchers and academics. Really useful text covering educational research - recommended read for students undertaking research across a range of education sectors. Excellent collection of short texts by various authors about every aspect of empirical design.
I like the pragmatic approach with chapters like "Planning your research" with topics of time and resource management.
Everyone interested in starting a research project will find essentials suggestions and references to get started. A very good guide book for students. The initial sections concerning theoretical positions and then planning research projects look particularly useful for 2nd year undergraduates studying research methods and for 3rd years engaged in dissertation work. The style is clear and easily accessible and the text very well organised and logical. This covers a good range of methods from both paradigms and so is a very good springboard from which to engage in undergraduate research. Extensive range of methodologies and methods. Many chapters of the book are based mostly on theoretical knowledge and little on practical skills. This is a really useful book, covering a diversity of issues and areas but with coherence provided by the introductory chapters. I have listed Chapter 2 as core reading for my research methods module and included the book as a whole among the six ′Recommended research methods reference books′ for students. Very detailed and comprehensive research methods book. Excellent for anyone interested in research methods in education. This book is well structured and has excellent coverage of Research Topics. It is also clear and well written. Most impressively- it is accessible to undergraduate as well as postgraduate students alike. This is a well written text that covers the range of research approaches and complesex issues in research such as sampling, ethics and paradigms. To me, this book is a genuine invitation for Education students to "come explore" research methodologies and methods suited to their studies. " General additional resource useful for masters and doctoral research students This is a part-time programme for practice-based professional learners and the pitch and density of this book is just not right for them. It is though a fabulous bok for Ed.D and Ph.D. students A comprehensive and intellectually challenging guide to research, which takes some of the fear and frustration out of discussing theory and the philosophical underpinnings of research. A boon for Ed.D. and Ph.D. students. The textbook provides an extensive grounding across a range of methods within Educational research. It includes useful sections relating to internet research. The sections at the end of each chapter on further reading and wider links are a valuable resource. The range and scope of this text is valuable. The brevity of many chapters means that it does not cover key issues and research processes in sufficient depth to make it useful as a key textbook for our professional doctorate students, but the succinct and often stimulating essays (e.g. Mears and Hurworth on interviewing and Ashley on planning) make for useful additional references to supplement the main separate texts we use. See my comments on this text in relation to our parallel course. See my comments on another copy. I have included this text on the essential reading list. While I would refrain from calling this a ′page-turner,′ it is refreshingly user-friendly. It covers a wide variety of quantitative and qualitative methods, going into just enough detail (with well-chosen examples) to provide the reader with a good basic understanding of each field. This book has been invaluable to both myself and my students. Particularly useful to my undergraduate student has been the clear and concise introduction to Ontology and Epistemology. It is a very well written book and manages to avoid the usual jargon, which makes it accessible to all levels while providing thorough examples of a range of methodological approaches and the theories behind them. This is a very approachable and readable title which affords vital information about research methodology in the field of education. In the area of counselling research that we are teaching the book is just as useful and has offered a very clear path for our third year students on a foundaion degree in counselling to follow. This book has the described good methodological methods in Education. In my view, James Arthur has described step by step strategies.... This is a straightforward and jargon-free book providing students with the theoretical understandings, practical knowledge and skills they need to carry out independent research.

Each chapter sets out the strengths and weaknesses of a key research method by highlighting the full range of methods and methodologies
This is excellent - very readable and a good introduction to the topic for students undertaking small scale research projects as well as those doing more in depth, extended work. It seems more user friendly and less daunting than some other reference works in this area. This text is a little heavy in part but is particularly strong in the actual practicalities of the research. I think other texts are stronger for methodology but when carrying out the project this is a valuable text for students. A valuable resource for any student new to research, provides a comprehensive introduction to all relevant areas. This book on research methods is a definite must for those involved in education studies or those involved postgraduate study. It has clear sign posts to how to go about your research in education and has been a timeless classic. Well done to James Arthur. Research Methods and Methodologies in Education consist of 46 chapters which are separated into three parts. Part one provides an outline of how the subject matter of the book can be of use to the reader and presents a helpful overview of each of the chapters. Part one also provides background information about the nature of educational research and the importance of identifying the research theoretical position, or orientation with regards to establishing: ontology, epistemology, methodology and the research methods.

Part two presents the codes and practices used in research covering concepts of empirical research, planning a research study, conducting research and the impact research may have on the researcher and the participants.

Part three contains three dimensions and focuses on different forms of research design and methods. Dimension one covers different types of research such as: action, naturalistic, ethnographic, grounded theory, visual methodologies, case study, issues of truth, surveys, correlation techniques, secondary data, impact evaluation, experiments, systematic review, mixed methods and philosophical research. Dimension two focuses on data collection tools and techniques which cover: observation, in-depth interviews, focus groups, internet collection methods, questionnaires, measurement and validity. Dimension three centers on analysis methods involving: qualitative data, statistical tools, discourse and media analysis, as well as, other forms and techniques of data analysis.

This text is focused on designing research within the field of education, but the methods, processes and techniques are just as applicable to other areas and fields involving social research. Each chapter has been written by different authors who bring their own expertise to topics. This book contains many useful figures and tables summarizing important information and concepts central to conducting research.

This book is recommended for anyone conducting education or social based research studies. The text is both informative and written in an assessable style for postgraduate students undertaking research projects.
This is an extensive text, covering a range of research approaches and methodologies from a variety of author perspectives. I enjoyed in particular Robert Coe’s discussion on paradigms and Richard Pring’s consideration of philosophical research. The book will be very useful for the more advanced of my students, who wish to explore and adopt more adventurous approaches to their research. I would have liked rather more on different approaches to analysis of qualitative data, an area which overall requires closer consideration in the research literature.
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This volume collected some very interesting studies on the issue of education, and especially on how to approach this domain from a methodological perspective A comprehensive compendium of research methods and methodologies that is immensely suitable for students embarking on postgraduate studies. It is simply superb to read a text that spans the full scope of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
An effective text in a popular field. This book was recommended to students on a PGCE Cert Ed course I taught in 2013. The book contains a rich selection of essays for Trainee Teachers undertaking research projects. Especially interesting articles on the collection of data from Interviews and use of Focus Groups for obtaining comparative points of view. This is an extremely thorough text that effectively covers the entire ′Research Methods′ course in Education. It is valuable for both PGCE students commencing their M level study in education, as well as those continuing with their post-graduate degrees. Whilst it is a single text, it contains chapters from eminent authors across the field of education. A very useful resource for any learner completing reserach as part of their programme. This is a great resource for those undertaking research in the education field. It has a clear focus on education that distinguishes it from other general research books. A great addition to my bookshelf. Good text at appropriate level. This book has very clear sections. There is a good mix of diagrams, text and photographs. The overview of Research Methods is well explained and accessible to a range of readers. Very clearly structured with relevant information A comprehensive overview of research methodologies. This book will be very useful for Masters level students undertaking research in education A useful introduction for PG MSc students embarking on their dissertation module. A more meaty guide to research and so will help the undergraduate wishing to delve a little deeper. A comprehensive text, leading the reader in a logicall manner through the research methods journey.
A must for fledgling and experienced researchers! This research methodolgy book provides the reader with an extensive range of methodologies (including visual methodologies) that can be used in undergraduate or post graduate studies. Each section is simplified with diagrams and key words making it easier to understand. I would highly recommend that our students use this when conducting their own dissertation or study. A useful text in relation to an overview of methodologies for research in education. Written clearly and logically with a thorough review of all angles. This would give students a sound understanding of research methods applicable to nursing and education An excellent text which would be essential reading for some contexts of my teaching and supplemental to others. A nice practical book that enables a beginner within research to work their way through the research process. Good book for an under-graduate programme leading on to a masters or PHD. This book supports the more experinced trainees on the PGCE course who are completing their course at masters level. Excellent text, although in parts complex for undergraduate early years students. An excellent book to help you reflect on research methods. Would be suited to EYPs who go on to further research such as MA level. Arthur, et. al (2012) uncover the secrets of research methods and methodologies in easy and uncomplicated way. This book contains everything you need to know about writing your research. Includes suggested further reading and references. Additionally the book offers a range of questions for further investigations. Suitable for post-graduate research study in education. This book is a must have. A well written book which is easy to follow and understand. It is also very accessible and user-friendly. Excellent individual chapters which discuss strengths and weaknesses of data collection methods. Excellent discussion of the underpinning principles and concepts of methodologies and methods of educational research. Well recommended for anyone embarking on a research journey. This is a very accessible read with major themes covered. The calibre of contributors adds significant authority to the material presented. The book provides a very good overview and would be helpful to a range of academic disciplines and levels. A useful addition to the reading list A very detailed text which introduces the subject of research in a logical and easy to understand way. The figures and tables are a bonus and reflect theory into practice. The examples given within the chapters will help students with their own thoughts and ideas, and the questions for further investigation could be used as activities during class sessions. The references at the end of each chapter are useful, as is the suggested further reading and the comprehensive index. This book will be recommended for the Cert Ed, BA in Education and DTLLS Good foundational text which provides a wide ranging overview of research methods. The chapters on blog and internet research are particularly welcome Will be using text with new researchers. This research methodolgy book provides an extensive range of methodologies that can be used in undergraduate or post graduate studies. It covers all the key methods and data collection tools. I would highly recommend the book to our students. this is a an excellent book, that several colleagues have also started using with students An excellent companion for students tutors. Chapters are clearly organised and written in a very accessible style. Pericularly helpful are the chapters on Internet-based research approaches doing blog research. Suggested further readings at the end of each chapter are relevant and encourage extended research. Excellent resource for any education research Excellent book! Excellent book - really like the short and succinct summaries. Extremely useful for a range of courses. This book provides clear guidelines and serves as a good resource for students Just brilliant for anyone studying for a Masters of Doctoral qualification in education! Very useful text, recommending it for my masters students and making it essential reading for any PhD students embarking on an education project. A most splendid text. I am recommending it to all my PGR students. It is not an introductory text but it does reward the reader for his/her efforts to engage with tricky ideas A highly informative introduction to educational research and a good guide book for students in master programs This is a wonderful book to have.Well structured on Research methods. This book will be proosed for all doctoral students from 2013. I am currently marketing this book at all our master and doctoral research seminars. A must book to have as an academic. Well done to the authors of this easy-to-read text book. An excellent reference book with many good chapters on the research process accompanied with variey of methods and methodologies used in the field of educational research. I escpecially like the integrative approach undertaken, and I appreciate the many distinguished researchers who has contributed a chapter to this book.
When making a masters or doctoral course that aims to give an overview or integrate quantitative and qualitative approaches I will defenitively consider this one. Well organised, comprehensive text.