Research Methods in Education

This thoroughly updated and extended eighth edition of the long-running bestseller Research Methods in Education covers the whole range of methods employed by educational research at all stages. Its five main parts cover: the context of educational research; research design; methodologies for educational research; methods of data collection; and data analysis and reporting. It continues to be the go-to text for students, academics and researchers who are undertaking, understanding and using educational research, and has been translated into several languages. It offers plentiful and rich practical advice, underpinned by clear theoretical foundations, research evidence and up-to-date references, and it raises key issues and questions for researchers planning, conducting, reporting and evaluating research. This edition contains new chapters on: Mixed methods research The role of theory in educational research Ethics in Internet research Research questions and hypotheses Internet surveys Virtual worlds, social network software and netography in educational research Using secondary data in educational research Statistical significance, effect size and statistical power Beyond mixed methods: using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to integrate cross-case and within-case analyses. Research Methods in Education is essential reading for both the professional researcher and anyone involved in educational and social research. The book is supported by a wealth of online materials, including PowerPoint slides, useful weblinks, practice data sets, downloadable tables and figures from the book, and a virtual, interactive, self-paced training programme in research methods. These resources can be found at: www.routledge.com/cw/cohen.

Table of Contents:
PART 1: The context of educational research 1 The nature of enquiry: setting the field; 2 Mixed methods research; 3 Critical educational research; 4 Theory in educational research; 5 Evaluation and research; 6 The search for causation PART 2: Research design 7 The ethics of educational and social research; 8 Ethics in Internet research; 9 Choosing a research project; 10 Research questions; 11 Research design and planning; 12 Sampling; 13 Sensitive educational research; 14 Validity and reliability PART 3: Methodologies for Educational Research 15 Qualitative, naturalistic and ethnographic research; 16 Historical and documentary research, Jane Martin; 17 Surveys, longitudinal, cross-sectional and trend studies; 18 Internet surveys; 19 Case studies; 20 Experiments; 21 Meta-analysis, systematic reviews and research syntheses, Harsh Suri; 22 Action research; 23 Virtual worlds, social network software and netography in educational research, Stewart Martin PART 4: Methods of Data Collection 24 Questionnaires; 25 Interviews; 26 Observation; 27 Tests; 28 Using secondary data in educational research; 29 Personal constructs, Richard Bell; 30 Role play and research, Carmel O’Sullivan; 31 Visual media in educational research PART 5: Data Analysis and Reporting 32 Approaches to qualitative data analysis; 33 Organizing and presenting qualitative data; 34 Coding and content analysis; 35 Discourses: conversations, narratives and autobiographies as texts; 36 Analyzing visual media; 37 Grounded theory; 39 Statistical significance, effect size and statistical power; 40 Descriptive statistics; 41 Inferential statistics: difference tests; 42 Inferential statistics: Regression analysis and standardization; 43 Factor analysis, cluster analysis and structural equation modelling; 44 Choosing a statistical test; 45 Beyond mixed methods: using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to integrate cross-case and within-case analyses, Barry Cooper and Judith Glaesser

About the Author :
Louis Cohen is Emeritus Professor of Education at Loughborough University, UK. Lawrence Manion was Principal Lecturer in Music at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. Keith Morrison is Professor and Advisor for Institutional Development at Macau University of Science and Technology, China.

Review :
"Very much still the key text for ‘all’ education students and researchers. Cohen et al continue to update Research Methods in Education, with new theoretical, ethical, virtual and mixed methods information. It’s worth noting the impressive web page and links to materials for all chapters which is still the benchmark when looking at the competition for books in this area of social and education research." Dr. Richard Race, Senior Lecturer in Education, Roehampton University, UK "A clear enhancement on the already well established text. The new edition addresses an important need to explain research design and question setting in more detail, helping guide the newcomer through the research process from inception through analysis to reporting." David Lundie, Associate Professor of Education, University of St Mark & St John, UK "Research Methods in Education is a unique book for everybody who has to undertake educational research projects. The book gives an in depth understanding of quantitative and qualitative research designs and offers a practical guide for data collection and data analysis. It is an essential 'friend’ for teacher students from various disciplines who are not familiar with social science research." Dr Ellen P.W.A. Jansen, Associate Professor Teacher Education, University of Groningen, The Netherlands "Research Methods in Education continues to offer an excellent route map, a well-structured and inspiring travel guide, for students engaging in research. It works across levels, and while it provides clarity for the beginning researcher there is plenty here to aid the seasoned researcher with an open mind to new approaches and emerging practices. A superb text that provides guidance for my own research as well as for students and partners in research projects." Peter Shukie, Lecturer in Education Studies and Academic Lead in Digital Innovation, University Centre at Blackburn College, UK "Research Methods in Education is, besides being my personal favorite research methods book, a deep as well as a broad handbook useful both for undergraduate teacher education students as well as researchers and PhD students within educational sciences. In this new edition, new chapters are added emphasising both quantitative and qualitative methods in combination with thought-through discussions about how to mix them. The book can be used when planning a project and then throughout the whole research process and is therefore a complete methods book." Karolina Broman, senior lecturer in chemistry education, Umeå university, Sweden "Comprehensive, well written and relevant: the 8th edition of Research Methods in Education offers the background for methods courses at different levels. The new edition keeps the strong focus on education studies. Excellent extensions will make the book an even more popular basis for classes on both qualitative and quantitative methods." Felix Weiss, Assistant Professor for Sociology of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark "Research Methods in Education, 8th Edition is an up-to-date, one-stop shop, taking education research students from conceptualization to presentation. With this book on your library shelf, you are good to go."Dr Fiona McGarry, Lecturer in Research Methods, University of Dundee, UK "The 8th edition of Research Methods in Education contains a wealth of up-to-the-minute information and guidance on educational research which will be of immense value to researchers at all stages of their careers and across the education domain from early years settings to higher education. As research and education move into increasingly fluid and complex dimensions, Research Methods in Education will support students, researchers and practitioners in charting a course through these changing waters as they seek to create new knowledge about effective teaching and deepen our understanding of how learners learn." Julia Flutter, A Director of the Cambridge Primary Review Trust, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK "As a doctoral supervisor I know that my students routinely return to Research Methods in Education as they develop their own research projects. This text has always been a mainstay on our reading lists but this new edition now features additional research topics and new perspectives on a wider range of research methods. As with previous editions this book is clearly organised and well written and appeals to a wide audience of experienced and novice researchers alike." Dr Val Poultney, Associate Professor, University of Derby, UK "Very much still the key text for ‘all’ education students and researchers. Cohen et al continue to update Research Methods in Education, with new theoretical, ethical, virtual and mixed methods information. It’s worth noting the impressive web page and links to materials for all chapters which is still the benchmark when looking at the competition for books in this area of social and education research." Dr. Richard Race, Senior Lecturer in Education, Roehampton University, UK "A clear enhancement on the already well established text. The new edition addresses an important need to explain research design and question setting in more detail, helping guide the newcomer through the research process from inception through analysis to reporting." David Lundie, Associate Professor of Education, University of St Mark & St John, UK "Research Methods in Education is a unique book for everybody who has to undertake educational research projects. The book gives an in depth understanding of quantitative and qualitative research designs and offers a practical guide for data collection and data analysis. It is an essential 'friend’ for teacher students from various disciplines who are not familiar with social science research." Dr Ellen P.W.A. Jansen, Associate Professor Teacher Education, University of Groningen, The Netherlands "Research Methods in Education continues to offer an excellent route map, a well-structured and inspiring travel guide, for students engaging in research. It works across levels, and while it provides clarity for the beginning researcher there is plenty here to aid the seasoned researcher with an open mind to new approaches and emerging practices. A superb text that provides guidance for my own research as well as for students and partners in research projects." Peter Shukie, Lecturer in Education Studies and Academic Lead in Digital Innovation, University Centre at Blackburn College, UK "Research Methods in Education is, besides being my personal favorite research methods book, a deep as well as a broad handbook useful both for undergraduate teacher education students as well as researchers and PhD students within educational sciences. In this new edition, new chapters are added emphasising both quantitative and qualitative methods in combination with thought-through discussions about how to mix them. The book can be used when planning a project and then throughout the whole research process and is therefore a complete methods book." Karolina Broman, senior lecturer in chemistry education, Umeå university, Sweden "Comprehensive, well written and relevant: the 8th edition of Research Methods in Education offers the background for methods courses at different levels. The new edition keeps the strong focus on education studies. Excellent extensions will make the book an even more popular basis for classes on both qualitative and quantitative methods." Felix Weiss, Assistant Professor for Sociology of Education, Aarhus University, Denmark "Research Methods in Education, 8th Edition is an up-to-date, one-stop shop, taking education research students from conceptualization to presentation. With this book on your library shelf, you are good to go."Dr Fiona McGarry, Lecturer in Research Methods, University of Dundee, UK "The 8th edition of Research Methods in Education contains a wealth of up-to-the-minute information and guidance on educational research which will be of immense value to researchers at all stages of their careers and across the education domain from early years settings to higher education. As research and education move into increasingly fluid and complex dimensions, Research Methods in Education will support students, researchers and practitioners in charting a course through these changing waters as they seek to create new knowledge about effective teaching and deepen our understanding of how learners learn." Julia Flutter, A Director of the Cambridge Primary Review Trust, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK "As a doctoral supervisor I know that my students routinely return to Research Methods in Education as they develop their own research projects. This text has always been a mainstay on our reading lists but this new edition now features additional research topics and new perspectives on a wider range of research methods. As with previous editions this book is clearly organised and well written and appeals to a wide audience of experienced and novice researchers alike." Dr Val Poultney, Associate Professor, University of Derby, UK