Education, Qualitative Research In

The Importance of Education Policy

Before we examine key topics and qualitative methods, it is important to analyze how the literature in the subject area of education policy connects with qualitative methods and other subject areas. The literature on education policy is vast, so this entry provides readers with only a taste of what is “out there” within the international literature. Martyn Hammersley examined research and evidence-based practice and drew on the similarities and differences between education and medical research that could shape policy. Peter Baldock and colleagues examined the reflective method when examining “early years” education policy. Marilyn Cochran-Smith called for cross-disciplinary, multiple methods research that can be cross-institutional and longitudinal within policy shaping teacher education. Finally, Les Bell and Howard Stevenson highlighted the importance of case studies and interviews in their policy analysis concerning citizenship and social justice. All of these examples use qualitative methods concerning education policy but can also be applied to other subject areas. All education-related subject areas are vast, but this entry highlights the importance of key elements in the choice of methods (both qualitative and quantitative) and also reviews qualitative methods that can produce data for analysis across many education-related subject boundaries.

The Research Process

The research proposal for students of both university- and outside-funded research is the stage when the education researcher needs to choose what subject category within education is going to be researched. The proposal covers research design and an idea of the research question to be addressed during the research process. Qualitative methods also need to be chosen, and an early idea of an evolving methodology is useful at this stage. Subject category choices (e.g., education, health studies) that concern funded research may be limited due to the demands of a sponsor; however, this discussion focuses on strategic considerations relating to proposals to undergraduate and postgraduate students. A good place for a junior undergraduate researcher to start a piece of education-related research is with a contents page that allows thinking and reflection on the research focus. The aim here is to develop structure and coherence. A research question is important within education research, but a researcher must consider how this will shape the construction of a literature review on the subject in question and the methods that the researcher will use in the field. Qualitative methods need to be chosen at this stage when considering what empirical data to collect, and researchers need to engage with the methods [Page 241]literature to decide which methods to use in collecting data for analysis. The development of the literature review helps with these decisions. Education studies (e.g., sociology, criminology) is a vast area that encapsulates many different and varied themes. A researcher must decide which specific theme—history, philosophy, policy, sociology, special needs, inclusion, gender, (under)achievement, and so on—to choose. Literature reviews help to make this choice and also assist in the choice of qualitative methods (e.g., can an education researcher use participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, or a combination of all three? Which data presentation and analysis techniques will be used within the research project?).

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