Contextualising educational research

Educational research as a social institution Critical enquiry aimed at informing educational judgements and decisions in order to improve educational BASSEY 2007 Elements of Education research : - ideas, values, theories - policy - empirical Educational research as a social institution

Elements of social institution: professional organisation: BERA professional researchers academics in universities, in agencies e.g. NFER in Government – LAs, DfCSF (old DfES) as professional educators (schools, colleges, etc) conferences/ meetings publications BERJ / RI represent views to others

Role and position of BERA Aims of Association - to sustain and promote a vital research culture in education by encouraging: an active community of educational researchers by promoting co-operation and discussion: with policy makers, institutional managers and funding agencies with other national educational research associations, international associations and the European Educational Research Association with other researchers in the social sciences and related areas of work and with teachers and lecturers and their associations

by encouraging and supporting: debate about the quality, purpose, content and methodologies of educational research by developing and defending: an independent research culture committed to open inquiry and the improvement of education by enhancing: the professional service it provides for its members effective communication and discussion within BERA; and the training and education of educational researchers, their effectiveness, conditions of work and rights.

Position of BERA A f SE BERA RS BPS D f CSF TDA QCA Assoc for Science Educ Royal Society Qualifications Curric Agency Training Development Agency British Psychological Society Dept for Children, Schs & Families Position of BERA A f SE BERA RS BPS D f CSF TDA QCA

History of ER: broadest sense: back to Plato/Aristotle (ideas, theories about educational aims/methods) linked to political and social philosophy – systems side linked to ethics and psychological philosophy – individual side as empirical study – arose with development of social and psychological sciences in 19th century influences from psychology + sociology, especially psychology since 1970s social turn – greater focus on social

Critiques in 1990s: Hargreaves; Tooley and Darby, Hillage et al. minimal impact poor quality bias

Aspects of educational research: Disciplinary perspective: psychological, sociological, historical, philosophical etc Curriculum area: maths, Eng etc Phase: early years, primary, secondary, tertiary, higher Themes: leadership & management, special educational needs / inclusion, assessment

Diversity and tensions within ER Paradigms: scientific interpretive (critical) Levels of analysis: psycho logical social

Critique of educational research: disciplinary approach – research on education not research for education – geared to improving policy and practice disciplinary approach - by social/psychol science academics – WHITTY calls Education Research Educational Research reserved for education theory generated by practitioner-researchers Action research model (Whitehead and McNiff, 2007)

Activity: Discuss in groups 2-3 What experience and contact have you had with educational research as a student, practitioner or in some other work role? What have been the key features that you have noticed about what has counted as ER? 3. In your view, what contextual or systemic factors have influenced the focus, significance and format of the ER in your experience?

Current issues in social organisation of ER: sites of research production: universities, government, think tanks, political parties, prof. assoc/trade unions, practitioners role of State in regulating ER funding, agenda setting, evidence based policies personnel change over time / future developments

Current issues in social organisation of ER continued: how is ER funded in various forms? universities – HEFCE grant-RAE, project funding agencies – tender/contract what are implications of these issues for form taken by ER outputs? accountability system - RAE evaluation peer review – journal publications

Context in UK over last decade: State has had increasing role in educational research – performance management NERF Govt dept more research contracts ESRC setting research training standard; dispense research funds TLRP Most universities doing initial teacher education (ITE) not get research funding

Context in UK over last decade (continued): 2. RAE rated researchers older ones 3. Lack of ethnic diversity among rated researchers 4. How include researchers from other social sciences?

Dilemmas in educational research Hammersley (2003) What research requires versus what policymakers/other users want - complexity of findings v. simple summaries - users want particular findings v. unpredictable findings -Examples: Hay/McBer on effective teaching Ofsted review on achievement and ethnic minorities

2. Basic versus applied inquiry - balance between them 3. Commitment to research versus social improvement - cannot assume commitment to improvement (empowerment etc) will support inquiry positively - producing knowledge not always lead to improvement, can make worse, not always necessary

Real and imagined crises: the construction of political and media panics over education: Read paper by Warmington et al. Discuss in groups 2-4 Points to consider: How can educational researchers respond to media in such circumstances? What other educational areas have there been similar panics/crises?