Planning MIC Question’s Get your essay’s out that you did for homework. Reflection: How did you find it? Which structure did you use? What did you find difficult? Do you have any questions?

+ theoretical perspective? Strengths Limitations + more likely to gain a true insight into the behaviour of the students, + students are likely to change their behaviour in the presence of a researcher, therefore + theoretical perspective? There are problems with access (getting in, staying in and getting out) There are ethical issues with conducting the research Hard to record…….. In groups of 3 or 4 Come up with as many strengths and limitations of using a covert participant observation to investigate pupils with behavioural difficulties… IN CONTEXT

Strengths Limitations + more likely to gain a true insight into the behaviour of the students, especially if they have behavioural difficulties, meaning it would be a more valid representation of their behaviour. A covert participant observation allows the researcher to ‘dig deeper’ into students behaviour and the possible causes of the behaviour, it may allow the researcher to access secret behaviour of the group which wouldn’t be displayed in a overt observation, for example. (validity) + students are likely to change their behaviour in the presence of a researcher, therefore a participant observation would avoid this as participants don’t know they are being studied. The researcher would gain a true insight into behavioural difficulties. +Interpretivists would prefer this method due to the qualitative data that will be obtained, there would be a in-depth valid insight into pupils with behavioural difficulties There are problems with access (getting in, staying in and getting out) It may be hard to gain entry into the group, and sociologists may need to ‘adopt a specialised role of a teacher or support worker’ this may be difficult for the researcher as it may be hard to pose as a teacher or care worker if you don’t have the necessary skills or qualifications to do so, the teachers who are responsible for the students in the study may also pick up on this, again, making it difficult for the researcher. There are ethical issues with conducting the research in this way, students may be under 18 and therefore consent would be needed. Therefore this research lacks informed consent. Students wouldn’t know they are being studied and would put students at risk. Hard to record behaviour over a long period of time, questioning validity Unlikely to be representative of the whole population as only a small group is being studied. In groups of 3 or 4 Come up with as many strengths and limitations of using a covert participant observation to investigate pupils with behavioural difficulties… IN CONTEXT