Subjects

Careers

Open the App

Subjects

Sociology Mind Maps and Educational Stats with AQA

Open

51

0

user profile picture

Honey Thompson

9/17/2022

Sociology

methods in context mindmaps

Sociology Mind Maps and Educational Stats with AQA

Methods in Context Sociology: Official Statistics and Participant Observation in Education Research

Official statistics and participant observation are two key research methods used in sociology education. This summary explores their strengths and limitations in studying educational issues, providing valuable insights for students and researchers in the field of sociology.

...

9/17/2022

2183

Used for
Class, achievement
educational policy
Material deprivation,
achievement
large scale topics in which the
government collects nationw

View

Participant Observation in Education Research

Participant observation is a qualitative research method that involves researchers immersing themselves in the social setting they are studying. It offers unique insights into educational contexts but also has limitations.

Usefulness in Educational Research

Participant observation is particularly useful for studying small-scale contexts such as classroom interactions, teacher expectations, gender dynamics, and pupil subcultures. It is less suitable for large-scale topics like class achievement and educational policy.

Example: Participant observation can effectively examine issues like teacher's racialized expectations or the "male gaze" in classroom settings.

Practical Considerations

While participant observation offers flexibility to adapt to new issues that arise during research, it can be time-consuming and challenging to gain access to schools. Recording observations in busy school environments can also be problematic.

Highlight: Whyte, a renowned sociologist, noted that through participant observation, he "learned the answers to questions he would never have known to ask."

Ethical Issues

Participant observation in schools raises ethical concerns, particularly regarding informed consent from vulnerable pupils. Researchers must be careful to protect the school's identity and ensure anonymity, which can be challenging in small-group studies.

Interpretivist Perspective

Interpretivists value participant observation for its ability to uncover people's meanings in their actions and create highly valid data. It allows researchers to observe what people actually do, rather than relying on what they say they do.

Definition: Interpretivism is a sociological approach that emphasizes understanding the subjective meanings and interpretations that individuals give to their social world.

Reliability and Representativeness

Positivists criticize participant observation as unscientific due to its lack of standardized procedures, making replication difficult. The small-scale nature of participant observation also limits its representativeness in a large education system.

Validity Considerations

Participant observation can produce highly valid data by overcoming status differences between researchers and subjects. However, the presence of an observer may alter the behavior of teachers and pupils, potentially compromising the authenticity of the observed actions.

Vocabulary: The Hawthorne effect refers to the tendency of people to change their behavior when they know they are being observed, which can impact the validity of observational research.

Used for
Class, achievement
educational policy
Material deprivation,
achievement
large scale topics in which the
government collects nationw

View

Comparing Official Statistics and Participant Observation

Both official statistics and participant observation have their strengths and weaknesses in sociology education research. Official statistics offer broad, representative data suitable for large-scale analysis, while participant observation provides in-depth insights into small-scale educational contexts.

Complementary Methods

Researchers often combine these methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of educational issues. Official statistics can provide the broader context, while participant observation offers detailed explanations of social processes within schools.

Highlight: Using both methods can help overcome the limitations of each, providing a more holistic view of educational phenomena in sociology education research.

Choosing the Appropriate Method

The choice between official statistics and participant observation depends on the research question, scale of the study, and theoretical perspective of the researcher. Both methods contribute valuable insights to the field of sociology education.

Example: A study on social class and educational achievement might use official statistics to identify broad trends, followed by participant observation to explore the mechanisms behind these trends in specific school settings.

By understanding the strengths and limitations of these research methods, students and researchers in sociology education can make informed decisions about their research design and critically evaluate existing studies in the field.

Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.

Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

Knowunity was a featured story by Apple and has consistently topped the app store charts within the education category in Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland and United Kingdom. Join Knowunity today and help millions of students around the world.

Ranked #1 Education App

Download in

Google Play

Download in

App Store

Knowunity is the # 1 ranked education app in five European countries

4.9+

Average App Rating

20 M

Students use Knowunity

#1

In Education App Charts in 17 Countries

950 K+

Students uploaded study notes

Still not sure? Look at what your fellow peers are saying...

iOS User

I love this app so much [...] I recommend Knowunity to everyone!!! I went from a C to an A with it :D

Stefan S, iOS User

The application is very simple and well designed. So far I have found what I was looking for :D

SuSSan, iOS User

Love this App ❤️, I use it basically all the time whenever I'm studying

 

Sociology

2,183

Sep 17, 2022

3 pages

Sociology Mind Maps and Educational Stats with AQA

user profile picture

Honey Thompson

@honeythompson

Methods in Context Sociology: Official Statistics and Participant Observation in Education Research

Official statistics and participant observation are two key research methods used in sociology education. This summary explores their strengths and limitations in studying educational issues, providing... Show more

Used for
Class, achievement
educational policy
Material deprivation,
achievement
large scale topics in which the
government collects nationw

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Participant Observation in Education Research

Participant observation is a qualitative research method that involves researchers immersing themselves in the social setting they are studying. It offers unique insights into educational contexts but also has limitations.

Usefulness in Educational Research

Participant observation is particularly useful for studying small-scale contexts such as classroom interactions, teacher expectations, gender dynamics, and pupil subcultures. It is less suitable for large-scale topics like class achievement and educational policy.

Example: Participant observation can effectively examine issues like teacher's racialized expectations or the "male gaze" in classroom settings.

Practical Considerations

While participant observation offers flexibility to adapt to new issues that arise during research, it can be time-consuming and challenging to gain access to schools. Recording observations in busy school environments can also be problematic.

Highlight: Whyte, a renowned sociologist, noted that through participant observation, he "learned the answers to questions he would never have known to ask."

Ethical Issues

Participant observation in schools raises ethical concerns, particularly regarding informed consent from vulnerable pupils. Researchers must be careful to protect the school's identity and ensure anonymity, which can be challenging in small-group studies.

Interpretivist Perspective

Interpretivists value participant observation for its ability to uncover people's meanings in their actions and create highly valid data. It allows researchers to observe what people actually do, rather than relying on what they say they do.

Definition: Interpretivism is a sociological approach that emphasizes understanding the subjective meanings and interpretations that individuals give to their social world.

Reliability and Representativeness

Positivists criticize participant observation as unscientific due to its lack of standardized procedures, making replication difficult. The small-scale nature of participant observation also limits its representativeness in a large education system.

Validity Considerations

Participant observation can produce highly valid data by overcoming status differences between researchers and subjects. However, the presence of an observer may alter the behavior of teachers and pupils, potentially compromising the authenticity of the observed actions.

Vocabulary: The Hawthorne effect refers to the tendency of people to change their behavior when they know they are being observed, which can impact the validity of observational research.

Used for
Class, achievement
educational policy
Material deprivation,
achievement
large scale topics in which the
government collects nationw

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Comparing Official Statistics and Participant Observation

Both official statistics and participant observation have their strengths and weaknesses in sociology education research. Official statistics offer broad, representative data suitable for large-scale analysis, while participant observation provides in-depth insights into small-scale educational contexts.

Complementary Methods

Researchers often combine these methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of educational issues. Official statistics can provide the broader context, while participant observation offers detailed explanations of social processes within schools.

Highlight: Using both methods can help overcome the limitations of each, providing a more holistic view of educational phenomena in sociology education research.

Choosing the Appropriate Method

The choice between official statistics and participant observation depends on the research question, scale of the study, and theoretical perspective of the researcher. Both methods contribute valuable insights to the field of sociology education.

Example: A study on social class and educational achievement might use official statistics to identify broad trends, followed by participant observation to explore the mechanisms behind these trends in specific school settings.

By understanding the strengths and limitations of these research methods, students and researchers in sociology education can make informed decisions about their research design and critically evaluate existing studies in the field.

Used for
Class, achievement
educational policy
Material deprivation,
achievement
large scale topics in which the
government collects nationw

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Official Statistics in Education Research

Official statistics are quantitative data collected by the government, widely used in sociology education research. They offer several advantages and disadvantages for sociologists studying educational issues.

Representativeness and Scale

Official statistics provide highly representative data on a large scale. All state schools in England and Wales are required to complete a census three times a year, covering virtually every pupil. This level of coverage would be impossible for individual sociologists to achieve.

Highlight: Official statistics allow researchers to examine trends over time and make comparisons between different social groups, offering excellent comparative value.

Theoretical Perspectives

Positivists view official statistics as "social facts" useful for identifying correlations. They appreciate the large-scale, representative, and quantitative nature of the data collected through standardized methods.

Interpretivists, on the other hand, see official statistics as "social constructs" that may not accurately represent reality. They argue that these statistics fail to capture meanings and explanations behind the data.

Definition: Positivism is a theoretical approach in sociology that emphasizes objective, scientific methods and empirical evidence to study social phenomena.

Ethical Considerations

Using official statistics is generally considered ethical as it is secondary data collected by others. This bypasses many ethical concerns associated with primary data collection.

Validity and Reliability

The validity of official statistics can be questioned. Interpretivists argue that they are socially constructed and may be manipulated by schools to protect their public image and maintain funding.

Example: Attendance statistics are the outcome of definitions and decisions made by parents, teachers, and pupils, which can affect their validity.

However, official statistics are generally reliable due to standardized definitions and categories used in data collection. This allows for direct comparisons over time, although changes in definitions can reduce reliability.

Vocabulary: Validity refers to the extent to which a research method measures what it claims to measure, while reliability refers to the consistency and reproducibility of results.

Practical Advantages

Official statistics are cheap, readily available, and immediately usable as they are already categorized. They save time and money for researchers and allow for comparisons between different social groups.

Quote: "Governments are interested in many of the same educational issues as sociologists, so the statistics produced are likely to be very useful."

Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.

Students love us — and so will you.

4.9/5

App Store

4.8/5

Google Play

The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.

Stefan S

iOS user

This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.

Samantha Klich

Android user

Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.

Anna

iOS user

I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️

Thomas R

iOS user

Knowunity is the BEST app I’ve used in a minute. This is not an ai review or anything this is genuinely coming from a 7th grade student (I know 2011 im young) but dude this app is a 10/10 i have maintained a 3.8 gpa and have plenty of time for gaming. I love it and my mom is just happy I got good grades

Brad T

Android user

Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍

David K

iOS user

The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!

Sudenaz Ocak

Android user

In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.

Greenlight Bonnie

Android user

I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend

Aubrey

iOS user

Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀

Marco B

iOS user

THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮

Elisha

iOS user

This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!

Paul T

iOS user

The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.

Stefan S

iOS user

This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.

Samantha Klich

Android user

Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.

Anna

iOS user

I think it’s very much worth it and you’ll end up using it a lot once you get the hang of it and even after looking at others notes you can still ask your Artificial intelligence buddy the question and ask to simplify it if you still don’t get it!!! In the end I think it’s worth it 😊👍 ⚠️Also DID I MENTION ITS FREEE YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING AND STILL GET YOUR GRADES IN PERFECTLY❗️❗️⚠️

Thomas R

iOS user

Knowunity is the BEST app I’ve used in a minute. This is not an ai review or anything this is genuinely coming from a 7th grade student (I know 2011 im young) but dude this app is a 10/10 i have maintained a 3.8 gpa and have plenty of time for gaming. I love it and my mom is just happy I got good grades

Brad T

Android user

Not only did it help me find the answer but it also showed me alternative ways to solve it. I was horrible in math and science but now I have an a in both subjects. Thanks for the help🤍🤍

David K

iOS user

The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!

Sudenaz Ocak

Android user

In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.

Greenlight Bonnie

Android user

I found this app a couple years ago and it has only gotten better since then. I really love it because it can help with written questions and photo questions. Also, it can find study guides that other people have made as well as flashcard sets and practice tests. The free version is also amazing for students who might not be able to afford it. Would 100% recommend

Aubrey

iOS user

Best app if you're in Highschool or Junior high. I have been using this app for 2 school years and it's the best, it's good if you don't have anyone to help you with school work.😋🩷🎀

Marco B

iOS user

THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮

Elisha

iOS user

This app is phenomenal down to the correct info and the various topics you can study! I greatly recommend it for people who struggle with procrastination and those who need homework help. It has been perfectly accurate for world 1 history as far as I’ve seen! Geometry too!

Paul T

iOS user