Researching Education: Data, methods and theory in educational enquiry: Continuum Research Methods

Looks at the theory and practice of researching education, including epistemological and ontological issues which are often neglected.

1. Introduction \ Part 1: Knowledge and Philosophy \ 2. Philosophical Issues in Educational Research \ 3. Critical Approaches to Research \ 4. Forms of Reasoning \ Part 2: Strategies and Methods \ 5. Experiments and Quasi-Experiments \ 6. Survey and Correlational Designs \ 7. Qualitative Research Design, Case Study and Theory Building \ 8. Observation \ 9. Interviews \ 10. Biographical and Autobiographical Methods \ Part 3: Themes and Issues \ 11. Ethics and Educational Research \ 12. Evaluation and Research \ 13. Criteria for Evaluating Research \ 14. Transgressive Research \ References \ Indexes

'A rigorous and thought-provoking text which challenges the intellectual sloppiness that informs much educational research. The book challenges us constantly to reconsider our own assumptions and those of others in evaluating the claims that are made about what research does and does not, can or cannot, tell us.' Richard Edwards, Professor of Education and Head of The Stirling Institute of Education, University of Stirling, UK
'An elegant tour through the key philosophical positions on research and a detailed and practical description of approaches and methods common in educational research. It will serve as an excellent text for new researchers and those wishing to understand the implications of the approaches and methods they are using.' Alison Lee, Professor of Education and Director of the Centre for Research in Learning and Change, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia
This book outlines the importance of (and dearth of, in many research reports) the examination and explication of the theoretical underpinnings, philosophical viewpoints and power relationships within educational research, and is useful for both postgraduate and doctoral students.