Research Methods for Pedagogy

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Description

Aspects of pedagogy are frequently researched, but the concept itself is poorly understood. More than just teaching and learning, pedagogy is about values, identities, relationships and interactions bounded by context. As such, researchers of pedagogy face the challenge of working out what constitutes pedagogical texts, data or evidence, and how these can be generated and understood. Research Methods for Pedagogy begins by exploring the different conceptualisations of pedagogy and their implications for how it is researched. The authors reflect on how their sociocultural stance on pedagogy influences the methods they choose to focus on in the book. Moving beyond just schools and formal pedagogies into informal and everyday pedagogies, the authors use a range of case studies across educational sectors and cultures to discuss methods for researching pedagogy. Common approaches such as ethnography and action research are included alongside some quantitative and quasi-experimental methods and often less familiar participatory, multimodal and reflective methods. The authors demonstrate the relationships between theoretical stance, pedagogical context and research approach. Finally, the book addresses the complexity of pedagogy research through discussion of particular ethical and relational aspects as it highlights innovations and developments in research methods for pedagogy. Boxed case studies, reflections on real research projects, a glossary of key terms and an annotated list of further reading all help to guide students and scholars through their research design and choice of methods in this area.

Reviews

This is one of the most helpful books for educational researchers that I have seen in some time ... It is complex and multi-layered, but considerate to the reader, accomplishing an ambitious and worthy goal. It is internationally informed, discusses multiple methods and provides clear summaries with great synthesis tables ... I really appreciated this book. * International Journal of Research & Method in Education *
The interaction between what pedagogy does and what pedagogy is appears as the central focus of this book. The approach taken goes beyond a disciplinary or methodological perspective and faces the core of the social context of teaching and learning. In a different direction of recent books and political decisions about how learning should be researched, the authors invite readers to put learning in context and research the experiences of learning from a socio-cultural perspective. Avoiding simplicity and coping with complexity this book encourages us to research pedagogy incorporating specified, enacted and experienced dimensions in practice. Based on the analysis of several studies readers will find a broad set of insights and suggestions to develop research on the values and ways of knowing mediated by different pedagogies. This is a necessary book to introduce a turn in pedagogical research based on what works in favour of a more inclusive and critical pedagogical research. * Fernando Hernndez Hernndez, Professor, Faculty of Education, Fine Arts College, University of Barcelona, Spain *
I think this book is absolutely excellent. One of the best on this topic that I have seen, very accessibly written and with plenty of practical guidance. * Brett Bligh, Lancaster University, UK *
This is a very useful text for students who are taking a more philosophical and theoretical approach to their educational studies rather than a more applied approach. This book usefully defines pedagogy as an acceptable field of study and situates in different domains to psychology, sociology or history of education - this is important when considering education's place in the research landscape. * Paul Hopkins, University of Hull, UK *

Author Bio

Melanie Nind is Professor of Education at the University of Southampton, UK. She is Co-Director of ESRC National Centre for Research Methods and Co-Editor of the International Journal of Research & Method in Education. Alicia Curtin is a Lecturer in the School of Education at University College Cork, Ireland. Kathy Hall is Professor of Education and Head of the School of Education at University College Cork, Ireland.