Applied Social Research Methods in Educational Settings

With a frank and discursive style, the authors address both the problems of access and the problems of researcher control. The result is a readable but realistic guide to the strategies required for valid investigations in educational settings. . . . The book is practical and useable. It gives a case study at the start, provides exercises after each chapter and is clearly written. --School Psychology International To date little material has been written about the pitfalls of conducting research in schools--until now. Research in Educational Settings helps prospective educational researchers plan their research more carefully in K-12 schools. This welcome addition to the research field focuses on the following issues: access and credibility in the school; traditional issues of designing research; questions that emerge as the design is imposed on the school culture and setting, particularly in regards to school staff and student assessment; the length of interventions and whether or not to schedule follow-up studies; and, how to interpret and communicate findings to schools and policymakers. Using personal experiences from their field research to illustrate key concepts, the authors also include a research project to clarify the practical issues of school research. Professionals and students of research methods, evaluation, education, psychology, and sociology will readily welcome this much awaited volume.