Will Curtis

Research and education

Introduction. Approaches to Educational Research Part 1: Planning an Education Research Project Choosing a Topic and Writing a Proposal. Reviewing the Literature. Sampling. Data Analysis. Writing Up Part 2: Research Strategies Surveys. Experiments. Case Studies. Ethnography. Action Research Part 3: Methods of Data Collection Questionnaires. Interviews. Focus Group Interviews. Observations. Documents. Using the Internet Part 4: Theorising Research Using Theories and Concepts in Research. Evaluating Methods. The Position of the Researcher. Ethical Issues in Educational Research. Educational Research with Children and Young People.

Making Space for Democracy through Assessment and Feedback in Higher Education: Thoughts from an Action Research Project in Education Studies.

This paper reports on an action research project into the development of a ‘democratic feedback model’ with students on an education studies programme at a post-1992 university in the UK. Building on work that has explored the dialogic dimensions of assessment and feedback, the research explored the potential for more democratic practice in this area. Although much learning and teaching on the programme in question took a collaborative and dialogic approach, assessment and feedback were modelled entirely differently, around the concept of an ‘expert’ marker and ‘novice’ marked. The findings of the research indicate the elements necessary for ‘democratic feedback’, and illustrate the emotional impact of moving from more transmission-based models, grounded in notions of expertise, towards democratic practice. They also highlight the ways in which such work can alert students to the imperfect, messy and human nature of the assessment process. Although the model has limited applicability in its extant form, its constitutive elements might be usefully incorporated within existing practice to promote democratic learning.

Learning together and expanding horizons: reflections on a student—lecturer collaborative enquiry

Abstract The paper reports on findings from a 2011 ESCalate-funded project, Assessment Reassessed. Three student—lecturer research teams engaged in collaborative enquiry with education studies programmes at six universities in the UK. The paper draws on the reflections of students and lecturers who took part to consider the possibilities and difficulties of this approach for research. It explores the complex dynamics of making and maintaining research teams, and the potential for learning together and expanding horizons. In providing an account of the rich potential of student—lecturer collaborative enquiry, it concludes by reflecting on the lessons all participants took from the process.