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A Beginner's Guide to Doing Your Education Research Project
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A Beginner's Guide to Doing Your Education Research Project



September 2012 | 248 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
'Mike Lambert's book is a useful source of information, helping to create and shape your research methods project. The book contains detailed chapters with easy to follow guidelines, tips and suggestions ensuring help at every step of the way from start to finish'
Alexander Miesen, student, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences


 

In this basic guide, step-by-step advice is presented in a clear way and chapters take the reader through the entire process, from planning and doing research, to writing it up. Each stage is covered, with detailed help on choosing a topic, drawing up research questions, doing the literature review, choosing and designing research methods, the ethics of doing research, analyzing data, and collating and presenting findings.

 

Features in the text include:

 

- explanations of key research terms

- activities (with answers)

- progress sheets

- case studies

 

This is an ideal text for undergraduate students undertaking their first ever research project, postgraduates pursuing Masters awards and teachers carrying out action research.

 
INTRODUCTION
 
Research: Important or Just Interesting?
 
Research and You
 
Education: A Research-Based Profession?
 
Why This Book?
 
Structures and Contents
 
Features
 
Time to Start
 
PART ONE: LEARNING ABOUT RESEARCH
 
Research, 'Paradigms' and Ethics
 
The Process of Doing Research
 
Learning from Other Research
 
PART TWO: DOING RESEARCH
 
Choosing Your Topic
 
Research Questions
 
Literature Review
 
Choosing Your Methods
 
Designing Research Instruments
 
Validity, Reliability and Ethical Approval
 
Carrying Out Your Investigation
 
PART THREE: ANALYZING AND WRITING UP
 
Analyzing Data and Producing Your Findings
 
Writing Up Your Project
 
CONCLUSION
 
REFERENCES
 
APPENDIX 1: PROJECT SHEETS
 
APPENDIX 2: ACTIVITY ANSWERS
 
APPENDIX 3: GLOSSARY
 
INDEX

'Mike Lambert's book is a useful source of information, helping to create and shape your research methods project. The book contains detailed chapters with easy to follow guidelines, tips and suggestions ensuring help at every step of the way from start to finish'
-Alexander Miesen, student, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences


'It is like having the best mentor, friend and University or College professor hold your hand through the scariest of assignments, helping to demystify the whole process and make it 'doable' and understandable'
Early Years Educator


'Mike Lambert's Beginner's Guide is an excellent, user-friendly and overwhelmingly supportive book for anyone who has had the experience of living in the lonely space between interesting intentions (often passionate and personal) for research into their own education practice and the alientating discourse of research paradigms'
-Julian Mcdougall, Media Education Research Journal (MERJ)


'If your task in life is to write an education research project, it would be hard to imagine a more valuable helpmate than this book by Mike Lambert … I cannot recommend [it] too highly'
-Education Today, Anthony Seldon


'A thorough, practical resource for individuals who will be planning and carrying out research for the first time. It is an invaluable resource for undergraduate students, their teachers, or educational professionals who are starting to do research. It systematically leads the reader through the steps involved in the process of performing education research. As such, it makes a valuable contribution toward the formation of education researchers. Helping students to enter the realm of research is a necessary step toward improved practice and professionalism in the field of education. This book can help achieve this goal'
-Billaterra Journal of Teaching and Learning Language and Literature


'Students can sometimes struggle with doing this part of their course and it can be quite intimidating. In this book all aspects of doing a research project are covered by simple explanations and helpful suggestions'
Conductive Education Information (www.gillian-maguire.info)



Wasn't relevant to the research project that my learners needed to carry out (action research). However this may be useful for learners who are studying a BA or MA in the area of education.

Mrs Cheryl Cameron
Academic and Professional Services, South Tyneside College
March 2, 2015

A quite useful book for advanced BA and beginning MA students. It's simple language helps students to understand the research process well. Links to online sources are very useful.

Dr Cise Cavusoglu
English Language Teaching, Near East University
February 19, 2015

This book is packed with detailed and easy to follow guidance. Such a great resource.

Mrs Pam Lavender
Access, South Staffordshire College
August 18, 2014

I have used aspects of this text with L6 research students. It provides alternative perspectives to fundamental research principles.

Dr Nic Lightfoot
Education, Sheffield Hallam Univ.
July 4, 2014

A useful addition to our list of suggested reading

Ms Sally Howard
Warwick Institute of Education, Warwick Univ.
June 27, 2014

The additional support and resources provided by this book was invauable in professional studies for the PGCE students

Miss Lorraine Smith
Department of Secondary Education, Greenwich University
May 2, 2014

This book provides step by step guidance and thought provoking questions to assist students. Key points and case studies are especially helpful

Irena Andrews
School of Education, Brighton University
December 16, 2013

This is being recommended to our 4th year BA students and our MaST specialist teachers [ 60 students]. This book provides a guide as to how to go about each stage of the research project in a clear and accessible manner.

Mrs Pauline Palmer
Institute of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University
October 9, 2013

A useful book for students starting out on their first education research project

Miss Alison Hardy
School of Education, Nottingham Trent University
September 26, 2013