Qualitative Research in Education : Interaction and Practice

by Peter R Freebody

• ISBN13: 9780761961406
• ISBN10: 0761961402
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-07-29
• Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd

Summary

This outstanding new textbook provides a comprehensive overview of qualitative approaches to educational research. The text draws upon a broad range of real-life examples to describe and illustrate the methods through which educational data may be analyzed. Through a detailed yet concise explanation, the reader is then shown how these methods work and how their outcomes may be interpreted. Key features of this title include: - Links theory and practice by locating forms of analysis within a clear theoretical perspective. - Locates qualitative research in the social and cultural context in which it originates. - Contains a variety of 'real-life' examples and case studies. - Each chapter concludes with a set of exercises and questions for further discussion. Qualitative Research in Education presents a thorough explanation of the complexities of educational research and demonstrates the importance of placing this knowledge within cultural, linguistic and sociological contexts. It is an extremely informative text, which constitutes essential reading for those, engaged in the research and analysis of educational data.

Author Biography

Peter Freebody is Professor of Education and Director of the Centre for Literacy and Language Education Research at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Acknowledgements	xiii
Education as Social and Cultural Practice	1	(15)
Preview scenes	2	(7)
Education: effort, change and value	9	(5)
Discussion topics, questions and exercises	14	(2)
Research in Education: Problems with Practical Activity	16	(18)
The rise of research in education	17	(3)
Why turn events into research? Phenomena and inquiry	20	(2)
An example to set the scene	22	(6)
How to turn events into research? Method as and in social theory	28	(4)
Discussion topics, questions and exercises	32	(2)
Exploring the Neighbourhood in Search of the `Qualitative'	34	(21)
Setting the scene	43	(5)
Types of science	48	(2)
Conclusion	50	(3)
Discussion topics, questions and exercises	53	(2)
Are the Insiders Really `Family'? Categories of Qualitative Research	55	(19)
Varieties of qualitative research in education	56	(11)
A standpoint for this book	67	(4)
Discussion topics, questions and exercises	71	(3)
Methods and Methodologies: Ethnography, Case Study and Action Research	74	(16)
Ethnography and Education	75	(5)
Case Study	80	(4)
Action Research	84	(4)
Conclusions: methodologies and methods	88	(1)
Discussion topics, questions and exercises	89	(1)
Studying Educational Interactions	90	(42)
Why interaction?	90	(2)
Some background and a range of approaches	92	(6)
Working with talk: conventions for getting from sounds to data	98	(4)
How to explicate? Six analytic passes	102	(22)
Summary and conclusions	124	(5)
Discussion topics, questions and exercises	129	(3)
Conducting and Analysing Interviews	132	(42)
The deceptive complexity of interviews	132	(6)
Interviews as talk	138	(17)
Interviews as building accounts	155	(11)
Conclusions	166	(3)
Discussion topics, questions and exercises	169	(5)
Analysing Educational Texts	174	(35)
What are texts?	174	(6)
Analysing texts	180	(23)
Conclusions	203	(3)
Discussion topics, questions and exercises	206	(3)
Studying Education as a Practical Accomplishment	209	(10)
More educational research?	209	(3)
What matters in educational research?	212	(1)
What is the point of qualitative research in education?	213	(2)
What counts as `quality' qualitative research?	215	(4)
References	219	(10)
Index	229