No research can give you a definitive answer to questions arising in your own context as teachers, teaching, schools and children are highly complex. Different kinds of research can provide different kinds of insight. Evaluating research involves deciding how far any claims are justified. In doing this, it can be helpful to reflect on the methods used, what those methods are able to tell you, and what might be learned through investigating this topic form another perspective or in another way.
Questions
- What is being claimed?
- How far are these claims justified based on the methods used?
- E.g. evaluation of the results of a RCT might involve considering sample size and statistical significance; whereas evaluating a qualitative study of 5 children’s experience of spelling teaching might explore how well the methods were designed to gain young children’s perspectives
- E.g. evaluation of the results of a RCT might involve considering sample size and statistical significance; whereas evaluating a qualitative study of 5 children’s experience of spelling teaching might explore how well the methods were designed to gain young children’s perspectives
- Do I understand the methods used? If not, do I have to take the claims for granted?
- How far are their claims presented as certain?
- What else would I want to know in order to believe in this certainty?
- Whose interests are addressed through this research?
- Which assumptions underpin this research?
- Whose perspectives are represented? Whose are not?