Phenomenography is an empirical approach to ascertain the qualitatively different ways in which individuals experience and understand aspects of the world around them. Originating in educational research (Marton, F., & Säljö, R. (1976). On qualitative differences in learning. 1- outcome and process. "British Journal of Educational…

This paper seeks to raise awareness among educational researchers and practitioners of some significant weaknesses and internal contradictions of randomised control trials (RCTs). Although critiques throughout the years from education scholars have pointed to the detrimental effects of this experimental approach on education practice and values,…

Narrative research is a commonly employed research methodology. In narrative research, researchers capture the testimony of their participants on a myriad of topics, e.g. how they feel about teaching or how they feel their ethnic background influences the way that they analyze concepts. Such testimony in narrative educational research commonly…

This article examines the levels of analysis adopted in higher education research, using a database of 567 articles published in 15 leading higher education journals internationally during 2010. Level of analysis is a relatively overlooked issue in this field of research, when compared with methodology, theory and/or topic--to which it is, of…

This paper explores the possibility of fashioning a queer methodology for educational research through analysis of three research studies. It begins with the question of queer visibility, asking about the ethics and utility of remaining closeted vs. disclosing one's identity. It then explores the question of researcher subjectivity and of putting…

This article revisits Paas and Van Merrienboer's (1993) measure of instructional efficiency, which can be applied by educational researchers to compare the effects of different instructional conditions on learning. This measure relied on performance and mental effort on the test, and as such gave an indication of the quality of learning outcomes.…

This paper analyzes the ethically important moments that helped build, then break, and then negotiate the relationship between researchers and schools during an ethnographic-type study conducted by the team of researchers from a prominent private university. I posit that the researchers' unskilled approach culminated in producing written…

In discussions about qualitative research, questions often arise concerning appropriate research focus, researcher objectivity, manipulation of people or environments examined, study completeness, and value considerations. Goodness questions (reliability, replicability, and validity) get mixed with value questions (generalizability), with…

Naturalistic research should produce reports which afford participants access to the process of interpretation. Naturalistic researchers should anticipate the need for negotiation relationships. However, the consequence of giving participants access to the process of interpretation is that it generates conflict. (JN)