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Topic title: Research Methods

Year group: Year 12

When taught: Term 3 and Term 4

What are we learning?

  • Key concepts
    • Validity
    • Ethics
    • Reliability
    • Generalisability
    • Representativeness
    • Objectivity
  • Primary quantitative and qualitative research methods
    • Questionnaires
    • Interviews
    • Focus groups
    • Observational methods
  • Methodological approaches to research
    • Survey
    • Ethnographic methods
    • Longitudinal studies
    • Methodological pluralism
    • Triangulation
  • Secondary methods and data
    • Existing sociological research
    • Official statistics
    • Documents such as:
    • Letters, diaries and newspaper reports
  • Sampling
    • Representative samples
      • Sampling frame
      • Simple random
      • Stratified random
      • Systematic random
      • Quota
    • Non representative sampling
      • Snowball
      • Volunteer
      • Purposive and opportunity samples
      • Target population
      • Gatekeeper
      • Access

Why is this important to know? 

  • Research methods is key to sociology. If they want to become a sociologist they will need to know how to carry out investigations.
  • A strong understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different research methods enables them to evaluate the research they come across in other units.
  • Research methods makes up the entire of their 2nd exam content so it is an important unit to know well.

Where does this link into our past and future learning? 

  • Most students will come to sociology having not studied it at GCSE.
  • Most students have an awareness of many of the key terms from other subjects, e.g. they have covered questionnaires and interviews in GCSE Geography or talked about qualitative and quantitative methods in GCSE Business.
  • The topic covered in this unit will be built on further in Term 6 of AS when we cover the rest of the research methods.
  • They will also need this content when we discuss research in any other topic throughout the course as they will need to use it to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the methodologies used in these studies.

How will we be assessed on this topic?

  • Students will sit a formal exam on this topic in the summer. This section makes up 50 marks and 75 minutes of Paper 2 at AS and 60 marks and 105 minutes at A Level.
  • They will be asked one 5 mark question, two 10 mark questions and one 25 mark question at AS Level. At A level they will be asked two 5 mark questions, one 20 mark question and one 30 mark question.
  • There will also be mid topic and end of topic tests on the unit when we study it.
  • Students will also have recap tests / questioning / exam questions on this topic during most lessons.

What makes a strong piece of work in this topic?  What are teachers hoping to see?  

  • Linking their answers to the context of the item they are given in the exam.
  • A detailed description of the content.
  • Sustained evaluation that is fully ‘PEEEL’ed.

What key words are there in this topic?

Click here: Quizlet

What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?

  • Use the key study list to ensure you know the details of the studies related to each research method:
  • There is an extension challenge set for this unit. This consists of 4 interesting tasks such as videos to watch, podcasts to listen to, articles to read and online courses to complete with a feedback task at the end. Please see your subject teacher to access this sheet.

What wider reading can be done on this topic? 

  • There are several Sociology Review Magazine articles relevant to this topic that you can read to extend your knowledge.
  • You could read some Sociology journal articles and practise identifying and evaluating the different research methods used.
    • Chubb and Moe
    • Rosenthal and Jacobson
    • Ball, Bowe and Gerwitz
    • Baroness Casey Review
    • Stephen Lawrence Inquiry
    • Scarman Report
    • Clarke

Supporting document/links: