World Education Research Association Invited Symposium: World-wide perspectives on methodologies in school-based education research

Wednesday, 23 August, 17:15 - 18:45
Location: K1.02 Auditorium 2

Speakers:  Ingrid Gogolin; George Head; Mylene Leroux; Ronél Ferreira; Rocío Garcia-Carrión
Chair: Ingrid Gogolin

This Round Table provides conceptual and contextual evidence on methodologies used in school-based education research.

In her paper, Gogolin presents a study on language use in multilingual classrooms. The study focused on the questions, under which conditions, how and why migrant students make use of their heritage languages during lessons. The paper presents the theoretical framework of the study and the video-audio-tape-method which was applied. Advantages and constraints of the method will be discussed. Furthermore, the main results of the study will be presented, and an outlook on desirable future research will be given

George Head argues for the use of participant action research using a solution focused conversation to generate education knowledge. The argument is based on experience of using this approach to research film education in libraries in Scotland and extrapolates from there to its possibilities for use in school-based research, particularly action research and professional inquiry.

Leroux focuses on the use of classroom observation. She exposes many contributions of this method to improve differentiated instruction and professional development, and to inform a research process, relying on the data of a study conducted with Canadian primary school teachers

In her paper, Ferreira proposes school-based participatory intervention research as suitable avenue for promoting the health and well-being of vulnerable school-communities. She integrates the underlying principles of resilience theory, strength-based approaches to coping, community-based responses to adversity, and participatory refection and action methodology, in contemplating the value of an integrated participatory intervention research approach when facilitating social change in school-communities.

García-Carrión discusses the potential of using Communicative Methodology of Research in school-based research to reduce inequalities. This transformative approach rooted in critical pedagogy and dialogic theory has been crucial for (a) opening classrooms and schools to their communities (b) including peoples’ voices into research in some of the poorest and marginalized areas in Southern Europe.