Wellington, Professor Jerry

Professor Jerry Wellington provides a commentary on a sample chapter on data gathering from 'Action Research for Improving Educational Practice' by Valsa Koshy. When it comes to data, should we talk about gathering, collecting, creating, acquiring, harvesting or nurturing? Koshy uses the term ‘gathering' data is if it were unproblematic. This is one of the weaknesses of this chapter, but it has...

Professor Jerry Wellington provides a commentary on a sample chapter on mixed methods research from 'Introduction to Research Methods in Education' by Keith Punch. Most research projects into an aspect of teaching and learning (i.e. educational research) will quite rightly employ a mixture of methods. Indeed, the very nature of most important research questions in education (usually what, how or...

Professor Jerry Wellington provides a commentary on a sample chapter on observation from 'Research Methods in Early Childhood Education' by Mukherji and Albon. This chapter provides a helpful introduction to the use of observation, its historical background, different types of observation and some of the problematic issues involved in doing it - such as recording, reporting and the avoidance of...

Professor Jerry Wellington provides a commentary on a sample chapter on ethical issues from 'Case Study Research In Practice' by Helen Simons. Most people undertaking research in their own school or college will be involved in some form of ‘case study research', for example by investigating their own classroom practice or teaching methods. Few will have the time or resources to conduct a large...

Professor Jerry Wellington provides a commentary on a sample chapter on literature reviews from 'How to do your Research Project' by Gary Thomas. Everyone who undertakes a research project, however small and bounded by the context of one's own school or college, should take account of what has been done before. To jump straight into a study without embedding one's project in previous work is to...