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Research Methods and Methodologies in Education

Robert Coe - Durham University, UK
Michael Waring - University of Leeds, UK
Larry V Hedges - Northwestern University, USA
Laura Day Ashley - University of Birmingham, UK
Description

The #1 resource for carrying out educational research as part of postgraduate study.

High-quality educational research requires careful consideration of every aspect of the process. This all-encompassing textbook written by leading international experts gives students and early career researchers a considered overview of principles that underpin research, and key qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods for research design, data collection and analysis.

This third edition includes four new chapters:

Disseminating your research
Data science and computational research methods
Observational methods
Analysis of variance (ANOVA)

Plus a new Research essentials feature that highlights key ‘must-haves’ or misconceptions relating to each methodological approach, research design or analytical tool discussed.

This is essential reading for postgraduate students on education courses and early career researchers looking to sharpen their research practice.

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email [email protected] . Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html .

For assistance with your order: Please email us at [email protected] or connect with your SAGE representative.

SAGE 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 www.sagepub.com

Logically structured, clear and informative. This book has significant chapter on Academic ethics which will be essential not only for BA students but for PhD and early research career as well

This book covers a wide range of issues in relation to educational research - there is something in there for all my students. Each chapter is short and to the point.

Research Methods and Methodologies in Education is a book I have used repeatedly since teaching Research on Foundation degree and BA top up

This book is beneficial for doctoral students because it provides clear and concise details on the steps to performing scholarly research designs. I am highly recommending this book for my courses.

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Education Studies

Yale Education Studies is an interdisciplinary program that empowers students, faculty and the broader community to critically reimagine and collectively reshape the education landscape through research, policy and practice.

Today there is a critical need for courageous leaders in early childhood and K-12 classrooms and schools, in higher education, government and the private sector who can act as experts and advocates for education. The Yale Education Studies program was formed to support this next generation of education leaders.

Instead of a separate School of Education, Yale’s Education Studies program brings together the study of education across the liberal arts curriculum with courses across 11 departments. Yale undergraduates take courses in the Education Studies program and can participate in one of two Certificate pathways: the Education Studies Scholars Intensive Certificate and the Education Studies certificate . Information about the Education Studies certificate and courses is available here.

Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

What Are the Most Important Education Research Findings in the Past 10 Years?

(This is the first post in a two-part series.)

The new question-of-the-week is:

What do you think have been the most important education research findings from the past 10 years, and what areas are you hoping researchers focus on in the next 10 years?

There is so much education research out there, and much of it is inaccessible to K-12 teachers either because it’s written in arcane academic language or because it’s locked behind paywalls.

This series will try to highlight some of the most important findings that we teachers—and our students—can use.

Today, Beth M. Miller, Ph.D., and Jana Echevarria, Ph.D., share their reflections.

You might also be interested in many curated resources on ed. research at “Best” Lists o f the Week: Education Research .

Two ‘Streams’

Beth M. Miller, Ph.D., serves as the chief knowledge officer at EL Education. She leads the research, communications, and publications teams while mostly being in complete awe of the mad skills of her brilliant, compassionate, committed colleagues:

What happens in the learning process? Why do some students thrive at school and learn more than others, and why does this variation often reflect socially constructed racial and ethnic categories? In the last 10 years, two streams of research have vastly expanded our understanding of the answers to these complex but never-more-important questions.

Stream One: Research on How Students Learn

We now know, with greater clarity and evidence than ever, that learning is a social, emotional, and cognitive process. While early “brain research” findings were beginning to emerge 10 years ago (e.g., plasticity of the brain), in the past decade, this knowledge has converged in a growing science of learning and development (SoLD) with many important implications for instructional practices, school climate, and district policy.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is deeply connected to academic achievement. We are increasingly learning that SEL can be developed in schools and that an integrated educational approach that deeply intertwines strands of social-emotional and academic development (versus teaching character as a siloed class on Tuesday mornings, for example) will be most effective.

Another key concept that has been developed through a body of evidence is the idea of mindset—how the student thinks of themself in relation to an idea or content will mediate their learning process and achievement. This insight from psychology, first developed by Carol Dweck, has resulted in a whole field of social psychology. Some of the short-term interventions have what seem like astounding results, because shifts in student mindset create a domino effect on motivation, self-efficacy, behavior, performance, and achievement.

For example, in several studies by David Yeager and his colleagues , teacher responses on a homework assignment communicating high expectations—and a belief that a student could reach these expectations—resulted in striking shifts in student academic performance over the course of a year. Teacher mindset also matters: When teachers who were trained on brain plasticity as it related to mathematics shifted their approach to teaching accordingly, doing so resulted in higher student achievement.

Stream Two: Research on the Impact of Racism in Education

Science of learning and development research can help to shift the dynamics of student experience and outcomes, but it is not enough to reach the goal we must attain: equitable learning opportunities and outcomes for all students. Another stream of research, less developed but equally imperative, is helping to uncover the ways that racism and other forms of marginalization create roadblocks to learning for millions of students and have throughout our history.

We can see this in the unequal financing of education between communities, the differences in teacher quality and facilities, and in the school experiences of millions of students. Despite the existence of brilliant students in every classroom and community, only some students will get the opportunity to develop to their full potential. In the last decade, research has highlighted how racism operates at every level of our education systems and, therefore, how to change it.

This body of research, often rooted in the theoretical work of scholars such as Gloria Ladson-Billings’ cconcept of “culturally relevant pedagogy” that she developed in the 1990s, includes ethnographic studies, correlational research, and quantitative large-scale studies, building a powerful body of evidence that racism and other forms of marginalization deeply and powerfully affect student achievement. Flipping the deficit-focused narrative of the “achievement gap” on its head, these researchers examine the resource gaps, opportunity gaps, racism, bias, and other processes and structures that drive differential experiences in school.

What we’ve learned might be a surprise to white people like me, but it only serves to expose the truth of what many people of color have experienced throughout their educational journey: Racism is deeply embedded in schools—by design, albeit often without conscious intention. Schools are a microcosm of our larger society. Without deep-seated, ongoing changes at multiple levels to shift that reality, racism remains a potent driver of school experiences and outcomes.

From research on the disproportionality of disciplinary practices to the impact on Black students of having even one Black teacher , we see racism—and other forms of marginalization—showing up anywhere we bring a lens to this study. We’ve learned a lot about the ways in which education policies, systems, and structures embed racism over the past decade. But that doesn’t mean individual teachers are off the hook: Multiple studies demonstrate the presence of negative perceptions and lower expectations of Black students on the part of many white teachers.

While deeply embedded policies and unconscious bias aren’t easy to shift, we are seeing evidence that it is not only possible to change these destructive dynamics, but also that this work significantly impacts student growth and learning. For example, a carefully designed training aimed at increasing teachers’ empathy for their students’ perspective by Jason Okonofua and colleagues shifted teachers from responding to behavior issues with punitive disciplinary practice to greater understanding and connection, leading to a 50 percent reduction in disciplinary actions. Other promising approaches, many rooted in culturally responsive education, from a community-center mathematics curriculum to the impact of ethnic - studies programs .

Where Do We Go From Here?

For the next 10 years, the most important work in education—whether in research studies or classrooms—will be in expanding the knowledge base where these two streams converge, i.e., combining what we know about how people learn, grow, and change with research that foregrounds the experiences and outcomes of historically marginalized students. After decades of education reforms that had little or no impact on the “stubborn” inequities in education, we have finally begun large-scale efforts to shift from measuring gaps to understanding why they exist and how we—not students—are the key to changing the dynamics. Some researchers, as well as organizations such as CASEL and the National Equity Project , are making progress, but we are in the early stages of this work. One thing we do know is that individual, incremental change will not create the equitable education system that our students deserve: Systemic changes in districts and charter networks will be needed, and we are only beginning the journey of creating the conditions at scale for all students to thrive.

One last note: We need to build on the current research base that demonstrates how disrupting racism benefits all students, including white students who will grow up in a diverse society. All students need the opportunity to experience what Rudine Sims Bishop coined “windows” as well as “mirrors” and deeply understand the multitude of experiences, histories, and perspectives we share in this country and around the world. Evidence that this learning matters—for all students—will help us create classrooms that enable us to build a better world.

English-Language Learners

Jana Echevarria, Ph.D., is professor emerita at California State University, Long Beach, where she was selected as Outstanding Professor. She is the co-developer of the SIOP Model of instruction for English-learners and the co-author of Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model and 99 Ideas and Activities for Teaching English Learners among other publications. Her blog is found at janaechevarria.com :

There are innumerable books, articles, and blogs written about what works with English-learners (ELs), but these resources don’t always reflect research-validated approaches and interventions. Empirical studies provide guidance for achieving desired outcomes that go beyond what intuitively seems like a good idea for teaching students in this population. The following areas of research are of particular importance in informing practice, especially for EL students.

Academic language . Cummins (1979) introduced the distinction between conversational language and academic language, and others more recently have discussed specific ways that academic language is challenging ( Scheppegrell, 2020 ), particularly for English - learners . Academic language is more formal and abstract than conversational language and uses complex sentence structure (e.g., embedded clauses and conjunctions), highly sophisticated, abstract vocabulary (e.g., representational democracy in social studies), and rhetorical forms (e.g., figurative language), and it is encountered almost exclusively in school.

Research has identified the critical relationship of academic language to reading comprehension, a cognitive and linguistic process needed to acquire and use knowledge in every academic-content area. As EL students become more proficient in English, they become more efficient readers and more similar to their English-speaking peers in their reading ability. Conversely, if EL students don’t become sufficiently proficient in English, they expend more cognitive effort, and their reading remains inefficient, which negatively affects achievement and motivation.

The importance of advancing academic-language development is clear. Findings verify that ELs don’t “pick up” academic language nor will the achievement gap close without explicit instruction in English-language development (ELD). A separate ELD time each day focusing on English-language instruction is critical but may not be sufficient for expediting English-language growth. In every content lesson, teaching key content vocabulary and exploiting teachable academic language-learning opportunities likely will enhance English proficiency.

Student assets . The idea that students come to school as empty vessels in need of filling has been dispelled. Indeed, students begin school with a minimum of five years of lived experiences, accumulated knowledge, and language development in their home language, and these continue to grow with each subsequent year. This treasure trove should be acknowledged and built upon as students learn academic content in school.

For English-learners, some lived experiences are culturally influenced, such as attending quinceañeras or receiving red envelopes as gifts, and others are common to their age group such as popular social media sites, video games, and sports. Linguistic knowledge in their home language can be used to bootstrap learning in English. Studies suggest that instructional routines that draw on students’ home language, their knowledge, and cultural assets support literacy development in English. Some examples of practices used in studies include previewing and reviewing materials in children’s home language, providing opportunities for students to engage in conversations around text with peers using their home language when needed, giving definitions for key vocabulary terms in both English and their home language, and introducing key concepts by connecting them to students’ knowledge or experience in the home and community.

Teachers who don’t speak the language of their students shouldn’t be apprehensive about using these types of practices. Many technologies assist in translating words and definitions, and peers can be used as supports by grouping students with a common home language together for discussions, then asking each group to summarize their discussion in English. Further, as teachers practice a dynamic interaction style with students, they will learn about students’ lived experiences which, in turn, can be used to connect lesson content to what students know and have experienced.

Capitalizing on students’ linguistic and experiential assets by linking them to content, materials, and activities has motivational and engagement benefits and contributes to EL students’ sense of belonging and well-being.

Reading foundations. Much has been written recently about the science of reading , a discussion that spans decades. However, little research specifically addresses English-learners and how teaching reading may or may not differ for this population. Goldenberg (2020) conducted a review of research on reading and English-learners. He summarizes the findings and draws several conclusions. First, learning to read is similar for English-learners and English-speaking students. EL students must learn the same foundational skills as English-proficient students. As Goldenberg says, “Full-fledged literacy certainly requires more, but there is a reason this group of skills is called foundational: It is required for the literacy edifice under construction. As with any building, if all you have is a foundation, you do not have much. Yet, a solid foundation is still essential” (p.133).

Secondly, along with foundational skills, additional supports are required for EL students so that instruction in English is made comprehensible to them. They need additional instruction in the vocabulary found in text, especially for beginning speakers who are learning to recognize new words as they are read. Also beneficial is additional repetition and rehearsal as well as opportunities to practice. Specifically, beginning readers need practice in developing oral language, primarily in the form of effective ELD instruction to boost English proficiency.

Lastly, as EL students advance through the grades, the academic language required to navigate grade-level texts and the disciplinary knowledge students need to comprehend texts become increasingly complex and demanding. Oral English-language instruction and support needs to match the level of challenge for these students, particularly in language-intensive subjects.

Future research

Developing English proficiency arguably has the greatest impact on success in school. Understanding and responding to the specific ways that academic language is most efficiently developed might offer ways for teaching ELD most effectively and result in accelerated English acquisition. Current studies show the importance of oral language for ELs to improve early literacy, but which components of the interventions were most impactful remain unknown.

Secondly, the effects of different instructional arrangements on EL students’ achievement should be explored. Debate continues around issues such as whether pullout or push-in services are more effective, the optimal amount of time devoted to ELD instruction, and whether to group ELs together or with English-speaking peers. These are areas of practice that warrant investigation.

Thanks to Beth and Jana for contributing their thoughts.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It’s titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email (The RSS feed for this blog, and for all Ed Week articles, has been changed by the new redesign—new ones are not yet available). And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 10 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below.

The 11 Most Popular Classroom Q&A Posts of the Year
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The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2023

Following our annual tussle with hundreds of studies of merit, we’ve pared them down to 10 you shouldn’t miss—from what AI can (and can’t) do to the neuroscience of brain synchrony.

For those of us hoping for a quiet, back-to-normal kind of year, the research coming out of 2023 might disappoint. A rising tide of teenage mental health issues sent researchers scurrying for answers, and the sudden ascendance of AI posed a new threat to codes of academic conduct and caused some educators to forecast the end of teaching as we know it (we’re here to dispel that myth).

There was plenty of good news in the mix—and fascinating news, too. Neuroscientists continued to push the envelope on mapping the human brain, using cutting-edge technology to get a sneak peek at the “brain synchrony” between students and teachers as they learn about complex topics, and a comprehensive review of social and emotional learning confirmed, once again, that there’s no substitute for caring, welcoming school environments.

Finally, we did our due diligence and unearthed classroom strategies that can make a big difference for students, from the use of math picture books to a better, more humane way to incorporate tests and games of knowledge into your classroom activities.

1. AI MAY CUT AN EDUCATOR’S PLANNING TIME DRAMATICALLY

In case anyone thought the jury was still out on the Turing test, which proposes a hypothetical threshold at which humans and machines respond indistinguishably to a prompt— more evidence recently came in, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell who’s testing who.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina set a “deep neural” AI model to work on a college-level anatomy and physiology textbook, after first training the software to recognize important information. The AI took stock, pondered in its fashion, and then dutifully produced 2,191 test questions tied to learning standards, which a panel of teachers judged to be “on par with human-generated questions in terms of their relevance to the learning objectives.” Remarkably, the instructors also said they’d consider adopting the machine-generated questions for their courses.

That’s spooky, but not without its silver linings. Test creation is time-consuming for teachers, and one knowledgeable educator who took AI for a test drive says that it performs well on other tasks like planning lessons, writing instructions, and even composing emails to parents. New AI-powered tools like Diffit, Curipod, and MagicSchool.ai, meanwhile, are starting to sound like revolutionary teaching aids.

Concern that the end of human teaching is one software release away is premature: Studies we’ve reviewed suggest that AI still requires a lot of fine-tuning, and in July of 2023 , researchers concluded that without human intervention, AI is atrocious at mathematics, performing poorly on open-ended problems and routinely flubbing even simple math calculations. To be useful, it turns out, AI may need us more than we need it.

2. A FASCINATING GUIDE TO BETTER QUIZZING

No one likes tests—except the three authors of a 2023 study , apparently. The trio, who have experience as teachers and researchers, sing the praises of virtually every kind of test, quiz, and knowledge game, asserting that such assessments should be frequent, low-stakes, highly engaging, and even communal. Their rationale: When properly designed and stripped of dread, tests and quizzes dramatically improve “long-term retention and the creation of more robust retrieval routes for future access,” a well-established phenomenon known as the testing effect .

The study is a fascinating, granular look at the mechanics of testing and its impacts on learning. Here are some of the highlights:

Mix it up: To maximize student engagement, quiz students frequently—but don’t let the format get stale. In their analysis, the authors endorse testing formats as varied as multiple choice, cued-recall tests, clickers, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and contests of knowledge.

Be competitive: When designing multiple-choice or true-false tests, opt for “competitive alternatives” in your answers. For example, when asking “What is the hottest terrestrial planet?,” proffer Venus , Mars , and Mercury instead of Venus , Uranus , and Saturn —because “Uranus and Saturn aren’t terrestrial planets.” Competitive alternatives require students to scrutinize all options, the authors hypothesize, leading them to retrieve and consider more learned material.

Pretest: Quizzing students on material they haven’t yet learned improves long-term performance “even if [students] are not able to answer any of those questions correctly,” according to the researchers. Notably, pretesting can also lead to “a reduction in mind wandering” during subsequent lessons.

Get communal: Asking students to take tests in groups can improve retention and motivation while reducing anxiety. Consider focusing on specific rather than open-ended questions, the authors caution, since students can sometimes “recall and remember information less accurately” when working together.

Pass it on: Teach students to self-test by “summarizing the main points from a lecture… without looking at any notes,” or by meeting in “small study groups where the students practice testing one another—an activity that many students already report doing.”

3. HOW TONE OF VOICE CHANGES CLASSROOM CULTURE

Like the proverbial canary in the coal mine, subtle shifts in a teacher’s tone of voice—a sharp rise in volume or a sudden barrage of repeated instructions born of frustration—can be the first sign that something’s awry in the classroom, disturbing a fragile equilibrium and leading students to clam up or act out, a study published late in 2022 suggests.

Researchers observed as teens and preteens listened to instructions given by teachers—“I’m waiting for people to quiet down” or “It’s time to tidy up all of your belongings,” for example—delivered in warm, neutral, or controlling tones. While the effect was unintended, an authoritative tone often came off as confrontational, undermining students’ sense of competence and discouraging them from confiding in teachers. Warm, supportive tones, on the other hand, contributed to a classroom environment that reinforced learning across multiple social and academic dimensions like sense of belonging, autonomy, and enjoyment of the class.

It takes years to find the right tonal balance, says experienced middle school teacher Kristine Napper. “Neither high expectations nor kind hearts can do the job alone,” she coaches . Instead, teachers should strive for a warm, supportive tone and then draw on that “wellspring of trust to hold students to high standards of deep engagement with course content.”

4. BRAINS THAT FIRE TOGETHER WIRE TOGETHER

In 2021, we reported that as students progressed through a computer science course, the learning material left neural fingerprints that mirrored brain activity in other students, the teacher, and experts in the field. “Students who failed to grasp the material,” we wrote, “exhibited neural signatures that were outliers; they were drifting.” But the brain patterns of students who performed well on a later test aligned strongly with other top performing students—and with the teacher and experts, too.

Intriguingly, even abstract concepts—those that lack any physical attributes—appeared to trigger similar mental representations in students’ minds, attesting to the remarkable cognitive flexibility underlying human communication and knowledge sharing.

A 2023 study using electroencephalography (EEG) largely confirms those findings. High school science teachers taught groups of young adults fitted with electrodes about science topics such as bipedalism, habitats, and lipids. Researchers found that stronger “brain synchrony” between peers—and between students and teachers—predicted better academic performance on follow-up tests, both immediately and a full week later.

Together, these studies underscore the importance of scholarly expertise and direct instruction, but also hint at the downstream power of peer-to-peer and social learning. As knowledge passes from teachers to learners to greater and lesser degrees—some students grasp material quickly, others more slowly—an opportunity to distribute the work of learning emerges. When advanced students are paired with struggling peers, assisted by nudges from the teacher, groups of students might eventually converge around an accurate, common understanding of the material.

5. IN SUM, MATH PICTURE BOOKS WORK

The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words—and two are worth two thousand—might be expressed, mathematically, as a simple multiplication formula. But can reading math picture books really multiply learning?

A 2023 review of 16 studies concluded that math books like Are We There Yet, Daddy? and Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi improved student engagement and attitudes toward math; strengthened kids’ grasp of math representations like graphs or physical models; and boosted performance on tasks like counting to 20, understanding place value, and calculating diameters. In early childhood, in particular, math picture books worked wonders—one study found that young students “tend to anticipate and guess what will happen next, resulting in high engagement, aroused interest in understanding the problems, and curiosity in finding solutions”—but even middle school students seemed mesmerized by math read-alouds.

Importantly, math picture books weren’t a substitute for procedural fluency or mathematical practice. Typically, the authors noted, teachers bracketed math units with picture books, introducing a mathematical concept “in order to prepare [students] for the upcoming practice and activities,” or, alternatively, used them to review material at the end of the lesson.

6. TO IMPROVE STUDENT WRITING, REDUCE FEEDBACK (AND PUT THE ONUS ON KIDS)

It’s hard to move the needle on student writing. Hours of close reading followed by the addition of dozens of edifying margin notes can swallow teacher weekends whole, but there’s no guarantee students know how to use the feedback productively.

In fact, without guidance, revisions tend to be superficial, a new study suggests—students might correct typos and grammatical mistakes, for example, or make cursory adjustments to a few ideas, but leave it at that. A promising, time-saving alternative is to deploy rubrics, mentor texts, and other clarifying writing guidelines.

In the study, high school students were graded on the clarity, sophistication, and thoroughness of their essays before being split into groups to test the effectiveness of various revision strategies. Students who consulted rubrics that spelled out the elements of an excellent essay—a clear central thesis, support for the claim, and cohesive overall structure, for example—improved their performance by a half-letter grade while kids who read mentor texts boosted scores by a third of a letter grade.

Rubrics and mentor texts are reusable, “increase teachers’ efficient use of time,” and “enhance self-feedback” in a way that can lead to better, more confident writers down the line, the new research suggests.

7. A NEW THEORY ABOUT THE TEEN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

Parents, teachers, and medical professionals are wringing their hands over the alarming, decades-long rise in teenage mental health issues, including depression, feelings of “ persistent hopelessness ,” and drug addiction.

The root causes remain elusive—cell phones and social media are prime suspects—but a sprawling 2023 study offers another explanation that’s gaining traction: After scouring surveys, data sets, and cultural artifacts, researchers theorized that a primary cause is “a decline over decades in opportunities for children and teens to play, roam, and engage in other activities independent of direct oversight and control by adults.”

Scholarly reviews of historical articles, books, and advice columns on child rearing depict an era when young children “walked or biked to school alone,” and contributed to their “family’s well being” and “community life” through meaningful chores and jobs. If that all feels vaguely mythical, data collected over the last 50 years reveals a correlation: frank admissions by parents that their children play outdoors independently less than they did, and significant drops in the number of kids who walk, bike, or bus to school alone or are allowed to cross busy roads by themselves. In the U.S., for example, a government survey showed that 48 percent of K–8 students walked to school in 1969, but by 2009 only 13 percent did.

Risky play and unsupervised outdoor activities, meanwhile, which might “protect against the development of phobias” and reduce “future anxiety by increasing the person’s confidence that they can deal effectively with emergencies,” are often frowned upon. That last point is crucial, because dozens of studies suggest that happiness in childhood, and then later in adolescence, is driven by internal feelings of “autonomy, competence, and relatedness”—and independent play, purposeful work, and important roles in classrooms and families are vital, early forms of practice.

Whatever the causes, young children seem to sense that something’s off. In one 2017 study , kindergartners who viewed images of fun activities routinely struck pictures that included adults from the category of play, rejecting the role of grown-ups in a domain they clearly saw as their own.

8. DIRECT INSTRUCTION AND INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING ARE COMPLEMENTARY

It’s an often-fiery but ultimately dubious debate: Should teachers employ direct instruction, or opt for inquiry-based learning?

At its core, direct instruction often conveys information “by lecturing and by giving a leading role to the teacher,” researchers explain in a 2023 study examining the evidence supporting both approaches. Critics typically focus solely on its passive qualities, a straw-man argument that ignores activities such as note-taking, practice quizzes, and classroom discussions. Opponents of inquiry-based learning, meanwhile, characterize it as chaotic, akin to sending students on a wild goose chase and asking them to discover the laws of physics on their own—though it can actually unlock “deep learning processes such as elaboration, self-explanation, and metacognitive strategies,“ the researchers say.

Both sides misrepresent what teachers actually do in classrooms. Instructional models are “often combined in practice,” the researchers note, and inquiry-based learning is usually supported with direct instruction. Teachers might begin a lesson by leading a review of key concepts, for example, and then ask students to apply what they’re learning in unfamiliar contexts.

Let the debate rage on. Teachers already know that factual fluency and the need to struggle, flail, and even hit dead-ends are integral to learning. Teaching is fluid and complex and spools out in real time; it resists every effort to reduce it to a single strategy or program that works for all kids, in all contexts.

9. A TRULY MASSIVE REVIEW FINDS VALUE IN SEL—AGAIN

It’s déjà vu all over again. The researcher Joseph Durlak, who put social and emotional learning on the map with his 2011 study that concluded that SEL programs boosted academic performance by an impressive 11 percentile points, was back at it in 2023—working with an ambitious new team, led by Yale professor Christina Cipriano, on a similar mission.

The group just published a comprehensive meta-analysis that surveyed a whopping 424 studies involving over half a million K–12 students, scrutinizing school-based SEL programs and strategies such as mindfulness, interpersonal skills, classroom management, and emotional intelligence. The findings: Students who participated in such programs experienced “improved academic achievement, school climate, school functioning, social emotional skills, attitudes, and prosocial and civic behaviors,” the researchers concluded.

Intriguingly, SEL remained a powerful driver of better cultures and student outcomes into the middle and high school years, a reminder that there’s no cutoff point for building relationships, teaching empathy, and making schools inclusive and welcoming.

While politicians continue to stoke controversy on the topic, there’s actually widespread support for SEL, as long as it’s connected to better academic outcomes. A 2021 Thomas B. Fordham Institute survey revealed that parents reacted negatively to classroom instruction labeled “social and emotional learning,” but were favorably disposed when a single clause was added—calling it “social-emotional & academic learning” turned the tide and secured parental buy-in.

10. MORE EVIDENCE FOR MOVING PAST “FINDING THE MAIN IDEA”

In the United States, the teaching of reading comprehension has ping-ponged between skills-based and knowledge-based approaches. In 2019, things appeared to come to a head: While reading programs continued to emphasize transferable skills like “finding the main idea” or “making inferences,” the author Natalie Wexler published The Knowledge Gap , an influential takedown of skills-based methods, and a large 2020 study from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute concurred, noting that “exposing kids to rich content in civics, history, and law” taught reading more effectively than skills-based approaches.

Now a pair of new, high-quality studies—featuring leading researchers and encompassing more than 5,000 students in 39 schools—appears to put the finishing touches on a decades-long effort to push background knowledge to the forefront of reading instruction.

In a Harvard study , 3,000 elementary students participated in a yearlong literacy program focused on the “knowledge rich” domains of social studies and science, exploring the methods used to study past events, for example, or investigating how animals evolve to survive in different habitats. Compared to their counterparts in business-as-usual classes, the “knowledge based” readers scored 18 percent higher on general reading comprehension. Background knowledge acts like a scaffold, the researchers explained, helping students “connect new learning to a general schema and transfer their knowledge to related topics.” In the other study , a team of researchers, including leading experts David Grissmer, Daniel Willingham, and Chris Hulleman, examined the impact of the “Core Knowledge” program on 2,310 students in nine lottery-based Colorado charter schools from kindergarten to sixth grade. The approach improved reading scores by 16 percentile points, and if implemented nationally, the researchers calculated, might catapult U.S. students from 15th to fifth place on international reading tests.

The pendulum is swinging, but the researchers caution against overreach: There appear to be “two separate but complementary cognitive processes involved in development and learning: ‘skill building’ and ‘knowledge accumulation,’” they clarified. We may have the balance out of whack, but to develop proficient readers, you need both.

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In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Methodologies for Conducting Education Research

Introduction, general overviews.

Experimental Research
Quasi-Experimental Research
Hierarchical Linear Modeling
Survey Research
Assessment and Measurement
Qualitative Research Methodologies
Program Evaluation
Research Syntheses
Implementation

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Methodologies for Conducting Education Research by Marisa Cannata LAST REVIEWED: 15 December 2011 LAST MODIFIED: 15 December 2011 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756810-0061

Education is a diverse field and methodologies used in education research are necessarily diverse. The reasons for the methodological diversity of education research are many, including the fact that the field of education is composed of a multitude of disciplines and tensions between basic and applied research. For example, accepted methods of systemic inquiry in history, sociology, economics, and psychology vary, yet all of these disciplines help answer important questions posed in education. This methodological diversity has led to debates about the quality of education research and the perception of shifting standards of quality research. The citations selected for inclusion in this article provide a broad overview of methodologies and discussions of quality research standards across the different types of questions posed in educational research. The citations represent summaries of ongoing debates, articles or books that have had a significant influence on education research, and guides to those who wish to implement particular methodologies. Most of the sections focus on specific methodologies and provide advice or examples for studies employing these methodologies.

The interdisciplinary nature of education research has implications for education research. There is no single best research design for all questions that guide education research. Even through many often heated debates about methodologies, the common strand is that research designs should follow the research questions. The following works offer an introduction to the debates, divides, and difficulties of education research. Schoenfeld 1999 , Mitchell and Haro 1999 , and Shulman 1988 provide perspectives on diversity within the field of education and the implications of this diversity on the debates about education research and difficulties conducting such research. National Research Council 2002 outlines the principles of scientific inquiry and how they apply to education. Published around the time No Child Left Behind required education policies to be based on scientific research, this book laid the foundation for much of the current emphasis of experimental and quasi-experimental research in education. To read another perspective on defining good education research, readers may turn to Hostetler 2005 . Readers who want a general overview of various methodologies in education research and directions on how to choose between them should read Creswell 2009 and Green, et al. 2006 . The American Educational Research Association (AERA), the main professional association focused on education research, has developed standards for how to report methods and findings in empirical studies. Those wishing to follow those standards should consult American Educational Research Association 2006 .

American Educational Research Association. 2006. Standards for reporting on empirical social science research in AERA publications. Educational Researcher 35.6: 33–40.

DOI: 10.3102/0013189X035006033

The American Educational Research Association is the professional association for researchers in education. Publications by AERA are a well-regarded source of research. This article outlines the requirements for reporting original research in AERA publications.

Creswell, J. W. 2009. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches . 3d ed. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Presents an overview of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research designs, including how to choose the design based on the research question. This book is particularly helpful for those who want to design mixed-methods studies.

Green, J. L., G. Camilli, and P. B. Elmore. 2006. Handbook of complementary methods for research in education . Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Provides a broad overview of several methods of educational research. The first part provides an overview of issues that cut across specific methodologies, and subsequent chapters delve into particular research approaches.

Hostetler, K. 2005. What is “good” education research? Educational Researcher 34.6: 16–21.

DOI: 10.3102/0013189X034006016

Goes beyond methodological concerns to argue that “good” educational research should also consider the conception of human well-being. By using a philosophical lens on debates about quality education research, this article is useful for moving beyond qualitative-quantitative divides.

Mitchell, T. R., and A. Haro. 1999. Poles apart: Reconciling the dichotomies in education research. In Issues in education research . Edited by E. C. Lagemann and L. S. Shulman, 42–62. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Chapter outlines several dichotomies in education research, including the tension between applied research and basic research and between understanding the purposes of education and the processes of education.

National Research Council. 2002. Scientific research in education . Edited by R. J. Shavelson and L. Towne. Committee on Scientific Principles for Education Research. Center for Education. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

This book was released around the time the No Child Left Behind law directed that policy decisions should be guided by scientific research. It is credited with starting the current debate about methods in educational research and the preference for experimental studies.

Schoenfeld, A. H. 1999. The core, the canon, and the development of research skills. Issues in the preparation of education researchers. In Issues in education research . Edited by E. C. Lagemann and L. S. Shulman, 166–202. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Describes difficulties in preparing educational researchers due to the lack of a core and a canon in education. While the focus is on preparing researchers, it provides valuable insight into why debates over education research persist.

Shulman, L. S. 1988. Disciplines of inquiry in education: An overview. In Complementary methods for research in education . Edited by R. M. Jaeger, 3–17. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

Outlines what distinguishes research from other modes of disciplined inquiry and the relationship between academic disciplines, guiding questions, and methods of inquiry.

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A Case for Case Study Research in Education

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Kit Grauer

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This chapter makes the case that case study research is making a comeback in educational research because it allows researchers a broad range of methodological tools to suit the needs of answering questions of “how” and “why” within a particular real-world context. As Stake (1995) suggests, case study is often a preferred method of research because case studies may be epistemologically in harmony with the reader’s experience and thus to that person a natural basis for generalization.

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Grauer, K. (2012). A Case for Case Study Research in Education. In: Klein, S.R. (eds) Action Research Methods. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137046635_4

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Scientific Research in Education (2002)

Chapter: 1 introduction, 1 introduction.

Born of egalitarian instincts, the grand experiment of U.S. public education began over 200 years ago. The scope and complexity of its agenda is apparent:

to teach the fundamental skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic; to nurture critical thinking; to convey a general fund of knowledge; to develop creativity and aesthetic perception; to assist students in choosing and preparing for vocations in a highly complex economy; to inculcate ethical character and good citizenship; to develop physical and emotional well-being; and to nurture the ability, the intelligence, and the will to continue on with education as far as any particular individual wants to go (Cremin, 1990, p. 42).

The educational system is no less complex. Today the United States sends more than 45 million children to schools that are governed by 15,000 independent school districts in the 50 states (and territories); it boasts thousands of colleges and universities and myriad adult and informal learning centers. The nation takes pride in reaffirming the constitutional limitations on the federal role in education, yet recently has tentatively embraced the idea of national standards. The system is one of dualities: a national ethos with local control; commitment to excellence and aspiration to equality; and faith in tradition and appetite for innovation.

The context in which this system operates is also changing. The United States is no longer a manufacturing society in which people with little

formal education can find moderate- to high-paying jobs. It is now a service- and knowledge-driven economy in which high levels of literacy and numeracy are required of almost everyone to achieve a good standard of living (National Research Council, 1999a; Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, 1991; Murnane and Levy, 1996; Judy and D’Amico, 1997; Packer, 1997). Moreover, to address the challenges of, for example, low-performing schools, the “achievement gap,” and language diversity, educators today require new knowledge to reengineer schools in effective ways.

To meet these new demands, rigorous, sustained, scientific research in education is needed. In today’s rapidly changing economic and technological environment, schooling cannot be improved by relying on folk wisdom about how students learn and how schools should be organized. No one would think of designing a rocket to the moon or wiping out a widespread disease by relying on untested hunches; likewise, one cannot expect to improve education without research.

Knowledge is needed on many topics, including: how to motivate children to succeed; how effective schools and classrooms are organized to foster learning; the roots of teenage alienation and violence; how human and economic resources can be used to support effective instruction; effective strategies for preparing teachers and school administrators; the interaction among what children learn in the context of their families, schools, colleges, and the media; the relationship between educational policy and the economic development of society; and the ways that the effects of schooling are moderated by culture and language. In order that society can learn how to improve its efforts to mount effective programs, rigorous evaluations of innovations must also be conducted. The education research community has produced important insights on many of these topics (we trace some of them in Chapter 2 ). However, in contrast to physics and other older sciences, many areas of education are relatively new domains for scientific study, and there is much work yet to do.

Everyone has opinions about schooling, because they were all once in school. But in this ever more complex world, in which educational problems tend to be portrayed with the urgency of national survival, there is (again) an understandable attraction to the rationality and disciplined style of science. Simply put, for some problems citizens, educators, administrators,

policy makers, and other concerned individuals want to hear about hard evidence, they want impartiality, and they want decisions to rest on reasonable, rigorous, and scientific deliberation. And how can the quality of science be judged? This is our topic.

To set the stage for this discussion, this chapter provides historical and philosophical background and describes how the current undertaking fits into that broader context.

HISTORICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL CONTEXT

Education research in the United States is barely 100 years old, and its history is not a simple tale of progress. The study of education drew heavily on the emerging social sciences, which had found a place in research universities at the beginning of the twentieth century. That foothold was often tenuous, however, with intense debates about the essential character of these “sciences.” Many in academic circles sought to model the social sciences on the physical sciences, while others—regarding this as “physics envy”—insisted that broader accounts of the nature of science had to be adopted in order to encompass adequately the range of phenomena in these newer domains (Lagemann, 2000).

Education research began as a branch of psychology at a time when psychology was still a part of philosophy. In the first decade of the twentieth century, psychology was emerging as a distinct field, as were the budding fields of educational psychology, history of education, and educational administration. By the 1930s, subfields of work that centered on different subjects of the school curriculum—notably reading, mathematics, and social studies—had also emerged. As education research continued to develop new methods and questions and in response to developments in the social and behavioral sciences, research fields proliferated (Lagemann, 2000; Cronbach and Suppes, 1969).

From the beginning, the field has been plagued by skepticism concerning the value and validity of developing a “science of education.” This attitude was evident as long ago as the late nineteenth century, when universities began to establish departments and schools of education. A chorus of complaints arose from faculty in the arts and sciences concerning the inclusion of scholars intending to systematically study the organizational

and pedagogical aspects of schooling. Ellwood Patterson Cubberley, a school superintendent in San Diego who just before the end of the nineteenth century was appointed chair of the department of education (later the School of Education) at Stanford University, arrived on campus ready and eager to help improve education by generating studies of the history and current administration of the nation’s public schools. Despite his enthusiasm and extraordinary productivity, his colleagues refused to acknowledge that “the study of education could be validly considered either an art or a science.” On the opposite side of the country Paul Hanus, Harvard’s first scholar of education, faced similar skepticism. George Herbert Palmer liked to quip that when “Professor Hanus came to Cambridge, he bore the onus of his subject.” (quoted in Lagemann, 2000, p. 72). Indeed, a set of attitudes toward education research that one might call “anti-educationism” has been a constant to the present day.

Despite this skepticism, the enterprise grew apace. For example, by the end of the twentieth century, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) had well over 20,000 members (roughly 5,500 of whom report research as their primary professional responsibility), organized into 12 divisions (e.g., administration, curriculum, learning and instruction, teacher education), some with a number of subsections, and about 140 special interest groups (American Educational Research Association, 2000). This growth in the number of scholars has been notable because it occurred in the absence of a proportional increase in federal funding. And as a percentage of the total amount spent on public elementary and secondary education, the nation as a whole invested less than 0.1 percent in research (President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology, 1997).

There are several reasons for the lack of public support for education research. Problems include research quality (Lagemann, 2000; Kaestle, 1993; Sroufe, 1997; Levin and O’Donnell, 1999), fragmentation of the effort (National Research Council, 1992), and oversimplified expectations about the role of research in education reform (National Research Council, 2001d). Another key problem has been the sharp divide between education research and scholarship and the practice of education in schools and other settings. This disconnect has several historic roots: researchers and practitioners have typically worked in different settings; most researchers

have been men, while most teachers have been women; and teacher education has typically relied on practical experience rather than research. Operating in different worlds, researchers and practitioners did not develop the kinds of cross fertilization that are necessary in fields where research and practice should develop reciprocally—medicine and agriculture faced similar problems in their early development (Lagemann, 2000; Mitchell and Haro, 1999).

The epistemology of education research—that is, understanding about its core nature as a scientific endeavor—has also evolved significantly since its early days (see Dewey [1929] for an insightful early treatment). Five dimensions are particularly relevant to this report: the emergence of refined models of human nature; progress in understanding how scientific knowledge accumulates; recognition that education is a contested field of study; new developments in research designs and methods; and increased understanding of the nature of scientific rigor or quality. We comment briefly on each below and expand on several of them in the remaining chapters.

Models of Human Nature

In the decades when scientific research in education was gathering momentum, the most prevalent “models of man” and of human social life were derived from the mechanistic, positivistic sciences and philosophy of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The most famous example—the focus of numerous theoretical and methodological battles—was B.F. Skinner’s behaviorism (Skinner, 1953/1965, 1972). Following the work of the logical positivist philosophers, who believed that talking about entities that were not available for direct inspection (such as thoughts, values, ideals, and beliefs) was literally meaningless, Skinner’s research assumed that human behavior could be explained completely in terms of observable causes— for example, through schedules of reinforcement and punishment. Although Skinner’s work laid the foundation for modern theories of behavior (see National Research Council, 2001b), the behaviorist paradigm excluded important phenomena from inquiry at the outset of the study. Today, it is recognized that many phenomena of interest across the domains of the social sciences and education research result from voluntary human actions (or from the unintended or aggregate consequences of such actions) even

though direct measurement of such phenomena is typically not possible. 1 Thus, research on human action must take into account individuals’ understandings, intentions, and values as well as their observable behavior (Phillips and Burbules, 2000; Phillips, 2000.)

The development of alternative perspectives on the nature of humans that are more inclusive than the once-dominant behaviorist perspective should be regarded as both highly promising and something of a cautionary tale for education research. The moral of the rise and at least partial fall of behaviorism warns the scientific community to resist the tendency to take a single model (whether behavioral, cognitive, or interpretive), derived in relation to a limited range of phenomena, and extrapolate it as appropriate across all the social and behavioral sciences. There is room in the mansion of science for more than one model, and also for the creative tension produced when rival models are deployed (see, for an example, Greeno et al., 1996).

Progress in Science

If appreciation for multiple perspectives on the nature of humans has enhanced efforts to develop scientific research, so has a better, more sophisticated awareness of what “progress” in science means and how it is achieved. Linear models of progress have been put aside in favor of more jagged ones. Mistakes are made as science moves forward. The process is not infallible (see Lakatos and Musgrave, 1970); science advances through professional criticism and self-correction. Indeed, we show in Chapter 2 that this jagged progression of scientific progress is typical across the range of physical and social sciences as well as education research.

A long history of the philosophy of science also teaches that there is no algorithm for scientific progress (and, consequently, we certainly do not attempt to offer one in this report). Despite its optimistic-sounding title, even Sir Karl Popper’s (1959) classic work, The Logic of Scientific Discovery , makes the point strongly that there is no logical process by which researchers

can make discoveries in the first place. Popper also argues that knowledge always remains conjectural and potentially revisable. Over time, erroneous theories and inaccurate findings are detected and eliminated, largely by the process of testing (seeking refutations) that Popper himself described (Popper, 1965; Newton-Smith, 1981).

Education—A Highly Contested Field

While knowledge in the physical and social sciences and education has accumulated over time, the highly contested nature of education has had an effect on the progress of scientific research (Lagemann, 1996). One reason education is highly contested is because values play a central role: people’s hopes and expectations for educating the nation’s young are integrally tied to their hopes and expectations about the direction of society and its development (Hirst and Peters, 1970; Dewey, 1916). Obviously, different people see these matters differently. As in other fields that have such a public character, social ideals inevitably influence the research that is done, the way it is framed and conducted, and the policies and practices that are based on research findings. And decisions about education are sometimes instituted with no scientific basis at all, but rather are derived directly from ideology or deeply held beliefs about social justice or the good of society in general.

A second reason that education is contested is that rarely, if ever, does an education intervention—one important focus of study in the broader domain of education research—have only one main effect. Both positive and negative unintended consequences are often important (Cronbach et al., 1980). Education interventions have costs—in money, time, and effort: making a judgment on the effectiveness of a treatment is complex and requires taking account of myriad factors.

In short, education research will inevitably reflect and have to face many different values, and it will as a consequence produce complex findings. Ultimately, policy makers and practicing educators will have to formulate specific policies and practices on the basis of values and practical wisdom as well as education research. Science-based education research will affect, but typically not solely determine, these policies and practices.

Research Design and Method

Research in education has been enhanced by the recent invention of methods: new observational techniques, new experimental designs, new methods of data gathering and analysis, and new software packages for managing and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. Rapid advances in computer technologies have also dramatically increased the capacity to store and analyze large data sets. As new methods are developed, they lead to the identification of new questions, and the investigation of these, in turn, can demand that new methods be devised. We illustrate this dynamic relationship between methods, theories, empirical findings, and problems in Chapter 2 and describe common designs and methods employed to address classes of research questions in Chapter 5 .

Scientific Evidence and Rigor

In thinking about the ways that a research conjecture or hypothesis may be supported by evidence, many philosophers of science have found it fruitful to adopt a term that was featured in John Dewey’s (1938) treatise, Logic: The Theory of Inquiry (see, e.g., Phillips and Burbules, 2000). Dewey wrote of warrants for making assertions or knowledge claims. In science, measurements and experimental results, observational or interview data, and mathematical and logical analysis all can be part of the warrant—or case—that supports a theory, hypothesis, or judgment. However, warrants are always revocable depending on the findings of subsequent inquiry. Beliefs that are strongly warranted or supported at one time (e.g., the geocentric model of the solar system) may later need to be abandoned (for a heliocentric model). Evidence that is regarded as authoritative at one time (e.g., ice ages are caused by the eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit) can be shown later to be faulty (see Chapter 3 ). Science progresses both by advancing new theories or hypotheses and by eliminating theories, hypotheses, or previously accepted facts that have been refuted by newly acquired evidence judged to be definitive.

To make progress possible, then, theories, hypotheses, or conjectures must be stated in clear, unambiguous, and empirically testable terms. Evidence must be linked to them through a clear chain of reasoning. Moreover, the community of inquirers must be, in Karl Popper’s expres-

sion, “open societies” that encourage the free flow of critical comment. Researchers have an obligation to avoid seeking only such evidence that apparently supports their favored hypotheses; they also must seek evidence that is incompatible with these hypotheses even if such evidence, when found, would refute their ideas. Thus, it is the scientific community that enables scientific progress, not, as Nobel Prize-winning physicist Polykarp Kusch once declared, adherence to any one scientific method (Mills, 2000 [emphasis added]). We emphasize this notion of community in the scientific enterprise throughout this report.

These points about the nature of evidence constitute the essence of our account of rigor in inquiry; these ideas are fleshed out in the rest of this report. Importantly, our vision of scientific quality and rigor applies to the two forms of education research that have traditionally been labeled “quantitative” and “qualitative,” as well as to two forms of research that have been labeled “basic” and “applied.” These dichotomies have historically formed fault lines within and outside academia. As our brief discussion of the emergence of schools of education suggests, the perceived hierarchy of basic or “pure” science versus its messier cousin—applied research—has isolated the field of education research from other sciences. Similarly, sharp distinctions between quantitative and qualitative inquiry have divided the field. In particular, the current trend of schools of education to favor qualitative methods, often at the expense of quantitative methods, has invited criticism. Real problems stem from these “either/or” kinds of preferences, and we believe that both categorizations are neither well defined nor constructive. Thus, beyond a brief discussion that follows, we do not dwell on them in the report.

It is common to see quantitative and qualitative methods described as being fundamentally different modes of inquiry—even as being different paradigms embodying quite different epistemologies (Howe, 1988; Phillips, 1987). We regard this view as mistaken. Because we see quantitative and qualitative scientific inquiry as being epistemologically quite similar (King, Keohane, and Verba, 1994; Howe and Eisenhart, 1990), and as we recognize that both can be pursued rigorously, we do not distinguish between them as being different forms of inquiry. We believe the distinction is outmoded, and it does not map neatly in a one-to-one fashion onto any group or groupings of disciplines.

We also believe the distinction between basic and applied science has outlived its usefulness. This distinction often served to denigrate applied work (into which category education research was usually placed). But as Stokes (1997) in Pasteur’s Quadrant made clear, great scientific work has often been inspired by the desire to solve a pressing practical problem— much of the cutting-edge work of the scientist who inspired the book’s title had this origin. What makes research scientific is not the motive for carrying it out, but the manner in which it is carried out.

Finally, it is important to note that the question of what constitutes scientific rigor and quality has been the topic of much debate within the education research community itself since the nineteenth century. Two extreme views in the field’s complex history are worthy of brief elaboration. First, some extreme “postmodernists” have questioned whether there is any value in scientific evidence in education whatsoever (see the discussion of these issues in Gross, Levitt, and Lewis, 1997). At the other end of the spectrum, there are those who would define scientific research in education quite narrowly, suggesting that it is only quantitative measures and tight controls that unambiguously define science (see, e.g., Finn, 2001). We do not believe that either view is constructive, and in our estimation they have both compounded the “awful reputation” (Kaestle, 1993) of education research and diminished its promise.

PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL INTEREST IN EDUCATION RESEARCH

While federal funding for education research has waxed and (mostly) waned, the federal government has been clear and consistent in its call for scientific research into education. The Cooperative Research Act of 1954 first authorized the then Office of Education to fund education research (National Research Council, 1992). The National Institute of Education (NIE) was created in 1971 to provide “leadership in the conduct and support of scientific inquiry into education” (General Education Provisions Act, Sec. 405; cited in National Research Council, 1992). Likewise, as NIE was incorporated into the U.S. Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), the quest for the scientific conduct of education research was front and center (Department of Education Organization Act, 1979; see National Research Council, 1992).

The federal government has not been alone in calling for scientific research into education. This call has been echoed in a series of reports and recommendations from the National Academies’ research arm, the National Research Council (NRC). In 1958, the NRC’s report, A Proposed Organization for Research in Education, recommended establishing a research organization for the advancement and improvement of education. A 1977 report, Fundamental Research and the Process of Education , called for fundamental research about educational processes. A 1986 report, Creating a Center for Education Statistics : A Time for Action , led to what many regard as the successful overhaul of the federal education statistical agency. And in the 1992 report, Research and Education Reform: Roles for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement , the NRC called for a complete overhaul of the federal research agency, criticizing its focus on “quick solutions to poorly understood problems” (National Research Council, 1992, p. viii). The report recommended creating an infrastructure that would support and foster scientific research into learning and cognitive processes underlying education, curriculum, teaching, and education reform.

What, then, warrants another NRC report on scientific research in education? First, as we argue above, the nation’s commitment to improve the education of all children requires continuing efforts to improve its research capacity. Questions concerning how to do this are currently being debated as Congress considers ways to organize a federal education research agency. Indeed, H.R. 4875—the so-called “Castle bill” to reauthorize OERI—has provided us with an opportunity to revisit historic questions about the “science of education” in a modern policy context. This bill includes definitions—crafted in the political milieu—of scientific concepts to be applied to education research, reflecting yet again a skepticism about the quality of current scholarship. (We discuss these definitions briefly in Chapter 6 .) Our report is specifically intended to provide an articulation of the core nature of scientific inquiry in education from the research community.

The rapid growth of the education research community in recent years has resulted in the production of many studies, articles, journal publications, books and opinion pieces associated with academics, but that are not necessarily scientific in character. Moreover, the field of education researchers is itself a diverse mix of professionals with varying levels and types of research training, and they often bring quite different orientations

to their work. These multiple perspectives are in many ways indicative of the health of the enterprise, but they also render the development of a cohesive community with self-regulating norms difficult (Lagemann, 2000). In this spirit, we intend this report to provide a balanced account of scientific quality and rigor that sparks self-reflection within the research community about its roles and responsibilities for promoting scientific quality and advancing scientific understanding.

Finally, perhaps more than ever before, citizens, business leaders, politicians, and educators want credible information on which to evaluate and guide today’s reform and tomorrow’s education for all students. Driven by the performance goals inherent in standards-based reforms, they seek a working consensus on the challenges confronting education, on what works in what contexts and what doesn’t, and on why what works does work. Simply put, they seek trustworthy, scientific evidence on which to base decisions about education.

COMMITTEE CHARGE AND APPROACH

The committee was assembled in the fall of 2000 and was asked to complete its report by the fall of 2001. The charge from the committee’s sponsor, the National Educational Policy and Priorities Board of the U.S. Department of Education, was as follows:

This study will review and synthesize recent literature on the science and practice of scientific education research and consider how to support high quality science in a federal education research agency.

To organize its deliberations, the committee translated this mandate into three framing questions:

What are the principles of scientific quality in education research?

To address this question, the committee considered how the purposes, norms, methods, and traditions of scientific inquiry translated in the study of education. The committee also considered what scientific quality meant, both in individual research projects and in programs of research, to better

understand how knowledge could be organized, synthesized, and generalized. Furthermore, we sought to understand how scientific education research is similar to, and different from, other scientific endeavors.

In approaching this question, we recognize that existing education research has suffered from uneven quality. This statement is not very startling, because the same could be said about virtually every area of scientific research. Although it is clear that the reputation of education research is quite poor (Kaestle, 1993; Sroufe, 1997; H.R. 4875), we do not believe it is productive to attempt to catalogue “bad research.” Instead, we have found it useful to focus on constructive questions: How much good research has been produced? Why isn’t there more good research? How could more good research be generated? We address these kinds of questions in the report.

How can a federal research agency promote and protect scientific quality in the education research it supports?

The committee did not conduct an evaluation of OERI. Rather, the committee approached the general question of the federal role from the perspective of scientific quality and rigor. We sought to identify the key design principles for a federal agency charged with fostering the scientific integrity of the research it funds and with promoting the accumulation of science-based knowledge over time. Among the issues the committee explored were how research quality is affected by internal infrastructure mechanisms, such as peer review, as well as external forces, such as political influence and fiscal support, and how the federal role can build the capacity of the field to do high-quality scientific work.

Here again, our approach is constructive and forward looking. We attempt to strike a balance between understanding the realities of the federal bureaucracy and the history of an education research agency within it while avoiding the detailed prescriptions of previous and current proposals to reform the existing federal role. We hope to make a unique contribution by focusing on “first principles” that form the core of scientific education research at the federal level and providing guidance about how these principles might be implemented in practice. Some of our suggestions are already in place; some are not. Some will be easy to implement; others will

be more difficult. Our intent is to provide a set of principles that can serve as a guidepost for improvement over time.

How can research-based knowledge in education accumulate?

The committee believes that rigor in individual scientific investigations and a strong federal infrastructure for supporting such work are required for research in education to generate and nurture a robust knowledge base. Thus, in addressing this question, we focused on mechanisms that support the accumulation of knowledge from science-based education research—the organization and synthesis of knowledge generated from multiple investigations. The committee considered the roles of the professional research community, the practitioner communities, and the federal government. Since we view the accumulation of scientific knowledge as the ultimate goal of research, this issue weaves throughout the report.

Assumptions

Taking our cue from much of the historical and philosophical context we describe in this chapter, we make five core assumptions in approaching our work.

First, although science is often perceived as embodying a concise, unified view of research, the history of scientific inquiry attests to the fact there is no one method or process that unambiguously defines science. The committee has therefore taken an inclusive view of “the science of education” or “the educational sciences” in its work. This broad view, however, should not be misinterpreted to suggest “anything goes.” Indeed, the primary purpose of this report is to provide guidance for what constitutes rigorous scientific research in education. Thus, we identify a set of principles that apply to physical and social science research and to science-based education research ( Chapter 3 ). In conjunction with a set of features that characterize education ( Chapter 4 ), these principles help define the domain of scientific research in education, roughly delineating what is in the domain and what is not. We argue that education research, like research in the social, biological, and physical realms, faces—as a final “court of appeal”— the test of conceptual and empirical adequacy over time. An educational

hypothesis or conjecture must be judged in the light of the best array of relevant qualitative or quantitative data that can be garnered. If a hypothesis is insulated from such testing, then it cannot be considered as falling within the ambit of science.

A second assumption is that many scientific studies in education and other fields will not pan out. Research is like oil exploration—there are, on average, many dry holes for every successful well. This is not because initial decisions on where to dig were necessarily misguided. Competent oil explorers, like competent scientists, presumably used the best information available to conduct their work. Dry holes are found because there is considerable uncertainty in exploration of any kind. Sometimes exploration companies gain sufficient knowledge from a series of dry holes in an area to close it down. And in many cases, failure to find wells can shed light on why apparently productive holes turned out to be dry; in other words, the process of failing to make a grand discovery can itself be very instructive. Other times they doggedly pursue an area because the science suggests there is still a reasonable chance of success. Scientific progress advances in much the same way, as we describe in Chapter 2 .

Third, we assume that it is possible to describe the physical and social world scientifically so that, for example, multiple observers can agree on what they see. Consequently, we reject the postmodernist school of thought when it posits that social science research can never generate objective or trustworthy knowledge. 2 However, we simultaneously reject research that relies solely on the narrow tenets of behaviorism/positivism (see above) (National Research Council, 2001b) because we believe its view of human nature is too simplistic.

Fourth, the committee’s focus on the scientific underpinnings of research in education does not reflect a simplistic notion that scientific quality alone will improve the use of such research in school improvement efforts. Scientific quality and rigor are necessary, but not sufficient, conditions for improving the overall value of education research. There are major issues related to, for example, how the research enterprise should be

organized at the federal and local levels, how it should and can be connected to policy and practice (National Research Council, 1999d), and the nature of scientific knowledge in education (Weiss, 1999; Murnane and Nelson, 1984). Throughout this report, we treat these complementary issues with varying degrees of depth depending on their proximity to our focus on the scientific nature of the field. Indeed, over the course of our deliberations, we have become aware of several complementary efforts focused on improving education research (e.g., NRC’s Strategic Education Research Partnership, RAND panels, Education Quality Institute, Interagency Education Research Initiative, and National Academy of Education-Social Science Research Council Committee on Education Research).

Finally, and critically, the committee believes that scientific research in education is a form of scholarship that can uniquely contribute to understanding and improving education, especially when integrated with other approaches to studying human endeavors. For example, historical, philosophical, and literary scholarship can and should inform important questions of purpose and direction in education. Education is influenced by human ideals, ideologies, and judgments of value, and these things need to be subjected to rigorous—scientific and otherwise—examination.

Structure of Report

The remainder of this report moves from the general to the specific. We begin by describing the commonalities shared across all scientific endeavors, including education research. We then take up some of the specifics of education research by characterizing the nature of education and of studying it scientifically; describing a sampling of trusted research designs used to address key questions; and providing guidance on how a federal education research agency could best support high quality science. A description of the specific contents of each chapter follows.

In Chapter 2 we address the global question of whether scientific inquiry in education has generated useful insights for policy and practice. We describe and analyze several lines of work, both inside and outside of education, to compare the accumulation of knowledge in education to that of other fields. In doing so, we provide “existence proofs” of the

accumulation of knowledge in education and show that its progression is similar in many ways to other fields.

In Chapter 3 we provide a set of guiding principles that undergird all scientific endeavors. We argue that at its core, scientific inquiry in education is the same as in all other scientific disciplines and fields and provide examples from a range of fields to illustrate this common set of principles.

In Chapter 4 we describe how the unique set of features that characterize education shape the guiding principles of science in education research. We argue that it is this interaction between the principles of science and the features of education that makes scientific research in education specialized. We also describe some aspects of education research as a profession to further illuminate its character.

In Chapter 5 , integrating our principles of science ( Chapter 3 ) and the features of education ( Chapter 4 ), we then take up the topic of the design of scientific education research. Recognizing that design must go hand in hand with the problem investigated, we examine education research design (and provide several examples) across three common types of research questions: What is happening? Is there a systematic effect? and How or why is it happening?

Finally, in Chapter 6 we offer a set of design principles for a federal education research agency charged with supporting the kind of scientific research in education we describe in this report. We argue that developing a strong scientific culture is the key to a successful agency and that all education stakeholders have a role to play in it.

Researchers, historians, and philosophers of science have debated the nature of scientific research in education for more than 100 years. Recent enthusiasm for "evidence-based" policy and practice in education—now codified in the federal law that authorizes the bulk of elementary and secondary education programs—have brought a new sense of urgency to understanding the ways in which the basic tenets of science manifest in the study of teaching, learning, and schooling.

Scientific Research in Education describes the similarities and differences between scientific inquiry in education and scientific inquiry in other fields and disciplines and provides a number of examples to illustrate these ideas. Its main argument is that all scientific endeavors share a common set of principles, and that each field—including education research—develops a specialization that accounts for the particulars of what is being studied. The book also provides suggestions for how the federal government can best support high-quality scientific research in education.

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250+ Educational Research Topics: Exploring the Path to Educational Excellence

Education is the cornerstone of human development, and its continuous improvement relies on diligent research and exploration. Educational research topics serve as beacons, guiding scholars and practitioners toward innovations that enhance teaching methodologies, student engagement, and overall learning outcomes. These educational research topics delve into the depths of educational systems, dissecting their intricacies to identify effective strategies and interventions.

From investigating the impact of technology integration on student achievement to exploring the benefits of inclusive education, educational research delves into diverse areas of study.

In this blog series, we embark on an enlightening journey, shedding light on a myriad of educational research topics. By examining these subjects, we aim to unravel valuable insights that can shape the future of education, fostering an enriching learning experience for all.

Table of Contents

How to choose the right educational research topics?

Choosing the right educational research topic requires careful consideration. Here are some steps to help you select a suitable topic:

Identify your interests

Start by reflecting on your own interests within the field of education. What topics or issues capture your attention? Consider areas such as student learning, teaching methods, educational policies, or educational technology.

Conduct a literature review

Read widely in the field of education to familiarize yourself with current research trends and gaps in knowledge. Identify areas where more research is needed or where existing studies have conflicting results.

Consider practical relevance

Think about the practical implications of the research topic. Is it relevant to current educational challenges or issues? Will the findings have the potential to inform and improve educational practice?

Consult with experts

Seek guidance from professors, researchers, or professionals in the field of education. Discuss your potential research topics with them and get their insights and recommendations. They can provide valuable feedback and suggest areas that align with your research goals.

Narrow down the scope

Once you have a general idea, narrow down your topic to make it more focused and manageable. Consider the available resources, time constraints, and the feasibility of conducting research in that specific area.

Define research objectives

Clearly define your research objectives and questions. What specific aspects of the topic do you want to explore? Ensure that your research objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Research feasibility

Consider the availability of data and resources required to conduct research on your chosen topic. Evaluate whether you have access to relevant literature, data sources, or research participants. Additionally, consider ethical considerations and any potential constraints that may impact your research.

Seek feedback

Share your potential research topic with peers or mentors and seek their feedback. They can provide valuable insights, suggest improvements, or offer alternative perspectives.

Remember, selecting a research topic is an iterative process. It’s essential to be flexible and open to adjustments as you gather more information and refine your research objectives.

15+ College educational research topics

The effectiveness of flipped classrooms in improving student engagement and learning outcomes.
The impact of online learning on student achievement and retention rates.
Strategies for promoting critical thinking skills in college classrooms.
The influence of active learning techniques on student participation and comprehension.
The role of project-based learning in developing real-world skills among college students.
Factors influencing student motivation and engagement in higher education.
The effectiveness of peer tutoring programs in supporting student learning and success.
The impact of online discussion forums on student interaction and collaboration.
The role of feedback and assessment in enhancing student learning and performance.
The relationship between classroom environment and student academic achievement.
Strategies for promoting effective communication skills among college students.
The impact of experiential learning opportunities on student career readiness.
The effectiveness of blended learning approaches in higher education.
The role of metacognition in promoting deep learning among college students.
The impact of diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus climate and student experiences.
Factors influencing student decision-making in choosing majors and career paths.
The effectiveness of student support services (e.g., counseling, tutoring, mentoring) in promoting student success.
The relationship between student engagement in co-curricular activities and academic performance.

15+ Health educational research topics

The effectiveness of health education programs in reducing risky behaviors among teenagers.
The impact of school-based physical activity interventions on children’s health and well-being.
The role of nutrition education in promoting healthy eating habits among adolescents.
The effectiveness of sex education programs in reducing teen pregnancy rates.
The impact of mental health education on student well-being and academic performance.
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in reducing stress and improving mental health among students.
The role of health education in preventing substance abuse among young adults.
The impact of comprehensive sex education on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to sexual health.
The effectiveness of school-based vaccination programs in improving immunization rates among students.
The role of physical education in promoting lifelong physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits.
The impact of school wellness policies on student health outcomes.
The effectiveness of health literacy interventions in improving health knowledge and behaviors.
The role of peer education in promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among young people.
The impact of nutrition education on reducing childhood obesity rates.
The effectiveness of school-based bullying prevention programs on student mental health and well-being.
The role of school nurses in promoting health and providing healthcare services to students.
The impact of health education on knowledge and behaviors related to hygiene and disease prevention.

15+ Educational research topics on Medicine

The effectiveness of online medical education in comparison to traditional classroom-based education.
The impact of simulation-based training on medical students’ clinical skills and confidence.
Strategies for promoting interprofessional education and collaboration in healthcare settings.
The role of virtual reality in medical education and its impact on knowledge retention and skill development.
The use of gamification in medical education to enhance engagement and learning outcomes.
Investigating the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in medical schools.
Assessing the impact of clinical rotations on medical students’ clinical competency and preparedness.
Exploring the integration of cultural competency training in medical education curricula.
Investigating the use of e-portfolios for reflective practice and competency assessment in medical education.
The effectiveness of flipped classroom models in medical education.
Investigating the impact of longitudinal clerkships on medical students’ professional identity formation.
Examining the use of standardized patients in medical education and their impact on students’ communication and clinical skills.
Exploring the role of medical simulation centers in enhancing medical students’ procedural skills and patient safety.
Investigating the impact of peer teaching and peer-assisted learning in medical education.
Assessing the effectiveness of team-based learning (TBL) in medical education.
Investigating the use of virtual patient cases for clinical reasoning and decision-making skills development.
The role of medical humanities in developing empathy and cultural understanding among medical students.

15+ Educational research topics on Environment

The effectiveness of environmental education programs in promoting environmental awareness and behavior change among students.
Investigating the role of schools in fostering environmental literacy and sustainability.
Assessing the impact of outdoor learning experiences on students’ environmental knowledge and attitudes.
Exploring the effectiveness of the environmental education curriculum in developing students’ eco-literacy.
Investigating the relationship between environmental education and pro-environmental behavior in children.
Examining the impact of environmental education on students’ attitudes towards conservation and environmental stewardship.
Investigating the role of teachers in promoting environmental education and sustainability practices in schools.
Assessing the effectiveness of school recycling programs in reducing waste and promoting environmental responsibility.
Investigating the impact of school gardens on students’ understanding of and connection to the environment.
Exploring the role of environmental education in fostering climate change awareness and action among students.
Assessing the effectiveness of environmental education interventions in addressing environmental justice issues.
Investigating the impact of environmental education on students’ understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.
Exploring the use of technology and digital tools in enhancing environmental education and engagement.
Assessing the effectiveness of environmental education in promoting sustainable consumption and lifestyle choices.
Investigating the role of environmental education in mitigating environmental pollution and promoting environmental health.

15+ Educational research topics on Sport and Entertainment

The impact of physical education on academic performance.
Strategies for promoting physical activity among children and adolescents.
The role of sports in character development and life skills acquisition.
The influence of sports participation on self-esteem and self-confidence.
The effectiveness of coaching styles in enhancing athlete performance and motivation.
The impact of sport on social integration and community development.
The role of sports in promoting gender equality and empowerment.
The relationship between sports and academic engagement among student-athletes.
The effects of sports specialization on long-term athletic success and well-being.
The role of sports in promoting mental health and well-being.
Strategies for preventing and managing sports-related injuries among athletes.
The impact of sports marketing and sponsorship on consumer behavior.
The influence of sports media on public perception and participation in sports.
The role of entertainment education in promoting health and well-being.
The effects of celebrity endorsements in the entertainment industry.
The impact of music and dance education on cognitive development and academic achievement.
The use of virtual reality and augmented reality in sports training and entertainment experiences.
The effects of video games on cognitive skills and decision-making abilities in sports.

15+ Educational research topics for college students

The effectiveness of online learning in higher education.
The impact of student engagement on academic performance in college.
Strategies for improving critical thinking skills in college students.
The role of self-regulated learning in college success.
The effects of student motivation on academic achievement in college.
The impact of flipped classrooms on student learning in college.
The effectiveness of peer tutoring programs in college settings.
The influence of social media on student well-being and academic performance in college.
The benefits and challenges of incorporating experiential learning in college curricula.
The relationship between college student stress levels and academic performance.
The impact of diverse learning environments on student learning outcomes in college.
Strategies for promoting effective time management skills among college students.
The role of metacognitive strategies in improving study habits and academic success in college.
The effectiveness of active learning strategies in college classrooms.
The influence of cultural competence in teaching and learning in college settings.
The effects of collaborative learning on student engagement and academic achievement in college.
The role of feedback and assessment practices in enhancing student learning in college.
The impact of study abroad programs on intercultural competency development in college students.

15+ Educational research topics on Media and Communication

The influence of media literacy education on critical thinking skills of students.
The role of social media in shaping students’ attitudes and behaviors.
The impact of media use on academic performance and learning outcomes.
Effective strategies for teaching media literacy in the classroom.
The use of digital media in promoting creativity and expression among students.
The effects of media violence on children and adolescents.
Media representations of diverse cultures and their effects on students’ perceptions.
The role of media in shaping students’ political and social awareness.
The influence of the media on body image and self-esteem among students.
Media literacy and its relationship to digital citizenship.
The role of media in promoting cultural understanding and tolerance among students.
The impact of media on students’ language development and communication skills.
The use of media in promoting active learning and student engagement.
The effects of social media on students’ social interactions and relationships.
The role of media in enhancing students’ information literacy skills.
Media portrayal of gender roles and its impact on students’ attitudes and beliefs.
The use of multimedia in improving students’ retention and comprehension of educational content.
The influence of the media on students’ decision-making processes.

15+ Educational research topics on Technology

The impact of online learning platforms on student engagement and academic performance.
The effectiveness of educational apps in enhancing early childhood learning.
The role of virtual reality in improving students’ understanding of complex concepts.
Investigating the effectiveness of gamification in motivating students to learn.
The use of artificial intelligence in personalized learning: benefits and challenges.
Exploring the impact of mobile devices on student collaboration and information sharing.
Analyzing the effectiveness of online discussion forums in promoting critical thinking skills.
The use of educational video content for enhancing student comprehension and retention.
Investigating the role of social media in supporting collaborative learning environments.
The impact of coding and programming education on students’ problem-solving abilities.
Assessing the effectiveness of blended learning models in K-12 classrooms.
The influence of technology on teacher-student relationships and classroom dynamics.
Investigating the factors influencing teachers’ adoption of technology in the classroom.
The use of educational robotics in promoting STEM education and computational thinking skills.
Examining the effects of digital storytelling on students’ creativity and narrative skills.
The impact of online assessment tools on student performance and feedback effectiveness.
Investigating the role of artificial intelligence in adaptive learning and personalized instruction.

15+ Educational research topics on Politics

The influence of political ideologies on civic education.
The role of political socialization in shaping young citizens’ political attitudes.
The impact of political party affiliation on educational policies.
The effectiveness of civic education programs in promoting political participation among youth.
The influence of political bias in educational materials and its implications for student learning.
The role of education in fostering democratic values and citizenship.
The impact of political discourse in the classroom on student engagement and critical thinking.
The relationship between political knowledge and voting behavior among college students.
The representation of political issues and controversies in educational curricula.
The impact of political activism and student protests on educational institutions.
The influence of political factors on educational funding and resource allocation.
The role of education in promoting tolerance and understanding in politically divided societies.
The impact of political polarization on classroom dynamics and educational outcomes.
The role of educational institutions in promoting political literacy and informed decision-making.
The effects of political campaign advertising on students’ political attitudes and behavior.
The impact of political decentralization on educational governance and policies.
The role of education in addressing social justice issues and promoting political equality.

15+ Educational research topics on Thesis

The effectiveness of project-based learning in enhancing student engagement and achievement.
The impact of teacher-student relationships on student motivation and academic performance.
The role of parental involvement in students’ academic success.
The influence of socioeconomic status on educational opportunities and outcomes.
The effects of inclusive education on students with disabilities.
The effectiveness of differentiated instruction in meeting the diverse learning needs of students.
The impact of early childhood education on long-term academic and social development.
The role of assessment and feedback in promoting student learning and achievement.
The effectiveness of online learning compared to traditional classroom instruction.
The relationship between school climate and student well-being and academic success.
The impact of teacher professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes.
The effectiveness of peer tutoring in enhancing student learning and academic performance.
The influence of cultural diversity on classroom dynamics and student learning experiences.
The effects of homework on student achievement and overall well-being.
The role of educational leadership in school improvement and student success.
The impact of social-emotional learning programs on students’ social skills and emotional well-being.
The effectiveness of educational interventions for students with learning disabilities.
The relationship between teacher beliefs and instructional practices in the classroom.
The role of school counseling in supporting students’ academic and personal development.
The effects of school-based nutrition programs on students’ health and academic performance.

15+ Psychology Educational research topics

The influence of the classroom environment on student motivation and learning.
The effects of teacher-student relationships on academic achievement and social-emotional development.
The impact of mindfulness-based interventions on student well-being and academic performance.
Gender differences in academic achievement and career choices in STEM fields.
The role of self-efficacy in student learning and academic success.
The effects of bullying on students’ psychological well-being and academic performance.
The relationship between parental involvement and student achievement.
The effectiveness of different teaching strategies in promoting critical thinking skills.
The impact of peer tutoring on student learning outcomes.
The role of motivation in academic procrastination among students.
The effects of classroom diversity on intergroup relations and academic achievement.
The relationship between learning styles and academic performance.
The influence of educational technology on cognitive processes and learning outcomes.
The effects of stress on students’ cognitive functioning and academic performance.
The role of emotional intelligence in student success and well-being.
The impact of extracurricular activities on students’ social and emotional development.
The effectiveness of positive reinforcement techniques in classroom management and student behavior.

15+ Educational research topics on Sociology

The influence of social class on educational attainment.
The impact of cultural diversity in the classroom on student learning.
The role of gender in educational achievement and career choices.
Examining the effects of racial and ethnic segregation in schools.
Exploring the relationship between teacher expectations and student performance.
Investigating the effects of social capital on educational outcomes.
Analyzing the impact of poverty on educational opportunities.
Examining the role of social networks in students’ academic success.
The influence of family background and socioeconomic status on educational outcomes.
Exploring the effects of tracking and ability grouping in schools.
Investigating the impact of school discipline policies on marginalized student populations.
Examining the role of socialization in shaping students’ attitudes and behaviors.
Analyzing the effects of peer influence on academic performance and engagement.
Investigating the role of teacher-student relationships in student motivation and achievement.
Exploring the effects of school climate and culture on student well-being and learning.
Analyzing the impact of educational policies on educational equity and social justice.
Investigating the relationship between educational institutions and social inequality.
Exploring the effects of cultural capital on educational access and success.

15+ Educational research topics on Culture

The influence of cultural diversity on student achievement in multicultural classrooms.
The role of cultural sensitivity in teacher-student interactions and its impact on student learning outcomes.
Exploring the relationship between cultural background and student engagement in the classroom.
Investigating the effects of culturally responsive teaching practices on academic performance.
Examining the impact of culturally relevant curriculum on student motivation and self-esteem.
The role of cultural values in shaping parental involvement in education.
Exploring the impact of culturally inclusive pedagogy on student attitudes towards diversity.
Investigating the challenges and benefits of integrating culturally diverse literature in the classroom.
The influence of cultural identity on student resilience and academic success.
Examining the impact of cultural competency training on teachers’ ability to meet the needs of culturally diverse students.
Investigating the role of cultural factors in shaping educational policies and practices.
The impact of cultural integration programs on social cohesion and intercultural understanding in schools.
Exploring the relationship between cultural competence of school leaders and the school climate.
Investigating the influence of cultural stereotypes on teacher expectations and student outcomes.
The role of cultural capital in educational achievement and attainment.
Examining the impact of multicultural education on reducing prejudice and discrimination among students.
Investigating the effects of cultural immersion experiences on students’ understanding of global citizenship.

15+ Leadership Educational research topics

The role of transformational leadership in improving student achievement.
Exploring the relationship between instructional leadership and teacher effectiveness.
Investigating the impact of distributed leadership on school culture and climate.
Examining the influence of ethical leadership on organizational trust in educational institutions.
The role of instructional coaching in supporting teacher leadership and professional development.
Investigating the leadership practices that promote teacher collaboration and collective efficacy.
Exploring the impact of principal leadership on teacher job satisfaction and retention.
Investigating the effectiveness of distributed leadership in facilitating educational change.
The role of servant leadership in promoting a positive school climate and student well-being.
Exploring the relationship between instructional leadership and student engagement.
Investigating the impact of instructional leadership on the implementation of evidence-based practices.
The role of leadership in fostering parent and community engagement in schools.
Examining the effectiveness of instructional leadership in promoting educational equity and closing achievement gaps.
Investigating the leadership practices that facilitate successful school turnaround efforts.
Exploring the impact of leadership development programs on leadership capacity in educational settings.
Investigating the relationship between leadership styles and teacher motivation and job satisfaction.
The role of distributed leadership in promoting instructional improvement and professional learning communities.

15+ Educational research topics for For Middle School

The effectiveness of project-based learning in middle school classrooms.
The impact of differentiated instruction on student achievement in mathematics.
The role of physical activity and its influence on academic performance.
The benefits of incorporating educational games in middle school curriculum.
The effects of peer tutoring on student engagement and learning outcomes.
The relationship between parental involvement and academic success in middle school.
The impact of social-emotional learning programs on student behavior and well-being.
The effectiveness of flipped classrooms in middle school science education.
The influence of arts education on creativity and critical thinking skills.
The role of mindfulness techniques in improving attention and concentration in middle school students.
The benefits of incorporating multicultural literature in middle school English language arts.
The impact of inquiry-based learning on student motivation and scientific inquiry skills.
The effectiveness of cooperative learning strategies in middle school social studies classrooms.
The relationship between school climate and student academic performance.
The impact of technology integration on middle school students’ digital literacy skills.
The benefits of incorporating financial literacy education in middle school curriculum.
The role of teacher-student relationships in promoting a positive classroom environment.

15+ Educational research topics for For High School

The effects of implementing project-based learning on student engagement and academic performance.
The impact of flipped classrooms on student learning and retention of content.
The role of teacher-student relationships in promoting academic success and well-being in high school.
Investigating the effectiveness of different instructional methods (e.g., lecture, group work, online learning) in high school classrooms.
Examining the influence of parental involvement on high school students’ academic achievement.
The relationship between extracurricular activities and academic performance in high school.
Exploring the effectiveness of different assessment methods (e.g., tests, projects, portfolios) in measuring high school students’ learning outcomes.
Investigating the impact of integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) programs in high school curriculum on students’ well-being and academic achievement.
The effects of incorporating technology in high school classrooms on students’ motivation and learning outcomes.
Investigating the factors influencing high school students’ career decision-making and exploring effective career guidance approaches.
Examining the impact of different teaching strategies on high school students’ critical thinking skills.
Exploring the role of student voice and participation in decision-making processes in high schools.
Investigating the effects of school climate and culture on high school students’ academic performance and well-being.
The influence of parental expectations and aspirations on high school students’ educational attainment.
Examining the impact of personalized learning approaches on high school students’ achievement and motivation.
Investigating the effects of teacher professional development programs on instructional practices and student outcomes in high schools.
The relationship between high school students’ self-regulation skills and academic achievement.

Tips to write educational research topics

Here are some tips to help you write effective educational research topics:

Identify a specific research problem: Start by identifying a specific issue or problem within the field of education that you want to investigate. Narrow down your topic to a specific aspect or area that interests you.

Be clear and concise: Formulate your research topic in a clear and concise manner. Avoid using vague or general terms. Make sure your topic is specific enough to guide your research and provide focus.

Consider the significance and relevance: Ensure that your research topic is significant and relevant to the field of education. Think about the potential impact and contribution of your research to the existing knowledge base.

Conduct a literature review: Before finalizing your research topic, conduct a literature review to familiarize yourself with the existing research and identify any gaps or areas for further investigation. This will help you refine your topic and ensure its originality.

Consult with experts: Seek feedback from your professors, advisors, or other experts in the field of education. They can provide valuable insights and suggestions for refining your research topic.

Formulate research questions or objectives: Once you have identified your research problem, formulate specific research questions or objectives that you aim to address in your study. These will guide your research and provide a clear focus.

Consider feasibility: Evaluate the feasibility of your research topic in terms of available resources, data availability, and ethical considerations. Make sure your topic is manageable within the given constraints.

Stay flexible: Keep in mind that your research topic may evolve as you delve deeper into the literature and conduct your research. Be open to adjustments and modifications along the way to ensure that your topic remains relevant and aligned with your research goals.

By following these tips, you can develop a strong and focused educational research topic that will serve as the foundation for your study.

In conclusion, educational research topics play a crucial role in advancing our understanding of various aspects of education. These topics provide opportunities to explore innovative teaching methods, evaluate the impact of interventions, and investigate factors that influence student learning and well-being.

By conducting research in high school settings, we can identify effective instructional strategies, examine the role of technology, and understand the importance of student-teacher relationships. Additionally, research topics in education shed light on the significance of parental involvement, extracurricular activities, and social-emotional learning in promoting student success.

Through rigorous investigation, educational research topics contribute to evidence-based practices that can enhance educational outcomes and create a positive impact on the lives of high school students.

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Is College Worth It?

Americans have mixed views on the importance of having a degree. 47% say the cost is worth it only if someone doesn’t have to take out loans.

Half of Latinas Say Hispanic Women’s Situation Has Improved in the Past Decade and Expect More Gains

Government data shows gains in education, employment and earnings for Hispanic women, but gaps with other groups remain.

A quarter of U.S. teachers say AI tools do more harm than good in K-12 education

High school teachers are more likely than elementary and middle school teachers to hold negative views about AI tools in education.

Most Americans think U.S. K-12 STEM education isn’t above average, but test results paint a mixed picture

Just 28% of U.S. adults say America is the best in the world or above average in K-12 STEM education compared with other wealthy nations.

About 1 in 4 U.S. teachers say their school went into a gun-related lockdown in the last school year

59% of public K-12 teachers say they are at least somewhat worried about the possibility of a shooting ever happening at their school.

About half of Americans say public K-12 education is going in the wrong direction

A majority of those who say it’s headed in the wrong direction say a major reason is that schools are not spending enough time on core academic subjects.

What Public K-12 Teachers Want Americans To Know About Teaching

Many public K-12 teachers say people should know that teaching is hard job, and that teachers care about students and deserve respect.

What’s It Like To Be a Teacher in America Today?

Public K-12 teachers express low job satisfaction and few are optimistic about the future of U.S. education.

Race and LGBTQ Issues in K-12 Schools

We asked public K-12 teachers, teens and U.S. adults how they see topics related to race and LGBTQ issues playing out in the classroom.

From Businesses and Banks to Colleges and Churches: Americans’ Views of U.S. Institutions

Americans overwhelmingly see small businesses as having a positive effect on the way things are going in the country. By contrast, their views of large corporations are broadly negative. And most people – including identical shares in both parties – are critical of the impact of banks and financial institutions.

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ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

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11 Transforming Student Learning with Effective Study Techniques

https://unsplash.com/photos/person-writing-on-brown-wooden-table-near-white-ceramic-mug-s9CC2SKySJM

Effective study techniques can significantly enhance student learning and academic performance. In today’s fast-paced educational environment, students face numerous challenges, from managing multiple assignments and homework to balancing extracurricular activities. Developing strong study habits is essential for success in both school and college.

Understanding how to study efficiently can make a significant difference in a student’s academic journey. By implementing the right techniques, students can improve their comprehension, retention, and overall performance. This article explores various study methods and provides valuable tips for students looking to transform their learning experiences with paperwriter .

The Importance of Effective Study Techniques

Effective study techniques are crucial for students aiming to achieve their academic goals. These techniques help in better time management, reducing stress, and improving understanding of complex subjects. With the right approach, students can make their study sessions more productive and less overwhelming.

One of the biggest challenges students face is the sheer volume of information they need to learn and retain. Effective study techniques can help break down this information into manageable chunks, making it easier to digest and remember. Moreover, students who develop good study habits early on are more likely to succeed in their future academic and professional endeavors.

Creating a Conducive Study Environment

A conducive study environment is essential for effective learning. Students should choose a quiet, comfortable place with minimal distractions to focus on their studies. A well-organized study space can significantly enhance concentration and productivity.

Tips for Creating a Conducive Study Environment:

Choose a quiet location: Find a place free from noise and interruptions.
Ensure good lighting: Proper lighting reduces eye strain and improves focus.
Organize your materials: Keep all necessary supplies within reach to avoid unnecessary distractions.
Comfortable seating: Choose a chair and desk that provide good support to maintain good posture.

Time Management and Scheduling

Time management is a critical skill for students. Balancing school, college, assignments, and homework can be challenging. Effective scheduling ensures that students allocate sufficient time for each subject and activity.

Strategies for Better Time Management:

Create a study schedule: Plan your study sessions and stick to the schedule.
Set priorities: Focus on the most important tasks first.
Break tasks into smaller steps: Divide large assignments into manageable parts.
Use a planner: Keep track of deadlines, assignments, and exams.

Active Learning Techniques

Active learning involves engaging with the material actively rather than passively reading or listening. This approach enhances understanding and retention.

Effective Active Learning Techniques:

Summarization: Summarize key points in your own words.
Questioning: Ask questions about the material and seek answers.
Discussion: Discuss topics with classmates to gain different perspectives.
Application: Apply what you have learned to real-world scenarios.

The Role of Technology in Studying

Technology can be a powerful tool for enhancing learning. Various apps and online resources can help students manage their study time, organize notes, and access educational materials.

Useful Technological Tools for Students:

Note-taking apps: Apps like Evernote and OneNote help organize and store notes efficiently.
Study apps: Apps like Quizlet and Anki offer flashcards and quizzes for effective revision.
Time management apps: Tools like Trello and Todoist help students plan and track their tasks.( or visit https://do-my-math.com/ )
Online resources: Websites like Khan Academy and Coursera provide additional learning materials.

Enhancing Memory and Retention

Improving memory and retention is vital for academic success. Students can employ various techniques to boost their ability to remember and recall information.

Techniques to Enhance Memory and Retention:

Mnemonics: Use mnemonic devices to remember complex information.
Visualization: Create mental images to associate with the material.
Repetition: Review material regularly to reinforce learning.
Teaching others: Explaining concepts to others helps solidify understanding.

Staying Motivated and Managing Stress

Maintaining motivation and managing stress are essential components of effective studying. Students need to find ways to stay motivated and cope with academic pressures.

Tips for Staying Motivated and Managing Stress:

Set realistic goals: Set achievable short-term and long-term goals.
Take breaks: Regular breaks prevent burnout and improve focus.
Stay positive: Maintain a positive attitude towards learning.
Seek support: Reach out to teachers, peers, or counselors for help when needed.

Incorporating effective study techniques can transform the learning experience for students. By creating a conducive study environment, managing time efficiently, engaging in active learning, utilizing technology, enhancing memory, and staying motivated, students can achieve academic success. Remember, the key to effective studying lies in consistency and dedication. With the right approach, every student can improve their learning outcomes and reach their full potential.

Effective study habits not only help students excel in their current studies but also prepare them for future challenges. By implementing these strategies, students can turn studying into a more enjoyable and rewarding experience, ultimately leading to better academic performance and personal growth. Investing time in developing good study habits today will pay off in the long run, making the journey through school and college a successful one.

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Town Hall Recap: Health Science Pathways

Dr. shari camhi on purpose, media literacy and a decade of district leadership, juan jose gonzalez and gina schuyler on community college networks and radical dual credit, lona running wolf on education reform and cultural preservation, recent releases.

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About Getting Smart

Getting smart collective, impact update, what is efficacy research in education and how do i know if edtech is really working.

To measure effectiveness, researchers have traditionally used randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as the gold standard. However, this methodology is time-consuming, expensive, and yields results only after a long period of time. We need to consider the value additional methods of measurement can provide to authentically evaluate edtech tools at a pace that will support districts with these decisions now.

By : Sierra Noakes, Kip Glazer and Pati Ruiz

“Does this edtech tool work for my students, and in my classroom?”

It’s a question many have asked, though the answer isn’t always easy to find. As ESSER and stimulus funding come to an end, district leaders are suddenly tasked with determining which of the record number of edtech tools they should invest in moving forward ( an average of 2,591 edtech tools are accessed by each school district over a school year). To measure effectiveness, researchers have traditionally used randomized controlled trials (RCTs) as the gold standard. However, this methodology is time-consuming, expensive, and yields results only after a long period of time. We need to consider the value additional methods of measurement can provide to authentically evaluate edtech tools at a pace that will support districts with these decisions now.

RCTs are well-designed research studies that may offer causal findings. RCTs offer the promise of determining whether an edtech tool directly increases student learning or not. Originating from the medical field where researchers determine if a medicine has an intended outcome for patients, RCTs offer a promise of being able to pinpoint a cause. However, there are several challenges to implementing this model for edtech research:

Control over variables: Demand for control over variables is simply unrealistic in a school setting. Unlike in medical research where subjects take the medicine or placebo consistently in regular intervals, students can be absent from school, WiFi or devices can fail, or schools may close due to a global pandemic. Any interruption typical in a school setting can disqualify an edtech research study from maintaining the RCT title.
Pace of change: Even after meeting the minimum requirements for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tiers of Evidence by conducting a multisite study with over 350 students, the post-research process of data analysis, peer-review, and final publications can take years. By the time the study is available publicly, the original technology can already be more than a year or two old. Considering how quickly technology changes, we need a method that aligns with the pace of change.
Metrics of success: Unlike medicine which typically cures a singular disease, metrics of success for edtech tools can be extremely varied. Improved testing scores, educator satisfaction, or even rate of adoption can all be considered as an indication of success.
Practicality: Edtech Impact found in 2021 that only seven percent of edtech suppliers use RCTs to consider impact. It is clear that exclusively relying on RCT is not practical.

RCTs are not the appropriate method to use when we want to determine the effectiveness of edtech tools rapidly. Instead, we should reexamine what success looks like with an edtech tool. The education field has often considered increased testing scores alone as a metric for success; however, we believe learning is more than acquiring discrete pieces of knowledge. It is fundamentally a human experience that requires social and cultural interactions. Expanding the research basis we use to inform decisions is essential in this next phase of decision-making, especially including qualitative studies to better understand an experience holistically. Many students are facing unprecedented challenges and world events leading to increased suicide rates, depression, and chronic absenteeism. Now more than ever, the need to elevate the significance of learners’ experiences, their sense of belonging, engagement, interest, and excitement about learning and being at school has intensified. The question we must ask is whether a tool has created a greater sense of community for students or further alienated learners. As such, student experience should be considered as a success indicator.

To accomplish this goal, researchers need to elevate the status of qualitative research in edtech by always using mixed methods when evaluating the effectiveness of an edtech tool. This will allow us to ask much more nuanced questions. For example, rather than asking, “Did a tool work?” we can ask, “Why did a tool not work for all students?” With qualitative data, such as student focus groups and classroom observations, we can learn deeper insights such as students of color sharing that they did not feel represented in the math problems used by the product, which often led them to feel disengaged with the learning.

The question we must ask is whether a tool has created a greater sense of community for students or further alienated learners.

To authentically measure the effectiveness of edtech tools, skilled learning scientists at Digital Promise have collaborated with multiple organizations and a variety of practitioners including district leaders. As a result, Digital Promise has launched the Evidence-Based Edtech product certification as a way to operationalize this effort. The certification welcomes submitted studies that consider correlational, quasi-experimental, and randomized controlled trials research, and require findings to be fully reported, whether positive or negative, and disaggregated by learner subpopulations.

Our goal is to assess the quality of research that falls outside of ESSA Tier 1, which exclusively represents RCTs. We aim to support education leaders with information about the reliability of evidence that vendors share and increase the amount of evidence available to the field by recognizing the quality of non-RCT edtech research.

The Evidence-Based Edtech product certification enables Digital Promise to evaluate the reliability of the product’s evidence basis, along with an evaluation of the product’s theory of change. Our assessors also evaluate the quality and relevance of learning sciences research used to drive specific and distinct design decisions within a product and ensure the product’s research basis is easily accessible to the public.

Most importantly, the Evidence-Based Edtech product certification allows those who select and purchase edtech to know with confidence that a product has been vetted through the learning science lens. Our team has worked with district leaders to develop these district resources to support the integration of evidence into edtech evaluation and decision-making.

District leaders have fewer dollars to move forward with edtech products, and they deserve access to quality information about the potential impact an edtech tool can have on their community. Mixed-methods, correlational, and quasi-experimental research can provide a reasonable turnaround time to support decision-making that incorporates evidence. Evidence, too, can help justify decisions to teachers, school boards, and communities as district leaders have to make significant cuts to the number of tools available across their district.

Sierra Noakes is the Director of Edtech Evaluation and Contracting at Digital Promise.

Kip Glazer is Principal at Mountain View High School.

Pati Ruiz is the Senior Director of Edtech and Emerging Technologies at Digital Promise.

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New study sheds light on the effects of humor in medical practices

A humorous remark at just the right time can go a long way. Benevolent humour helps medical assistants (MAs) cope positively with their stressful working day, according to a new study by the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). The researchers surveyed more than 600 MAs to find out how they experience their work and what style of humour they use in their daily working lives. They found that if the respondents preferred light, well-intended humour, they were more satisfied with their work and received more positive feedback. Dark humour, such as sarcasm, was more likely to have disadvantages. The study was recently published in the journal BMC Primary Care .

Medical assistants mostly work in primary health care, especially medical practices. In Germany, working as an MA requires a three-year vocational training. The daily work routine of MAs can be very demanding. They are responsible for administrative work and, for example, taking blood samples and applying wound dressings. "Medical assistants are in very close contact with patients for most of the day. They have a lot of responsibility and experience a lot of stress," says Julia Raecke from BIBB, who is doing her doctorate at MLU. It has long been known that humour can help healthcare workers cope with stress. "However, little is known about the consequences of different humour styles. We set out to investigate those, as it should make a big difference, whether MAs use puns or sarcasm when dealing with patients. Talking to people that are potentially sick requires a lot of empathy and verbal dexterity," explains Professor René Proyer, a psychologist at MLU.

The two researchers conducted an online survey of more than 600 MAs. The aim was to understand better the relationship between job satisfaction and different humour styles. In addition to the kind of humour they prefer, respondents also provided information about their well-being in the workplace and how competent they feel at work.

If the respondents preferred positive and benevolent humour, they were in general also more satisfied with their work. But not only that: "MAs with a preference for light humour stated that they received more positive feedback and were more likely to feel that they were making a difference at work," says Julia Raecke. Surprisingly, presumably negative or dark humour did not score worse across the board. "Even though satire and irony are considered dark humour, we found no negative correlation with the respondents' well-being," adds Raecke. In contrast, cynicism and especially sarcasm had negative effects. Yet, this does not mean that sarcasm should be condemned completely. "A short sarcastic remark among colleagues might help to release frustration," says René Proyer.

According to the researchers, humour is one of several factors that influence well-being at work. "Knowing about the effects of humour and different styles can help to make conversations with patients more pleasant. That said, waiting rooms are not supposed to become comedy clubs. It's more about using humour consciously and appropriately," concludes Proyer.

The results of the study could help to develop new training programmes. For example, Raecke is investigating whether the social and emotional skills of MAs can be improved with the help of online training.

The study was funded by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training.

Workplace Health
Medical Education and Training
Patient Education and Counseling
Today's Healthcare
Social Psychology
Relationships
Memory bias
Cooperation
Physical therapy
Vitreous humour

Story Source:

Materials provided by Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

Julia Raecke, René T. Proyer. Medical assistants’ comic styles and their potential for positive functioning at work: a cross-sectional study including a subgroup analysis . BMC Primary Care , 2024; 25 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12875-024-02363-y

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Profiling study of teacher education institutions launched

Public, private higher education institutions offering teacher education programs urged to participate.

To identify potential areas for research or policy interventions to enhance teacher educator quality, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) together with the Research Institute for Teacher Quality (RITQ) launched a profiling study of teacher education institutions (TEIs) and teacher educators.

In a statement issued Monday, June 3, EDCOM 2 said the quality of pre-service teacher education, which is one of the key priority areas of the Second Congressional Commission, depends on the quality of teacher educators.

“Our teachers play the most important role in delivering quality education to our country’s learners,” EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Win Gatchalian said.

“To produce highly qualified teachers, we need to ensure that our teacher education institutions are of top quality because their graduates will join our teaching force, shape our learners’ minds, and eventually reverse the education crisis we face,” he added.

Focus on teacher education

Republic Act No. 11713, also known as the Excellence in Teacher Education Act, defines teacher educators as "those in the education sector who educate pre-service and in-service teachers."

Given this crucial role, EDCOM 2 noted that teacher educators “must consistently model best practices, design engaging learning experiences, monitor and assess student progress, and effectively bridge the theory-practice gap.”

“Essentially, they are entrusted with delivering the teacher education curriculum at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, ensuring its continued relevance to the evolving needs of basic education,” EDCOM 2 added.

The RITQ, formerly the Research Center for Teacher Quality (RCTQ), is leading this critical initiative. RITQ is responsible for developing, distributing, and analyzing the data collected through this profiling study.

RITQ is based at the Philippine Normal University (PNU), the designated National Center for Teacher Education by Republic Act No. 9647.

Landmark study

EDCOM 2 enjoined presidents of public and private higher education institutions offering teacher education programs to participate in this “landmark” national study.

“The first of its kind, the profiling study encompasses the collection of data on demographics, institutional characteristics, perceptions of current teacher-educator practices, and the overall status of those practices within participating institutions,” EDCOM 2 noted.

Open access
Published: 31 May 2024

The role of medical schools in UK students’ career intentions: findings from the AIMS study

Tomas Ferreira 1 , 3 ,
Alexander M. Collins 2 , 3 ,
Arthur Handscomb 3 ,
Dania Al-Hashimi 4 &

the AIMS Collaborative

BMC Medical Education volume 24 , Article number: 604 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

313 Accesses

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Metrics details

To investigate differences in students’ career intentions between UK medical schools.

Cross-sectional, mixed-methods online survey.

The primary study included all 44 UK medical schools, with this analysis comprising 42 medical schools.

Participants

Ten thousand four hundred eighty-six UK medical students.

Main outcome measures

Career intentions of medical students, focusing on differences between medical schools. Secondary outcomes included variation in medical students’ satisfaction with a prospective career in the NHS, by medical school.

2.89% of students intended to leave medicine altogether, with Cambridge Medical School having the highest proportion of such respondents. 32.35% of respondents planned to emigrate for practice, with Ulster medical students being the most likely. Of those intending to emigrate, the University of Central Lancashire saw the highest proportion stating no intentions to return. Cardiff Medical School had the greatest percentage of students intending to assume non-training clinical posts after completing FY2. 35.23% of participating medical students intended to leave the NHS within 2 years of graduating, with Brighton and Sussex holding the highest proportion of these respondents. Only 17.26% were satisfied with the prospect of working in the NHS, with considerable variation nationally; Barts and the London medical students had the highest rates of dissatisfaction.

Conclusions

This study reveals variability in students’ career sentiment across UK medical schools, emphasising the need for attention to factors influencing these trends. A concerning proportion of students intend to exit the NHS within 2 years of graduating, with substantial variation between institutions. Students’ intentions may be shaped by various factors, including curriculum focus and recruitment practices. It is imperative to re-evaluate these aspects within medical schools, whilst considering the wider national context, to improve student perceptions towards an NHS career. Future research should target underlying causes for these disparities to facilitate improvements to career satisfaction and retention.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

The rapidly changing dynamics of modern healthcare require a comprehensive understanding of the driving forces behind the career trajectories of doctors. As the landscape of patient care, healthcare policy, and medical technology continues to evolve, so too do the career choices of emerging doctors. These choices, as research increasingly demonstrates, are not solely the product of personal inclination or market demand but are deeply influenced by their experiences in medical school [ 1 ].

In recent years, the recruitment and retention of doctors within the United Kingdom’s (UK) National Health Service (NHS) have emerged as pressing concerns, requiring a detailed analysis of the factors influencing the career intentions of medical students [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. To address this, the Ascertaining the career Intentions of Medical Students (AIMS) study — the largest ever UK medical student survey — delineated the career intentions and underlying motivations of students, highlighting a significant trend towards alternative careers or emigration, influenced predominantly by remuneration, work-life balance, and working conditions within the NHS [ 5 ].

Expanding upon the insights of the AIMS study, we seek to further explore the nuanced differences in career intentions among medical students, in relation to their institutional affiliations, and foster a dialogue concerning medical education and workforce planning in the UK, highlighting the role of medical schools in shaping career trajectories. It is posited that these educational institutions, with their diverse curricular designs and teaching philosophies, may play a pivotal role in shaping the prospective professional trajectories of their students. Furthermore, the distinct socio-economic and cultural environments in which these schools are situated, and those of the students they attract, may also contribute to the varied perspectives and career aspirations of students. Historically, the field of medical education has been subject to a variety of pedagogical philosophies, curricular reforms, and institutional priorities. These variations across medical schools, while often subtle, can result in significant differences in the way students perceive their roles, responsibilities, and opportunities within the broader healthcare ecosystem. Literature suggests that various elements including the culture of a medical school and its sociocultural context play a significant role in shaping the professional aspirations of its students [ 1 , 6 ].

This manuscript seeks to identify and characterise these differences, with a focused analysis on how various medical schools in the UK might be influencing the career preferences and intended paths of their students. These findings may hold significant implications for various stakeholders within the healthcare sector. Policymakers could find guidance for strategic investments and resource allocation to areas anticipated to experience shortages, while educationalists could gain an opportunity for reflection on the potential influence of their institutions on student aspirations, thereby considering necessary adjustments. Furthermore, it affords insights for improved recruitment strategies, critical to ensuring the NHS’s continued role in the UK.

Study design

The AIMS study was a national, cross-sectional, multi-centre study of medical students conducted according to its published protocol and extensively described in its main publication [ 5 , 7 ]. Participants from 44 UK medical schools recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC) were recruited through a non-random sampling method via a novel, self-administered, 71-item questionnaire. The survey was hosted on the Qualtrics survey platform (Provo, Utah, USA), a GDPR-compliant online platform that supports both mobile and desktop devices.

Participant recruitment and eligibility

In an attempt to minimise bias and increase the survey’s reach to promote representativeness, a network of approximately 200 collaborators was recruited across 42 medical schools – one collaborator per year group, per school – prior to the study launch to disseminate the study. All students were eligible to apply to become a collaborator. This approach aimed to obtain a representative sample and improve our findings’ generalisability. The survey was disseminated between 16 January 2023 and 27 March 2023, by the AIMS Collaborative via social media (including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn), word of mouth, medical student newsletters/bulletins, and medical school emailing lists.

Individuals were eligible to participate in the survey if they were actively enrolled in a UK medical school acknowledged by the GMC and listed by the Medical School Council (MSC). Certain new medical schools had received approval from the GMC but were yet to admit their inaugural cohort of students, so were excluded from the study.

Data processing and storage

To prevent data duplication, each response was restricted to a single institutional email address. Any replicated email entries were removed prior to data analysis. In cases where identical entries contained distinct responses, the most recent entry was kept. Responses for which valid institutional email addresses were missing were removed prior to data analysis to preserve the study’s integrity.

The findings of this subanalysis, and the AIMS study, were reported in accordance with the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines [ 8 ].

Quantitative data analysis

Descriptive analysis was carried out with Microsoft Excel (V.16.71) (Arlington, Virginia, USA), and statistical inference was performed using RStudio (V.4.2.1) (Boston, Massachusetts, USA). Tables and graphs were generated using GraphPad Prism (V.9.5.0) (San Diego, California, USA). ORs, CIs and p values were computed by fitting single-variable logistic regression models to explore the effect of various demographic characteristics on students’ career intentions. CIs were calculated at 95% level. We used p < 0.05 to determine the statistical significance for all tests.

Study population and exclusion

All current students of all year groups at UK medical schools recognised by the GMC and the MSC were eligible for participation. Brunel Medical School and Kent and Medway Medical School were excluded from this current analysis due to the limited number of respondents from these institutions ( n < 30), to avoid misrepresenting the career intentions and characteristics of their broader student populations.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was granted by the University of Cambridge Research Ethics Committee (reference PRE.2022.124) on the 5th of January 2023. Prior to completing the survey, all participants provided informed consent. Participating medical schools were contacted prior to data collection to seek support and request permission to contact their students.

Demographics

In total, 10,486 students across all 44 UK medical schools participated in the survey. To enable comparison of students’ career intentions between medical schools, only 42 medical schools were considered due to the sample size gathered. The average number of responses per medical school was 244, with a median of 203 (IQR 135–281). Participants had a median age of 22 (IQR 20–23). Among the participants, 66.5% were female ( n = 6977), 32.7% were male ( n = 3429), 0.6% were non-binary ( n = 64), and 16 individuals chose not to disclose their gender. A detailed breakdown of participant characteristics, including gender, ethnicity, previous schooling, and course type, is illustrated in Supplemental Figs. 1 a-d.

A total of 303/10,486 (2.89%, CI: 2.59, 3.23%) medical students intended to leave the profession entirely, either immediately after graduation ( n = 104/303, 34.32%, CI: 29.20, 39.84%), after completion of FY1 ( n = 132/303, 43.56%, CI: 38.1, 49.19%), or after completion of FY2 ( n = 67/303, 22.11%, CI: 17.8, 27.12%). Figure 1 illustrates the distribution of these students throughout UK medical schools as a percentage of total response numbers per school. The medical schools of Cambridge, Oxford, and Imperial College medical schools had the highest proportion of students intending to leave the profession altogether.

Proportion of Medical Students Intending to Leave the Profession Across UK Medical Schools. The figure depicts the percentage of students at each UK medical school who intend to exit the medical field entirely. Percentages are calculated as a proportion of total respondents from each individual school

Furthermore, 32.35% of participating medical students ( n = 3392/10,486, CI: 31.46, 33.25%) expressed intentions to emigrate to practise medicine, either immediately after graduation ( n = 220/3292, 6.49%, CI: 5.71, 7.36%), after completion of FY1 ( n = 1101/3292 32.46%, CI: 30.90, 34.05%) or after FY2 ( n = 2071/3292, 61.06%, CI: 59.40, 62.68%). Figure 2 a demonstrates the distribution of these intentions across UK medical schools, relative to total response rates per school. Notably, Ulster University had the highest proportion of students considering emigration (45.45%), in contrast to Edge Hill, where 19.64% held similar intentions. Among students intending to emigrate, 49.56% ( n = 1681, CI: 47.88, 51.24%) planned a return to the UK after a few years abroad, while 7.87% ( n = 267, CI: 7.01, 8.83%) expected to return after completing their medical training abroad. The remaining 42.57% ( n = 1444, CI: 40.92, 44.24%) expressed no plans to return to practise in the UK, as demonstrated in Fig. 2 b.

Proportion of Medical Students Intending to Emigrate Across UK Medical Schools (a) and Return Prospects (b). a illustrates the proportion of students from each UK medical school who intend to emigrate for medical practice, relative to total respondents from each school. b delineates the return prospects among students planning to emigrate

Of the 8806 respondents intending to complete both FY1 and FY2, 48.76% ( n = 4294, CI: 47.72, 49.81%) planned to enter specialty training in the UK immediately thereafter; 21.11% ( n = 1859, CI: 20.27, 21.98%) intended to enter a non-training clinical job in the UK (commonly comprising an ‘F3’ year, including a junior clinical fellowship or clinical teaching fellowship, or in locum roles). These ‘non-training’ roles, although valuable for gaining clinical experience, are largely standalone posts which do not contribute to accreditation within medical specialties. The school with the highest proportion of responses indicating plans to enter specialty training immediately after FY2 was Edge Hill (64.29%), whereas at Cardiff only 25.62% shared this intention. Cardiff students were also most likely to plan to enter non-training clinical posts after FY2, at 29.06%. Students from the University of Buckingham were, by far, the least likely to look to pursue non-training posts (2.70%). Figure 3 a and b present the distribution of these intentions across UK medical schools.

Distribution of Post-Foundation Programme Career Intentions Among UK Medical Students by School. a illustrates the proportion of students at each UK medical school intending to enter specialty training immediately following the Foundation Programme. b presents the proportion of students planning to enter non-training clinical roles (comprising ‘F3’ year roles, junior clinical fellowships, clinical teaching fellowships, or locum positions) in the UK after FY2

In total, 35.23% (3695/10,486) of medical students intend to leave the NHS within 2 years of graduating, either to practise abroad or leave medicine. Respondents from Brighton and Sussex Medical School expressed this intention most often (47.78%), whilst those from Aston Medical School were the least likely to do so (20.77%) (Fig. 4 ).

Proportion of UK Medical Students Intending to Leave the NHS Within 2 Years of Graduation, by School

To better ascertain the medical student population’s sentiments towards working in the NHS, respondents were asked to share their degree of satisfaction with several factors. Likert scale matrices were employed, with options ranging from ‘Very satisfied’ to ‘Not at all satisfied’. An important aspect was students’ overall satisfaction with the prospect of working within the NHS, with which only 17.26% of students were either satisfied or very satisfied. This figure varied substantially by institution as illustrated in Fig. 5 . Surveyed students from Barts and the London, Liverpool, and King’s College London GKT schools of medicine were the most dissatisfied, with dissatisfaction rates of 76.07, 72.48 and 66.84% respectively. Conversely, students from Aberdeen (43.27%), Buckingham (34.78%) and Ulster medical schools (33.33%) were those least dissatisfied with the prospect of working in the NHS.

Medical Students’ Overall Satisfaction with the Prospect of Working in the NHS, by School. The figure illustrates the variation in levels of career satisfaction across UK medical schools

Principal findings

This study identified considerable institutional variation in students’ career intentions and sentiment about their future careers.

Our results show that, in each UK medical school, over a fifth of participating medical students intend to leave the NHS within 2 years of graduation – and in some medical schools, this figure was approximately half. Nationally, this figure surpassed a third of surveyed medical students. Most would-be leavers plan to emigrate, many permanently, while a notable minority of respondents plan to leave the profession altogether. Here, we consider possible reasons for these trends, and offer potential means of adapting medical schools to avert the loss of these medics from the NHS workforce.

The levels of satisfaction among medical students concerning their prospective employment within the NHS displayed marked disparities, influenced potentially by institutional factors. In certain schools, up to 76% of students expressed dissatisfaction with the prospect of a career within the NHS, contrasted with the 48% recorded in others. The national average of 60% dissatisfaction is concerning and warrants further investigation to identify the underlying causes of this marked variability across different medical schools. Understanding the specific factors influencing medical students’ satisfaction levels could be critical in developing strategies to improve their perceptions of careers in the NHS.

Differing career sentiment between medical schools

Many differences exist between medical schools, some inherent or incidental, and others the result of decisions taken by medical faculties. Naturally, there is variation by geography, in the clinical environments and patient populations to which students are exposed, or in differences in the NHS between the UK’s devolved nations. The composition of the student body, in terms of various demographic characteristics also differs considerably between schools (Supplemental Figs. 1 a-d). Additionally, despite meeting minimum standards set by the GMC, medical schools are distinct in their curriculum delivery and priorities, culture, and other factors. This ‘hidden curriculum’ can be influential in students’ outlook towards medicine and their careers [ 9 ]. Medical schools’ autonomy extends to setting local recruitment practices, leading to differences in entry requirements and favoured attributes for which candidates are selected [ 10 ].

Curriculum focus and its influence

Certain faculties may favour students for academic potential or other attributes that may not necessarily correspond to their aptitude or interest in clinical medicine. At these schools, medical curricula may be more science-focused, such as by employing the ‘traditional’ model of medical education which firmly separates preclinical and clinical studies. During the early years of study, in which clinical exposure is low, students may find themselves detached from the medical field and begin considering alternative careers. This may be especially true where intercalated degrees form mandatory components of the curriculum – the receipt of which would enable pursuit of graduate roles or postgraduate degrees. Moreover, some institutions emphasising academic achievement may offer academic opportunities which could further distance those enrolled from the profession. For instance, previous graduates of MB/PhD programmes, an option to intercalate a PhD degree offered by only a limited number of universities, have gone onto careers in academia, industry, and business [ 11 , 12 ].

Recruitment practices

Despite the inherent importance of academic ability, it is important to recognise that a ‘good’ doctor requires a balance of various attributes including empathy, resilience, and communication skills. Furthermore, a clear understanding and realistic expectations of the profession are critical. The possible discrepancy between academic aptitude and the day-to-day reality of medical practice may be a contributing factor to the observed trends of students contemplating leaving the profession. Therefore, ensuring a balanced and holistic approach in selection processes could contribute to cultivating a workforce committed to pursuing medical practice in the NHS long term. Currently, prospective students undergo varying forms of interviews, which, due to their brevity and the substantial volume of applications, may not adequately capture a candidate’s realistic expectations and motivations towards a medical career. To increase the robustness of the selection process, medical schools should consider revisiting the structure of their interview processes, potentially incorporating methods to more accurately assess applicants’ understanding and enthusiasm for a medical career within the NHS more accurately. This approach could include comprehensive discussions focusing on the complexities and realities associated with a medical career [ 13 ]. Moreover, there are relevant differences in institutions’ selection criteria, with some valuing extracurricular activities, while some place greater emphasis on personal statements more, and others prioritise results achieved in admission exams [ 10 ]. Implementing such changes in the recruitment process can be a proactive step towards retaining talent within the NHS and encouraging more students to envisage a fulfilling career within the medical profession.

Institutional reputation

Respondents from institutions which place highly in national and international university rankings exhibited a greater propensity to consider leaving the profession [ 14 , 15 ]. Notably, the universities of Cambridge (8.59%), Oxford (8.26%), and Imperial College London (8.24%) led this trend. Attending these, and other, historically prestigious schools, may boost non-clinical career opportunities, so their students may be attracted to the perceived benefits of alternative careers over those in clinical practice. This institutional reputation may have initially attracted some students, for whom the career opportunities outside clinical practice now offer more compelling options compared to working in the NHS. This, coupled with growing reports of doctors looking to leave the health service, may partly explain the trend observed [ 3 ]. However, it is important to note that this phenomenon is neither new nor limited to the UK, with a 2001 study identifying growing numbers of medical students in the United States intending to pursue non-clinical, non-academic careers over time [ 16 ]. Notably, only four schools had 0% of students intending to leave the profession.

Demographic influences

Moreover, the composition of the student body, particularly in terms of demographic makeup may represent another potential influence on career intentions. For instance, if data indicate that students from certain demographics were more likely to pursue a certain career path, a school with a higher proportion of such students may appear to exhibit a similar inclination. It is important to note that these tendencies may be reflective of broader societal and demographic differences, rather than factors intrinsic to the respective institutions. A deeper analysis of demographic nuances may elucidate the intricate interplay of background and career choices, offering valuable insights for future policy and institutional strategies. Furthermore, it would be prudent to recognise that certain students, particularly those from widening participation backgrounds, may have limited agency regarding the career pathway they pursue. For some, this limitation may be financial in nature or due to caring responsibilities, while for others it may be more strongly related to the awarding gap [ 17 ].

Proposed solutions and future directions

Our findings underscore the need to explore the reasons for the observed disparities in students’ career sentiment across medical schools. Using this information, medical courses may be adapted to improve students’ feelings about their future medical careers in the NHS or otherwise. As students’ perspectives are guided by their educational experiences, undergraduate training they deem suboptimal could contribute to a diminished enthusiasm for a career in medicine. Higher standards of teaching may increase interest and engagement in the medical profession, while inadequate teaching quality could engender frustration and disillusionment. Unsatisfied students may opt to pursue alternative careers or relocate to destinations where they perceive education and training standards to be higher [ 18 ]. To substantiate this, further studies could endeavour to quantify perceptions towards teaching standards at medical school and the impact of teaching quality on students’ career choices, potentially guiding improvements in curriculum design and faculty development.

It is important to note that many respondents will have been studying medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, medical schools had the difficult task of balancing infection risk with maintaining educational standards. Centres will have differed in their approach, and negative experiences - educational or otherwise - from this period may have adversely influenced students’ attitudes towards medicine [ 19 ].

Furthermore, the structure or variety of clinical placements used by some medical schools could more effectively convey a positive outlook of medical careers or the NHS. This is often contingent on the clinical environments in which medical students rotate. For instance, limited exposure to certain specialties or sub-specialties—only available at select centres—may inadvertently obscure potentially rewarding career paths. Similarly, limited opportunities in rural medicine, public health, or other non-hospital-based pathways may also achieve the same effect [ 20 ]. Spaces and learning opportunities may also be shared with increasing cohort sizes or, depending upon geography, with students from other medical schools, potentially diluting learning opportunities [ 21 ]. Staffing levels, workplace culture and health outcomes also vary geographically, both within and between the UK’s devolved nations [ 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. These factors inform students’ perceptions of the career and may contribute to their decision-making. To mitigate this, medical faculties would benefit from establishing or expanding student feedback mechanisms. The objective is to identify factors affecting training experiences and to ensure equitable access across the UK, irrespective of the medical school attended.. Such engagement may also reveal which career paths are under-explored in individual medical curricula. In response to students’ views, or from faculties’ own understanding of where these deficits may lie, schools may consider offering means of addressing this, such as through optional specialty taster days.

Where higher proportions of students expressed interests in either relocating to work abroad or in leaving the profession entirely, there may be benefit in fostering a culture of mentorship and guidance around medical careers. Mentorship can support students to navigate systems used during applications for increasingly competitive specialty training programmes [ 26 , 27 ]. Guidance from medics acquainted with these processes can support students to pursue their preferred specialty and could consequently reduce attrition by improving their perceived career prospects.

Findings in context

The AIMS study highlighted a wide range of factors which contribute to medical students’ career sentiment and their intended career trajectory [ 5 ]. Here, we explored the role of medical schools in this complex equation and, although influential, this must be considered in that wider context. While national policy reform addressing factors such as remuneration and working conditions are required to reverse current trends in students’ career intentions, the strategies proposed in this manuscript may serve to address regional disparities.

Limitations

Despite the AIMS study constituting the largest ever study of UK medical students, due to the methods of dissemination, the number of students who saw the invitation to participate in the study is unknown, and therefore we are unable to calculate the response rate. Consequently, the sample may have been subject to selection bias, possibly driven by greater response rates among students with existing interests in this subject. Additionally, the questions in our survey instruct students to be definitive even when they might not yet have formulated their career plans, a not-improbable situation, particularly for those in the early years of medical school.

Moreover, being a cross-sectional study, it is not possible to comment on changes to medical students’ career sentiment with time. Although informed by their undergraduate training and experiences therefrom, at the time of participation, respondents had not yet worked as medical doctors. As such, their opinions may change once immersed in the career and working in the health service. In anticipation of this limitation, the questionnaire sought consent for a planned follow-up study, to which a 71.29% positive response rate was captured. It is hoped that this study’s findings may be validated by tracking changes in sentiment over time.

Importantly, there was also variability in the number of responses achieved from each medical school. This occurred despite recruitment of a large medical student collaborator network. This discrepancy might be attributed to various factors, including the approach of dissemination undertaken by university or medical school administrators, the design of clinical placements, or the presence and influence of local student societies, among other considerations. To avoid potential misrepresentation due to inadequate sample sizes, we opted to exclude data from the two medical schools that obtained fewer than 30 responses.

While the broader trends of medical students intending to leave the NHS within 2 years of graduating are concerning, the variation in career sentiment across UK medical schools requires consideration. This analysis implicates a complex interplay of factors—ranging from curriculum focus and cohort demographics to recruitment strategies, teaching quality, and clinical experience—in shaping these career intentions. Such variation in career sentiment between institutions may be indicative of deeper issues, possibly rooted in educational approaches and experiences at undergraduate level - on which the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic should be noted.

It is evident that approaches taken to recruitment, educational framework, and support within medical schools require reassessment. Subsequent investigations should examine the underlying causes of disparities in career sentiment by institution, aiming to cultivate resilience, dedication, and - critically - professional fulfilment among the future medical workforce in the UK.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request once all planned subsequent analyses are completed.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all students that participated in this study.

The AIMS Collaborative.

Tomas Ferreira 1 , Alexander M. Collins 2 , Rita Horvath 1 , Oliver Feng 4 , Richard J Samworth 4 , Mario K Teo 6 , Crispin C Wigfield 6 , Maeve K Mulchrone 7 , Alisha Pervaiz 8 , Heather A Lewis 7 , Anson Wong 7 , Buzz Gilks 1 , Charlotte Casteleyn 9 , Sara Kidher 10 , Erin Fitzsimons-West 1 , Tanzil Rujeedawa 1 , Meghna Sreekumar 1 , Eliza Wade 11 , Juel Choppy-Madeleine 8 , Yasemin Durmus 12 , Olivia King 10 , Yu Ning Ooi 8 , Malvi Shah 9 , Tan Jit Yih 13 , Samantha Burley 1 , Basma R Khan 4 , Emma Slack 1 , Rishik S Pilla 14 , Jenny Yang 1 , Vaishvi Dalal 8 , Brennan L Gibson 7 , Emma Westwood 9 , Brandon S H Low 6 , Sara R Sabur 9 , Wentin Chen 7 , Maryam A Malik 9 , Safa Razzaq 10 , Amardeep Sidki 10 , Giulia Cianci 15 , Felicity Greenfield 3 , Sajad Hussain 3 , Alexandra Thomas 11 , Annie Harrison 16 , Hugo Bernie 3 , Luke Dcaccia 11 , Linnuel J Pregil 13 , Olivia Rowe 11 , Ananya Jain 17 , Gregory K Anyaegbunam 8 , Syed Z Jafri 18 , Sudhanvita Arun 4 , Alfaiya Hashmi 19 , Ankith Pandian 15 , Joseph R Nicholson 20 , Hannah Layton-Joyce 21 , Kouther Mohsin 7 , Matilda Gardener 3 , Eunice C Y Kwan 18 , Emily R Finbow 4 , Sakshi Roy 22 , Zoe M Constantinou 13 , Mackenzie Garlick 3 , Clare L Carney 23 , Samantha Gold 24 , Bilal Qureshi 25 , Daniel Magee 26 , Grace Annetts 25 , Khyatee Shah 27 , Kholood T Munir 14 , Timothy Neill 22 , Gurpreet K Atwal 28 , Anesu Kusosa 18 , Anthony Vijayanathan 14 , Mia Mäntylä 8 , Momina Iqbal 27 , Sara Raja 29 , Tushar Rakhecha 3 , Muhammad H Shah 22 , Pranjil Pokharel 30 , Ashna Anil 31 , Kate Stenning 21 , Katie Appleton 18 , Keerthana Uthayakumar 28 , Rajan Panacer 32 , Yasmin Owadally 17 , Dilaxiha Rajendran 33 , Harsh S Modalavalasa 15 , Marta M Komosa 13 , Morea Turjaka 18 , Sruthi Saravanan 27 , Amelia Dickson 24 , Jack M Read 24 , Georgina Cooper 26 , Wing Chi Do 34 , Chiamaka Anthony-Okeke 35 , Daria M Bageac 24 , David C W Loh 28 , Rida Khan 19 , Ruth Omenyo 31 , Aidan Baker 34 , Imogen Milner 23 , Kavyesh Vivek 17 , Manon Everard 36 , Wajiha Rahman 14 , Denis Chen 26 , Michael E Bryan 34 , Shama Maliha 26 , Vera Onongaya 31 , Amber Dhoot 17 , Catherine L Otoibhi 35 , Harry Donkin-Everton 14 , Mia K Whelan 24 , Claudia S F Hobson 37 , Anthony Haynes 20 , Joshua Bayes-Green 35 , Mariam S Malik 28 , Subanki Srisakthivel 24 , Sophie Kidd 28 , Alan Saji 11 , Govind Dhillon 16 , Muhammed Asif 38 , Riya Patel 30 , Jessica L Marshall 20 , Nain T Raja 29 , Tawfique Rizwan 38 , Aleksandra Dunin- Borkowska 17 , James Brawn 23 , Karthig Thillaivasan 9 , Zainah Sindhoo 27 , Ayeza Akhtar 25 , Emma Hitchcock 36 , Kelly Fletcher 38 , Lok Pong Cheng 37 , Medha Pillaai 28 , Sakshi Garg 15 , Wajahat Khan 12 , Ben Sweeney 20 , Ria Bhatt 39 , Madison Slight 40 , Adan M I Chew 32 , Cameron Thurlow 41 , Kriti Yadav 39 , Niranjan Rajesh 39 , Nathan-Dhruv Mistry 16 , Alyssa Weissman 37 , Juan F E Jaramillo 30 , William Thompson 42 , Gregor W Abercromby 20 , Emily Gaskin 4 , Chloe Milton 43 , Matthew Kokkat 36 , Momina Hussain 26 , Nana A Ohene-Darkoh 39 , Syeda T Islam 33 , Anushruti Yadav 31 , Eve Richings 44 , Samuel Foxcroft 44 , Sukhdev Singh 32 , Vivek Sivadev 40 , Guilherme Movio 30 , Ellena Leigh 45 , Harriet Charlton 44 , James A Cairn 45 , Julia Shaaban 23 , Leah Njenje 43 , Mark J Bishop 44 , Humairaa Ismail 30 , Sarah L Henderson 44 , Daniel C Chalk 20 , Daniel J Mckenna 26 , Fizah Hasan 43 , Kanishka Saxena 32 , Iona E Gibson 44 and Saad Dosani 38 .

1 School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

2 School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.

3 Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.

4 Sheffield Medical School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.

5 Statistical Laboratory, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

6 Department of Neurosurgery, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK.

7 School of Medicine, University of Birmingham, Birmingham.

8 School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow.

9 UCL Medical School, University College London, London.

10 School of Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.

11 School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.

12 School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.

13 School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.

14 GKT School of Medical Education, King’s College London, London, UK.

15 School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.

16 School of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

17 Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.

18 Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.

19 St George’s, University of London, London, UK.

20 Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK.

21 School of Medicine, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.

22 School of Medicine, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK.

23 School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.

24 School of Medicine, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.

25 Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

26 School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele, UK.

27 Lincoln Medical School, University of Nottingham, Lincoln, UK.

28 School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.

29 School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.

30 School of Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.

31 School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

32 School of Medicine, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.

33 School of Medicine, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK.

34 School of Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.

35 School of Medical Education, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.

36 Hull York Medical School, Hull and York, UK.

37 School of Medicine, University of Buckingham, Buckingham, UK.

38 School of Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.

39 School of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.

40 School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.

41 Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton and Sussex, UK.

42 School of Medicine, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK.

43 School of Medicine, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK.

44 Scottish Graduate Entry Medicine (ScotGEM) Programme, Universities of St Andrews and Dundee, Scotland, UK.

45 School of Medicine, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK.

TF is the guarantor.

Queens’ College, University of Cambridge. The institution has had no role in the design of the study, nor collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.

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, Heather A. Lewis
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, Emma Hitchcock
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, Sakshi Garg
, Wajahat Khan
, Ben Sweeney
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, Kriti Yadav
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, William Thompson
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, Emily Gaskin
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, Momina Hussain
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, Syeda T. Islam
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, Eve Richings
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, Ellena Leigh
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& Saad Dosani

Contributions

T.F. responsible for conceptualisation. T.F. responsible for obtaining funding and ethical approval. T.F. responsible for collaborator recruitment and management. T.F. responsible for project administration. All authors responsible for writing the manuscript. All authors responsible for editing and revising the manuscript. T.F. responsible for supervision. T.F. is the guarantor. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tomas Ferreira .

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Ferreira, T., Collins, A.M., Handscomb, A. et al. The role of medical schools in UK students’ career intentions: findings from the AIMS study. BMC Med Educ 24 , 604 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05366-6

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Education—A Highly Contested Field

Research Design and Method

Scientific Evidence and Rigor

PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL INTEREST IN EDUCATION RESEARCH

COMMITTEE CHARGE AND APPROACH

Assumptions

Structure of Report

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250+ Educational Research Topics: Exploring the Path to Educational Excellence

How to choose the right educational research topics?

Identify your interests

Conduct a literature review

Consider practical relevance

Consult with experts

Narrow down the scope

Define research objectives

Research feasibility

Seek feedback

15+ College educational research topics

15+ Health educational research topics

15+ Educational research topics on Medicine

15+ Educational research topics on Environment

15+ Educational research topics on Sport and Entertainment

15+ Educational research topics for college students

15+ Educational research topics on Media and Communication

15+ Educational research topics on Technology

15+ Educational research topics on Politics

15+ Educational research topics on Thesis

15+ Psychology Educational research topics

15+ Educational research topics on Sociology

15+ Educational research topics on Culture

15+ Leadership Educational research topics

15+ Educational research topics for For Middle School

15+ Educational research topics for For High School

Tips to write educational research topics

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