Module 7

Research Proposal
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Introduction
The research will be conducted within an all through Academy. The age range of the pupils is 3 to 16. There is also a childrens centre attached to the academy. There is currently 1900 pupils on role. The academy has been established since September 2009 it replaced a local authority community school. The researcher has been employed in the setting since 2000, and since the academy started has been employed as an unqualified mathematics teacher. The field of research has been chosen with the transition between the two types of school in mind, there appeared to be an improvement in the behaviour within the setting, the research will try to establish if there is a positive correlation between two identified variables. The year nine group is in the middle of the secondary phase of the academy thereby having had two years at the community school and then two terms in the academy. The research should enhance the researchers professional development by giving a greater understanding of the development of pupils thus being able to build positive relationships with children and young people.
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Hypothesis

IF there are major changes to a school behaviour policy will this THEN ameliorate stronger moral development in year nine boys.
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Research question

Can moral development be strengthened when there are changes made to a behaviour policy?
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Two Variables

Behaviour policy Moral development

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Moral development
Piaget Piagets (1932) argues that his theory of moral development is split into 2 areas, Heteronymous Morality and Autonomous Morality. He theorizes that egocentric feelings and imminent justice are the bases of this stage, meaning that the child is unable to think beyond themselves; imminent justice means that if the child was misbehaving and breaks the rules they would be punished. The next stage, Autonomous Morality is the point at which the child begins to build own set of moral principles. Kohlberg Kohlberg (1976) Moral stage theory Suggest that moral development of a child takes place at both cognitive and affective levels, involving elements of both cognition and empathy. Kohlberg suggests that there are 3 levels of moral development preconventional, conventional and post conventional. Within the three levels there are six stages. We can see that there are many similarities between Piaget and Kohlberg's theories of children's development. In cognitive terms a childs understanding of right and wrong goes through different stages as the grow into maturity
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Behaviour policy (behaviour management)

In 1997, the Education Act required all state schools to have a policy on the promotion of good behaviour and discipline including developing self-discipline and proper regard for authority among all pupils. For learners to engage effectively with their learning it is necessary for there to be a level of cooperation and compliance on their part. (Oxford Dictionary of Education)

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Theory of behaviour (cont)

Rogers (1990) stated that reference should be made key concepts such as the childrens rights and fairness and their responsibilities within the behaviour policy. Approach all discipline from the perspective of joint rights, rules and responsibilities. This means the focus of discipline is not merely the teachers relative power and authority (earned rather than imposed) but the joint rights of all members of the class. [] It is an important feature of positive discipline that teachers seek to direct students to responsibility for their own behaviourby using language that emphasizes the students choice rather than the teachers threat. (Rogers 1990:14 &15).

Methodology
Triangulation involves the practice of viewing things from more than one perspective. This can mean the use of different methods, different sources of data or even different researchers within the study. The principle behind this is that the researcher can get a better understanding of the thing that is being investigated if he/she views it from different positions. (Denscombe 2007 :143)

Research Instruments

Questionnaires (pupil) Questionnaires (teacher) Interviews

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Questionnaires (teacher)
Advantages


Disadvantages


The responses are gathered in a standardised way Questionnaires are economical, in the sense that they can supply a considerable amount of research data for a relatively low cost in terms of materials, money and time. Pre-coded answers, (answers that fit into a range of options offered by the researcher.)

Questionnaires are standardised so it is not possible to explain any points in the questions that participants might misinterpret. Respondents may answer superficially especially if the questionnaire takes a long time to complete Low response rates or inaccurate responses

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Questionnaires (pupil)
Advantages
 Eliminate effect of personal interaction with researcher.


Disadvantages


provide quantitative data they are regarded as more efficient for the identification of underlying patterns than more qualitative and ethnographic methods Anonymity may encourage honesty

Peer pressure or embarrassment may cause pupils to not want to answer certain questions. May restrict freedom of response. Require time and skill to develop

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Interviews
Advantages


Disadvantages


Allows for clarification of answers. may elicit key topics not expected Builds involvement and support On-the-spot sharing and synthesis of different views

May be difficult to analyze and quantify results May make interviewees self-conscious Require interviewing skills

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Ethics What do we mean by research ethics?

An ethic is a moral principle or a code of conduct which governs what people do. It is concerned with the way people act or behave. The term ethics usually refers to the moral principles, guiding conduct, which are held by a group or even a profession (though there is no logical reason why individuals should not have their own ethical code) (Wellington, 2000: 54) Consent for the research was sought and obtained from the setting. The setting has no policy on researching within the Academy but each proposal is considered on merit.

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Key Ethical implications Principles

Respect for persons participants should be treated and protected as autonomous agents Beneficence the obligation to maximize possible benefits (and non-maleficence the obligation to do no harm or to minimize harm) Justice addressing who ought to receive the benefits of research and bear its burdens.
(Farrell 2005 : 13)

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The British Educational Research Association (BERA, 2004)

BERA considers that all educational research should be conducted within an ethic of respect for:
The Person Knowledge Democratic Values The Quality of Educational Research Academic Freedom

The underpinning aim of the guidelines is to enable educational researchers to weigh up all aspects of the process of conducting educational research within any given context (from student research projects to large-scale funded projects) and to reach an ethically acceptable position in which their actions are considered justifiable and sound. (BERA 2004, p.3)
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Legislation (ethics cont.)

National Legislation  Confidentiality Act 1991  Data Protection Act 1998  Children's Act 1989-2004  Freedom of information Act 2000  Every Child Matters 2003  Childcare Act 2006 International Legislation  Nuremberg Code 1949  United Nations Children's Rights 1989-1991 Article 10  European Convention of Freedom of Expression 1996 Article 12

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Research Plan Timeline matrix

Nov Dec Jan Feb March April

Beginning

General reading

Review of literature

Writing proposal Review of literature

Refine questionnair es

Give out questionnair es

Collate Data Analyse data Write research findings

Middle

Choosing hypothesis

Review of literature Methodology selection

Presentation

Collect questionnair es

Submit findings

End

Review of literature draft

Study day Define variables Review of literature

Submit research proposal

Feedback from supervisor

Conduct interviews

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Bibliography


Bell, J. (2005) Doing Your Research Project : A Guide for First-Time Researchers in Education, Health and Social Science (4th Edition).Berkshire, McGraw-Hill Education, BERA , 2004, Revised Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research www.bera.ac.uk/publications/guides.php Denscombe, M. Good Research Guide.Buckingham, (2007) Open University Press. Dunne, M; J,Pryor; P,Yates. (2005) Becoming a Researcher. Berkshire, Education. Farrell, A. (2005) Ethical Research with Children.Berkshire, McGraw-Hill McGraw-Hill

  

 

Education,

Hallam S; Rogers, L (2008) Improving Behaviour and Attendance at School. Buckingham, Open University Press. Meadows, S. (1986) Understanding Child Development. Florence, KY, USA: Routledge,

 

Wallace, S. (2008) Oxford Dictionary of Education, Oxford, Oxford University Press Wellington, J (2000), Educational Research: contemporary issues and practical approaches, London: Continuum
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