Research Methods Essay Example for Free

Research Methods Essay The main factors that influence a sociologists choice of research method depend on two different theoretical approaches to the study of society; positivism and interpretivism. Positivism is an approach in sociology that believes society can be studied using similar scientific techniques to those used in the natural sciences, such as physics, biology and chemistry. Interpretivism is an approach emphasizing that people have consciousness involving personal beliefs, values and interpretations that influence the way they act and that they do not simply respond to forces outside them. These two theoretical approaches often use different research methods because they have different assumptions about the nature of society, this influences the type of data they are interested in collecting. Practicality, ethics, theory and subject of study also contribute to the methods used for research. There are various methods sociologists use to carry out a research on society. The two common forms are quantitative and qualitative research methods. I will begin by analysing the meanings behind the words, qualitative and quantitative. Quantitative methods are used by people that support the use of scientific investigation, it usually includes numerical statistical methods; the purpose is to expand and utilize mathematical techniques, conjecture and hypothesis. In contrast to this the qualitative research method. This is usually used by sociologists that support the use of humanistic research. It differs from quantitative methods in the sense that, qualitative research methods depend on specific reasons behind the way some people in society behave. Using the qualitative method however, they are prone to ask questions like, ‘why? or ‘how? ’ compared to the quantitative data which would more likely ask straight forward questions like, ‘what? ’ or ‘where’. In qualitative methods the research usually focuses on small samples instead, unlike quantitative research on the other hand, focus lacks and the methods usually inhabits a large, random sample. Unlike a quantitative method where the research depends restrictedly on the investigation of arithmetical or quantifiable statistics, data from qualitative research comes in many medium e. g. moving images, text or sound. Qualitative research was first recognised in the 1970s. Examples of Qualitative data are participant observation, direct observation, unstructured interviews, case studies etc. Examples of Quantitative data are questionnaires, surveys, attitude scales or standardised tests. They are practical issues that affect the methods sociologist may use. These can come from a range of financial issues to ethical issues. * Coaching Interviewers is comparatively clear-cut and economical however it cost more to merely redistributing questionnaire to people. Surveys that resort to structured interviews can cover great group of people with restricted resources because they are moderately cheap to administer however they cannot match the huge numbers reached by postal questionnaire. * Questionnaire and interviews collect straight forward factual information * Questionnaire results are quantitative because they are closed-ended questions with coded answers. This makes them suitable for hypothesis- testing. Sometimes there are specific factors could cause problems amongst certain research methods. Such as: * Time Questionnaires would be more time consuming while the workload of surveys can be shared by a team * Money -researchers need an income and costs large scale. Social surveys are more high-priced than small focus groups. * Characteristics and skills of the research some situations may be risky and not all sociologist could cope handle this, a woman may have difficulty doing P. O in a monastery access and opportunity. If there is no access to certain groups then secondary sources may have to be used as an alternative. An example of this is when you get researchers hoping to cover a survey on a specific gang or cult. This could be dangerous especially if that gang may have a record of crime and callous behaviour. The researcher may find it really hard if not impossible to get access into the gang or cult; and if he was to get access he could be in immense trouble especially if he went under cover. * Some issues include ethical issues, sometimes certain research is taken on an undercover basis. This could be seen as illusory. Some people would argue that researchers should be 100% honest with the people they are researching on, it is only ethical, moral and honest that this form of sincerity is shown amongst whom the research is based on nevertheless when doing a research as an undercover researcher the questions of ethics arises. Is it morally correct that someone should be studied and researched on without consent or acknowledgement of such thing? The law is that undercover research can only be approved as long as there is no other alternative that is available. Posivists like their research to be scientific whereas Interprevists like to get into the shoes and go through the situation. Feminists, Ann Oakley decides her choice of methods and topic according to her own experience of childhood and motherhood. As a feminist she avoided methods which she described as having a male-stream bias (positivism). She selected the more qualitative and intimate methods of unstructured interviews and participant observation. She deems that the commission of sociology is to include the lives of the respondents.

Resolution in A Midsummer Nights Dream :: A Midsummer Nights Dream, William Shakespeare

In Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the conflict is based upon pure confusion. The main characters are involved in a mix-up of epic proportions. The story begins with Demetrius pledged to marry Hermia, daughter of Egeus. Conflict arises immediately when Lysander is shown to have won Hermia's affection and also her undying love. This situation is clouded even further when Helena, a friend of Hermia is found to be in love with Demetrius. The crowning mix-up that throws the events of the play into action is the strange relationship between Oberon and Titania, the ruling fairies. Because of his untamed jealousy over Titania's new servant, Oberon orders Puck to sprinkle love juice in Titania's eye and, taking pity on Helena, the eyes of Demetrius as well. A solution is very close at hand until Puck mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and causes Lysander to fall desperately in love with Helena. This is the main conflict. Characters that are desperately in love are torn apart by forces they c annot control. Helena is in great anguish because she cannot have Demetrius and now it seems that Lysander is mocking her over this very fact. Hermia is also in terrible pain due to the sudden change of heart seen in her lover. Demetrius is still seeking Hermia with no hope of success and Lysander is trapped in the daze of love for a woman that is not his true love. It is with this feeling of utter helplessness that Shakespeare ends act II.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although this is one of Shakespeare's comedies, an interesting way to resolve the story would be to take the traditional tragic approach: everyone dies. Hermia, caught between her father's wish that she marry Demetrius and her strong love for Lysander, surely will be driven to madness by the loss of Lysander's love. A loss so great will have no other effect than to drive Hermia to suicide when she confronts Lysander and is mysteriously and continuously turned away. With Lysander's own sword, she cuts herself down and bleeds to death at her lover's feet. Confused by the act and possibly shaken back to reality by it, Lysander awakens from his daze and sees his love dead, his own sword plunged through her body.

Free Time

There are lots of pleasure grounds all over the world. I think everywhere there are pubs, discoes, clubs, etc. We go out with my friends especially to pubs where we can chat, listen to music, dance and eat something. But the garden parties are more friendlier and cheaper. We usually organize barbecues with children, this time they can play and run in the garden. I usually go to a wellness-weekend with my husband once a year in winter because we work a lot all of the year.There are some well-known spas in Hungary, for example, Hà ©và ­z and Hajdà ºszoboszlà ³, and many people, including foreigners, go there. A hobby is an activity that you like doing and do quite often. Hobbies are a form of recreation. If you have a hobby, it’s easier to regain energy after a hard day’s work. Depending on the type of the hobby, you can also make friends. Unfortunately many Hungarians spend their free time at home watching TV. But there are some who do some physical activities regula rly, like swimming, aerobics or hiking.Nowadays many young people spend much of their time playing computer games either at home or in internet cafes. I think men and women usually have different kinds of hobbies, for example, very few women go fishing and they are not so interested in extreme sports, either. On the other hand, men generally aren’t interested in needlework or pottery. In my opinion both men and women do gardening but they tend to do different jobs in the garden.Women like dealing with flowers, they weed the flowerbeds, plant new varieties and they design the whole garden. Men usually prune the trees, trim the hedges and mow the lawn. Collecting stamps, coins, autographs, phone cards, beer mats or napkins, model building, doing needlework or woodwork, pottery, basketry, playing an instrument and dancing are indoor hobbies, while hiking, mountaineering, caving, sailing, fishing, canoeing and bird-watching are outdoor hobbies. My sister’s hobbies are coll ecting phone cards and diary writing.I like reading about feng-shui and I like to be an Avon consultant. I used to play handball for years, nowadays I only watch handball games on TV. As far as I know, the English like playing golf and cricket, and there are quite a few soccer fans among them. They often mow the lawn and wash their cars at weekends, while some British people go to horse races to bet or just to watch the race. Some Americans go to baseball and basketball games regularly to support their teams.But there are others who prefer staying at home and watching these games on TV while eating snacks. I think Hungarian people collect the same things that people like collecting all over the world, mostly stamps and coins. If we considered a sport that many people pursue popular, the most popular sport in Hungary are football, handball, hiking and aerobics. If a popular sport means a sport that many people watch, besides football and handball, the most popular sports are Formula 1 racing, water polo and boxing. Free Time There are lots of pleasure grounds all over the world. I think everywhere there are pubs, discoes, clubs, etc. We go out with my friends especially to pubs where we can chat, listen to music, dance and eat something. But the garden parties are more friendlier and cheaper. We usually organize barbecues with children, this time they can play and run in the garden.I usually go to a wellness-weekend with my husband once a year in winter because we work a lot all of the year. There are some well-known spas in Hungary, for example, Hà ©và ­z and Hajdà ºszoboszlà ³, and many people, including foreigners, go there.A hobby is an activity that you like doing and do quite often. Hobbies are a form of recreation. If you have a hobby, it’s easier to regain energy after a hard day’s work. Depending on the type of the hobby, you can also make friends.Unfortunately many Hungarians spend their free time at home watching TV. But there are some who do some physical activities regularl y, like swimming, aerobics or hiking. Nowadays many young people spend much of their time playing computer games either at home or in internet cafes.I think men and women usually have different kinds of hobbies, for example, very few women go fishing and they are not so interested in extreme sports, either. On the other hand, men generally aren’t interested in needlework or pottery. In my opinion both men and women do gardening but they tend to do different jobs in the garden. Women like dealing with flowers, they weed the flowerbeds, plant new varieties and they design the whole garden. Men usually prune the trees, trim the hedges and mow the lawn.Collecting stamps, coins, autographs, phone cards, beer mats or napkins, model building, doing needlework or woodwork, pottery, basketry, playing an instrument and dancing are indoor hobbies, while hiking, mountaineering, caving, sailing, fishing, canoeing and bird-watching are outdoor hobbies. My sister’s hobbies are collec ting phone cards and diary writing. I like reading about feng-shui and I like to be an Avon consultant. I used to play  handball for years, nowadays I only watch handball games on TV.As far as I know, the English like playing golf and cricket, and there are quite a few soccer fans among them. They often mow the lawn and wash their cars at weekends, while some British people go to horse races to bet or just to watch the race.Some Americans go to baseball and basketball games regularly to support their teams. But there are others who prefer staying at home and watching these games on TV while eating snacks.I think Hungarian people collect the same things that people like collecting all over the world, mostly stamps and coins.If we considered a sport that many people pursue popular, the most popular sport in Hungary are football, handball, hiking and aerobics. If a popular sport means a sport that many people watch, besides football and handball, the most popular sports are Formula 1 racing, water polo and boxing.

Discover 5 Essential Qualities of a Good Teacher

Educational studies suggest that the essential qualities of good teachers include the ability to be self-aware of ones biases; to perceive, understand and accept differences in others; to analyze and diagnose student understanding and adapt as required; to negotiate and take risks in their teaching; and to have a strong conceptual understanding of their subject matter. Measurable and Measuring Most teachers are paid according to their experience and educational attainment, but as educator Thomas Luschei has demonstrated, there is little evidence that more than 3-5 years of experience boost teachers ability to increase student test scores or grades. Other measurable attributes such as how well the teachers did on their qualifying examinations, or what level of education a teacher has attained also do not significantly impact the students performance in classrooms. So although there is little consensus in the education profession about which measurable features make a good teacher, several studies have identified inherent traits and practices which assist teachers in reaching their students. To Be Self-Aware American teacher-educator Stephanie Kay Sachs believes that an effective teacher needs to have a basic sociocultural awareness of and acceptance of their own and others cultural identity. Teachers need to be able to facilitate the development of a positive self-ethnic identity and be aware their own personal biases and prejudices. They should use self-inquiry to examine the relationship between their fundamental values, attitudes, and beliefs, particularly with regard to their teaching. This inner bias affects all interactions with students but does not prohibit teachers from learning from their students or vice versa. Educator Catherine Carter adds that an effective way for teachers to understand their processes and motivation is to define an apt metaphor for the role they perform. For example, she says, some teachers think of themselves as gardeners, potters shaping clay, mechanics working on engines, business managers, or workshop artists, supervising other artists in their growth. To Perceive, Understand and Value Differences Teachers who understand their own biases says Sachs, are in a better position to view their students experiences as valuable and meaningful and integrate the realities of the students lives, experiences, and cultures into the classroom and subject matter. The effective teacher builds perceptions of her own personal influence and power over factors that contribute to student learning. In addition, she must build conceptual interpersonal skills to respond to the complexities of the school environment. The experiences of both teachers and students with individuals of differing social, ethnic, cultural, and geographic backgrounds can serve as a lens through which future interactions can be viewed. To Analyze and Diagnose Student Learning Teacher Richard S. Prawat suggests that teachers must be able to pay close attention to students learning processes, to analyze how students are learning and diagnose issues that prevent understanding. Assessments must be undertaken not on tests per se, but rather as the teachers engage students in active learning, allowing debate, discussion, research, writing, evaluation, and experimentation. Compiling results from a report of the Committee on Teacher Education for the National Academy of Education, Linda Darling-Hammond and Joan Baratz-Snowden suggest teachers must make their expectations for high-quality work known, and provide constant feedback as they revise their work towards these standards. In the end, the goal is to create a well-functioning, respectful classroom that allows students to work productively. To Negotiate and Take Risks in Teaching Sachs suggests that building on the ability to perceive where students are failing to fully understand, an effective teacher must not be afraid to seek out tasks for herself and the students that are optimal for their skills and abilities, recognizing that those efforts may not be successful. These teachers are the pioneers and trailblazers, she says, individuals who are challenge-oriented. Negotiation involves moving students in a certain direction, towards a view of reality which is shared by those in the disciplinary community. At the same time, teachers must recognize when some obstacles to such learning are misconceptions or faulty reasoning which need to be highlighted, or when a child is simply using her own informal ways of knowing which should be encouraged. This, says Prawat, is the essential paradox of teaching: to challenge the child with new ways of thinking, but negotiate a way for that student to not dismiss alternate ideas. Overcoming these obstacles must be a collaborative enterprise between student and teacher, where uncertainty and conflict are important, growth-producing commodities. To Have a Depth of Subject Matter Knowledge Particularly in the maths and sciences, educator Prawat stresses that teachers need to have rich networks of knowledge in their subject matter, organized around key ideas that could provide a conceptual basis for understanding. Teachers obtain that by bringing focus and coherence to the subject matter and allowing themselves to be more conceptual in their approach to learning. In this manner, they transform it into something meaningful for students. Sources Carter, Catherine. Priest, Prostitute, Plumber? The Construction of Teachers as Saints. English Education 42.1 (2009): 61–90. Print.Darling-Hammond, Linda, and Joan Baratz-Snowden. A Good Teacher in Every Classroom: Preparing the Highly Qualified Teachers Our Children Deserve. Educational Horizons 85.2 (2007): 111–32. Print.Goldhaber, Dan. The Mystery of Good Teaching. Education Next Spring 2002 (2002): 1–5. Print.Luschei, Thomas F. In Search of Good Teachers: Patterns of Teacher Quality in Two Mexican States. Comparative Education Review 56.1 (2012): 69–97. Print.Prawat, Richard S. Teaching for Understanding: Three Key Attributes. Teaching and Teacher Education 5.4 (1989): 315–28. Print.Robinson, Richard, et al. The Effective Teacher Revisited. The Reading Teacher 45.6 (1992): 448–48. Print.Sachs, Stephanie Kay. Evaluation of Teacher Attributes as Predictors of Success in Urban Schools. Journal of Teacher Education 55.2 (2004): 177–87 . Print.