1. Open Questions: The respondent is free to give whatever response they wish, in their own words.
Closed Questions: The respondent must choose from a limited set of possible answers that the researcher has decided upon in advance.
TASK: Choose a song/film/book you like. Come up with two closed questions and two open questions about it to investigate what other people think of it.

2. The BIG Idea
SOCIAL SURVEYS
Identify key elements involved in conducting a social survey.
Explore the advantages and limitations of using social surveys to conduct social research in an educational context.
We are Learning to...
In today’s lesson...
GOOD learning …
Be able to identify and describe one or two stages involved in designing a social survey, and describe one issue of using surveys to conduct social research.
GREAT learning …
Be able to identify and describe two or three stages involved in designing a social survey, and describe one advantage and one limitation of using surveys to conduct social research in an educational context.
EVEN BETTER …
Be able to identify and describe two or three stages involved in designing a social survey, and describe more than one advantage and more than one limitation of using surveys to conduct social research in an educational context.
Wordle 2

3. Social Surveys
Either written questionnaires and structured interviews.
Whichever method of survey we choose, our questions are either open-ended or closed-ended.
Closed-Ended Questions
Limited range of possible answers.
Easy to analysis.
Open-Ended Questions
The respondent is allowed to give whatever answer they wish, in their own words.
Higher validity. Harder to analyse.

4. Choosing a Topic - Booklet
Sociologists’ choice of topic might be influenced by factors:
Personal interests
Theoretical preference
Opportunity
Current events
On a separate piece of paper, choose a topic in education to work with today.
EDUCATION
Teachers
Pupils
Classrooms
Schools
Parents
MWB

5. Formulating a Hypothesis
Most surveys have a general aim or seek to test a specific hypothesis for the research.
A hypothesis is more specific than an aim . It’s a statement that can be tested by collecting evidence to prove whether it’s true or false.
Hypotheses give direction to research. Questionnaires and interviews are based around attempting to either prove or disprove the hypothesis.
WRITE A HYPOTHESIS FOR YOUR RESEARCH

6. Operationalising Concepts
Means turning a concept/theory which would usually be approached qualitatively into something which can be measured.
How would you ‘operationalise’ the following:
Social class
Education
Poverty
Disability
WRITE FIVE QUESTIONS TO TEST YOUR HYPOTHESIS, OPERATIONALISING ANY CONCEPTS YOU THINK YOU NEED TO.

8. The Pilot Study
Is the same idea as a ‘prototype’ - it’s a study based on your research to test first.
Pilot studies are used to indicate any problems which need to be dealt with or that may arise..
Pilot studies indicate issues which need to be altered, after the pilot study is carried out, it is then possible to finalise the research and then to carry it out.

9. Your Pilot Study
Write up your plan for your pilot study. In it, include the following:
What is your research topic?
What is your hypothesis?
A list of five questions.
At least two paragraphs on the strengths and limitations of your approach to investigate your research topic.

10. 20 mark- 3 levels Level 1 MAX 9 Method only. Level 3 MAX 14
Method and specific application to the issue in question.
MAX 14
Up to 20 marks
Must relate
to item
Level 2
Method and application to education in general.

11. The BIG Idea
SOCIAL SURVEYS
Identify key elements involved in conducting a social survey.
Explore the advantages and limitations of using social surveys to conduct social research in an educational context.
We are Learning to...
In today’s lesson...
GOOD learning …
Be able to identify and describe one or two stages involved in designing a social survey, and describe one issue of using surveys to conduct social research.
GREAT learning …
Be able to identify and describe two or three stages involved in designing a social survey, and describe one advantage and one limitation of using surveys to conduct social research in an educational context.
EVEN BETTER …
Be able to identify and describe two or three stages involved in designing a social survey, and describe more than one advantage and more than one limitation of using surveys to conduct social research in an educational context.
Wordle 11