| Synopsis: |
Classroom research has given rise to some major theoretical and methodological controversies across a number of disciplines, including psychology, sociology and linguistics. The growing influence of interpretive and ethnographic perspectives has produced a cross-disciplinary shift away from quantitative analysis towards detailed qualitative investigations of classroom interaction, and there has been considerable debate about the relative merits of these two approaches. However, there have also been arguments among representatives of the new approaches to classroom research, for example over how classroom language is to be analyzed, about whether macro or micro explanations are the most appropriate, and about the merits and legitimacy of theoretical and action research. This second edition of "Controversies in Classroom Research" places new emphasis on examining the pros and cons of the teacher-as-researcher movement. It is an important resource for students of education, psychology and sociology, for teachers on initial and in-service training courses, and for all those interested in classroom research.A companion volume, "Case Studies in Classroom Research" edited by Martyn Hammersley is also published by Open University Press. |