LEARN · PRACTISE · DISCOVER
Methods of Studying Children
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LEARN · PRACTISE · DISCOVER
Join to unlock this lesson and the full course library, or log in if you are already a member.
LEARN · PRACTISE · DISCOVER
Teachers make decisions about children every day: who needs help, which method works, why a child behaves in a certain way. Good decisions need good information. Psychologists and teachers use a range of methods of data collection to study children. This lesson explains each method listed in the APTET syllabus, its strengths and limits, and when a primary teacher might use it.
Observation means carefully watching and recording behaviour. It is the most natural method for studying young children, who may not express themselves well in words.
Limitations include observer bias and the fact that children may behave differently when they know they are watched.
An anecdotal record is a brief, factual description of a significant incident in a child’s behaviour, written soon after it happens, often with the teacher’s comment kept separate. Collected over time, anecdotal records reveal patterns. Narratives are fuller written accounts, sometimes in the child’s own words.
A reflective journal is a regular written record in which a teacher (or learner) reflects on experiences, what worked and what to change. It helps teachers become reflective practitioners.
| Method | What it is | Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interview | face-to-face questions, structured or unstructured | rich, flexible information | time-consuming; answers may be influenced by the interviewer |
| Questionnaire | a written set of questions | collects data from many people quickly | needs reading ability; answers may be careless or not honest |
| Rating scale | rates a trait on a scale, e.g. 1 to 5 | quick, easy to compare | subject to rater bias, such as the halo effect |
| Introspection | looking inward at one’s own thoughts and feelings and reporting them | direct access to inner experience | subjective; difficult for young children |
Introspection was a key method of early psychology, associated with Wilhelm Wundt and the school of structuralism.
A case study is an in-depth study of one individual (or a small group), using many sources: observation, interviews with parents and teachers, school records and work samples. It is useful for understanding a child with a particular difficulty, such as persistent reading problems or behaviour concerns.
In the experimental method, the researcher changes one factor (the independent variable) and measures its effect on another (the dependent variable), while controlling other factors. Usually there is an experimental group and a control group. It is the main method for testing cause and effect.
Action research is research done by a teacher to solve a practical problem in their own classroom. The term is linked with Kurt Lewin, and Stephen Corey popularised it in education. Its cycle is:
Ms Padma noticed that many Class 4 pupils made errors in subtraction with borrowing. She collected their work, found that most confused the direction of borrowing, used bundle-sticks to re-teach the concept, and gave a short test after two weeks. Errors fell clearly. This is action research: a classroom problem, a planned action and evidence of its effect.