Online Distance Education by 
Methodological Issues in Management Research by
Using contemporary examples of business and management research, predominantly within the context of India, this book offers numerous tools and techniques which can be applied to a diverse range of needs in social science research. With contributions from subject-experts in the field of research methodology and teachers of research methodology courses in leading business schools and universities of India, the book covers the essentials of management research. Covering both qualitative and quantitative research, topics discussed include: literature reviews research designs qualitative and quantitative data analysis grounded theory research questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews hypothesis testing case study research emerging trends in research and some advanced analysis. Specially selected Research Cases provide examples of some typical management research topics, outlining the detailed stages of their respective research processes and the latest data analysis techniques using SPSS, AMOS and STRATA. This practical element emphasises the variety of research methods and when/how to use them, making this book a useful resource for researchers from various academic disciplines and professional backgrounds.
Measuring What We Do in Schools by 
Networking Research by
The educational world is increasingly dominated by 'network rhetoric'; not only are teachers and learners seen as participants in networks, the availability of low-cost electronic devices, collaborative environments and new forms of data 'born digital' have changed the nature of education research. How can researchers and research-informed practitioners best engage in and with networks and develop effective networking practices? How might networks and networking be conceptualized in order to frame and support their work in and on networks? How do networks relate to existing organizational forms and how might new networking practices emerge? This book draws on extensive research into educational research networks in schools, colleges and informal education settings to explore these questions. Carmichael combines theoretical insights into networks from different disciplinary backgrounds and awareness of technological developments, with the accounts of teachers, researchers, and technologists. He considers how educational research as a field is changing, how individual and collective research capacities might develop, identifies new research approaches and discusses the emerging role of the 'researcher-networker'.
Reframing Educational Research by
Possibilities for the use of research in educational practice are often written off due to the history, politics and interests of the ostensibly separate worlds that researchers and practitioners occupy. However, a more optimistic account highlights the ways these communities share a common need for practice-based theories, which enable them to make sense of a wide range of issues in education, including pedagogy, learning, and educational equity. In applying theory to situated accounts of various educational practices and learning contexts, this book explores mistaken assumptions about the ways that research can 'inform' or otherwise impact practice. It problematises a 'what works' agenda but also points to potentially more productive research-practice relationships in education. Experienced contributors describe how they have used a variety of context-sensitive theoretical approaches in the socio-cultural and discursive traditions to both understand practice and address a wide range of practical issues in education. At its core Reframing Educational Research challenges two commonly held assumptions: that "best practice" is readily identifiable in a way that is then transferrable to new contexts for use by practitioners more widely, and that theory will not help with what to do on Monday morning in the classroom or in developing policies with direct and visible impact. Drawing on the experience of a number of highly respected expert contributors, including Mel Ainscow, Harry Daniels, Anna Sfard and Etienne Wenger-Trayner, the book discusses a range of issues that must be explicitly addressed if we are to make headway in developing a sustainable and productive relationship between research, policy and practice. The authors make it clear that the politics, policies, institutional practices, market systems and social dynamics currently at play in education have a tendency to derail the idealised pathway from research to reform. This book aims to move the discussion towards alternative, and potentially more fruitful, ways of linking research with practice. Reframing Educational Research is an invitation to all researchers to identify new opportunities for advancing theory and practice in education. It is a must-read for all practitioners and researchers in education.