Engaging with postgraduate research: education, childhood & youth
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Contents

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes
  • 1 The meaning of theory
    • 1.1 An example of theory in practice: gender
    • 1.2 Theory, practice and research
  • 2 The role and nature of theories
    • 2.1 Research paradigm
    • 2.2 Ontology and epistemology
    • 2.3 Research methodology
    • 2.4 Beginning the research process
    • 2.5 Thinking about epistemological positions
    • 2.6 Thinking about ontological positions
  • 3 Competing paradigmatic positions
    • 3.1 Scientific theory and the positivist paradigm
    • 3.2 Features of positivism
    • 3.3 Paradigm wars?
    • 3.4 Interpretivism
    • 3.5 Features of interpretivism
    • 3.6 So, is there a resolution to the paradigm wars?
    • 3.7 Pragmatism
  • 4 Bringing it all together!
  • Conclusion
  • Further reading
  • References
  • Acknowledgements

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