Research Summer Week Three
The literature review is coming along nicely this week. We have created a spreadsheet accessible by all team members so that everyone can keep track of what sources have already been reviewed and what the key takeaways from each have been.
The recurring issue we have identified is that the core element of our research question - namely "challenges" inhibiting the implementation of developmental and non-attainment-based evidence as driving forces for educational policy evolution - is seldom discussed in detail in any literature. The literature mainly focusses on what educational policy should include, what the merits of non-attainment-based evidence are, and the woes many primary educational institutions face attempting to meet the attainment-based demands of current examinations, whether testing students, schools, or both. This means we have an abundance of information that of course is all relevant to our report, and always at least tangentially relevant to our research topic; however, there remains a hole in our knowledge specific to the exact information we were aiming to accumulate. Consequently, we held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss our options. From this, we chose two concurrent routes forward. Half of our team would continue to search for literature that might apply more directly to our intended output, and the other half would begin to use the information already located to begin to identify some potential challenges ourselves. Both of these progress us towards our final report because the former keeps the door open for finding highly relevant information, and the latter forces us to analyse our findings and personally contribute something more than just an account of what we have collectively read.
Outside of this, we opted to create a table with two columns to keep up with our research methods: one column listing the conceptual domain being targeted, and another for any key words used when searching this domain. Of course, anything found has been recorded with a citation so it should always be accessible to any readers, but this approach aims to demonstrate the journey taken to find our results and how our report came to rely on the information it eventually will rely on, rather than just laying down a route for readers to find the literature for themselves. That marks the conclusion of Week 3.
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Athan, this reflection demonstrates a strong engagement with the research process. I particularly liked the way you describe the challenge your team encountered when reviewing the literature. Rather than seeing the absence of directly relevant research as a setback, you explain how it prompted your team to rethink your approach. Recognising gaps in the literature is an important part of research, and your response demonstrates adaptability and critical thinking.
Your decision to split the team's efforts between continuing the literature search and beginning your own analysis was particularly sensible. It shows an appreciation that research is not simply about finding existing answers but also about interpreting evidence and developing your own contribution. I also thought your comments about documenting your search strategy were excellent. Recording not only what you found but how you arrived there reflects good research practice and will strengthen the transparency of your final report.
One area I'd encourage you to explore further in future reflections is your own learning. For example, how did this experience change your understanding of what research involves? Were you surprised that the literature did not answer your research question directly? How has this influenced the way you now think about conducting research?
You might also reflect on how your team made the decision to divide the work. Was there disagreement? How did you evaluate the different options? These moments often reveal valuable lessons about collaborative research and decision-making.