Critique of Journal Article Copy

Introduction

This is the first of three assignments for the module ‘Foundation Research Methods’ within the course ‘MA in Educational Studies’, currently being taught at the Institute of Education, University of Warwick.

The task was to critically scrutinize an article published in an educational journal. The students were given the choice to select one article out of a given list.

Word count: 3999.

Summary

I detected significant flaws in

• the research methods described in the article

• the interpretation of the data

• the wording of the questions

• the omission of minority groups

• using a purely behaviourist approach.

These flaws, in my opinion, render the results meaningless.

Details of the critiqued article

Name of Authors Pamela Munn, Margaret Johnstone & Chris

Holligan

Title of Article Pupils’ Perceptions of ‘Effective

Disciplinarians’

Date of Publication 1990 (month and day not known)

Title of Journal British Educational Research Journal

Volume 16 Number 2 Page numbers 191 - 198

1. What questions are asked at the beginning? What

problem is being addressed?

What do pupils perceive as being effective classroom strategies regarding discipline?

Why are these effective?

2. What are the main arguments?

a) A wide range of strategies have been identified, none of them was dominant.

b) Over 75% of teachers were deemed effective at getting the class to do well.

c) Being an effective disciplinarian is not the same as being an effective teacher.

21 criteria of "effectiveness" have been identified. Most are about what the teacher does; few are descriptive of the teacher.

The criteria have been grouped into 4 domains:

- control and rules

- clarity and quantity of work

- interest and teacher help

- teacher-pupil relationship; encouragement

The overall impression was that a...