This document provides an overview of getting started in medical educational research. It discusses why educational research is important, key differences between educational and scientific research, common research methods such as interviews and surveys, important ethical considerations, potential funding sources, and developing a research question. The presenter encourages attendees to think about a potential research proposal and provides examples of possible research themes.

1. UCL 2TiME:
Trainees in Medical Education Conference
Educational Research – getting started
Dr Anju Verma
NIHR Clinical Research Fellow

2. Educational Research – getting started
Why bother?
• Contributed to understanding the learning process
• How do we know what we are doing is ‘right’?
• Evidence is demanded to guide educational
decision making
• Brings in funding

3. Educational Research – getting started
Educational research vs. ‘scientific’ research
• Single universal ‘truth’, hard data, statistical
methods
• ‘Reality’ is constructed in social interaction
• Quantitative: Large groups, educational trends/
patterns  Surveys/ Questionnaires
• Qualitative research: Understand small groups,
insights  interviews, documents

4. Educational Research – getting started
Educational research vs. ‘scientific’ research
• Social sciences based
• Different language:
“…I found this literature almost impenetrable…I had the
disquieting sensation of moving into alien territory, where
familiar landmarks had disappeared”. (Kneebone , 2002)

5. Educational Research – getting started
Methods other than RCT:
• Focus groups
• Interview
• Survey
• Case study – one person/ organisation
• Ethnography – more of a strategy, ‘technology’ is
the researcher, way of collecting & analysing data
– Boys in White (Becket et al. 1961)
– Making Doctors (Simon Sinclair, 1997)

6. Educational Research – getting started
General & Ethical considerations
• Insider/ Outsider research
• Interviews
– One-to-one
– Telephone
– Survey
– Focus group
– Oral history (finding out about the past)
• Research & power relations

7. Educational Research – getting started
Ethical considerations
British Educational Research Association
(BERA) 2011:
• Respect for the person
• Respect for knowledge
• Respect for democratic values
• Respect for the quality of educational research
• Respect for academic freedom

8. Educational Research – getting started
Funding Support
• ASME
• HEA
• Medical School
• National charities/ Disease groups eg) Arthritis Research
Campaign, Diabetes UK
• MRC, Wellcome Trust
• Pharmaceutical companies eg) Astra Zeneca, GSK, Pfizer
• Royal Colleges
• http://www.medev.ac.uk/resources/funding-councils/

9. Educational Research – getting started
The research question…
• What would you like to research?

10. Educational Research – getting started
The research question…
• Different types of questions:
– Proving
– Improving effectiveness
– Outcome-based
– Process orientated cost effectiveness
– Theory development
– Explaining theory

11. Educational Research – getting started
Types of research question…
• What is the situation?
– What do doctors do on their holidays?
– How have the numbers of community teachers changed
in the last 20 years?

12. Educational Research – getting started
Types of research question…
• What is going on here?
– Why does that medical student answer questions when
he doesn’t know the answer?
– Why do doctors like to go to Barbados for their
holidays?

13. Educational Research – getting started
Types of research question…
• What happens when?
– What are the consequences of implementing a whistle-
blowing policy on final year medical students?
– What are the consequences of increasing university
tuition fees?

14. Educational Research – getting started
Types of research question…
• What is related to what?
– What are the relationships between end of year grade
and ethnicity of closest friends in Year 1?
– To what extent does punctuality to Year 1 lectures
affect Final Year achievement?

15. Educational Research – getting started
Possible research themes
 Although your medical school scores well for overall satisfaction in the
National Student Survey, feedback scores poorly
 The GMC has requested more patient involvement in medical student
teaching
 Structured learning events are being introduced into the CMT doctors. How
are these better than the previous WBPA?
 Job satisfaction of doctors at different stages of training
 Why does simulation work?
 Does simulation work?
 Whistle blowing amongst medical students

16. Educational Research – getting started
Any questions?

17. Educational Research – getting started
Summary
• Quick introduction to getting started in medical
educational research
• Differences between scientific/ edl research
• Mentioned different techniques
• Ethical considerations
• Funding support
• Think about & discuss a research proposal

18. Educational Research – getting started
Thank you!
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Dr Anju Verma