a naturally occurring magnet – a piece of magnetite which will attract small pieces of iron and attract/repel other lodestones.
Tooltip Categories: Site glossary
Main glossary
context-directed research
research that is intended to help understand and/or improve a specific context/setting rather than generating generalisable knowledge
rhetorical research
research is supposed to help develop new public knowledge. Some studies, however, seem designed to demonstrate an expected or desired outcome, rather than being open to different findings.
phrenology
the theory and practice of diagnosing human characteristics from the cranium (bumps on the head) – at one time widely considered a serious science
gatekeeper
A gatekeeper is someone who control access to a potential research site, deciding whether a researcher will be admitted to undertake enquiry, and, if so, on what basis/subject to what conditions.
phase space
A phase space is a hypothetical or theoretical space that can represent all possible states of the system being studied. This might require more than just three dimensions. (In physics the state of a simple particle might be represented by three dimensions to represent its position, plus three to represent its momentum – and if it is rotating that will require additional dimensions for a full description.)
Although most commonly used in physics, the idea has wider applications. A learner's zone of proximal development (Z.P.D.) might be considered to be a region of a phase space describing the actual and potential development of that learner.
learning progression
The term 'learning progression' is commonly used in two ways:
- a description of how a learner progresses in their learning in some topic over time
- a hypothetical teaching scheme to be used by teachers to help learners progress in a topic over an extended period (usually multiple grade levels)
learning demand
The learning demand refers to the difference between the target knowledge and understanding set out in a curriculum for a specific group of learners, and their current level of knowledge and understanding. (The term was introduced by John Leach and Phil Scott.)
theory of mind
theory of mind is the ability, normally acquired as part of normal development in childhood, to appreciate that other people have mental states (e.g., beliefs, opinions, judgements) and that these may be different from our own; we use theory of mind to understand people's feelings, and to anticipate their responses and behaviours.
voluntary informed consent
Voluntary informed consent to take part in a research study is a usual expectation for research with human participants, and a requirement for obtaining ethical clearance. Study participants must freely enter into the study, having been suitable briefed about what will be required of them and what they will experience.
P-O-E
P-O-E (predict-observe-explain) is a type of learning activity. It is an example of active learning pedagogy, and considered a constructivist approach that is useful where students have common alternative conceptions that can be demonstrated to be false
independent variable
An independent variable is a factor that is hypothesised to influence the value of another variable, and is varied in an experimental study to test the hypothesis.