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Wendy Olsen and two teams at the University of Manchester

April 2014www.ccsr.ac.uk

www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/essted

Enriching Social Science with Quantitative and Survey Data

Overview 1. INTRODUCTION 2. SCAFFOLDING vs BRIDGE

BUILDING: Methods of scaffolding in general

3. Using ‘embedded quantitative methods’ in sociology

4. EXAMPLES from Sociology

Abstract: To meet the need for more use of social data in Sociology and Politics classrooms, we encourage a pedagogy that uses active learning and the building of bridges among a variety of relevant skills.  This talk provides a review of what we know so far from our curriculum initiative in this area.  Firstly we review the term ‘scaffolding’ which refers to  helping students upward in their learning curve (Anghileri, 2006).  To uphold scaffolding we need numerous explicit 'learning outcomes' and we need to enable students to practice both orally and in writing.  Secondly we argue that bridge-building is also needed - i.e. to embed quantitative data in classrooms ideally combining the theory-critique and analysis skills of a social-science degree with the empirical skills associated with using data.  Thirdly we conclude by giving examples of sociology class exercises that have worked well in our project.  These relate to the sociology of family life and to attitudes about sexuality.  Overall the students' active learning was prompted by the exciting use of spreadsheets and graphs, the introduction of classroom exercises and even 'flipped' classrooms or lectorials, and staff working in teams with diverse specialist knowledge. Wendy Olsen 2014

1. Introduction to ESSTED PIPS Component:

Patterns in Politics & Society Working on Expanding the Enrichment of Social Science

Classrooms with Quantitative Data & Quantitative Methods

A Researcher Development Initiative of ESRC CURRICULUM INNOVATION COMPONENT:

Ten course units Embedding and enrichment, not substitution

Teamwork

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People Wendy Olsen (Principal Investigator / senior lecturer) Mark Brown (Principal Investigator / senior teaching

fellow) Jacqui Carter MIMAS and ESDS Jo Wathan UK Data Service and Census Jen Buckley (Cathie Marsh Centre for Census & Survey

Research) Tarani Chandola, Kingsley Purdam, Brian

Heaphy, Andrew Russell5

Twelve Course Units

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NEW COURSES/METHODSFiguring out Society: Data and the News (Ian Plewis and Tarani Chandola)

The Survey Method in Social Research (Mark Brown)

Engaging Social Research (BA in Social Sciences)

PARTNER COURSES: EMBEDDING QUANTS MODULES SOCY10471 Sociology of Personal Life (Sue Heath)Year 2 teaching on sexualities Paul Simpson, year 3 Brian HeaphySOCY20241 Sociology of Spiritual Life (Tej Purewal)

SOCY30461 Power and Protest (Gemma Edwards)

SOCY20962 Racism & Ethnicity in the UK (James Rhodes)

POLI20801 The Politics of Policy Making (Francesca Gains)

(POLI10200) Introduction to Comparative Politics (Nick Turnbull)

2. Scaffolding and procepts Methods of scaffolding in using

‘embedded quantitative methods’ in sociology/politics.

Scaffolding means building up knowledge through practice in using the words and practices of building blocks.

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Briefing Paper Number 1 See our web site by searching for

ESSTEDIt holds briefing paper 1 on scaffolding,

briefing paper 2 on data for dissertations, and video hotlinks.

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Scaffolding depends on procepts idea. A procept is a process+concept

combination, which, with practice,can be used in a habitually rapid way.

Thus how the person uses the process+concept changes over time –

… they get faster. Teach them to use procepts, ie simple

building-blocks of knowledge. …they get better at doing it.

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Examples of procepts Applying a theory to a vignette. Questioning the underlying units that are

assumed in a theory – the marriage, the couple, the person…

Interpreting a table in terms of %s Considering an association between X and Y Recognising that a Concept may be an ‘X’

(e.g. ‘violent behaviour toward wife’) or a Y (e.g. ‘divorce Yes/No’).

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3. Meaning of Embedding vs Enriching the Curriculum

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Embedding means putting the quantitative data and methods into the substantive Year 1-2-3 course units, such as Ethnicity, Family Life, Sexualities, Sociology of Religion etc.

This builds on scaffolding ideas. We n eed to have an open ming.

Enriching means having more social science content in the so-called “Quantitative Methods” course units.

These should cover “Research Methods” generally.

They should use more than ‘beans’, ‘white/black’ crude examples.

Methods of Embedding/Using

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Building bridges between methodsEXAMPLES: Use cluster analysis from an advanced

journal article, and link that back to the IDEAL TYPE idea in Weber and to TYPOLOGY in the case-study methods.

Use regression in Year 2/3 reading lists, again citing the Peer Reviewed Journal Articles – be very selective.

Help students to grasp these articles, suggesting pages which they should print and take notes on.

Students practice, practice... ...tacit learningMake sure the curriculum has a range of skills—• graphs, tables, %’s, regression, correlation• generalisation, inference, abduction from mixed data

4. Glimpses of Examples Excel is a means to provide information to students in Year 1. Simplify the evidence! Use a 5-pg or 1-page handout of tables.

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satisfaction with life overall * Lives alone or not Crosstabulation      Lives alone or not       others in

hhd lives alone Totalsatisfaction with life overall

missing Count 695 223 918% within Lives alone or not

2.00% 3.70% 2.30%completely dissatisfied

Count 714 243 957% within Lives alone or not

2.10% 4.00% 2.40%mostly dissatisfied

Count 1322 295 1617% within Lives alone or not

3.90% 4.90% 4.00%somewhat dissatisfied

Count 2252 487 2739% within Lives alone or not

6.60% 8.10% 6.80%neither satisfied or dissatisfied

Count 3136 601 3737% within Lives alone or not

9.20% 10.00% 9.30%somewhat satisfied

Count 5845 1003 6848% within Lives alone or not

17.20% 16.60% 17.10%mostly satisfied

Count 15323 2287 17610% within Lives alone or not

45.10% 37.90% 44.00%completely satisfied

Count 4673 889 5562% within Lives alone or not

13.80% 14.70% 13.90%Total Count 33960 6028 39988

% within Lives alone or not

100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

Coverage: United Kingdom. Weighted as a nationallyrepresentative sample.Source: Understanding Society data, 2010.For more information, see Persistent Identifier:http://dx.doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-6614-3or URL http://www.esds.ac.uk/findingData/snDescription.asp?sn=6614

The citation for these data is:University of Essex. Institute for Social and Economic Research and National Centre for Social Research, Understanding Society: Wave 1, 2009-2010, Data Archive [distributor], February 2012. SN: 6614 , http://dx.doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-6614-3

Too messy! Needs collapsing and simplifying!

Excellent Labelling (URL! Dates! Data source!

Data from Understanding Society on Solo Living and Life Satisfaction 2010

Critical Reader of Data

Student Moves Upward on the Scaffolding Toward the Top

Critical Reader of Data

Maker of Tables, Graphs

User of Microdata

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Critical Reader of Data

Student Moves Around on Scaffolding

Critical Reader of Data

Maker of Tables, Graphs

User of Microdata

Rethinks, questions the usual

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Our Online Materials Show QM in This Context

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www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/essted

Youtube and Vimeo Carry Our Videos – hot links via Google

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Upcoming Workshops

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Career Development Through Curriculum Leadership (2014/5)

More workshops in 2014, 2015

Conclusions Thank you for

listening

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