Document analysis

The common forms of document analysis in educational research tend to fall into either an analysis of curriculum, teaching or policy documents. You might opt to draw on materials from your school or from other public sources..

Effectively the document(s) under consideration provide a context for asking a particular question, i.e. how does the curriculum document for early childhood address the development of social skills in young students? Or, how does the current policy for professional development of leaders in schools deal with issues of diversity in schools?

Questions like this effectively require a review of appropriate literature. The framing of the research is different but the methods would be those of conducting a literature review.

It may also be possible to conduct a study based upon grey literature. In some instances, that may extend to good quality blog posts.

Here is an example of analysis of policy documents:

Wright, T. S., Parks, A. N., Wilinski, B., Domke, L. M., & Hopkins, L. J. (2020). Examining Certification Requirements in Early Math and Literacy: What Do States Expect Prekindergarten Teachers to Know? Journal of Teacher Education, 0022487120905514. doi:10.1177/0022487120905514

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