What is this research project about?
The project set out to explore tangible strategies that researchers and research organisations can implement to become more successful in recruiting and retaining early years settings, schools and 16 – 19 settings for their research projects.
The project explored how different education stakeholders, including local authorities, multi-academy trusts, nursery groups, college groups as well as representatives from early years settings (e.g., nurseries, a childminder), primary schools, secondary schools, and post-16 settings (e.g., colleges) across England, make decisions on whether to participate in educational research projects. In addition, this project also explored their views on appropriate tokens of appreciation for research participation.
What are the benefits of the project?
Insights developed as part of this project will allow educational research organisations like the EEF to become more successful in recruiting and retaining educational settings for their research projects. Recruiting and retaining settings in our research projects are crucial for generating high-quality evidence to show what works on boosting students’ attainment across the educational phases. Moreover, the perspectives of leaders of educational settings and other relevant stakeholders on appropriate tokens of appreciation for research participation will help us ensure that the settings’ contribution to the projects is fairly acknowledged.
About the research team and the funder
This project is a collaboration between Dr. Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai (Associate Professor of Education, University of Reading) and the EEF, and is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
What happened in this project?
To help us elicit the aforementioned perspectives, we administered an on-line questionnaire and conducted virtual interviews with leaders of educational settings and other relevant stakeholders from across England.