Today, we expect teachers at all levels of the educational system to undertake research to improve their teaching practices or make use of published research to improve students' learning. Doing Educational Research supports practitioners taking their first steps in conducting educational research by providing an easy-to-read but informative and sound introduction to the research, and encourages readers to explore further. Today, we expect teachers at all levels of the educational system to undertake research to improve their teaching practices or make use of published research to improve students' learning. Doing Educational Research supports practitioners taking their first steps in conducting educational research by providing an easy-to-read but informative and sound introduction to the research, and encourages readers to explore further.

Doing Educational Research is organised around, and answers, many frequently asked questions. Why should we conduct educational research? What are the major approaches? How do you choose the approach that suits your purpose? Where does research fit with theory? Why are ethical and cultural considerations so important? How do you formulate a research question? What are the best methods for gathering data? How do you make sense of data? How do you write up your findings? How do you disseminate them? And so on. The why, how and so what aspects of the research process that underpin these questions are threads woven through the book.

Although Doing Educational Research primarily considers the novice researcher, it has a place for those seeking an overview of the research process and for experienced researchers wanting a "refresher".