Homeschool Guide: These lesson plans are a guide for parents. Content may contain errors — always cross-reference with official exam board specifications.

research methods (part 2)

FoundationHigherAll Boards

4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

Fastmail

Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: research methods (part 2)

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about research methods (part 2). Then check against the key terms: Psychology Exam Tips. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Psychology Exam Tips.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: research methods (part 2). By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Psychology because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative data, giving one strength and one limitation of each.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about research methods (part 2).

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: research methods (part 2)

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on research methods (part 2). Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: Quantitative data: numerical, can be statistically analysed. Qualitative data: descriptive, words rather than numbers. Primary data: collected by the researcher. Secondary data: collected by someone else for a different purpose.
Key Fact: Measures of central tendency: Mean (average - affected by outliers), Median (middle value - not affected by outliers), Mode (most common - useful for categorical data). Measures of dispersion: Range (highest minus lowest - simple but affected by outliers), Standard deviation (average distance from the mean - more precise but complex).
Key Fact: Data presentation: bar charts (discrete/categorical data), histograms (continuous data, no gaps between bars), scatter graphs (correlations), tables (organised raw data). Choose the presentation method that best represents the data type.
Key Fact: Ethical issues: informed consent (participants must agree to take part), deception (misleading participants - only acceptable if justified and debriefed), protection from harm (physical and psychological), privacy (right to confidentiality), right to withdraw (participants can leave at any time).
Key Fact: The BPS Code of Conduct sets ethical guidelines for UK psychologists: respect, competence, responsibility, integrity. Ethics committees must approve research before it is conducted. Debriefing is essential when deception has been used.
Psychology Exam Tips: When evaluating data, consider: is the mean appropriate or is it distorted by outliers? Is qualitative data too subjective? Is quantitative data too simplistic? Always justify your choice of statistical measure based on the data distribution.

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: Explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative data, giving one strength and one limitation of each.

Answer: Quantitative: numerical, easy to analyse and compare, objective. But lacks depth and context. Qualitative: rich, detailed, captures experiences. But harder to analyse, subjective. Both types are valuable - mixed methods provide a more complete picture.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: research methods (part 2)

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: Psychology Exam Tips. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Q1: Explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative data, giving one strength and one limitation of each.

Answer: Quantitative: numerical, easy to analyse and compare, objective. But lacks depth and context. Qualitative: rich, detailed, captures experiences. But harder to analyse, subjective. Both types are valuable - mixed methods provide a more complete picture.

Q2: Describe three ethical issues that psychologists must consider when conducting research.

Answer: Informed consent: participants must know what they are agreeing to - without it, their autonomy is violated. Deception: misleading participants undermines trust - only justified if the research question cannot be addressed otherwise. Protection from harm: researchers must minimise risks.

Q3: A study finds mean = 15, median = 12, mode = 10. Explain what these results suggest about the distribution of the data.

Answer: Mean > median > mode suggests a positively skewed distribution - a few high scores are pulling the mean upwards. The median (12) is a better measure of central tendency here because it is less affected by the extreme high scores than the mean (15).

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: research methods (part 2)

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response Evaluate the importance of ethical guidelines in psychological research, considering whether they are too strict. <div class="

A grade 9 response will: explain key ethical principles (consent, deception, protection, withdrawal); argue they are necessary (Milgram's study caused extreme stress); argue they may be too strict (some important research could not be conducted, deception sometimes necessary for valid results); conclude: ethical guidelines are essential but should be proportionate - researchers should seek the least deceptive approach while still being able to investigate important questions.

Exam Tips: Mean = average (affected by outliers). Median = middle (not affected by outliers). Mode = most common. | Informed consent + Right to withdraw + Debriefing = the ethical minimum for any study. | Bar chart = categorical data (gaps between bars). Histogram = continuous data (no gaps).
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often make mistakes here. Wrong: If a study has ethical issues, it should not be conducted under any circumstances. Correct: Some ethical issues can be managed rather than eliminated. Deception can be addressed through thorough debriefing. Lack of informed consent can be partially addressed through prior general consent or retrospective consent. The key is to minimise harm and ensure participants are fully informed as soon as possible.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how research methods (part 2) connects to another Psychology topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of research methods (part 2)
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in research methods (part 2)?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)