Research Methods: Doing a literature review

This guide is designed to help teachers to:

• understand how to use other people’s writing to inform their own research;
• develop a strategy for carrying out a search of the literature;
• organise the themes logically;
• evaluate the research they read;
• think about the features of a reflective literature review and explore how to achieve this in practice

This MESHGuide draws on a range of key literature in the field of social science research. Also its design has been informed by lessons learned from the author's research, which has focused on the following areas:

• developing effective collaborative learning in science
• factors influencing learning through play in the early years
• student teachers’ engagement with research and its impact on their developing practice
• constructivist informed practice in science within initial teacher education
• creativity in learning and teaching.