Contents
Presenters
Christos Balafoutis – PhD Candidate, Sociology and Criminology
Dr Jane Secker – Associate Professor Educational Development, LEaD
Paper
One common issue in the field of social sciences is the reluctance of sociologists to quantify their work. Sociology students are frequently challenged by the epistemological legitimacy of quantitative research methods, presenting high levels of statistics anxiety during the learning process (Ralston, 2020). As a result, students tend to avoid statistics modules, struggle to see their utility in sociology, and are hindered by inadequate teaching methods, as traditional lecture formats do not allow engagement or practical assessment of the learning material (Kolpashnikova & Bartolic, 2019). Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) practices have been proven effective in improving the learning experience of students across a range of disciplines (Akintayo et al., 2024) by addressing superficial teaching, overcoming unfamiliarity with difficult concepts, and enabling students to effectively link theory with practice (Nguyen et al., 2024).
This project explored the opinions of third-year sociology students who completed the respective Quantitative Methods modules through TEL at a prominent university in London — specifically, how practicing statistical software in collaboration with peers changed students’ negative predisposition toward statistics, facilitated the acquisition of knowledge, and boosted pedagogical socialisation and engagement by turning “traditional lectures” into digitally enhanced collaborative sessions. In these sessions, students were divided into small groups and asked to complete a quantitative research task using SPSS collaboratively, supported by real-time digital resources. Findings suggest that integrating TEL into quantitative methods modules significantly improved students’ engagement and confidence, leading to a more positive perception of statistics and ultimately enhancing their understanding and knowledge of quantitative research methods. Furthermore, the results highlighted the overt role of technology not merely as a support tool, but as a main component of teaching in Higher Education (Voce et al., 2022). These insights demonstrate that embracing TEL can spark deeper student engagement and motivation, offering lessons applicable across disciplines and institutions.
Outcomes:
- Recognise the benefits of TEL in learning QM research methods
- Identify suitable TEL tools and approaches for their teaching / learning
- Assess the challenges faced by students as a cross-disciplinary issue
- Reflect on TEL based activity through discussion and poll
- Develop strategies to integrate TEL methods into their own teaching
References
Kolpashnikova, K. and Bartolic, S. (2019) ‘Digital divide in quantitative methods: The effects of computer assisted instruction and students’ attitudes on knowledge acquisition’, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 35(2), pp. 208–217. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12322
Nguyen, T., Vilppu, H. and Murtonen, M. (2024) The effects of a short online pedagogical course on university teachers’ conceptions of learning and engaging students during lectures,’ Online Learning, 28(2). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v28i2.3695
Ralston, K. (2020) ‘Sociologists shouldn’t have to study statistics: Epistemology and anxiety of statistics in sociology students’, Sociological Research Online, 25(2), pp. 219–235. https://doi.org/10.1177/136078041988
