Why is primary research important?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what primary research is and how it can support my active citizenship project.
Key learning points
- Primary research is research that you carry out yourself.
- Primary research includes interviews, observations, questionnaires, focus groups, suggestion boxes and visual logs.
- It helps you understand real experiences to make your project more relevant and connected to your audience.
- It involves gathering new evidence and stories to highlight issues that may not be widely known.
- It shows you've listened to others, adding credibility and impact to your campaign.
Keywords
Primary research - original information or data, or the results of interviewing people. Research that you go out and collect yourself
Support - something that strengthens your argument or point of view
Data - facts or information, like numbers, words, or pictures, that can be collected and used
Common misconception
That primary research simple involves finding out what people think about your project.
Primary research does much more than this, it provides first hand accounts to help you be persuasive, it informs you whether or not your project is likely to be successful and it provides data that might not already be known to you.
Teacher tip
Have a look at some online questionaires and discuss what their purpose might be.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to its definition.
an important problem or topic to consider, discuss or debate
becomes involved in areas of public concern and makes a difference
suitable/relevant to the issue/community & your ability to take action
steps to raise awareness and influence decision-makers
Q2.Which is an example of secondary research?
Q3.Which type of research is the newest or youngest?
Q4.Something that strengthens your argument or point of view is providing what to your active citizenship project?
Q5.Which of the following most accurately describes secondary research?
Q6.A newspaper article is a type of secondary research as it has already been researched and written by a...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Research that you carry out yourself is known as what?
Q2.Order the words to complete this description of primary research. Primary research refers to gathering...
Q3.Purposeful primary research requires an audience that is what?
Q4.What type of primary research does this describe: 'we watched the pupils in the playground to see how much litter was being dropped'.
Q5.What type of primary research does this describe: 'We met with the canteen staff at school to discuss the possibility of using fair trade products in school'.
Q6.Which is not a type of primary research?
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Why is primary research important?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Why is primary research important?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the How can I be a changemaker in my community? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.