I am currenting recruiting teachers as samples for my research. How else would I know what teachers know if I don't ask. Therefore, teachers play an important role in educational research especially if it is about classroom instructions, student learning abilities and their perspective of what works and what does not in the classroom including  Professional development. 

yes the attitude of school teacher is a basic of the growth in education of ward and development of educational institution

Yes, teachers can be taken as a sample and a research can be done on them. Teachers are also important as a sample in research work too.

Yes, you can take teachers

Take a look at papers related to models of Teacher Professional Development (tpack.org can start you along the way). 

It  depends on what  is the broad objective and specific objectives of the research. I do not understand what circumstance some researchers do not accept the teachers to be research samples

I am currenting recruiting teachers as samples for my research. How else would I know what teachers know if I don't ask. Therefore, teachers play an important role in educational research especially if it is about classroom instructions, student learning abilities and their perspective of what works and what does not in the classroom including  Professional development. 

Yes, teachers can be selected as sample in research related to teaching and learning.

thank you all for your frank answers.

definitely. They are at the center of the universe. They are the ones doing all the action on the ground. Input from them would be immense and real.

Yes, you should be able to use teachers.  However, make sure that you have IRB approval that covers the use of teachers as part of your sample size, since they will be considered to be "human subjects".

Teachers are the most perfect actors of society to develop knowledge, habbits and skills in the students, and still they are forever developing their own. What is best than a teacher to do research in education. Thy carry both teaching and learning in the clearest way.

School teachers sample is required as it is crucial to consider the ethical issues involved in doing research on Teaching. When the Objective is to set up the Teacher Research Panel to provide a way for teachers to be nationally involved in promoting and developing teaching - as a research and evidence-based profession; 

http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415518369/data/starting/Using_research_and_evidence_to_inform_your_teaching.pdf

Tamil, would you please provide references for the opinion stated in your original question? Those papers might be worth a reply along the line that peers have drawn in the posts above.

Hi,

There is nothing wrong with taking /using teachers as sample in your research. Indeed, as teachers are a major stakeholder in education, it is inconceivable that educational research will not include teachers. Having said this, there are two issues that ou must bear in mind. The first is the need to eliminate bias. This will be informed by what you are investigating and the nature of the data you intend to collect from teachers. The second is the general issue around ethics. A key question is the relationship between the researcher and the sample. Are you in a position that classifies you as 'superior' to the teachers?-- Head teacher etc. Would they feel coerced into participating in your research an, therefore, provide answers that you want to hear? The second point relates to the first. Have you secured their consent and is their participation voluntary?

Once these factors have been considered, I see no reason why teachers, like every other stakeholder, cannot be a part of your research

Dear Tamil Selvan, There are many studies available wherein teachers have  been taken as sample respondents. More specifically, in the field of education it has seen that sample respondents are either teachers, pupil teachers, or the students have been taken as sample. It depends upon the objectifies of the study for which specific aspect of education field you wish to investigate through teachers as respondents. It is true that to a larger extent it is the teachers only who influence education, and hence you can take teachers as sample of your study.  

It goes back to the type of study if they are related to teachers is possible that they are trying to beautify reality show are well and they are idealists

Tamil, please provide us reliable and valid literature on the basis of your statement,

"Because some researchers have the opinion that we should not consider teachers as the sample for any educational research."

Personally, I believe that this claim is unfounded.

Hi Tamil,

I agree with Eddie and Michael. I would like to read research suggesting the non use of teachers in educational research.

Perhaps the researchers who had the opinion are suggesting that using teachers in educational research can be difficult - in relation to reliability, validity etc. Even so, any research in education, due to the nature of the discipline, always has to take into account that this research involves people and people are not as easily measured as is other disciplines such as Physics, Mathematics etc. Regards, Kevin.

In my opinion, as far as i know, when teacher will be add in to sample at the research, like a effectiveness teacher personality to affecting student achieving at the class.

unfortunately, i can not give you the journal about that

Yes, you can take school teachers as a sample for your research.  Like others, school teachers are fairly eligible to be considered as subject in those researches which try to accommodate the teachers' perception about the education in its varied forms.

Hi Tamil,

In my opinion, whether or not to include teachers in your sample entirely depends on the nature, focus and aims of the study in question. In particular, considering whether or not the context is one in which teachers' perspectives are needed will help to answer your question. Tied to this will be the kind of instrumentation you intend to use and the data you envisage gathering. For example, if you're looking at the topic of teacher professional learning, you may decide that it's teachers' perspectives that you most want to consider and report on. In this case, utilising instrumentation that allows you to measure and triangulate the perspectives of a sample of teachers can go some way to understanding whether the professional learning initiative or intervention has some value. Of course, any sample is prone to bias, so it's important to do a thorough literature review and be very clear when you report the nature of the sample (e.g. purposive, intensity, convenience, etc.) 

M

hi Eddie and kevin

i do not have any reliable evidence for the statement

"Because some researchers have the opinion that we should not consider teachers as the sample for any educational research."

however, it was the strong opinion of my research supervisor when i proposed my research topic with school teachers as sample for the study.

it is my interest to do my ph.d on special education teachers in india. because, from my observation they receive a very low income but they work hard, so i am interested in their professional and personal lifestyle. but when i received the comment from my supervisor, it slowed down my research progress.

in the reputed open forum, i place my doubts. thanks everyone answered my question with positive and evidence based points which motivated me.

thank you miranda fro your update.

I agree with Miranda.  Also my own research is on myself and another teacher.  There is no better way of conducting research in the education than with the teachers who are the driving force.

well said kathryn.

Dear Tamil,

I think that if teachers agree to participate in research then that would not be a problem as long as young children are not involved.

Regards

Carmen Camilleri

Re Carmen's point - why should young children not be involved?  There are many studies involving young children that are at the forefront of educational research.

Dear Kathryn,

With children one needs parents' permission first. Then yes I do agree that they can be helpful contributors.

Regards

Carmen Camilleri

Dear Kathryn & Carmen

Young children and their parents' permission are very important to carry out a research. we can assess the impact of teachers' personality and teaching competency by assessing young children, i think. this would be very well a predicting factor for a good educational transaction.

Michael stevenson has given a very comprehensive reply to your question as it is impossible to conduct a study focusing the impact of classroom envoirnment on learning without including teacher which is an integral part of it,or some direct phenomenon like The role or impact of a teacher on student,s learning perceptions,future plans,personality etc.So it is not researcher,s choice rather the purpose of study that actually determines whether or not to include teachers as samples.

Thanks Shabana

you have rightly said "it is not researcher,s choice rather the purpose of study that actually determines whether or not to include teachers as samples."

Brazilian Education Professor and Teacher Menga Ludtke up to recently, had na ongoing reasearch on this su. at the Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and may have had items published in Brazilian Portuguese, close to this respect.

Example - Researches hypothesized on the following, require teacher samples 

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=41&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDQQFjAAOCg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vanderbilt.edu%2Fschoolchoice%2Fdocuments%2Fbriefs%2Fbrief_stuit_smith_ncspe.pdf&ei=DAw_VdvvDYHaPPqZgcAM&usg=AFQjCNHb4-TcdtzbeFQH5BTTGAlX1QFgUA