Module EDUC2301: EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH METHODS

Department: Education

EDUC2301: EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH METHODS

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To enable students to appreciate critically the kinds of knowledge claims that can be made by educational research.

Content

• Philosophical: paradigm issues.
• meaning of causation.
• notions of validity and generalisability.
• Research designs: ethnography.
• case study.
• survey.
• experiment.
• evaluation.
• etc.
• Methods/Issues: measurement - what kinds of data are there?.
• methods of data collection: interview, questionnaire, observation, etc.
• presenting an analysing data.
• interpretation and inference.
• literature searching.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module, students will be able to: understand and evaluate different views about the nature of educational research knowledge and the purposes of research, and make comparisons between the kinds of knowledge claims that can be made about education and those in their joint discipline.
• use and demonstrate knowledge about different kinds of educational research methods and designs, and the kinds of research questions for which they are appropriate.
• experience and appreciate the issues and complexities of collecting, analysing and interpreting educational research data.

• to interrogate the assumptions underpinning theory and research;

• think critically and independently;
• analyse, synthesise, evaluate and identify problems and solutions;
• communicate effectively with appropriate use of specialist vocabulary;
• interpret and present relevant numerical information;
• use ICT and a variety of library and IT resources;
• improve their own learning and performance, including the development of study and research skills, information retrieval, and a capacity to plan and manage learning, and to reflect on their own learning;
• work to deadlines.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching will consist of a mixture of lectures and seminars.
• Lectures will introduce key ideas and knowledge.
• Seminars will provide opportunities for discussion and detailed exploration of key issues.
• Students will also receive tutorial support for their summative assignment in groups to their joint discipline.
• Much of the work in seminars will be student-led, using a range of structured and supported activities.
• Students will have the opportunity to take part in, and receive feedback on, a range of research activities, including designing a study to address particular research questions, collecting data and analysing and interpreting it.
• Students will be provided with a study guide which will contain some key readings, guidance on the activities to be undertaken throughout the course and provide links to further references and sources of information.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Undertaken as group activities, resulting in presentation to seminar group, with written and oral feedback from peers and tutor. All groups will prepare a presentation on the given topic; one group on the day will give it.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University