Module EDUC45830: Education Enquiry

Department: Education

EDUC45830: Education Enquiry

Prerequisites

• • EDUC40030, EDUC43230 and EDUC31730

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• This module aims to develop students to become more than reflective practitioners but to become enquirers in their professional context, thus leading to ‘transformation’ in their practice or ‘transformation-in-practice’ (KL). The module aims to instil in students an 'enquiry as stance' (Cochran-Smith&Lytle, 2009) position, where a discerning, critical, investigative and informed mind is fostered in students. Students will also be provided with the tools to carry out pilot practitioner research into their own practice, with a focus on the ‘transformative’, whilst remaining connected to and aware of the wider 'enquiry as stance' model and ‘threshold theory’ as the underpinning to their work.

Content

• The module will introduce students to the notion of 'enquiry as stance' position, where students will be encouraged to be flexible, reflexive, embracing of change, critical and informed. Indeed, they will be willing to embark on professional ‘transformative’ development, a ‘concept change’ embedded in and informed by threshold theory.
• The module will provide students with an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of education research and a basic introduction to the language of education research, including qualitative and quantitative paradigms, methodology, validity and reliability. "Enquiry as stance’, with its foundations in ‘threshold theory’, will be positioned for students within the appropriate paradigm or indeed as paradigm.
• The module will encourage reflexive practice and enquiry, in order that students understand, consider the affects of and adopt approaches to changing their developing practice, rather than simply evaluating same. Students will grow to understand that this will be a ‘transformative’, ‘troublesome’ and ‘reconstitutive’ process, as explored by ‘threshold theory’.
• The module will introduce students to a range of approaches to practitioner research and research design and methods therein for application in educational environments. It will also introduce students to ‘threshold theory’ as a theoretical underpinning to their work.
• The module will introduce students to ethics in education research.
• The module will provide support for students in the development of a research proposal to enable a small pilot research project to be carried out. The project will be relevant (personally and/or professionally) to the students.
• The module will also provide guidance on: planning research and the various aspects of this process; formulating a research problem; selecting cases for study; producing and analysing data; writing research reports.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the main strategies and techniques used in practitioner enquiry.
• Understand the theoretical underpinnings applied to same here by engaging with ‘threshold theory’.
• Develop an effective research design in order to carry out a small-scale pilot research project within the 'enquirer as stance' model, in order to achieve professional ‘transformation’.
• Apply a reflexive and critical approach to practitioner research design, where the results are developing and ‘transformative’, not simply evaluative.
• Develop an effective research design, strategy and method, in order to carry out a small-scale pilot research project

• Appreciate in depth 'enquirer as stance' model and theoretical underpinnings in ‘threshold theory’ and apply to own practitioner research
• Plan and conduct small-scale practitioner research and engage critically with literature (empirical and conceptual) that supports the ‘transformative’ in pedagogical practice;
• Bereflexive of their own practice and understand, consider the affects of and adopt approaches to changing their developing practice based on the process of practitioner enquiry and the theory of ‘threshold concepts’;
• identify, understand, consider the affects and adopt approaches to changing problematics in practice and / or specific educational contexts.

• Student assessment will demonstrate their ability to:
• research literature, including, for example: searching, synthesising, summarising and critiquing literatures; these will include differing theoretical standpoints.
• engage with theory, practice and research evidence use ICT when presenting assessments;
• organise and plan;
• formulate, analyse and solve problems;
• be reflective and reflexive;
• Learn independently, in co-operation and collaboratively.

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

• Teaching, learning and assessment will occur through lectures and seminar teaching supported by Study Guide resources. The students will be offered an opportunity to submit a short plan of their enquiry and write-up for formative assessment and feedback. The Study Guide includes preparation for and follow up to teaching activities. This directed independent work is an important part of the module. Lectures and seminars enable the ideas of the module to be considered. Seminar work also enables students to develop their understanding of the ideas and consider them in a range of professionally relevant contexts. Activities in seminars include a variety of active learning approaches including discussion, group work, presentations, question and answer sessions and individual tasks. As above, feedback on individual proposals for the pilot research will provide individualised formative guidance. DUO enables staff and students to continue their interaction between teaching sessions.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative Assessment: The interactive nature of the teaching sessions, with discussion, small group work, individual questioning, student presentations etc provides opportunity for informal formative feedback. The assignment title will be introduced early in the module to enable ongoing discussion during the teaching sessions. In addition to contact with the tutors during teaching sessions, tutors can be contacted by phone or email. Since students are required to carry out research into an aspect of their professional practice, a Proposal Proforma is submitted and formative feedback is provided by the Module Convenor. Students are strongly advised to submit an outline (maximum 2 sides of A4) summarising the research, a development of the argument and an explanation for their evidence in their assignment (a portfolio comprising a 5,000 word essay and supporting documentation), at least 4 weeks in advance of the submission deadline for written formative feedback, prior to the summative assessment.

■ 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