Research Approaches in Health Professions Education - 0990015
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2025-26 |
Module aims
The module will introduce students to key concepts in quantitative and qualitative research in order to form a research question, plan an appropriate methodological approach and method for data collection and analysis, and write a research proposal. The module will give students the foundational knowledge to interrogate published literature and to take a reflexive stance toward their own research.
Module learning outcomes
At the end of this module, successful students will be able to :
Knowledge and Understanding
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Review and apply the underlying assumptions informing quantitative and qualitative methodologies
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Select and, where necessary, apply appropriate methods to research questions depending on their aims and assumptions
Intellectual and Cognitive Skills
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Critically assess the ‘credibility’ of a given piece of work, using criteria appropriate to the type of research
Professional and practical skills
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formulate an outline research proposal
Key/Transferable Skills
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apply a reflexive and critical analysis to their own and others’ research
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produce a research proposal of individual research informed by the forefront of medical educational research and evaluation, and with the potential for publication for a professional
Module content
This module will cover basic research philosophy and methodologies and appropriateness for addressing particular types of questions. The students will acquire a framework for assessing rigour and credibility in educational research and an ability to generate theoretically informed and practically grounded research. They will also be exposed to some of the most common methods used in educational research. This module takes the students through research design in a step by step process.
Week 1: Introduction to Educational Research: Exploring the underlying assumptions of research, quantitative and qualitative paradigms. Exploring stances and choosing an appropriate methodology; examples of educational research and different paradigms.
Week 2:An introduction to key research designs: ethnography, surveys, case studies, surveys, evaluative researcg, reviews and mixed methods.
Week 3: Starting your research: Setting the context within the literature and writing research questions. Ethics
Week 4: Qualitative Methods & Analysis: Focus groups, interviews, case-studies
Week 5-6 : Quantitative Methods & Analysis: Survey, experimental and cross-over design. Basic statistical analysisand evaluative designs.
Week 7: Assignment 1: Develop a research question (aims, assumptions and ethics)
Week 8: Taking a research question to a robust study design
Week 9-12: Assignment 2: Develop a full research proposal
Group discussions, study days, online tasks, assignments and tutor interactions allow students to build on the content delivered and tailor it for their own health profession. Examples will be drawn upon from across the professions as well as the wider education and workplace psychology literature. Multidisciplinary tutors will help signpost relevance and transferability of principles to students.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
None
Module feedback
Feedback on on-line tasks via peer and tutor response (some quantitative feedback through ’tests and quizzes’).
One feedback tutorial per module either in person, via skype, on the telephone or as arranged to suit the individual circumstances
Feedback in writing on research proposal.
Indicative reading
Arthur J, Waring M, Coe R, Hedges L. (2013) Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. Sage: London, (Chapters 2,3,4,18, 19, 20, 21,24, 26, 30,31, 41, 46). (KEY TEXT*)
Ashbury, J. E. (1994) Overview of focus group research. Qual Health Res, 5(4): 414-420.
Barriball K L, While A. (1994) Collecting data using a semi-structured interview: a discussion paper. J of Advanced Nursing, 19: 328-335
Bordage, Georges. "Conceptual frameworks to illuminate and magnify." Medical education 43.4 (2009): 312-319.
Boynton P M, Greenhalgh T. (2004) Selecting, designing and developing your questionnaire. British Medical Journal; 328 (7451):1312-1315
Boynton, P M. (2004) Administering, analysing and reporting your questionnaire. British Medical Journal; 328 (7452):1372-1375
Cook, David A., Georges Bordage, and Henk G. Schmidt. "Description, justification and clarification: a framework for classifying the purposes of research in medical education." Medical education 42.2 (2008): 128-133.
Cook, David A., and Colin P. West. "Conducting systematic reviews in medical education: a stepwise approach." Medical education 46.10 (2012): 943-952.
Cooke A, Smith D, Booth A (2012). Beyond PICO: The SPIDER Tool for Qualitative Evidence Synthesis. Qual Health Res, 22(10): 1435-1443
Cleland, J., & Durning, S. J. (2015). Researching Medical Education. John Wiley & Sons. (KEY TEXT*)
Cresswell J W (2012) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches (3rd Edition). London: SAGE Publications.
Cutcliffe, JR (2000) Methodological Issues in Grounded Theory. Journal of Advanced Nursing 31(6):1476-1484
Dixon-Woods M, Cavers D, Agarwal S, Annandale E, Arthur A, Harvey J, Hsu R, Katbamna S, Olsen R, Smith L, Riley R, Sutton AJ. Conducting a critical interpretive synthesis of the literature on access to healthcare by vulnerable groups. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2006, 6:35 doi:10.1186/1471-2288-6-35