Educational Research Methods - EDU00029I

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Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23

Module aims

The main aim of the module is to provide student with introductory level knowledge and skills of research methods in the social sciences. The research methods taught in this module will be applied to educational questions and contexts. This is essential for several reasons:

• To develop further your research literacy skills so that students can read reports of educational research with more understanding and insight, and so that you are more able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of such research;
• To help students develop knowledge and skills which are essential in a range of careers in education and in the social sciences more widely;
• To help students to prepare for the Empirical Dissertation module which you will carry out research as part of your Year 3 programme in Educational Studies.

Module learning outcomes

After completing the module, students will:

• Be familiar with a range of research strategies and methods, including both qualitative and quantitative methods;
• Be able to use the common research techniques of questionnaires, interviews and observation.
• Be aware of the strengths and limitations of each method of data collection;
• Know how to analyse the data collected using each of aforementioned methods of data collection;
• Have experience of using techniques for dealing with data;
• Be aware of the characteristics of a good research report as a result of reading and analysing a number of reports of different research studies involving a range of research strategies and methods;
• Have a clearer understanding of the characteristics of an ideal empirical dissertation;
• Be able to plan a piece of research.

Academic and graduate skills

• Students will develop their critical thinking, argumentation, and communication skills.
• Specifically, students will engage in activities examining the relative strengths and weakness of different research paradigms, methods of data collection and methods of data analysis.
• Further, students will complete a group research project and prepare a presentation based on that project to the whole group. As an additional skill, students will develop their IT skills by interacting fully with the VLE (Yorkshare).

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	33
Essay/coursework	34
Oral presentation/seminar/exam	33

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	34
Essay/coursework	33
Oral presentation/seminar/exam	33

Module feedback

Written feedback on assignment report sheet and face-to-face feedback in supervisions. The feedback is returned to students in line with university policy. Please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information.

Indicative reading

A wide range of reading is expected of students on the course. The keys texts for all terms are:

• Babbie (2008). The basics of social research. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth
• Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press
• Cohen, l., Manion, L., and Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education. London: Routledge