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Educational Research Methods - EDU00072I

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  • Department: Education
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Daniel McArthur
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
    • See module specification for other years: 2023-24

Module summary

The purpose of the module is to build students' ability to understand social scientific research methods and apply them to educational questions. We encourage students to develop awareness of a broad range of research methods, and critically appraise what we can learn from them.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

The key aims of the module are:

  • To be able to assess the strengths, weaknesses, and uses of a range of educational research methods.

  • To gain the skills needed to critically assess the strength of the evidence for claims in the educational literature.

  • To gain practical experience using a range of data collection and analysis methods.

  • To develop knowledge and skills which are essential in a range of careers in education and in the social sciences more widely.

  • To prepare and gain experience for the Empirical Dissertation module, in which you will carry out research as part of your Year 3 programme.

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 and be aware of the strengths and limitations of each method of data collection;

  • Know how to analyse the data collected using each of the aforementioned methods of data collection;

  • Be able to apply knowledge of research methods to critically evaluate claims in published literature;

  • Be able to plan a piece of research and have a clearer understanding of the characteristics of an ideal empirical dissertation;

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 weaknesses of different research paradigms, methods of data collection and methods of data analysis.

  • Students will gain practical experience collecting and analysing data, both by themselves and in groups.

  • As an additional skill, students will develop their IT skills by interacting fully with the VLE (Yorkshare).

Module content

Designing research projects

  • Research projects and research questions

  • Research designs - causal inference

  • Systematic literature searching

  • Research ethics

Data collection methods

  • Surveys, questionnaires, and sampling

  • Interviews

  • Observation

Data analysis

  • Quantitative analysis

  • Qualitative analysis

  • Document analysis

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
5 x 500 word mini-essays, responding to a research scenario.		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
5 x 500 word mini-essays, responding to a research scenario.		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Individual written feedback reports, with follow-up tutor meeting, if necessary. 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

  • Babbie, E. (2017). The Basics of Social Research. 7th Edition. Cengage Learning.

  • Cohen, l., Manion, L., and Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education. 7th Edition. London: Routledge

  • Einarsdottir, J. (2007). Research with children: Methodology and ethical challenges. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. 15(2):197-211.

  • Field, A.P. (2017). Discovering Statistics Using SPSS : (and Sex and Drugs and Rock’n’roll). 5th Edition. London: SAGE.

  • Murray, S.B. (2003). A spy, a shill, a go-between, or a sociologist: unveiling the “observer” in participant observation. Qualitative Research. 3(3):377-395.

  • Saris, W.E. and Gallhofer, I. (2014). Design, Evaluation, and Analysis of Questionnaires for Survey Research. Second edition. Hoboken, New Jersey:John Wiley & Sons

The module also has a detailed online reading list with weekly readings, including examples of the methods covered on the course.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.