EDM007-Investigating Education

Module Provider: Institute of Education
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:7
Terms in which taught: Autumn term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2021/2

Module Convenor: Dr Nasreen Majid
Email: n.majid@reading.ac.uk

Module Co-convenor: Mrs Barbara King
Email: b.king@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

The aim of the module is to provide students with an overview of approaches to research in education in order to equip them both to understand and evaluate research studies and to carry out a small-scale personal research study for a dissertation. Topics to be covered include: the nature and purposes of educational research, formulating research questions, types of research design, introduction to methods of data collection and data analysis, ethical issues in research.

Aims:

The aim of the module is to provide students with an overview of approaches to research in education in order to equip them both to understand and evaluate research studies and to carry out a small-scale personal research study for a dissertation.

Assessable learning outcomes:

Knowledge of different philosophical assumptions that underpin research and their influence on planning and carrying out research

• Understanding of research design and its relationship to research questions and purpose


• Identify and apply appropriate criteria for judging the integrity of research


• Understanding of research ethics


• Knowledge of the strengths and limitations of different research methods

Knowledge of different methods for analysing qualitative and quantitative data

Additional outcomes:

• Critical analysis of educational research


• IT and advanced bibliographic skills


• Numeracy


• Awareness of dimensions of professional practice as a researcher

Outline content:

• Values Underpinning Research


• Action Research Design


• Survey Design and Questionnaires


• Experimental ÌýMethod and Intervention Studies


• Introduction to Statistics


• Working with children


• Case Study Design


• Document Analysis


• Interviewing


• Narrative Design and Introduction to Qualitative Data Analysis


• Observation

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

The module uses a mixture of lectures, seminars, group work and guided reading.

Summative assessment- Examinations:
n/a

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Written course work: one essay of 3,000 words

Formative assessment methods:

Mid-module formative assessment taught session – lecture and workshops

Penalties for late submission:

The below information applies to students on taught programmes except those on Postgraduate Flexible programmes. Penalties for late submission, and the associated procedures, which apply to Postgraduate Flexible programmes are specified in the policy 􀀓Penalties for late submission for Postgraduate Flexible programmes􀀔, which can be found here: