EDMPIP: Investigating Practice

Module code: EDMPIP

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 40

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Mr Mark Aitchison , email: mark.aitchison@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE EDMPRT (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module is designed to complement students’ experience of teaching in school. It provides an opportunity for them to consider in depth their practice, drawing on research to carry out an investigation of their teaching practice and their pupils’ learning.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Identify a focus, or series of foci, and implement and critically evaluate an investigation of their teaching practice.
2. Engage with and carry out an investigation in an educational context, critically evaluating relevant literature and developing appropriate methodology to investigate empirically the impact of their teaching practice.
3. Develop understanding, which will contribute towards the development of students' practical teaching.

Module content

Students will identify a focus, or series of foci, to implement through their lesson planning. They will design a sequence of lessons and accompanying resources, drawing upon literature from, and possibly beyond, the programme reading lists. They will produce a critical, research-informed commentary of these lessons, providing analysis of the approaches taken and the ‘big decisions’ made. Students will implement this sequence of lessons and evaluate the impact of their planning and teaching on their pupils’ learning. The purpose of this is for them to improve their teaching by engaging with research literature and empirical study. They will write up their results, discussion and the conclusions that they draw in relation to their practice.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Students will be encouraged to draw upon all reading covered as part of generic or subject curricula throughout the programme. They will attend lectures and seminars during the spring term to introduce the assignment and appropriate methods and approaches to critiquing appropriate literature and evaluating the impact of their teaching. A one to one tutorial will be offered during the Spring Term to consider the design of planning and evaluation methodologies.

Study hours

At least 9 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Proposal for the action research project they are undertaking will be submitted to help shaping the project and considering ethics.

Reassessment

Additional costs