module specification

The module allows students to gain experience of conducting a small-scale research study by searching, gathering, interpreting and presenting primary data.  It outlines possibilities for further scholarly activity and research as graduates of Education Studies.

This module is integrally connected to and develops from the level 5 module Researching Education (SS5021). When the students start learning research skills at level five, they are encouraged to look at their research studies at levels five and six as one extended project. As the research study report they write at level five is based on a pilot study for their dissertation project, they can incorporate aspects of the level five report into their dissertations, without it being flagged up as self-plagiarism.Students begin by reviewing the pilot studies that they carried out at level 5 with the view to devise their level 6 research projects.  Students will evaluate the research focus, the methodology, and the findings of their pilot studies. This reflection will become the starting point for their new learning in this module.

The module introduces students to some key debates in the philosophy of research and the emergence of the interpretivist paradigm in social research. They will be asked to locate their studies within the interpretivist paradigm and develop convincing justifications for doing so.

The students will have opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of various aspects of qualitative research methodology. This knowledge will help to devise a sound design for their dissertation research projects.

The module will help the students develop and enhance their skills of qualitative data analysis.

Throughout the module, students will be provided opportunities to develop the skills of writing a good-quality dissertation that will report the execution and findings of a small-scale, qualitative primary research project.

Module Aims

The module aims to enable students to:
1) develop an emerging knowledge and understanding of some of the key philosophical debates related to the ontology and epistemology of social research.
2) develop a deeper understanding of the purposes, nature, components, and processes of social research.
3) be able to design and conduct a small-scale qualitative research study in education.
4) be able to insightfully review and critique existing social research.
5) be able to confidently report the findings of a small-scale primary qualitative research study.

Students should have successfully completed level 5.

Reflecting on the Pilot Studies – Devising Sound Research Questions, Aims & Objectives, and Rationales for the Dissertation Projects (LO: 1)

The module starts by introducing the idea of reflexivity in qualitative social research and why this is important. This becomes the basis for students’ reflection on their pilot studies that they carried out at level 5 and what direction their dissertation research is likely to take.

Students are asked to reflect on the individual research questions and how they may want to change and develop it in the light of the experience of carrying out the pilot study.

After articulating a working research question, students will be introduced to ways of devising clear, achievable, and worthwhile aims, objectives, and rationales for their research studies.

Constructing a Literature Review (LO: 3)

This part of the module aims to extend the review of a selection of relevant existing literature that students started in the pilot studies as well as while devising convincing rationales for their dissertation research studies. Students will be introduced to some key approaches and strategies for writing an insightful literature review for their research studies.

Articulating a Theoretical Framework (LO: 4)

This part of the module aims to extend students’ knowledge, understanding of the importance of a theoretical framework in social research. Students are provided opportunities to develop the skill articulating an appropriate theoretical framework for their own research.

Designing a Research Project (LO: 2, 6 & 8)

This part of the module discusses various aspects of research design and methodology. Students are provided opportunities to read methodological literature with the view to help them start effectively designing their studies and develop robust justifications for all their methodological decisions. Students are introduced to the importance of upholding high ethical standards throughout the research project.

Analysing Primary Data and Reporting Findings (LO: 7)

The final part of the module focuses on the strategies and skills of insightfully analysing primary data that the students would collect for their dissertation projects. They will also be introduced to the craft of arriving at and discussing the key findings that emerge from the analysis of their data.

The module is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops.

Most of the lectures and taught sessions take place during the first semester. In these sessions, the module tutors deliver lectures on key aspects of qualitative research. In most weeks, the lectures are followed by seminars, where students can explore the ideas introduced in the lectures with one another in the context of their own research studies.

As a result of successfully completing this module, you will be able to:

1) develop a clear and thought-through focus for your dissertation project and operationalise it in the form of a researchable question.
2) confidently discuss and analyse the differentiating characteristics of the two main traditions of social research, with a special focus on qualitative research.
3) explain the role of literature review in scientific research and review relevant existing research to frame and locate your own study.
4) explain the role of a theoretical framework in social research and identify and present an appropriate one for your own research and use it to develop other aspects of your own research and draw on it to analyse the data.
5) write an analytical and critical account of the research methodology and design of a small-scale qualitative research project.
6) design and conduct a small-scale qualitative research study and put in place robust safeguards to ensure that all aspects of your research conform to high ethical standards.
7) meaningfully analyse qualitative data to arrive at findings that would help you answer the main research question.
8) demonstrate emergent reflexivity as a social scientist/researcher, by critically analysing both your pilot and dissertation projects.

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