module specification

The Dissertation is a small independent project, though in comparison to taught modules on the Course, work to be done is substantive. This will give you the opportunity to identify one researchable issue related to leadership and management in health and/or social care for in-depth study. It is designed to be taken upon completion of the taught modules as it requires you to use and apply the knowledge and skills gained from them. Hence, the Dissertation will give you an opportunity to reflect on your learning and development through this Course and critically appraise a range of issues studied in the Course modules in order to plan and undertake a substantive study of a particular leadership and management issue of researchable nature in your practice or within the health and social care sector.

Planning and setting the roadmap of the work will be done during the semester prior to starting the Dissertation. As such, you will be expected to have taken and completed SH7008 Research Methods in Health and Social Care prior to starting the Dissertation. This work will require you to use a range of theoretical and practice-based perspectives from social science disciplines, as well as theoretical and practical knowledge of both original and desktop-based research. Hence, with careful planning and guidance from the Dissertation lead and/or supervisor, you will be able to do the work either as a literature review or original research. Self-motivation, careful planning and ability to work independently will be key to your success.

The Dissertation aims to:

1. Integrate the skills and knowledge-base underpinning the core modules on the Masters programme and channel these to in-depth study of a specific leadership and management issue of concern in the field of health and /or social care.

2. Develop practical skills necessary for identifying researchable issues on leadership and management in the field of health and/or social care, and undertaking in-depth independent inquiry on them, either as desktop-based or original research.   

3. Apply appropriate knowledge of related research as well as theory, policy and practice in relation to a chosen leadership and management issue.

4. Promote critical reflection on the process of developing and executing a post-graduate level dissertation.

SH7008 Research Methods in Health and Social Care

The Dissertation is mainly done as self-directed. However, you will be provided with at least four workshops, and supervisory support throughout  the 15 weeks of the project. In addition, you will receive online support through WebLearn where you can listen to pre-recorded material, read key literature and have access the crucial websites and videos and other supporting materials. Supervision will be available to support you complete, write up and submit your dissertation research in 15 weeks.

The Workshops and online seminar support is provided in the following areas:
1. Introduction and Orientation to the Dissertation Project
2. Managing the Supervision Process
3. The Right Focus and the Right Literature
4. Structuring and Writing the Dissertation
5. What is a Literature Review?
6. Searching the Literature
7. Screening the Literature/Evidence in Relation to Your Research Question
8. Conducting a Thematic Analysis
9. Writing the Results

The Dissertation (triple-module) programme demands from you a high degree of responsibility and autonomy in the planning and execution of a sustained and substantive piece of work. The learning and teaching will consist of four/five workshops to familiarise you with the aim and objectives of the Dissertation, and the methodology used for data collection, data analysis and writing up the results. In addition, specialist sessions will be held with library staff. Following the allocation of the dissertation supervisor, there will be formal personal dissertation supervision tutorials. You will meet with your supervisor at intervals on at least four further occasions (9 hours), and should keep a log of meetings, in which objectives for the forthcoming weeks are agreed and used for review at subsequent meetings. In doing this work and depending on your topic of research, you should be aware of leadership and management contexts that relate to issues of equality, diversity, inclusivity, social justice, sustainability, adaptability, compassion, collaboration, cross organisational working, etc that require you to reflect on your own work, research, policy and practice in health and/or social care.

On completion of the Dissertation, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate an ability to systematically plan, organise and write a substantive Masters level project on a topic of relevance to health and/or social care leadership and management, accurately applying academic conventions [LO1].

• Select, synthesise and apply appropriate social science theories, methodologies, techniques and ethical principles to inform your own inquiry [LO2]

• Critically reflect on relevant leadership and management theories, processes and techniques in an applied context [LO3]

• Demonstrate synthesis between the literature and materials used and the findings of the project [LO4]

• Interpret and evaluate evidence systematically and critically to make sound judgements [LO5]

• Communicate key issues, arguments, findings and conclusions clearly in a style that conforms to academic conventions [LO6].

Describe the assessment instruments and provide a rationale for them in terms of the learning outcomes that they assess. This should be 200-300 words long.

To pass the Dissertation, you will assessed against all the six learning outcomes (LO1 to LO6) through the submission of a 12,000 - 15,000 word Dissertation, carrying the weight of 100%. The work is  usually submitted in Week 13 of the relevant semester. This requires you to demonstrate mastery in planning and conducting a sustained and substantive research project with minimal guidance. You will also have to demonstrate the ability to systematically plan the programme, design appropriate methods of data collection, analyse, synthesise, present and write up the results in a manner that conforms to academic conventions.

This is the Link to the Reading List for SH7P06 Health and Social Care Leadership and Management Dissertation

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/90481FAB-8F83-59E1-AB7A-81AEE2E7FF82.html?lang=en