Undergraduate Course: Education 4: Professional Research in Education (EDUA10103)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | Education 4 offers students the opportunity to engage in an intensive study of the relationship between research and professional practice. The course builds on the work undertaken in Education 1A, 1B, 2 and 3 and encourages students to reflect on the knowledge and insights gained during their studies. From Year One of the programme, students will have been encouraged to develop a research disposition and they will have engaged in various small-scale research activities. Education 4 gives students the opportunity to extend their research capabilities. Under the supervision of School staff students plan, implement and present the outcomes of an empirical research study carried out in the professional context of the placement school. There is systematic study of the principal social science research methods, and School staff draw on their own research expertise to support students in developing a critical awareness of a range of approaches to research. This consolidation and development of students' research experiences aims to support them in the development of a researcherly orientation towards their professional practice as teachers: through undertaking their own piece of small-scale research they become more informed and analytical readers of research, and develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to undertake further research during their teaching careers.
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| Course description |
Education 4 provides a 'taught component' in semester one and one-to-one supervision throughout both semesters. During semester one, there is a structured programme of lectures and workshops on various aspects of conducting a small-scale research project including:
Selecting and refining a research topic
Reviewing the literature
Generating significant and researchable questions
Research design
Social science research methods (observations, interviews, questionnaires, documentary analysis, descriptive statistics)
The relationship between research, policy and practice
During one-to-one supervision students have the opportunity to discuss both substantive and methodological issues relating to their own research with their supervisors.
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Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- identify significant and researchable questions arising from professional concerns
- design, justify and implement a small-scale piece of research involving empirical work in a school setting
- analyse data and draw out findings of significance to their professional practice and to the teaching profession
- communicate their research intentions, design and findings in clear, accurate and scholarly English
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Reading List
Babione, C. (2015) Practitioner Teacher Inquiry and Research. London, Wiley and Sons.
Cohen, L., Manion, L. & Morrison, K. (2011) Research Methods in Education. 7th edition. London, Routledge.
Punch, K. (2014) Introduction to Education Research methods. 2nd edition. London, Sage.
Thomas, G. (2013) How To Do Your Research Project: a guide for students in education and applied social sciences. 2nd edition. London, Sage. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
A critical understanding of social science research methods used in applied education research
Application of selected advanced social science research skills in the context of a small-scale research project
Critical synthesis of ideas and concepts in a selected topic area
Presentation of research findings clearly and succinctly, using numerical and lexical data as apropriate
Planning and implementation of an independent research project with the guidance of a supervisor |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
9 x 1-hour lectures
10 x 2-hour workshops
4 hours of individual supervision |
| Keywords | education research |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Shereen Benjamin
Tel: (0131 6)51 6147
Email: shereen.benjamin@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Annabelle MacInnes
Tel: (0131 6)51 6449
Email: Annabelle.MacInnes@ed.ac.uk |
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