2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

EDUC2081 Research Methods for TESOL

20 creditsClass Size: 50

Module manager: Dr Lou Harvey
Email: L.T.Harvey@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

This module is mutually exclusive with

EDUC2102

Approaches to Research: Theory and Practice

Module replaces

EDUC 2102 Approaches to Research, Theory and Practice

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module is designed for TESOL students who are new to research. It aims to give them a foundational understanding of what research is, why we do it, and why it is important. One of the distinguishing features of this module is that students will be introduced to methods of researching language education through working on a small-scale group research project based on a real-world problem, posed by external partners of the Centre for Language Education Research. This work will scaffold their proposal for their Final Year Project, on which they will be assessed at the end of the module. This approach will enable discussion of ethics, credibility, quality, and impact to be fully embedded into the module, and these will be considered and discussed alongside the main topic for each session. The small-scale project will be assessed by portfolio as it develops and will enable the tutors to provide students with formative feedback throughout the process. Participation in the CLER community will be an important component of the module and student will be familiarized with the ways in which they can disseminate their research and make their findings accessible to the public.

Objectives

This module provides an introduction to reserach approaches and methods in language education. Throughout the module, which runs over two semesters, you will design and pilot a group research project based on a real-world problem in language education posed by external partners of the Centre for Language Education Research, and engage closely with the community in the CLER. You will reflect upon definitions and philosophical underpinnings of language education research and the implications for making ethically-informed decisions. You will learn about the key concepts and principles of planning and conducting educational research, gaining hands-on experience of a range of methods and processes. Throughout the module there will be a strong focus on research impact, ethics, quality and credibility. The module will equip you with the knowledge and skills that you will need to design, develop, and conduct future research, including your final year project.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to:

- understand different research approaches in language education and their philosophical underpinnings
- identify and formulate research questions and appropriate data generation and analytical strategies for addressing these
- understand key concepts regarding research quality, e.g. validity and reliability
- understand ethical issues in language education research
- understand the benefits of engagement in a research community
- understand the real-world benefits of language education research

Syllabus

Indicative content:

Part 1: Developing aims and research questions
Philosophical underpinnings; approaches and paradigms; aims and rationale; literature review; theoretical frameworks
CLER Meeting 1

Part 2: Data generation
Questionnaires; corpus linguistics; classroom observation; interaction analysis; interviews and focus groups; introspective methods; (linguistic) ethnography; mixed methods
CLER Meeting 2

Part 3: Data analysis
Descriptive statistical analysis; content analysis; thematic analysis; narrative analysis; critical discourse analysis

Part 4: Interpreting data
Returning to literature/theoretical frameworks; addressing research questions; writing up and reporting
CLER Meeting 3

Part 5: Impact, dissemination, and public engagement
Bringing findings back to stakeholders; developing recommendations/educational materials; why/how to engage the public with research; evaluating impact and engagement

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Meetings	4	2.00	8.00
Group learning	10	1.00	10.00
Lecture	12	2.00	24.00
Independent online learning hours			20.00
Private study hours			138.00
Total Contact hours			42.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Students will use this time to prepare their assignments. They will be organised into study groups to carry out their research project and will meet every other week (alternating with teaching weeks). Groups will be directed towards each stage of the project with specific readings and tasks.

Students will also engage in a number of individual tasks: in January-March, they will pilot their research; they will access resources and complete tasks on the VLE; and they will do independent reading.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress will be monitored through:
- Portfolio assessment and feedback
- Monitoring (during teaching sessions) on student performance of tasks
- Encouraging, and observing the level of, student participation in class discussions
- Monitoring students' completion of VLE tasks and contributions to VLE discussion threads
- Reading and providing feedback on a draft of the research proposal
- Monitoring participation in CLER meetings

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Research Proposal	1 x 1200 word research proposal (for Level 3 dissertation)	30.00
Portfolio	Literature review and research questions, Research design and rationale, Data analysis and rationale, Impact materials and rationale	60.00
Group Discussion	Attendance at CLER meetings	10.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Portfolio: 1 Literature review and research questions (700 words) - Set in Semester 1 Week 1 - 15% 2 Research design rationale (500 words) - Set in Semester 1 Week 7 - 15% 3 Data analysis and rationale (500 words) - Set in Semester 2 week 1 - 15% 4 Impact materials and rationale (500 words) - Set in Semester 2 after Easter - 15% Whole portfolio due in Semester 2 Attendance at CLER meetings - 10%

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 30/04/2019

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