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2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

EDUC2102 Approaches to Research: Theory and Practice

20 creditsClass Size: 85

Module manager: Dr Yan Zhu
Email: Y.Zhu1@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module draws on ideas about childhood and child development to construct a set of critical questions that will be used to analyse examples of the theoretical and applied aspects of educational and social research. The module starts with the basic principles of research design and development. You will be provided with an introduction to the main research methods and ethics. It will be informed by cutting edge research, drawing on a wide range of research methodologies reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of research conducted in the area of childhood and youth. You will critically examine other people's research processes and methodologies before developing your own research question and methodology. Introductions to specific methodologies will be given, with emphasis on the practicalities of study design, data collection and analysis. Throughout the module there will be a strong emphasis on the use of technology to support data searching and analysis. The stimulating module is invaluable in providing you with a solid foundation from which to develop further research, including your final year project.

Objectives

The objectives of the module are to enable students to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the different types of research strategies and methods
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the different methodological perspectives that are used in educational and social science research and the implications of this for knowledge claims e.g. notions of transferability, trustworthiness
- Use ICT to 1) interrogate electronic data sources, 2) analyse data and 3) present data and findings
- Understand the role of the researcher in terms of ethics and reactivity
- Select and develop research tools which are commensurate with research questions and contexts

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students will have increased understanding of:
- A range of different research strategies and methodologies
- The different methodological perspectives used in research in educational and social science contexts
- The use of ICT to interrogate electronic data sources, analyse data and present data and findings
- The role of the researcher, specifically in terms of ethics and reactivity
- Selecting and developing research tools which are commensurate with research questions and contexts


Syllabus

Week 1 Introduction to the Module
Week 2 Framing Research (2)
Week 3 Research Ethics
Week 4 Information Retrieval Skills in Research
Week 5 Qualitative and quantitative methods in research
Week 6 Exploring Research Methods (1) e.g. Ethnography
Week 7 Exploring Research Methods (2) e.g. Discourse/Narrative Analysis
Week 8 Exploring Research Methods (3) e.g. Visual methods
Week 9 Exploring Research Methods (4) e.g. Multimodal
Week 10 Exploring Research Methods (5) e.g. Interview/ Questionnaire/Observation Methods
Week 11 Peer feedback, reflections and evaluation
Reflections and evaluation

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Group learning55.005.00
Lecture112.0022.00
Practical61.006.00
Seminar51.005.00
Tutorial51.005.00
Independent online learning hours12.00
Private study hours145.00
Total Contact hours43.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Private study and independent learning will include preparation for lectures and seminars. Students will regularly be given specific reading tasks and research tasks to prepare.

Private study will be required to complete the assignment and critical review and to undertake wider reading and research.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

The progress of students will be monitored by the preparation of seminar papers for group activities, tasks which assess understanding of core reading and oral contributions to small group and whole session group discussions. Students will also be required to engage in peer feedback (through a group activity); this is inked to preparation for the Methodology Rationale assessment.

Students will be asked to submit a progress report via the VLE prior to the assignment submission which will enable the tutor to give timely and individual feedback which students can act on in their final submission.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Research Proposal1600 words40.00
EssayCritical analysis essay 2400 words60.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 17/01/2020

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