BSc Educational Psychology / Course details

Students will gain further independence in their learning, as they will be encouraged to draw links between the different components of the course, and build upon research skills and learning from RIPE and DAPE to design and carry out an independent project (with supervision).

Students will engage with the following major research areas:

- Critical analysis and interpretation of theories and existing evidence

- Choosing a research area of interest, developing research questions and formulating hypotheses

- Identify the most appropriate methodological design (and paradigm) to address the research question

- Design the study and make decisions about materials and sampling techniques

- Consideration and application of ethical practice and conduct in all stages of research

- Apply for ethical review and approval

- Recruit participants and collect data

- Apply knowledge of software and techniques to data analysis

- Critical interpretation (and integration) of findings

- Presentation iof findings using academic writing

The unit aims to:

- Provide students with an opportunity to use knowledge and skills developed in Research issues in Psychology and Education (RIPE) in Year 1 and Data analysis in Psychology and Education (DAPE) in Year 2, towards the undertaking of independent research. Through this, students will evidence their ability to think and work independently to apply knowledge to a real life problem.

Specifically, the students will have the opportunity to:

- Critically engage with key theories and evidence-base around a topic in Educational Psychology.

- Engage with the key steps of the research cycle: generate research questions and formulate hypotheses, design a study, consider key ethical and methodological issues, and employ appropriate methods and analyses to answer their research questions.

- Demonstrate, but also increase their skills in critical thinking, dissemination, and academic writing.

Guided learning through individual tutorial supervision

E-learning resources, including online videos, Major project handbook, materials, toolkits

Demonstrate an awareness of ethical principles, professional conduct and approval procedures in all stages of research.

Identify appropriate theories, methods and approaches (and their underlying paradigms) for collecting evidence and answering the research questions.

Demonstrate competence and criticality in the interpretation of evidence from a range of sources

Highlight limitations and gaps in the literature and develop appropriate research questions and formulate hypotheses to address those gaps.

Identify key ethical considerations and ways in which these can be addressed. 

Reason analytically and demonstrate competence in choosing the most appropriate analytical techniques (quantitative, qualitative) to answer the research questions.

Explain how the research questions can be addressed through the use of their chosen study design.

Demonstrate awareness of practical considerations during the development and conduct of the study (e.g., ethics, sampling, data collection in schools, analysis).

Demonstrate substantial competence in a range of research skills through practical demonstration, including application of ethical approval, participant recruitment, data collection and analysis.

Be able to problem solve by clarifying questions, consideration solutions and evaluating likely outcomes

Take charge of their own learning

Written communication

Working with participants within a research context

IT skills (word processing, accessing electronic databases and library facilities, managing references, data analysis)

Undertake guided independent research

Exemplar Major Projects:

• Qualitative project: The experience of loneliness in children with learning difficulties
• Quantitative project: The relationship between online bullying and offline bullying in secondary schools and their impact on mental health
• Mixed methods: Interrupted relationships during the transition to secondary school: the impact of interrupted social support on adolescents’ learning and mental health
• Systematic review: The relationship between self-efficacy and test anxiety in primary school children with English as Additional Language

Written feedback (utilising Turn-it-in), within University guidelines.

Dancey, C., & Reidy, J. (2014).Statistics without maths for psychology: 6h Edition. Essex:Peason. 

Navarro DJ and Foxcroft DR (2019). learning statistics with jamovi: a tutorial for psychology students and other beginners. (Version 0.70). DOI: 10.24384/hgc3-7p15

Richardson, P. & Macha, L. (2021). Jamovi for Psychologists. London: Macmillan Education UK

Bazeley, P.& Jackson, K. (2013). Qualitative data analysis with NVivo. London: Sage.

Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful qualitative research: a practical guide for beginners. London: Sage.

Mertens, D. (2014). Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology (4th Edition). London: Sage. 

Bell, J. (2014). Doing your research project, 6th Edition. Buckingham: OU Press.

Beech, J. (2008). How to write in psychology: a student guide. London: BPS Blackwells.

Forshaw, M. (2013). Your undergraduate psychology project: a BPS guide, 2nd Edition. London: BPS Blackwells