BSc Education

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This unit will allow students  to expand their understanding of research. Using a variety of case studies of educational research, the unit will provide students with an opportunity to (i) get to know contemporary educational research, (ii) learn and apply research concepts and vocabulary, and (iii) begin understanding some of the complexities that ‘good’ researchers need to take into account when designing and conducting their projects.

The unit seeks to enable learning of research-related knowledge and skills, so students are better prepared to design and carry out their own research projects. With this purpose, the course will facilitate active engagement with research projects carried out by peers in L5 and L6, and students will be requested to self-regulate their learning, identifying how the knowledge and skills they acquire can facilitate their future research-related contributions. 
 

This unit aims to introduce students to varied examples of academic research in education for lively discussion on its purpose and design. The intention is to prepare students for their own future research through critical analysis and evaluation of previous research and possible alternative approaches to the topics. The aim is also to analyse the impact of research design

Students will develop a critical understanding of educational research which will inform them in other modules in year two and year three including the dissertation module. Students will develop research skills by analysing how researchers and research teams have investigated educational issues using a range of research methods. The assessments for this module will also develop the ability of students to communicate effectively about research both in person and in writing.

This unit will allow students to understand:

• the role and purpose of research in education and related fields
• different forms of high quality research that can have a positive impact 
• ethical dimensions of conducting research
• research paradigms, designs, and methods
• different approaches to issues and questions
• critical analysis of research design and findings
   

Tutor facilitated sessions will be attended by all students. Relevant research themes and issues will be introduced through presentations and discussions of varied examples of research with different methodologies, participants and research instruments. We will consider questions such as: What is the purpose of educational research? Who undertakes this research? What makes a ‘good’ research question? How do we design research? What is ‘good research practice’? What does it mean to be an ethical researcher?  How does research design make a difference to findings?  

Current researchers will  present their research (as work in progress) and explain why they undertook their particular studies and what they hope to achieve. Other sessions will focus on interpretation and critical reading of specific research studies. Interaction will be encouraged between students and tutor/presenter; between peers; and between students and content.

Seminars: Small groups of students will review an article and prepare a formative presentation discussing the article in relation to key methodological concepts discussed in the course.  

BSc Education Conference. Students will be requested to be active members of the audience in the BSc Conference where L5 and L6 BSc Education students present their work.  

Directed reading: Students will be directed to specific preparatory and review activities and materials for the sessions.

Private study: Students are expected to read widely from the reading list about research methods in education and elsewhere in relation to the educational topic/issue they select to review.  

Assessed work: Students will be provided with detailed guidelines for the summative assessment tasks (see below). 
 

• Discuss the nature and purpose of research in education and its related fields
• Explain concepts related to research methods and methodology. 
• Articulate the importance of a research question and its role as the origin of a research study.

• Identify and use different indicators of quality research
• Discuss the limitations and suitability of different approaches to research topics and studies.

• Search effectively for high quality research materials online and via the University library
• Employ appropriately a range of terms related to academic research
• Develop writing to express and support individual viewpoints

• Improved critical reading skills for published research
• Identify potential future contributions to their respective field of study

Critical analysis and discussion of research methods used in a specific article in blog format. 2000 Words - weighting 60%

Mini-methodological literature review. 5 minute Powerpoint with audio commentary = 1500 words - weighting 40%

Written feedback on the mini-methodological literature review will be provided within 15 working days of the submission deadline.

Written feedback on the critical analysis will be provided within 15 working days of the submission deadline.

BERA. (2024). Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, fifth edition (2024). https://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Ethical-Guidelines-for-Educational-Research-5th-edition.pdf

Cohen, L. (2017). Research Methods in Education  (L. Manion & K. Morrison, Eds.; 8th.). Routledge
 

ESRC. (2022). Defining Impact. https://www.ukri.org/councils/esrc/impact-toolkit-for-economic-and-social-sciences/defining-impact/
 

Fenby-Hulse, K., Heywood, E., & Walker, K. (Eds.). (2019). Research impact and the early-career researcher . Routledge
 

Greene, S., & Hogan, D. (2005). Researching children’s experience: methods and approaches (S. Greene & Diane. Hogan, Eds.). SAGE.
 

Hammersley, M. (2012). (2012a). Methodological Paradigms in Educational Research. British Educational Research Association on-line resource. https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/methodological-paradigms-in-educational-research research
 

Hart, C. (2018). Doing a literature review : releasing the research imagination  (2nd edition.). SAGE Publications
 

Lather, P. (2006). Paradigm proliferation as a good thing to think with: teaching research in education as a wild profusion. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 19(1), 35–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518390500450144
 

Lewis, V., & Open University. (2004). The reality of research with children and young people (V. Lewis, Ed.). SAGE
 

Lin, V. (2024). Into the labyrinth: Choosing the research method/ology. https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/into-the-labyrinth-choosing-the-research-method-ology   

Mligo, E. S. (2016). Introduction to research methods and report writing : a practical guide for students and researchers in social sciences and the humanities . Resource Publications
 

Pan, M. L. (2016). Preparing Literature Reviews (5th New edition). Taylor & Francis Ltd
 

Punch, K. (2013). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches (Third edition.). SAGE Publications
 

Ridley, D. (2012). The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students (2nd Revised edition). SAGE Publications Ltd.
 

Rogers, R. (2011). An Introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis in Education (R. Rogers, Ed.; 2nd Revised edition). Taylor & Francis Ltd.