BSc Educational Psychology

Students are expected to design, produce, manage and carry out independent and original research relating to educational psychology, with guided support from a supervisor. This is an opportunity for students to bring together foundational research skills from previous years, but also wider knowledge and skills gained from the programme, towards the completion of an independent research project. Students have the opportunity to choose a topic of interest within educational psychology and are expected to produce a 8,000-word research report either through primary data collection, or secondary data research. 

Build upon foundation skills developed in Research issues in Psychology and Education (RIPE) in Year 1, and Data Analysis in Education and Psychology (DAPE) in Year 2, specifically in relation to the critical awareness, practical application, analysis and interpretation of different educational psychology research processes.

Support students with designing, producing, managing and carrying out independent and original research relating to educational psychology.

Provide an opportunity to further develop critical thinking skills and apply these to Educational Psychology research.

Provide an opportunity to solidify core analytical skills.

Further develop students’ ability to communicate their work confidently to academic audiences.

Provide students with the opportunity to explore areas of personal interest, and engage with real-world educational psychology research questions through primary or secondary research.

Foster students’ time and project-management skills.

Students will develop a well-balanced theoretical and practical understanding of educational psychology research, and how to apply this to design and conduct a piece of research. Doing so, they will reflect on learning experiences acquired in the programme and their own personal development. They will also develop wide-ranging employability skills that can be used to showcase to potential employers or apply these to further studies. Specifically, students will enhance their critical awareness, creative thinking, ability to critically evaluate existing research, writing and communication skills, digital skills, problem solving skills, strategic thinking, time and project management skills, and specialised software skills. 
 

The unit offers a 2-hour social event (“major project speed date”) where students have the opportunity to meet with supervisors, discuss their research ideas and receive initial feedback.

The unit offers 4x2 hours seminars (synchronous, in-person) focusing on the practical skills and knowledge required to plan and deliver a successful major project:

1) an introduction to the unit and how to design a proposal; 
2) preparing for ethics; 
3) writing up research; 
4) data management.
The last 30 minutes of each seminar is dedicated to questions and an opportunity for students to share their thoughts and any concerns they might have with the unit lead.

The unit offers specific asynchronous seminars, focusing, for example, on data export and cleaning, and an introduction on secondary data analysis.

Students are offered a minimum of 6 hours contact with their assigned supervisors (in person or online).

• Evaluate the latest developments in theory and research in educational psychology
• 
  Identify a range of research paradigms, methods, and analytical techniques, their applicability and limitations in existing research, and identify the most appropriate for the aims of the independent research project. 
• 
  Identify and describe key ethical principles and issues in educational psychology

• Reason logically and critically about key concepts and ideas in educational psychology
• Synthesise and analyse complex psychological issues and debates in a critical and systematic manner
• Demonstrate original and imaginative thinking in relation to proposing new research, and finding solutions for problems posed in educational psychology
• Generate, operationalise and critique research questions and designs relating to psychology and education

• Apply analytical skills (quantitative and/or qualitative)
• Plan, conduct and evaluate empirical research projects using appropriate designs and methods.
• Be able to make decisions informed by ethical principles.

• Propose solutions to problems by identifying key issues, analysing information, devising possible approaches, and evaluating likely outcomes
• Use theory and evidence to make sense of, and devise/find existing participant responses to, real-world scenarios  
• Effectively use a range of digital tools and platforms, including general resources (e.g., online databases, search engines) and specialised software (e.g., data analysis packages)
• Communicate effectively through an academic report. 

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

Beech, J. (2008). How to Write in Psychology: a Student Guide. London: BPS Blackwells.

Bell, J. (2014). Doing your Research Project (6th Ed). Buckingham: OU Press.

Forshaw, M. (2013). Your Undergraduate Psychology Project: a BPS Guide (2nd Ed). London:
BPS Blackwells.

Harrison, E. & Rentzelas, P. (2020). Your Psychology Dissertation. London: SAGE

Robson, C. & McCartan, K. (2015). Real world research (4th Ed.). London: Wiley
 

Students will develop a well-balanced theoretical and practical understanding of educational psychology research, and how to apply this to design and conduct a piece of research. Doing so, they will reflect on learning experiences acquired in the programme and their own personal development. They will also develop wide-ranging employability skills that can be used to showcase to potential employers or apply these to further studies. Specifically, students will enhance their critical awareness, creative thinking, ability to critically evaluate existing research, writing and communication skills, digital skills, problem solving skills, strategic thinking, time and project management skills, and specialised software skills.