Educational Research
(Recognised by the ESRC)
Full time Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
Part time Master in Education (MEd)
This route provides a broad-based training in educational research which aims to help students:
- to become familiar with an appropriate range of intellectual and methodological traditions within the field;
- to become skilled and critical readers of educational research;
- to develop knowledge in depth of some substantive area of education and educational research;
- to develop their capacity to frame research questions and devise appropriate research designs;
- to develop confidence in using a range of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to gathering, analysing and interpreting evidence;
- to develop their skills in presenting research-based evidence and argument;
- to gain practical experience of educational research through conducting a small-scale investigation.
Students follow six modules on (i) Research Aims, Strategies of Enquiry and Design, (ii) Research Methods and Analysis, (iii) Research, Reporting and Presentation, (iv) Perspectives on Research Methodology, (v) Issues in Data Analysis and Interpretation, and (vi) Thesis Preparation, as well as supervised project workshops and supervised study on their specialist area of education.
Module 1: Research Aims, Strategies of Enquiry and Design
Explores the processes of framing research questions and devising appropriate strategies to investigate them. The sessions examine ways of framing creative and challenging research questions and devising appropriate research designs, and introduce students to reading, reviewing, critiquing, defending and synthesising published research studies. Through workshops, coursework and supervision, students are encouraged to develop their own research proposals, relating these to the concepts and strategies introduced in sessions.
Module 2: Research Methods and Analysis
Examines a range of standard qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis, including interviews and focus groups, participant and structured observation, tests and questionnaires, texts and documents. Sessions analyse the key characteristics of each method and the principles underlying it, and examine an example of the method in action. Issues of sampling and access, of reliability and validity, and of ethical conduct are also considered.
Module 3: Research, Reporting and Presentation
Sessions consider such matters as research, presentation and the dissemination of research to users, the media and the public, advanced project management and teamworking and further professional and career development in research.
Module 4: Perspectives on Research Methodology
Extends students' knowledge, understanding, and capability to identify key characteristics of major approaches to social science, locates examples of educational research within different research paradigms, and raises some of the current debates and dilemmas about the nature of educational research.
Module 5: Issues in Data Analysis and Interpretation
Develops an appreciation of the significance of different epistemological positions for the choice of analytic procedures, and gives students opportunities to consider different types of data and data analysis in relation to principal paradigms, theoretical foundations, and issues of objectivity, subjectivity, and reflexivity. The unit focuses on both qualitative and quantitative approaches, and gives students hands-on experience of using computer packages for data management, analysis and presentation.
Module 6: Thesis Presentation
Aims to broaden awareness of the significance of educational research and to assist students to develop skills and understanding that will enable students to write their thesis.
There is an associated programme of workshops designed to support the effective use of library, information and audio-visual resources.
Each student carries out a small-scale research study on a specialist topic of their choice. This can relate to any of the research interests of the Faculty and its staff, as outlined in this prospectus, and will be supervised by an appropriately matched member of staff. To ensure that suitable supervision will be available, applicants should indicate the specialist topic(s), in which they have an interest prior to admission.
Route Co-ordinators:
Pamela Burnard (currently on study leave) and Paul Andrews