Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Research is an increasingly important professional activity for educators. In the context of international and local efforts to raise the professional status of teachers and enhance educational quality, it is increasingly important for educators to be able to consume and conduct research. Research capabilities help teachers innovate in their classrooms, and to work as leaders in the renewal of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in their schools and school systems. In addition, they enable teachers to contribute actively to the work of their professional organisations. Research capabilities also provide an essential foundation for lifelong professional learning through a research higher degree.

Successful consumption and conduct of research require specialised knowledge and skills. Researchers need to understand the purposes of educational research and different approaches to educational research, and to acquire practical research skills. In addition, researchers need to be capable readers and writers of different types of research texts, including research proposals, dissertations and published reports of research. This unit provides you with opportunities to build these capabilities after they have begun building content knowledge in your field of interest.

Aims

The unit aims to introduce you to principles of contemporary educational research. You will read published research for the purpose of writing informed critique. In addition, you will plan a small-scale research project in your field of interest.

Objectives

Upon completion of the unit, you should have built your capabilities as a lifelong learner and effective communicator, dedicated to ethical practice, who will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research designs and research paradigms used in Educational research. [QCT Standard 10]

2. Identify and respond to issues in Educational research. [QCT Standard 10]

3. Plan an Educational research project ethically and effectively and demonstrate an understanding of the assumptions underlying different research designs. [QCT Standards 1 & 10]

4. Demonstrate ability to retrieve, evaluate and present research information using appropriate technologies and displaying sophisticated standards of communication. [QCT Standard 10]

Content

This unit will cover the following:

1. Introduction to Research: The epistemological and theoretical background to educational research based on a range of designs including, but not exclusive to, descriptive, causal-comparative, experimental, case study, evaluation, and action research designs;

2. Research Design: Selected quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method designs; criteria for evaluation of research studies across a range of designs; and ethical considerations and issues involved in undertaking research, interpreting research, and making decisions based on research findings;

3. Data Collection and Analysis: Selected techniques for collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data related to particular designs and methods;

4. Research Writing: Structures and language features of research texts including critical reviews of literature, research proposals and dissertations.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

You will participate in workshop activities that introduce the major issues associated with planning, conduct and reporting educational research through the study of selected research designs and methods. This will involve set readings, small group discussion, lectures, seminars, and student presentations. Activities will provide you with opportunities to reflect on ?who? you are becoming as a researcher, that is, to reflect on the attributes of an ethical educational researcher. They will also assist you to build your research knowledge base and skill set.

Assessment

Assessment in this unit is both formative and summative. Formative assessment will be provided through multiple opportunities for reflection, discussion, and feedback including written comments on initial assignment work.

There are two items of summative assessment:

Assessment name: Critique (written)
Description: A critical analysis of two published pieces of research around a central theme in your area of interest.
Length: approx 1500 words
Relates to objectives: 2 & 4
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid-Semester

Assessment name: Project (research)
Description: You will develop a research plan in an area of interest. The plan should address the following: (a) the literature review and overview of the study, (b) the research design to be used to address the research focus or question, (c) the participants in the study, (d) how data will be collected, and (e) how the data will be analysed.
Length: approx 2500 words
Relates to objectives: 1, 3 & 4
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: End-Teaching period

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescribed textbook:

Creswell, J.W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson International

Optional additional reference:

Denzin, N.K., & Lincoln, Y.S. (2008). Collecting and interpreting qualitative materials. LA, Calif: Sage.


Other readings as appropriate

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 17-Jan-2013