Philosophical and Design Issues

Course Code: RMRPDI_AS2

Masters Level Module

The module on Philosophical and Design Issues is arranged in two parts. The first part comprises a ten-session course on Conceptualising and Designing Educational Research, which addresses the overarching principles of empirical research and design. It starts from the position that the research question is paramount and explores the suitability of the main design types for answering different types of question. Attention is paid to the epistemological and ontological assumptions underlying different approaches to social research, and ethical issues in the conduct of research are considered. The second part involves design workshops on experiment/evaluation, surveys, case studies and ethnography that require students to gain practical experience of carrying out research using a range of techniques. These workshops enable students to gain experience of teamwork both with fellow students and through observation of research projects being managed by module tutors. All elements of this module are compulsory. This module addresses the following knowledge, skills and competencies: formulating research questions; philosophical and epistemological underpinnings of educational research; experiment; survey; case study; ethnography; historical approaches; life history; legal and ethical issues; matching research questions to designs. In addition, the design workshops enable students to obtain more in-depth practical experience (for example addressing the practicalities of research ethics in the field, sampling theory, etc.) and involve exposure to teamwork in the form of small student projects and ongoing research projects. Learning Outcomes The completion of this module enables you to demonstrate your capacity to: formulate researchable problems; articulate links between theory, research, policy and practice; critically and selectively apply knowledge of research designs and methods to their research questions; critically articulate considered views on methodological, theoretical and philosophical aspects of educational research; demonstrate an awareness of ethical and political concerns implicit in different methodological approaches; understand and apply a range of research methods and tools.

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