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Description
Content:
In this module you will work towards the completion of a Dissertation, based on a piece of original research that will focus on an area within science education. The module spans one academic year. To support you in the development of the research skills required for successful completion, you will work on self-study units (which include some online group discussion) and prepare a proposal for your dissertation in this virtual learning environment, alongside being allocated a supervisor that will support you in starting to conduct your research.
Teaching delivery:
The self-study units will be found online that you can work through week by week at your own pace. Alongside these self-study units are additional taught sessions that will focus on developing research questions in science education, deciding on a research design, working ethically and with integrity, and how to analyse qualitative data. These sessions will take place in the evenings over Terms 1 and 2 to cater for part-time, working students.
Indicative topics:
Focus groups, interviews, questionnaires, surveys, ethics, methodological paradigms, data collection methods.
Module Objectives:
- Identify a relevant and distinctive topic that is appropriate and relevant to the field of science education;
- Engage with theoretical perspectives within this field of study;
- Ask critical questions about a science educational issue;
- Search for, collate, and synthesise a wide range of sources related to a science educational issue;
- Identify and use appropriate research methods to investigate a science educational issue;
- Develop your positionality in relation to a science educational issue and the wider field of education studies;
- Make a scholarly contribution to the field of science education studies;
- Develop a critical perspective, and understand alternative perspectives on a science educational issue;
- Understand the ethical dilemmas involved in educational research and take appropriate steps to mitigate any issues that arise;
- Develop a strong foundation for future independent professional and intellectual exploration.
Recommended readings:
Denscombe, M. (2021)听The good research guide: research methods for small-scale social research projects. Seventh edition. Open University Press.
Denscombe, M. (2019)听Research Proposals: A Practical Guide. Second edition. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education.
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 8th April 2024.
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