Aims

The aim of this practice-based module is to enable learners to develop and enhance, to an advanced level, their knowledge, understanding and practice of Challenging Practice Through Research. The module will provide learners with the opportunity to identify and evidence an issue in practice to articulate a clear topic and questions and to enhance their skills of challenging individual, organisational and global practices through empirically-based investigation. By the end of the module, learners will have:

•       Evaluated sources of organisational and academic data and literature for justifying and conducting practice-based research
•       Advanced knowledge of their specified topic area/discipline
•       Integrated key leadership and management skills by Challenging Practice through Research

Outline Of Syllabus

The syllabus will include topics such as:

Understanding the practice context to identify potential topics
Gaining organisational support and access to data
Issues of power, place, identity and voice, as a practice-based researcher: examining own strengths
and weaknesses; understanding personal biases; reflective/reflexive practice
Adopting an ethical approach to research; ethical principles and practice and researching ethically
in your own organization; rights and responsibilities of an insider as researcher
Thinking critically about theory and practice; different forms of knowledge
Criteria for evaluating ‘good’ practice-based research, e.g. access, achievable in the time available, value and scope
The process of critically evaluating sources, including comparing and contrasting international and cross-cultural data
Methodologies for Challenging Practice through Research, including action research and collaborative inquiry (with guest lectures/case studies related to Challenging Practice through Research)
Research methods, including sampling, questionnaire, observation, interview, focus group, methods of analysis(with guest lectures/case studies related to practice-based research)
Criteria for evaluating practice-based research, to ensure rigour, credibility and value
Positioning and understanding a practice-based issue in relation to existing literature in order to articulate with clarity the topic, questions and potential impact. Considering the issue, where relevant, from a wide variety of perspectives including social, economic, political, religious, ethical and cultural
Writing a practice-based research proposal for business and academic audiences

Developing effective group supervision relationships
Evaluating the potential professional, organisational, societal and global impact, including in relation to the SDGs, of the practice-based research project
Evaluating your professional credibility to lead and manage practice-based research and influence its potential impact
Methods for communicating throughout the design, management and leadership of the practice-based research
Contributing to practice changes, through clear recommendations

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The teaching methods recognise the importance of learners learning about context, content and processes for their own individual and organisational development of advanced professional practice.

The teaching and learning methods support achievement of the module’s learning outcomes. The processes of teaching and learning, within this blended learning module, include but are not limited to the following: Face-to-face and online opportunities to acquire knowledge and understanding of theory in practice are provided through attending lectures, listening to and watching podcasts and/or videos, reading and research, and work-based and reflective learning. Learning through dialogue, discussion and collaboration, in face-to-face teaching and online, enables students to articulate, respond to and provide feedback on theory, knowledge and practice application, and to question and challenge their work-based practices. Collaborative social learning, online and in the classroom, is a hallmark of the module and will involve peer learning, co-production of knowledge and ideas about practice, and feedback.

As a post-experience programme, contextualising theory in practice requires not only academic input but also practitioners’ knowledge and expertise and, therefore, some lectures or workshops will be taught by adjunct staff. Reflection on practice, through completion of a reflective journal, supports the learner to evaluate their understanding of the relevant subject knowledge, and to question and challenge their work-based practices, through applying and integrating theory in practice.

Students are expected to enhance their face-to-face and online learning by independent reading and enquiry, for which they are given guidance on relevant materials.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Formative Feedback

Formative feedback is provided throughout the module by encouraging learners to respond to questions and engage in reflection, dialogue, debate and discussion in online and face-to-face contexts. Collaborative learning, online and in the classroom, is a hallmark of the module and involves co-production of knowledge and ideas about practice, and feedback.

Summative Feedback

The module assessment enables learners to achieve the learning outcomes and to consolidate their learning by articulating their conceptual understanding and how it is used in practice. For learners on the MSc Strategic Leadership, the focus of the challenge project will be strategic leadership and/or related topics. For learners on the MSc Coaching and Mentoring, the focus of the challenge project will be coaching and mentoring and/or related topics.

The assessment has 3 components:

1.       A Research Project Proposal, of 2,000 words, including but not limited to evidence of the academic and organisational justification for the topic and questions, the conceptual framework for the research, a justification of and timetable for the research methods, and evaluation of potential impact at personal, organisational and societal levels.
2. A Research report, of 10,000 words, including but not limited to Executive summary, introduction, background and aims, research methodology, findings, analysis and recommendations, conclusions, appendices.
3.       A Reflexive essay of 2,000 words, which draws on the learner’s eportfolio and demonstrates critical appraisal of key leadership development through conducting the Challenge Practice project and over the course of the programme.

A reflective learning Portfolio is central to completion of the summative assessment, and is an appropriate assessment method for all learners, enabling them to consolidate what they have learned by reflecting on and articulating their personal and/or organisation practice and how it relates to their current conceptual understanding.

Summative feedback on the assessment will include ‘feed forward’, enabling learners to improve future academic and/or practice action.