EDU2003 : Schools, Statistics and Stories: Researching Education
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Samantha Shields
- Owning School: Education, Communication & Language Sci
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module will introduce the field of research in education. It will aim to develop student understanding of
• the historical development of research and variations in 'what counts as educational research'.
• the relationship of research in education to practice, policy and the social sciences
• possible research methodologies
• Through an integrated approach to developing research practices, it is intended that students develop practical understanding and skills relating to research:
• planning research
• ethical practices
• some frequently used research methods
• reading the results of other researchers’ work
By the end of this module students will be expected to understand the characteristics of research in education in the current UK context, together with some awareness of international and
historic variation. Within this context, they will be able both to understand the research of others and to demonstrate some research practices themselves.
Outline Of Syllabus
This module aims to develop both theoretical and practical understanding of research in education. Students’ understanding of the characteristics of research in education in the current UK context will be developed through learning about the research methodologies of others and through experiencing some research practices themselves. These practical sessions will develop from opportunities to trial methods of data collection and analysis on each other towards planning and conducting an enquiry as part of a small group. The lecture and practical sessions will run in parallel to facilitate the integration of practical and theoretical learning, enabling students to make connections and develop understanding. The module begins with an introduction to educational research. The module the history of education research, Research Strategies, Interviews, Qualitative data analysis, Quantitative data analysis, SPSS, Questionnaires, Observations, Visual methods, Ethics, Documentary research, validity, reliability, triangulation, preparation for the critique of an empirical journal article (written exercise) and assessment guidance for the research project.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Asynchronous online: videos, reflective tasks, data analysis tasks |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 5:00 | 5:00 | Completing mock written exercise for formative feedback. |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 11 | 4:00 | 44:00 | Seminar reading |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | SPSS session in computer suite |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Project work | 1 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Planning and conducting mini research project |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 96:00 | 96:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Module talk | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Asynchronous online |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
This module aims to develop both theoretical and practical understanding of research in education. Students’ understanding of research in education in the current UK context will be developed through learning about the research methodologies of others and through experiencing some research practices themselves. The lecture and practical sessions will run in parallel and be backed up with time for both independent study and further reading/research as directed during sessions. This will facilitate the integration of practical and theoretical learning, enabling students to make connections and develop a sophisticated understanding. The practical sessions will develop from opportunities to trial methods of data collection and analysis on each other towards planning and conducting an enquiry as part of a small group. This will facilitate the development of particular research and scholarship skills but also their integration into a more holistic understanding of the nature of research in education.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 2 | A | 60 | Report of mini research (2,500 words). Preparation for dissertation. |
| Written exercise | 2 | A | 40 | Written exercise - a critique of an empirical journal article will be undertaken. 1500 words |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 2 | M | Mock written exercise - critique of an empirical journal article for formative feedback. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The intention is for the summative assessment to assess the student’s ability to both do research and to understand the research of others. To enable students to fully analyse and discuss empirical data - the weighting is 60% for the mini-research project - reflecting a greater word length of 2,500 words. To reflect the shorter word count of 1500 words for the written exercise - a weighting of 40% is given.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- EDU2003's Timetable