| CODE | EPE2028 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Research Methods for Primary Educators as Reflective Practitioners | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Early Childhood and Primary Education | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit 'Research Methods for Primary Educators as Reflective Practitioners', enables pre-service primary school teachers to recognise the importance of them engaging in educational research and reflective practice. The study-unit will introduce key elements of research methods and approaches relevant to primary school educators. Various types of inquiry, such as, quantitative or qualitative studies, literature reviews, philosophical inquiry, pedagogical and project-based research, among others, will be introduced and discussed. By actively participating in this study-unit, student teachers will cultivate a strong foundation in research methodology, critical thinking, reflective practice, and problem solving. In its most basic form reflective practice is about thinking critically about what you are doing in order to learn from the experience of reflection. Reflective practice is now considered as a defining feature in the shaping of one's professional identity; in this case pre-service primary school teachers' identity. Reflective practice allows pre-service teachers to develop awareness of their pedagogical strengths and weaknesses and it offers pre-service teaching a systematic mode of qualitative and documented inquiry about pupil learning. Study-unit Aims: This research methods study-unit offers students the opportunity to develop as researchers and reflective practitioners by addressing challenges or opportunities pertinent to the field of primary education. Through this study-unit students are introduced to various methods and approaches to conducting research in preparation for their dissertation. They will learn about various types of inquiry, such as, quantitative or qualitative research methods, systematic literature reviews, philosophical inquiry, pedagogical and project-based research, among others. The role of reflection in daily practice and research is highlighted and presented in a critical manner in parallel with research approaches and methods. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - demonstrate understanding of and describe the main approaches and methods in qualitative and quantitative research; - acknowledge the important role of research in the profession to inform and transform educational practices; and - discuss educational practices and research. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - apply research approaches and methods to be drawn in conducting research in the sphere of education; - show the ability to document research and reflections in a professional and ethical manner; - demonstrate awareness of issues related to positionality, biases and the ethical conduct of educators as researchers; - acquire the skills become inquiring and reflective teachers by practicing how to think critically about their own professional practices as they encounter various situations through their primary school observations and their own experiences; and - select appropriate research methods and approaches applicable to the nature and scope of a research study. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Cohen, L., Manion., L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research Methods in Education (8th ed.). Routledge. - Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2017). The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research (5th ed.). SAGE. - Morrow, V., & Alderson, P. (2020). The ethics of research with children and young people: A practical handbook. The Ethics of Research with Children and Young People. - Mat Roni, S., Merga, M. K., & Morris, J. E. (2019). Conducting Quantitative Research in Education (1st ed. 2020.). Springer Singapore. - Pollard, A. (2006) Readings for Reflective Teaching. London: Continuum. Available Supplementary Readings: - Research articles, papers and past dissertations will be available through VLE and the UM Library. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Online Learning | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Lara M. Said |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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