| CODE | SWP5146 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Advanced Research Methods for Social Work and Social Policy | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Social Policy and Social Work | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit acquaints students with the principles, knowledge, skills, values and ethics of social research, to help them develop the mindset and competencies essential for research-based practice and practice-based research in the social field. Students will foster a critical understanding of the application of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research strategies to better serve the users of social welfare services. Emphasis is placed on both the appraisal and generation of knowledge used in social work practice and in social policy, enabling students to be both critical consumers of the research literature and research-minded practitioners. The study-unit is designed to critically examine theories, concepts and methods of systematic inquiry and the scientific approach to knowledge. Emphasis is placed on the value content of research in discerning the relationship between research, professional judgement and action. The aim is for the student to acquire the social research knowledge and skills essential for effective and accountable practice. Students will be challenged to ground their research in practice and to inform their practice through research as essential foundations for reflective practice. Furthermore, the role of service users in social research is proposed as fundamental to reduce the gap between the experience of the service user and its interpretation, thereby ensuring that the knowledge resulting from the research process is more authentic, valid and relevant to the needs and experience of the service user. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit helps students acquire the ability to critically comprehend research studies and to undertake their own practice based research, learning how to integrate research with professional practice. Students will learn how to develop their own research proposal, how to go about carrying out their research, and how to use research findings in day to day practice in the social field. The development of knowledge and skills of systematic inquiry are basic for practitioners to fully understand and utilise social research literature, and for practitioners to evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions and practice efficacy. This study-unit equips students with the necessary knowledge and skills to critically consume social research literature and to engage in practice based social research. Students will develop critical-analytic and creative skills in planning, designing, undertaking, reporting, assessing and evaluating research data, while learning the basis of the scientific approach to social practice. Exposure to practical examples of research findings will influence students in appreciating the values and ideology underlying research, with a particular emphasis on user involvement in social research-based practice and practice-based research. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Demonstrate a critical understanding of systematic inquiry, the role of social research and its relationship to social work theory and practice and to social policy formulation and implementation; - Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theoretical issues that determine different social research strategies, designs and methods; - Identify commonly arising errors in human inquiry and the use of research to avoid such errors; - Demonstrate knowledge and sensitivity to the ethics of social research, and ability to design and implement a study that fully respects all ethical principles of social research; - Identify and critically analyse the use and quality of research in social work and social policy practice, including the policy and organisational contexts within which social welfare is practiced; - Demonstrate knowledge of different modes of observation used in social research, including the use of surveys, methods of field research, and unobtrusive research methods; - Demonstrate understanding of basic methods of quantitative and qualitative data analysis; - Demonstrate awareness of the social context of social research and the social and political influences that affect the process of social research; - Demonstrate an awareness of minority, disability, and gender issues in research and an understanding of how to develop user involvement research practices; - Put forward answerable research questions and design an empirical study using the research strategy, design and methods most suited to answering them. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Demonstrate capacity for empirical inquiry and critical thinking, and a commitment to their use for service and organizational improvement; - Compare and contrast quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods strategies in social research, describing the relative strengths and limitations of different approaches; - Use different research designs and related methodologies in order to apply them to social work and social policy practice situations; - Search the research literature and demonstrate ability to understand, discuss, evaluate and critically appraise and synthesise primary and secondary social research, and a capacity to be informed by social research; - Critically reflect on practice in formulating researchable questions, and the ability to develop practice based research questions; - Develop an appropriate research strategy, design and method to answer the practice based research question; - Engage with service users when developing a research question and a study to answer the research question; - Engage in research, using available data to improve understanding of one’s own practice and organizational service delivery strategies; - Use library resources, agency based resources, and internet based resources in developing a scholarly approach to learning; - Within the context of the above, pursue individualised learning needs, directly reflective of social research, and to share the results of continued learning. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. Flynn, C. & McDermott, F. (2016). Doing research in social work and social care: The journey from student to practitioner researcher. Sage Publications. Rubin, A. & Babbie, E.R. (2017). Research methods for social work. Cengage Learning. Sarantakos, S. (2013). Social research (4th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. Supplementary Readings: Supplementary readings will be suggested to the students as the study-unit progresses. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Blended Learning | ||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Edgar Galea Curmi |
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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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