Course syllabus

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PDA084 Qualitative Approaches to Educational Research, 15 credits

15 credits course, second cycle

 

Confirmation

This course syllabus was confirmed by Department of Education and Special Education on 2018-12-03 to be valid from 2019-09-02, autumn semester of 2019.

Field of education: Social Sciences 100%
Department: Department of Education and Special Education

Position in the educational system

The course can be part of the following programme: International Master's Programme in Educational Research (L2EUR)

Main field of studies

Education with Specialization in Educational Research

Entry requirements

A1F, Second cycle, has second-cycle course/s as entry requirements: PDA085, Introduction to International Master in Educational Research, 15 credits; or equivalent knowledge.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

  1. Explain what qualitative research methods are, including their defining attributes.
  2. Describe research ethics as it applies to qualitative research approaches.

Competence and skills

  1. Identify and summarise qualitative research methods used in research articles and reports in the area of education.
  2. Contribute to a group tasked with designing a qualitative research approach to an educational issue.
  3. Apply qualitative research concepts and ethical methodological procedures to a given educational issue.

Judgement and approach

  1. Raise and judge ethical issues pertaining to educational science research with human subjects.
  2. Critically assess the qualitative research methods of empirical studies and their value as scientific achievement.

Course content

The course will start with a general challenge to the idea of qualitative methods, focussing in particular on research ethics: what kind of things are qualitative research methods, and why do we need them? The remainder of the course is taken as problem- based learning. Students are asked, in groups, to find a qualitative research methodology suitable to investigating a pressing issue in education. Practicing group work matters because research often involves team work, so that the ability to collaborate with peers is a crucial part of research skill.

Students will be asked to re-formulate an educational issue into a clear research problem, and outline what research might be undertaken in response to the problem. In the course of working through a suitable methodological design, students will engage with reading on qualitative methods, including exemplars taken from published empirical studies.

The course is divided into two parts. The first part is theoretical and will focus on the nature and ethics of qualitative research methods. The second part concerns problem- based learning and group work.

Form of teaching

The course is given in English and on campus. The course is taught in a combination of lectures, workshops, and seminars in support of problem-based learning in groups.

Language of instruction: English

Assessment

Performance is assessed through:

  1. Active participation in group work (students are expected to work effectively in groups and make clear individual contributions within the group—this element is peer assessed)
  2. An individual commentary on research ethics (5hp) based on the group work
  3. Two group presentations—as part of formative assessment—that report group progress with the task of writing a research methodology
  4. An individually written essay (10hp) that reports on a suitable research methodology for tackling a given educational issue while also critically assessing research methods and their value.

The course involves two moments of graded assessment: one at the end of term 1 (5hp) and one at the close of the course (10hp).

If a student, who has failed the same examined component twice, wishes to change examiner before the next examination, a written application shall be sent to the department responsible for the course and shall be granted unless there are special reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6, Section 22 of Higher Education Ordinance).

In cases where a course has been discontinued or has undergone major changes, the student shall normally be guaranteed at least three examination occasions (including the ordinary examination) during a period of at least one year from the last time the course was given.

Grades

The grading scale comprises: Pass with Distinction (VG), Pass (G) and Fail (U).
To pass the course, all the requirements mentioned above (1, 2, 3 and 4) need to be graded a Pass (G). In order to earn a grade of Pass with Distinction (VG), a student must pass all course work at Pass (G) level, the final written essay with a Pass with Distinction (VG).

Course evaluation

Course evaluation is integral part of the course. Course participants will be invited to evaluate the course via a short online or paper questionnaire. Course evaluations are anonymous. The results will be communicated to the students and will function as a guide for further development of the course.

The syllabus as PDF download

PDA084 Syllabus.pdf

 

 

Course summary:

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