SED7166 - Empirical Dissertation

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Implement research plans to effectively conduct and manage a piece of empirical research relevant to an educational context;
Identify, précis and synthesise relevant key literature to inform the research of an educational issue, and the analysis of own data;
Define and employ appropriate research methodologies and methods relevant to the research;
Collect, interpret and critically analyse data, and synthesise research findings, to draw justified conclusions to inform educational policy and/or practice;
Critically evaluate and judge the outcomes of own research in order to report on findings and conclusions that demonstrate the impact of the research on professional practice.

Content:

Students will conduct an appropriate, feasible empirical study at this level on an subject agreed with the Specialist Supervisor. Research for the dissertation may include, but are not limited to:
• Questions relating to national policy and practice in education and/or training;
• Questions relating to teacher education, teaching and continuing professional development for educators;
• Question relating to pupil learning and assessment;
• Questions relating to curriculum and curricular subjects;
• Issues relevant to particular age phases/educational contexts.
Three structured seminars will be delivered to facilitate students’ progress through the dissertation. These will focus on: (i) getting started on, and managing the project, and working independently with the guidance of the Specialist Supervisor; (ii) approaches to the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data; (iii) writing and presenting empirical research.
Students are entitled to input from their Specialist Supervisor throughout the dissertation, in addition to the scheduled group seminar sessions.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Students will work more autonomously in this module, but will be supported through the 3 structured seminars detailed above, as well as through the supervision process with their Specialist Supervisor. Students will draw on the skills and knowledge they have gained through the programme, and, through individual study, supervisory meetings and structured seminars. They will be encouraged to engage with, and make use of: professional networks; critical reflections; discussions; online fora; supervision meetings. Students will be encouraged to attend the ICE research seminars as enrichment. Students will be able to access activities, resources, support and supervision through Moodle, and will be expected to draw on their own professional experience, relevant scholarship, research and their own emerging arguments in order to contribute to supervisory and group seminar activities.

Scheduled teaching and learning: Individual supervision
Hours: 6
Intended Group size: 1

Scheduled teaching and learning: Group seminars
Hours: 15
Intended Group size: 20

Guided independent study
Hours:579

Further details relating to assessment

Is this module exempt from condonement of marginal failure? Yes
Prior to commencing the empirical data collection for the dissertation, students must make an application for ethical approval to the ICE Ethics Committee through their Specialist Supervisor.
No data collection will commence until ethical approval has been granted.
Students are provided with a set of writing guidelines to support the structure of the assessed dissertation.

Assessment:

001 Dissertation 12000 words semester 1 and 2 100%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Amanda Fulford
Level - 7
Credit Value - 60
Pre-Requisites - 120 CREDITS FROM PHASE 1 AND PHASE 2
Semester(s) Offered -

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