Educational Research IΙ PDF Print

Educational Research IΙ – 5 ECTS

Coordinators: Athanassios Jimoyiannis – Despina Tsakiri

Course Description

This module provides a comprehensive study of the fundamentals of the qualitative educational research methods used in investigating learning design, resources and material in formal education, non-formal education and e-learning programs. The main topics include ethnographic and narrative methods, content analysis and coding methods, action research, and current research methods on distance learning and e-learning programs. Other issues addressed relate to the nature of educational research, academic writing and publication, and ethics in educational research.

Objectives

Postgraduate students will have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and competence to do quality scholarly research, e.g. identifying a research problem, reviewing the literature, specifying research objectives and articulating research questions or hypotheses, collecting either qualitative or quantitative data, analysing and interpreting qualitative or quantitative data, reporting and evaluating their research. Particular emphasis is placed on educational research design and the articulation of research questions with a valid and reliable research methodology.

Learning outcomes

After having completed this module, students will be able

  • to critically appraise the strengths and weaknesses of a range of qualitative research methods applicable to educational research practice
  • to critique and evaluate research proposals and reports of high academic standards
  • to conduct a critical literature review in the field of teaching and learning, based on an interrogation of a wide range of traditional and modern information sources and services
  • to design and implement educational research projects using the appropriate qualitative research methods and setting the appropriate/researchable research questions and hypotheses
  • to apply appropriate research and data gathering methods to a wide range of educational research problems and questions
  • to conform to standards of academic research and integrity, and ethical research standards
  • to develop a well-structured and supported research proposal in the field of education and learning to be carried out as part of their master thesis project.

Structure

The module comprises lectures, readings, exercises and other formative assessment tasks through the e-learning platform (http://moodle.korinthos.uop.gr).

Students’ assessment

Students’ assessment is based on their participation in exercises, tasks and on-line activities accompanied by an essay illustrating why and how a particular research method could be used in a specific educational research problem.

Bibliography

Creswell, J. W. (2008). Educational research: planning, conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. N.J.: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall (3rd ed.).
Course folder (instructors’ notes, worksheets, articles, online sources etc.) which is updated every academic year