EDF4100 - Researching teaching and learning - 2019

This unit builds students' capacity to understand and prepare to undertake research to improve their professional practice. Students explore principles, approaches and methods for conducting and applying educational research on a select range of topics related to teaching and/or student outcomes in an educational setting. They investigate issues from scholarship and the literature such as: what 'counts' as research, where research can occur, what is researchable, how research can be undertaken, and the strengths and limitations of a range of research processes and findings for a research topic. Assignment tasks focus on students developing a researchable topic area and conducting a review of the associated research literature as a prelude to an associated project in EDF4101.

Upon successful completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. understand purposes, principles and approaches in educational research
2. demonstrate critical reading and critical writing approaches on educational research topics
3. account for varied approaches to, and findings from, educational research that address complex problems relevant to professional practice
4. appreciate the importance of educational inquiry for improving professional practice related to teaching and learning, including their own.

Research narrative (1600 words, 40%)

Review of research (2400 words, 60%)

Minimum total expected workload equals 144 hours per semester comprising:

1. Contact hours for on-campus students:
   • 24 contact hours per semester to include:
   • 1-hour lectures in the early teaching weeks of semester
   • 3-hour workshops in the week after professional experience
   • 3 hours of peer support in the development of research proposals
2. Requirements for on-campus block City-based students:
   • one intensive weekend block
   • at least 4 hours of active online engagement in Moodle activities per term
3. Requirements for offshore Kaplan-based students:
   • one intensive block (usually from Thursday to Sunday)
   • at least 4 hours of online study per term
4. Additional requirements for all students:
   • independent study to make up the required minimum hours during the semester

See also Unit timetable information

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