Research Methods (Education)

Program Overview

The MA in Research Methods (Education) provides a comprehensive grounding in research design methodologies, focusing on education. It equips students with advanced skills in qualitative and quantitative methods, preparing them for careers in education research, policymaking, and other sectors. The program is recognized by the ESRC and offers a combination of core and optional modules, including a dissertation project. Graduates are well-equipped for careers in education, research, and various other fields.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MA in Research Methods (Education) offers a comprehensive and practical grounding in research design methodologies, specifically focusing on education. This program equips students with high-quality research methods for learning in education, catering to those interested in theoretical and empirical understanding of research in social science and those planning to pursue doctoral studies in the field of education. The program is recognized by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as providing suitable training for such endeavors.

Outline:

The program consists of a combination of core and optional modules:

Core Modules:

• Research Design and Process: Provides foundational knowledge in research design principles and the research process, preparing students for the dissertation and careers in social research.
• Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Practices across Social Research: Introduces contemporary social scientific research from an interdisciplinary perspective, exploring complex causation and cross-disciplinary design strategies.
• Qualitative Methods and Analysis: Equips students with advanced knowledge and skills to conduct and critically analyze qualitative research, including various research approaches and data analysis methods.
• Quantitative Methods and Analysis: Develops students' understanding and skills in quantitative data analysis, enabling them to use statistical techniques for data exploration and inference.
• Experiments in Education: Explores the principles and application of experiments in education, equipping students to analyze and interpret experimental data.
• Design and Methods in Education Research: Introduces key concepts, terminology, and research skills in education research, including research design evaluation and conducting high-quality studies.
• The Dissertation: An independent research project supervised by a faculty member, allowing students to demonstrate their research capabilities and critical thinking skills.

Optional Modules:

• Systematic Review
• Secondary Data in Education Research
• Ethnographies of Education
• Measurement in Education Research
• Interviews
• Narrative Enquiries
• Advanced Ethnographic Research
• Multilevel Modelling
• Advanced Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences
• Simulating Data in R
• Participatory Action Research

Assessment:

The majority of the MA is assessed through coursework, which takes various forms depending on the modules studied. Methods include written assignments, research proposals, portfolio work, and individual and group presentations. The optional module "Advanced Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences" is assessed by examination. The MA dissertation, comprising one-third of the program's credits, is assessed through a 12,000-word written report.

Teaching:

The curriculum is delivered through a mix of interactive teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, and tutorials. Students actively participate through discussions, presentations, critique of existing research, data analysis, experiment design, literature searches, and synthesis of research findings. Independent learning is essential and supported by various learning resources, including libraries, learning spaces, computers, databases, journals, and textbooks. Dissertation guidance is provided through individual tutorials, workshops, and forums.

Careers:

The program equips graduates for successful careers in various sectors, including:

• Education (classroom teaching, educational leadership, administration, policy development)
• Educational research
• Publishing
• Education administration
• Policymaking
• Management
• Commercial and public sectors

Other:

• Students have the opportunity to engage with world-class research and innovative teaching by experts in their fields.
• The program fosters a vibrant and engaged learning community among students and academic staff.

Full Time Fees

• Tuition fees
• Home students: £10,400 per year
• EU students: £24,750 per year
• Island students: £10,400 per year
• International students: £24,750 per year

Part Time Fees

• Tuition fees
• Home students: £5,800 per year
• EU students: £13,700 per year
• Island students: £5,800 per year
• International students: £13,700 per year
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).