Postgraduate Module Descriptor

ERPM000: The Nature of Educational Enquiry

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The aims of the module are to develop a critical understanding of:

The nature and purpose of educational research, its history, and its relationships with ethical, social, political, economic and power factors and influences;
The range of philosophical and theoretical ideas, perspectives and debates underpinning current educational and social science research, including the diversity of educational methodologies and paradigms, and their characteristics, strengths and weaknesses;
The central and constitutive roles of meta-theory and language in educational research; and
The use of theory and methodology in current research projects, debates and publications.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. demonstrate detailed knowledge of philosophical and theoretical foundations of educational research and research methodologies, as well as styles and paradigms utilized in the field and current debates and controversies; 2. demonstrate understanding of the significance of alternative epistemological positions for theory construction, research design, and the selection of appropriate analytical techniques; 3. demonstrate understanding of educational research in its social, political and ethical context from a variety of viewpoints;
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. demonstrate the ability to apply the knowledge and skills developed in the module in a critical analysis of research papers and presentations; 5. demonstrate the ability to make an informed judgment about the strengths and weaknesses of available research approaches based, among other things, on ethical considerations;
Personal and Key Skills	6. demonstrate skills in self-management - in particular the management of time, tasks and evaluation of own learning; 7. demonstrate skills in personal judgment - particularly in respect of ethically sensitive issues; 8. demonstrate the ability to work independently and cooperatively; 9. communicate and present your ideas when writing and speaking and to listen effectively and persuade rationally; 10. demonstrate the ability to problem solve - to think logically, laterally, strategically, analyzing and evaluating; 11. demonstrate data handling skills; and 12. demonstrate effective use of ICT -the use of electronic data bases in the library, email, word processing, the internet.

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Analysis of article	Equivalent to 1,200 words	1-3, 5-6, 8-9, 12	Written and peer feedback
Group assignment	Equivalent to 1,300 words	1-9, 12	Oral and written feedback

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Written Assignment: Comparative analysis of two published pieces of research	100	5,000 words	1-12	Written

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Written Assignment Comparative analysis of two published pieces of research	Written Assignment Comparative pieces of two published pieces of research (5,000 words)	1-12	6 weeks from notification of failure or re-entry onto programme