Postgraduate Module Descriptor


ERPM000: The Nature of Educational Enquiry

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

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 assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Analysis of articleEquivalent to 1,200 words1-3, 5-6, 8-9, 12 Written and peer feedback
Group assignment Equivalent to 1,300 words1-9, 12Oral 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.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

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

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Written Assignment: Comparative analysis of two published pieces of research1005,000 words1-12Written

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 assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Written Assignment – Comparative analysis of two published pieces of researchWritten Assignment – Comparative pieces of two published pieces of research (5,000 words)1-126 weeks from notification of failure or re-entry onto programme

Indicative Reading List

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

General

Pring, R. (2015). Philosophy of educational research.  3rd edition online access. London/New York: Bloomsbury 

Norwich, B. (2019) Thinking about the nature of educational research: going beyond superficial theoretical scripts. Review of Education, DOI: 10.1002/rev3.3182

Overview topics:

Issues in educational research : 

Hammersley, M. (2003) Social research today: some dilemmas    and distinctions. Qualititative Social Work, 2(1), 25-44.

Osberg, D.C. & Biesta, G.J.J.  (2007). Beyond    Presence: Epistemological and pedagogical implications of    'strong' emergence.  Interchange 38 (1) 31-55.

Schwandt, T.A. (2011) The SAGE Dictionary of Qualitative Inquiry. Thousand Oaks. SAGE Publications.

Stenhouse, L. (1981) What Counts as Research? British    Journal of Educational Studies, 29 (2) 103-114. 

Symonds, J.E. and Gorard, S. (2010) death of mixed methods?    Or the rebirth of research as a craft? Evaluation and research    in Education, 23,2, 121-136. 

Pragmatism

Alexander, H.A. (2006) A view from somewhere: explaining the paradigms of educational research. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 40, 2, 205-221 

Morgan, D.L. (2014) Pragmatism as a Paradigm for Social Research. Qualitative Inquiry, Vol. 20(8) 1045–1053

Talisse R About pragmatism - listen to podcast from Philosophy Bites website

Critical realism

Scott, D. (2007) Resolving the      qualitative-quantitative dilemma: a critical realist      approach. International Journal of Research & Method      in Education, 30 (1), pp. 3–17

Evidence-based practice

Biesta, G.J.J. (2007). Why ‘what works’ won’t work.    Evidence-based practice and the democratic deficit of    educational research. Educational Theory 57(1), 1-22.      

Clegg, S. (2005) Evidence-based practice in educational    research: a critical realist critique of systematic review    British Journal of Sociology of Education,  26, 3,.    415–428. 

Hammersley, M (2005) Is the evidence-based practice    movement doing more good than harm?, Evidence and Policy, vol.    1, no. 1, 2005, pp1-16

MacLure,M. (2005) ‘Clarity bordering on stupidity’: where’s    the quality in systematic review?, Journal of Education Policy,    20(4), 393-416. 

Critical-emancipatory perspectives

Biesta, G (2010) A New Logic of Emancipation: The Methodology of Jacques Ranciere. Educational Theory 60, no.1: 39-59.

Carr, W (2007) Educational research as a practical science,  International Journal of Research & Method in Education,30:3,271-286.

Reygan, Finn, & Dennis Francis (2015) Emotions and pedagogies of discomfort: Teachers’ responses to sexual and gender diversity in the Free State, South Africa, Education as Change, 19:1, 101-119.

Schostak J. & Schostak J. (2012) Writing Research critically. Developing the power to make a difference London and New York. Routledge.

Post-modern/post-structural approaches

Adams St. Pierre, Elizabeth (2013). The posts continue: becoming, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 26:6, 646-657.

Ball, S. (2013) Foucault, Power and Education. Abingdon: Routledge.