EDM102: Research Methods in English Language Education

Module code: EDM102

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Kari Sahan, email: k.e.sahan@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Students will develop an understanding of quantitative and qualitative approaches to research in English language education, of the advantages and disadvantages of different research designs, and of a range of data collection techniques. They will develop an awareness of the importance of research ethics and of how research evidence can be used to inform policy and practice in English language education. They will also learn how to report the results in the form of a research report.

Aims

The aim of the module is to provide students with an overview of approaches to research in English language education in order to equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and evaluate research studies and to carry out a small-scale research study for their dissertation.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Explain the nature and purpose of research in English language education in the broad context of educational research
2. Describe a range of approaches to research design and data collection and analysis
3. Critically evaluate research methods and their application in research studies in the field of English language education
4. Formulate research questions and design and plan an original research study
5. Discuss ethical and practical issues in research and practitioner inquiry

Module content

• Introduction to educational enquiry
• Formulating research questions and hypotheses
• Synthesising and evaluating quantitative and qualitative evidence
• Familiarisation with a range of conceptual frameworks for social and educational enquiry
• Key constructs in education (e.g. ability, achievement, discipline, literacy, norms, progress) and how these can be investigated, operationalised and, where applicable, measured
• Types of research design (cross-sectional, longitudinal, case-studies etc.) and advantages and disadvantages of the use of each in relation to particular research questions
• Data collection methods, including experimental design, questionnaires, interviews, and case studies
• Methods for analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data, including an introduction to the statistical software package SPSS
• How research evidence can be used to inform policy and practice in English Language Education

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The central content areas will be covered through lectures and presentations. Students are encouraged to identify a topic for investigation and to reflect on the content of taught sessions in relation to that topic.

Group activities will further collaborative learning and focus on project planning and research design, development of data collection tools (e.g. questionnaires), and dissertation planning.

Practical workshop sessions will focus on statistical analysis using SPSS, qualitative data analysis, and documentary analysis.

Blackboard will be used to provide access to essential readings, online self-study quizzes, and other forms of blended learning.

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will work together in pairs / small groups to complete a research study design task. Students will receive feedback on their study design from peers and the module convenor. The feedback provided by the module convener on the research design task can be fed forward to contribute to the design of a research study for the summative assessment. Students will also have the opportunity for regular in-class feedback from the tutors during lectures and seminars, as well as regular peer feedback during group work / tasks in class.

Reassessment

Additional costs