Course Outline (Online 3.0 credits)
EVALUATION
Assignment 1A: Ethics Tri-Council Policies
Assignment 1B: Participation in Discussion Board and Group Activities
Assignment 2: A Reflective Account of My Research Framework
Assignment 3: Outlining a Research Proposal in Three Instalments
This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
DESCRIPTION
EDUC 500 aims at providing an initial understanding of the nature and purpose of various approaches to research. At the same time, the course introduces graduate students in the first year of their program to quantitative and qualitative research methods utilized in education and in other social sciences. All of these approaches are useful in understanding educational phenomena, though they may appear to differ substantially from one another. It is important to note that the course does not intend for students to acquire extensive technical (operational) competence in any specific method of research.
While acknowledging the importance of excellence in research design, the course is based on the assumption that it is problem definition that should determine research design. In this course, students will come in contact with a diversity of researchable problems that may be identified in educational structures and processes. Students will be familiarized with different research issues and techniques that will allow them to select methods and research strategies for more intensive study. To a lesser extent, the course will also assist in selecting methods for more immediate application. EDUC 500 should not be viewed as the only course to be taken in the development of competence in research. However, it should provide students with the background necessary for making intelligent decisions regarding which kind(s) of methods, and which additional research training, are relevant to their research interests. Also, the course promotes more qualified “critical consumption” of published and unpublished research on the part of its students.
OBJECTIVES
The course will:
- Familiarize students with a cross-section of research methods available for the conduct of research in education (e.g., experiments, surveys, field studies, case studies, historical analysis, observational studies, and narratives, among others).
- Familiarize students with resources available to them for the conduct of research (e.g., research library, computer facilities, faculty expertise, observation and consultation with Elders), and,
- Enable students to use the information and skills obtained through Objectives 1 and 2 in the development of assignments that reflect their personal research interests.
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Identify how the various research methodologies relate to the different knowledge theories (ontological and epistemological stances).
- Formulate research questions/state research problems and find out/select what the research methods are that can best address the question(s) or problem.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of their own position as teachers/researchers undertaking a research project.
- Identify the ethical parameters guiding the research process.
- Become familiarize and if possible utilize basic commands in quantitative (SPSSS) and qualitative (NVIVO)-based data analyses software.
- Utilize previous research as groundwork to both critically evaluate and build/expand from their own area of inquiry.
- Access research databases and conduct targeted library searches
- Demonstrate awareness of grant proposal information by accessing the corresponding agencies and initiating the process of grant form completion
- Integrate the content and processes described in objectives 1 – 3 through the design of a classroom/early-child environment-based research project.
OUTLINE
This course will be offered online on Canvas – http://canvas.ubc.ca
| Lessons | Topics |
|---|---|
| Lesson 1: | Introduction. What is Research? |
| Lesson 2: | Research Perspectives: Setting the Context |
| Lesson 3: | Research Perspectives: Epistemologies and Ontologies |
| Lesson 4: | Research Topic, Research Problem and Research Question(s). The Literature Review |
| Lesson 5: | Quantitative Methods: Basic Concepts and Study Designs |
| Lesson 6: | Quantitative Methods: Population and Samples. Introduction to Data Analyses. |
| Lesson 7: | Qualitative Methods: Designs and Approaches |
| Lesson 8: | Qualitative Methods: Validity and Rigor. Introduction to Data Analyses. | Lesson 9: | Qualitative Methods: Indigenous, Narrative and Collaborative Approaches. Post Qualitative Research |
| Lesson 10: | Writing. The Proposal and Research Results/Findings |
| Lesson 11: | The Ethical Review Process |
| Lesson 12: | Final Overview/The Research Proposal |
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
This is an online course. Students are required to have a computer, access to the Internet, and a Campus Wide Login ID and password to access the course website.
Textbook:
Mukherji, P., & Albon, D. (2017). Research methods in early childhood: An introductory guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
LIBRARY RESOURCES: Connect From Home
Your EZproxy connection will allow you to access library resources from your computer on or off campus. For more information, go to https://services.library.ubc.ca/electronic-access/connect/
MORE INFORMATION
Telephone: 604.822.2013, or toll-free in North America: 1.888.492.1122
Email: eced.educ@ubc.ca
Latest Revision on: August 18, 2020