Course content

The course will provide the students with knowledge about theoretical perspectives, methodology, methods, and different sorts of data material. The course gives a solid introduction to research ethics and research ethical issues. The comprehensive aim with the course is to strengthen the connection between educational practice, theory, research, and dissemination. The course builds on Academic research and dissemination 1 and is a continuation of the preparations for completing a master thesis. The students will immerse themselves into studying different perspectives on learning, and different theoretical turns. They are getting prepared to choose and use theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and methods of specific relevance for their own master thesis.

During the course, the students will explore different methods to generate and analyse research material (data). They are presented for a range of methods used for analysis in educational research. The students will learn about analysis as an explorative and creative academic craft and use it for their own master project. The course strengthens the students’ skills in academic reading, writing, research, and dissemination, especially within the traditions of arts education and vocational education. Further, the course focuses on topics and challenges connected to research ethics and the researcher role. The students will learn about research ethics in all stages of a research project, from the choice of theoretical perspective to methods for generating data and for analysis, exhibition of the researcher role, and research dissemination. The aim is to develop solid knowledges and skills in academic research and dissemination, especially within arts education and vocational education.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

The candidate has

• Advanced knowledge about theoretical perspectives, methodologies, methods and different sorts of research material that can inform a research process
• Thorough knowledge about different methods to generate research material in educational research, with a specific focus on research in arts education and vocational education
• Thorough knowledge about different analytical approaches in educational research, with a specific focus on research in arts education and vocational education
• Advanced knowledge about research ethics
• Thorough knowledge about views on quality in research in arts education and vocational education

Skills

The candidate can

• Identify and critically discuss the connection between theoretical perspectives and methodological choices in research

• Choose among and use suitable methods to generate and analyse research materials in arts education and vocational education
• Reflect about different research ethical issues

• Activate theory in analysis of a research material

• Examinate views on quality in research in arts education and vocational education

General competence

The candidate can

• Evaluate possibilities, challenges and limitations in educational research
• Examinate, critically discuss and in a research-based and informed way argue for own choices as researcher, and other researchers’ choices.

Learning methods and activities

Workshops, lectures, working with texts (reading and writing), drawing and other multimodal expressions, student activities individually and collaboratively, different forms of dissemination (practical, verbal, digital, written), and student peer reviews.

Compulsory activities

Preparations that takes place during the seminars for the compulsory assignments.

Individual and collective student activities in and outside of the scheduled seminars.

Compulsory assignments

Three compulsory assignments

• Written and multimodal reflection text
• Written and verbal presentation of research design
• Written and verbal response to peer-student

Compulsory assignments

• Written and multimodal reflection text
• Written and verbal presentation of research design
• Written and verbal response to peer-student

Further on evaluation

Compulsory assignments

There are 3 compulsory assignments, written and/or multimodal

Further on examination

The examination is an individual task: an academic text about the research design for the own master thesis project.

The assessment scale will be through the letter grade scale A-F, where the grades A-E means pass and F means failed. A is the highest and E is the lowest grade

Recommended previous knowledge

DID3003 Academic research and dissemination

Course materials

This course description, a course plan and a compulsory reading list which will be shared by the course teacher in the beginning of the course.Self-chosen literature which must be approved by the course teacher.

Credit reductions