Action research in educational practice

This module will give you the opportunity to carry out a piece of action research into your own practice with a view to enhancing the student experience. You will identify an issue, opportunity or challenge relating to your own practice that you wish to investigate. Taught sessions and online resources will support you in thinking through options for methodologies, how to apply for ethics, data management, analysis and dissemination. You will choose an appropriate methodology for your action research, write a proposal, consider the ethics of your research going through the appropriate Abertay University ethics process and implement your project. You will evaluate the outcomes of your project and present your findings in a format that aligns with your project. This module will develop the following Abertay Attributes: Intellectual, Personal, Professional and Active Citizen.

By the end of this module the student should be able to:

1. Plan a small-scale action research project to address a teaching issue, opportunity or challenge you have identified in your own teaching practice using appropriate research methodologies and approaches.
2. Produce documentation of sufficient standard to satisfy Abertay University regulatory protocols with regards to risk assessment and ethical approval.
3. Execute your research project, including primary data collection and data analysis, demonstrating critical reflection and evaluation to enhance your pedagogic approach to teaching and learning.
4. Critically evaluate and synthesis concepts and theories of learning and teaching, research and/or policy in higher education and apply them to your own educational practice and development.

1 Action research principles

This will discuss what action research is, why we do it and how it fits into research within teaching and learning at Abertay.

2 Planning your research

This will cover project planning, what you need to think about and pitfalls along the way!

3 Evaluative frameworks

How do we evaluate what is already out there in the sector and how do we evaluate our own practice. This topic will introduce you to the various evaluative frameworks that are used within action research in educational practice.

4 Methodologies

A huge variety of different methodologies can be applied to action research. This will cover the main methodologies to help you choose which is the most appropriate for your particular project. Rigour and scale will also be discussed.

5 Literature reviews

Why reinvent the wheel if someone has already written something about your idea? Where to find literature, evaluate that literature and how it can provide a theoretical framework and contribute to the planning and execution of your project will be covered.

6 Ethics

Ethics and action research can be a complex and grey area. This topic will cover what is required for ethics in action research in educational practice at Abertay to ensure that all your work is conducted as per Abertay's ethical processes.

7 Data management

Data management is important in all areas of research and this content will contextualise this in what to consider when doing action research on your practice.

8 Data analysis

Different methodologies will lend themselves to different types of data analysis. This topic will cover the main data analysis techniques used within action research in higher education.

9 Dissemination

How and where are good places to disseminate action research in education? This will also provide support for the unit 2 assessment.