EDUC 2002 - Research as Teaching Practice

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2020

This course enables students to evaluate educational research methods. Students will examine a range of methodologies and analyse research studies that inform understandings about issues in curriculum and pedagogy and design an action research project to inform their own practice. The course also provides background skills, techniques and methods which support teacher's use of research by junior and senior secondary students in South Australian secondary schools. All Bachelor of Teaching (Middle) and Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) students commencing from 2019 will participate in the School of Education's eLearning Program, that requires students to own an iPad with pencil and keyboard. The University of Adelaide will assist students with procurement upon enrolment.

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Course Details

Course Code	EDUC 2002
Course	Research as Teaching Practice
Coordinating Unit	School of Education
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	EDUC 2001
Assumed Knowledge	EDUC 1001 & EDUC 1100
Restrictions	Available to Bachelor of Teaching, Bachelor of Teaching (Middle) and Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) students only
Assessment	Quiz 10%, Evaluation of research study 40%, Action Research Design 50%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Stephen Kelly

Location: Room 8.17
Level 8
School of Education,
Faculty of the Professions
10 Pulteney Street, Adelaide, 5005
Email: stephen.kelly@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: 83134983.

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Lecture attendance: 40 minutes per week
Tutorial attendance: 100 minutes per week
On-line activity: 40 minutes per week

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:		APST (Graduate)
1	Identify the major research methodologies used in educational investigations	1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5
2	Describe the main differences between quantitative and qualitative research	1.1, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5
3	List the specific types of research that fall into the broad categories of quantitative and qualitative research	1.1, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5
4	Give examples of research problems that might be investigated by either approaches	1.1, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5
5	List the steps involved in the research process	1.1, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5
6	Evaluate educational research on various dimensions	1.1, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5
7	Plan and conduct small scale educational research	1.1, 5.4, 5.5
8	Teach the Personal Research Project in South Australian High Schools	1.1, 2.1, 2.2
9	Engage in reflective and self-directed practice as stated in APST Standard 6: Engage in Professional Learning	1.1, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 4
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	2, 5
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	3, 8, 9
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	3, 6
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	1, 5
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	1, 3, 5

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Not applicable.

Recommended Resources

Ary, D., Jacobs, L., Sorensen, C. 2010, Introduction to Research in Education, Wadsworth Cengage, Belmont, California.
Feldman, A., Altrichter, H., Posch, P., Somekh, B., (2018) Teachers investigate their work: An introduction to Action Research, Routledge
Grellier, J. & Goerke, V (2018) Communicatons toolkit (4th Edition), Cengage Learning Australia, South Melbourne, VictoriaText Book

Kervin, L. et al (2016) Research for Educators, Cengage, South Melbourne

Online Learning

Students will be expected to participate in online activities on a weekly basis in preparation for weekly tutorials.

Learning & Teaching Modes

There is one pre-recorded lecture, one 100 minute tutorial and one on-line activity each week. Successful completion of the course is dependent on attendance at turorials each week. Any absences will need to be supported by a medical certificate or appropriate documentation. Scholarly contributions to each tutorial and online activity will be given value in assessments of this course.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Placement: 10 days
Lecture: 40 minutes per week

Tutorial attendance: 100 minutes per week

On-line activity: 40 minutes per week

Learning Activities Summary

The course consists of pre-recorded lectures, tutorials and online work. Students are expected to prepare for tutorials by reading texts and doing the set online activities before the tutorial.

Tutorials will be held weekly. Please ensure you bring along the text and your scholarly preparation for class from the beginning of the course.

Schedule
Week	Lecture/Tutorial Details		Learning Outcomes	APST (Graduate)
1	Lecture: Tutorial Reading Online activity	Some Issues in Educational Research Each week you need to (a) read the required readings, (b) complete and bring a double entry journal to the tutorial and be prepared to engage in scholarly discussion based on your readings and peer to peer contributions. Focus: What is research? Identifying a capability focus for action reseach.	1	3.6, 5.4, 5.5
2	Lecture: Tutorial Online activity	The Research Process Double entry journal Focus: What steps are involved in the research process? How does research differ from reflection? Understanding the media's role in the policy process.	1	3.6
3	Lecture: Tutorial Online activity	Different Research Approaches Double entry journal Focus: Distinguishing between quantitative and qualitative research. How educational practice is influenced by research? Understanding educational responses to representations of the issue.	2,3,4	3.6
4	Lecture: Tutorial Online activity	Analysis of completed research study Double entry journal Focus: Preparation for assignment. Evaluating a research study related to the issue.	6	5.4;5.5
5	Lecture: Turorial Online activity	Initiating an Action Research Double entry journal Focus: Locating a research problem in the subject I teach: From whole school concern to individual action.	7,6,9	3.6; 6.1
6	Lecture: Tutorial Online activity	Initial Stages in Research Double entry journal Focus: From research problem to action How do we select an action research topic? How do we conduct a literature review? How do we develop research questions and hypotheses?	5	3.6, 5.4
7	Lecture: Tutorial Online activity	Planning Research Double entry journal Focus: Setting the conditions for action The uses of quantitative research The uses of qualitative research. Designing an intervention in a squence of learning.	5,7,8	3.6, 5.4, 5.5
8	Lecture: Tutorial Online activity	Collecting Data Double entry journal Focus: Generating data from my teaching sequence What do we mean by data? How do we collect data for quantitative and qualitative research? What do we need to do as we prepare to gather data? What do we need to do as we gather data?	6	3.6, 5.4, 5.5
9	Lecture: Tutorial Online activity	Making Sense of Data Double entry journal Focus: Preparing data for analysis What does data look like? How can data be organised? How do we organised and prepare data for analysis?	6,7	1.1, 3.6, 5.4
10	Lecture: Tutorial Online activity	Data Analysis Techniques Double entry journal Focus: Approaches to analysing data from my proposed teaching sequence How do we analyse qualitative data? How do we analyse quantitative data?	5,6	1.1, 3.6, 5.4
11	Lecture: Tutorial Online activity	Publicising The Research Double entry journal Focus: Synthesising my argument and dissemination of my research Writing up my proposed action research as an abstract. What are some of the main ways we can publicise our research findings? What should a first rate research report contain?	7,9	5.5, 6.1

Specific Course Requirements

Placement
Students are expected to make links between experiences on placement and teachers work as a researcher.

Knowledge of course requirements

It is a student’s duty to acquaint himself/herself with course requirements. Ignorance of course requirements due to a student’s non-attendance at lectures or seminars is not an acceptable reason for non-fulfilment of any requirements.

Students attending lectures and seminars should note that behaviour which interferes with the conduct of the lecture or seminar may result in a student being asked to leave the class and may result in suspension from the unit. In particular mobile phones must be turned off and placed in students’ bags before the commencement of lectures and seminars. Students are not to have mobile phones out during seminars and this includes texting under desks and sitting in seminars with mobile phones messaging others will result in you being asked to leave the seminar.

Lectures
Viewing of pre-recorded lectures is expected and on the basis of the research evidence is highly profitable. (See Woodfield, et al., 1-22, in Studies in Higher Education, 31, 1, 2006 and Rodgers and Rodgers, 2003, 27-41, in Education Research and Perspectives, 30, 1, 2003).

Lectures:
Indicate the overall scope of the subject,
Emphasise essential points,
Provide a starting point for private study,
Give explanations of certain difficult points ,
Give examples relevant to the particular course area,
Provide a preliminary map of difficult reading material,
Suggest sources of further information and reference,
Stimulate student thinking and provide guidelines for thoughts assisting to develop a critical interest in the subject (RMIT Counselling Service, 1969)

Tutorials

Attendance and whole hearted and spirited participation is expected.

Special Consideration

Students who wish to seek special consideration because of illness or special circumstances should follow Faculty of Arts guidelines and apply to the lecturer in charge with relevant documentary evidence. This is usually a doctor’s certificate. For both special consideration and extensions you need to complete well beforehand the Application Form – Assessment Task Extension or Replacement Examination due to Medical and Compassionate Circumstances and/or Application Form – Extenuating Circumstances Application Form. These along with relevant information and instructions are on the university web site.

Extensions and deadlines

If due to illness or other valid reasons, a student is unable to meet a deadline, he/she must follow Faculty of Arts guidelines for applying for an extension and contact the lecturer before the deadline in order to seek an extension (which may or may not be granted). Students are required to produce original documents to support their application for an extension. Any assignment handed in late, without authorised extension, will be penalised at a rate of 10% of the assigned mark per 24-hour period late, to a maximum of 7 periods. Assignments handed in more than seven periods late, without authorised extension, will not be marked and an automatic fail grade for that piece of assessment will be recorded.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is “the reproducing of someone else's intellectual work and representing it as one's own without proper acknowledgment”. Examples of plagiarism include: direct copying or paraphrasing of someone else’s words without acknowledging the source; using facts, information and ideas directly derived from an unacknowledged source; and producing assignments which are the work of other people.

Students have a responsibility to:
Access and use available information provided by the University to avoid plagiarism;
Declare sources in their work submitted for assessment, from which they obtain material or ideas: Retain drafts, notes and copies of all assignments submitted for assessment;
Ensure that you do not make your work available to other students in any form for the purposes of plagiarism;
Discuss any questions you may have about plagiarism with your kindly and supportive lecturer.

Specific Requirements

Students should write their assignments independently. Students are expected to produce their own work. This might involve students choosing, analyzing, summarizing and interpreting the (often competing) ideas of others, and developing arguments and drawing conclusions. Students can: discuss assignments with other students and their tutors; communicate with one another in constructive ways about the learning process; and assist each other, e.g. by discussing the approaches that might be taken to assignment topics, or helping with the availability of reading materials.

Students must acknowledge an original author/creator for the ideas and concepts used in their work by providing a reference or citation. A reference is the written detail of the original source for ideas, which may be referenced within, and at the end of the assignment in the form of a reference list.

You may use quotations: exact words of an original author in written work. The quotation (exact words) should be placed in quotation marks and be accompanied by a reference. If paraphrasing (rewrite completely another author's words or ideas with the intention of presenting the author's ideas), it is vital that the passage is fully rewritten, including the sentence structure. Any short phrases or key words that are used should be handled as quotes. The source must always be referenced.

Small Group Discovery Experience

Students will be expected to work in groups.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Due	Weighting	Learning Outcome	APST (Graduate)
School Placement	Hurdle Requirement	TBA		9	1.1,2.1,2.2,3.6, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1,6.2,6.3, 6.4
Assignment 1: Online double entry journal	Summative	each week	20%	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9	1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5
Assignment 2: Participation	Summative	each week	10%	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9	1.1, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4
Assignment 3: Evaluation of research study	Summative	Mid-semester (Date TBC)	30%	1,2,3,4,5,6,9	1.1, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4
Assignment 4: Take home examination: Action research design	Summative	End of Semester (within one week after final tutorial)	40%	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9	1.1, 3.6, 5.4, 5.5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4

Please note transition placement arrangements will apply to students who commenced a Bachelor of Teaching double degree prior to 2019.

Assessment Related Requirements

The overall mark required to pass is 50%. Students need to attempt and pass each of the three assessments.

Assessment Detail

Assignment 1: Double entry journal (20%)
Prior to tutorials students respond and make connections between specified readings. Students will be expected to use their double entry journal at each tutorial and submit a hard copy at each tutorial. A mark will be awarded on the basis of timely submission each week. (10 Marks)

One week will be randomly selected for depth and quality of response (5 marks).

Assignment 2: Participation (10%)
Mandatory attendance and participation in tutorials will be assessed based on engagement with tutorial foci, which will include:

• Discussion of double entry journal and feedback to peers
• Lecture response: What knowledge did the lecture reinforce? What did I learn? What do I still need to learn? How does content of the lecture connect to each major assignment?
• Virtual sub-school activity in student teams of action and reflection.

Successful completion of the course will be dependent on regular attendance. No more than two tutorials can be missed for medical reasons. Makeups for missed tutorials will be required.

Assignment 3: Evaluation of research study (25 % equivalent of 1000 words)
Question: How has your chosen research study ethically, coherently and clearly made claims about a concern common to teachers and the community?

This assignment will be based on engagement with concepts and readings from weeks 1-4. The assignment asks students to work in groups to collectively create a multimedia presentation to (a) policy, media and educational responses to an educational concern related to a General Capability (b) to evaluate a research that in some way addresses the concern. Each student will be expected to contribute to two elements of the presentation. A 500 word written reflection completes the assignment.

Assignment 4 - Action research design ( 40 % 2750 words)

Students design and justify an action research that responds to an aspect of their classroom practice which relates in some way to a systemic and/or whole school concern and general capability(ies).

Submission

Assignments

1. Double space the lines. Use at least 12 point and a clear and legible font. This makes it easier for the maximum grade to be awarded by staff that wear multifocal spectacles but are otherwise kind and caring, full of compassion, slow to anger and rich in justice.

2. Leave a margin of at least one inch on the left hand side of the paper.
3. Use a footer or header with your name,courseand page number.

4. A title page should be placed at the front of the assignment. This should contain your name, the subject, the title of the assignment, the name of the lecturer concerned, and the date. All assignments must be accompanied by an Essay Cover Sheet, which includes a Statement of Authorship

5. Students who wish to submit assignments via the postal system must ensure the envelopes are post marked no later than the due date for submission and are sent by registered mail. Students are advised that the School of Education takes no responsibility for assignments sent by post.
6. Assignments will not be accepted for marking after other work in that subject has been returned unless a special consideration request has been approved.
7. The completed assignment should be stapled or fastened in the top left hand corner. Please do not use manila or other forms of folders and please do not under any circumstances place each separate page in a separate plastic envelope.
8. Keep a hard copy of your essay and other submitted work. Sometimes accidents do happen, mail fails to arrive or computers crash.
Note: Failure to follow these prescriptions will result in a lower mark on the essay.

Assignment Grading

Your assignment provides you with an opportunity to comprehend research material criticize it and create an argument of your own. Your papers will be assessed on the basis of the following which appear in detail in both the Assignment Grading Templates. Please note all of these especially the previously noted stricture on the judicious use of quotations.
(a) the depth and scope of the research. Has the student used at least 3-5 different sources (excluding newspaper and popular press material)? Has the student simply restated the sources or made an attempt to evaluate these sources and create an argument of her/his own?
(b) the quality of the ideas and the soundness of argument. Is the essay a critical exposition as opposed to a listing and reproduction of the research?
(c) the organization of ideas within the paper. Is the essay logically organized and well structured?
(d) the style of writing including appropriateness of language, clarity of expression, sentence structure, etc.
(e) length, etc. Are there glaring errors of expression, spelling etc? Errors in this area will mean that an essay is very unlikely to obtain more than a P grade.
(f) the quality of presentation, including attention to grammar, punctuation, spelling, legibility and very importantly consistency and correctness in matters of referencing and bibliography. Unless these latter matters are near to perfect then it would be unlikely that an essay would be graded higher than a P grade.

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the university grading scheme and due to the large numbers a distribution on the normal curve will be expected.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

As a result of SELTs feedback and other feedback provided by students the following changes have been made:

1. More convenient class times for students and different location of tutorials

2. Shorter lectures

3. Continuing emphasis on the relation between research and teacher's work
4. Modification to assessments
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator