Course structure

Course structure from 2009/2010

All units are worth 20 credits and the dissertation is worth 300 credits. Students must take a total of 7 units and complete the dissertation. Supervised individual study and published work units are also available in the form of double units. More details about credit points …

Pathway	Learning, Leadership and Policy	TESOL	Narrative Inquiry
Unit 1 (compulsory)	Understanding Educational Research
Compulsory units	Research Methods in Learning, Leadership and Policy Plus select 2 from the other 3 core units: Learning Leading for Educational Change in Organisational Settings Educational policy	Second Language Pronunciation and Fluency Language & Communication Researching Language Classrooms Testing & Assessment in Language Learning	Narrative Inquiry Auto Ethnography Writing as Inquiry Narrative Interviewing
Optional units	Select 2 from: Comparative research Leading, managing and governing the 21st century university Learning and Teaching in the Global University Evaluating Educational Quality and Improvement in Organisational Settings A unit from another EdD pathway	Select 1 from: Supervised individual study Published work A unit from another EdD pathway	Select 1 from: Collective Biography Visual Inquiry Published Work A unit from another EdD pathway
Unit 7 (compulsory)	Preparation for Dissertation
Unit 8 (compulsory)	Dissertation (45,000 words)

About the Units

Each taught unit has four components:

A preparatory package, provided approximately four weeks before the unit
Two and a half days intensive tuition with other participants (including individual tutorials with tutors)
Formative feedback on a draft assignment
Three months in which to write the 4,000 word assignment, related where appropriate to individual work concerns

We encourage participants to publish articles and books from their written assignments and many have done so. It is possible to use these publications as the basis for assignments and enable participants to earn credits for suitable publications or pilot projects in preparation for the dissertation. (The maximum number of credits available from non-taught units is restricted to 40 credits).

Compulsory Units

Understanding Educational Research

Summary

This unit will review core issues from the philosophy of social science, and will offer students a conceptual framework to support their understanding of major research paradigms in social science and education. This framework will then be used to classify educational studies and to examine the validity of evidence and analysis in a number of cases. Through participative activities involving the presentation, classification, critique and defence of significant projects, the course will demonstrate the ways in which theories, research designs, ethical principles and methods influence data-sets and their interpretation. The projects selected will be drawn from recently published books which have influenced policy, planning or practice in education. Through lecture and debate, the unit will also address objectivity and subjectivity in educational research. In conclusion, the unit will focus on the worthwhileness and relevance of research findings and their application for policy and practice. Links will be drawn with the process of conducting research for a higher degree.

Indicative reading

Benton, T. and Craig, I. (2001) Philosophy of Social Science: Philosophical Foundations of Social Thought, Houndmills: Palgrave
Brown, A. and Dowling, P. (1998) Doing Research/Reading Research: A Mode of Interrogation for Education. London: Falmer.
Crossley, M. and Vulliamy, G. (eds.) (1997) Qualitative Educational Research in Developing Countries.
London: Garland Crotty, M. (1998) The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process. London: Sage.
Hammersley, M. (1995) The Politics of Social Research. London: Sage.
Scott, D. and Usher, R. (1996) Understanding Educational Research. London: Routledge.
Yates, L. (2004) What does good education research look like? Situating a field and its practices. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Aims

To consider educational research in terms of the major philosophical challenges faced by social science.
To review and categorise significant forms of current educational research.
To examine objectivity, subjectivity and the validity of evidence in educational research.
To understand the influence of research designs, methods and researcher values on findings in educational research.
To develop skills and confidence to mount critiques of research designs and methods.
To consider the relevance and role of educational research regarding policy and practice.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the unit, students will:

Have a basic conceptual framework concerning the major philosophical challenges of social science;
Be able to categorise significant forms of current educational research into major current paradigms;
Understand key issues concerning objectivity, subjectivity and validity in research;
Understand the influence of research designs, methods and researcher values on findings;
Develop skills and confidence in mounting critiques of research designs and methods;
Understand dilemmas and challenges regarding the relevance of educational research for policy and practice.

Assessment

Completion of a 4000 word assignment.

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Preparation for Dissertation

Summary

The unit assumes and builds on the introduction to educational research provided in Understanding Educational Research. It is not subject- or discipline-specific, but is concerned with generic issues involved in developing research to be published in the form of a dissertation. Issues of methodology and research design link questions of topic, theory and method, and provide contexts for informed choice of methods. Using examples from existing EdDs, issues around the crafting of the dissertation, and of ways that 'good ideas can be made into good dissertations' are critically discussed, with an emphasis

on structure and organisation of the dissertation as a whole, and
writing as academic practice.

Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of the ethical dimensions of the dissertation. A key focus is on making the most of the supervisory relationship. Emphasis is placed on the importance of practical (access, scheduling) as well as academic issues

Indicative reading

Boden, R, Kenway, J and Epstein, D (2004) The Academic's Support Kit. London:Sage
Clough, P. and C. Nutbrown (2002). A Student's Guide to Methodology. London, Sage
Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA
Crotty, M (1998 2nd ed)The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process
Gorard, S., with Taylor, C. (2004) Combining Methods in Educational and Social Research, London: Open University Press
Punch, Keith (2005) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. London: Sage

Aims

The unit aims to equip students with:

an understanding of the main expectations of a dissertation;
ways of articulating those expectations, theoretically, methodologically and practically;
and with tools for meeting them efficiently and effectively

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this unit participants will be able to:

recognise the key issues involved in turning good ideas into good dissertations;
structure and organise their dissertation;
make considered and defensible choices of research strategies, methods and techniques; and
write a dissertation that complies with required criteria, standards and protocols.

Assessment

A 4,000 word dissertation proposal. Students will be expected to identify relevant research literature, outline research questions and describe a research method that would address them. Critical appraisal of the research approach being proposed will be expected.

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Dissertation

The Dissertation of 45,000 words is a major opportunity for you to apply what you have learned during the taught element of the degree. It involves carrying out a small-scale piece of research concerning education or learning which is normally related to the participant's professional practice. Work on the dissertation can officially commence normally once five units have been successfully completed.

Undertaking the dissertation for your EdD is an exciting and rewarding experience. By the time you start it, the taught units will have already helped you gain extensive understanding in a number of areas of professional relevance and a familiarity with the key concepts and debates within educational research. However, nothing heightens your awareness of the complexity of issues and deepens your understanding as much as pursuing your own piece of research.

You should bear in mind that in many respects the dissertation is the most important element of the EdD. It represents the culmination of your work on the taught units, combined with your own personal interests and commitments. It requires independence, organisation and dedication. At times when you are under pressure and things may not be going well, you will wonder whether it is worth it. It is. Completion and successful examination of your own piece of research is intensely satisfying. It indicates that you have, through your own study and commitment, finally attained doctoral status. We hope this handbook will help you achieve this goal

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Credit structure

The award of Doctor of Education requires completing a programme of 540 credit points. Single taught units usually carry 20 credit points. The dissertation carries 300 credit points (45,000 words). Most participants will have already obtained a good Masters qualification so will already have 100 credit points. This means that the typical participant would earn the required credits in the following way:

Part of programme	Credit points
7 taught units of 20 credit points	140
Transferred credits	100
Dissertation	300
Total	540

Participants without a suitable Masters qualification or equivalent would normally be required to complete an additional four taught units, making 11 in total. No candidates are admitted who are not eligible for at least 10 transfer credit points.

Exit qualifications

Participants who are unable to complete the programme may be awarded the following qualifications.

Award	Credit points
Postgraduate Certificate in Research and Professional Studies in Education:	60
Postgraduate Diploma in Research and Professional Studies in Education:	120
Master in Research and Professional Studies in Education:	180

(If candidates resume the Programme they would be required to hand back the lower qualification in order to receive a higher one)
Award of MPhil: Candidates whose thesis is examined by viva voce have the possibility of being awarded MPhil if they fail to reach the standard required for the award of EdD. (All candidates are normally granted the opportunity to make one resubmission).