Studying at York
New Directions in Educational Research - EDU00014H
Module summary
In this very special module, students get introduced each week to the work of one researcher from one of the five research centres in the Department of Education at York. That is, the most cutting edge educational research today... They hear about their research in progress as if they were at an Education conference.
Most importantly, students get to experience the way that staff disseminate their research to colleagues, stakeholders and the wider public. This includes the chance to ask a lot of questions, to draw connections and comparisons between different pieces of research, and the responsibility of introducing speakers, as though you were a seminar organiser.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
The main aim of the module is to develop students' synthetic skills (the ability to make connections between very different areas of research, and summarise them) and to help them get a big-picture idea of how educational research gets done, by whom, and with what limitations and help.
Module learning outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate:
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a broad yet coherent understanding of cutting-edge educational research and foundational knowledge of education and related disciplines (e.g. sociology, linguistics, psychology and cultural studies) i.e. a synoptic understanding
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an awareness of current education issues from across educational disciplines, contexts, the department’s four research centres
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the ability to relate this awareness of specific, advanced and current issues to the knowledge and understanding that has been developed throughout the programme.
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an understanding of key ideas concerning specialist knowledge for educational studies and English language and literature in education.
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the ability to identify cross-cutting issues, ideas and themes across discrete research topics and projects – demonstrated in chairing, weekly communal brainstorming and exams.
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skills for studying cutting-edge research in education and educational contexts, including reading, reflecting on and critiquing the latest research publications, policies and actions in writing and group discussion – in the latter, formulating and positing questions and feedback for researchers about their work.
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high-level chairing and audience skills supported by dedicated sessions throughout the programme and emulating those demonstrated at academic and professional conferences.
Module content
Classes will involve:
- an introduction to the speaker by designated student chairs
- a research paper from a member of departmental academic staff on one of their recent or on-going research projects
- small-group discussion to develop questions or comments, leading to a Q&A (chaired by the small group heading up that week’ session)
Finally:
- The last part of the session, with the Module Leader, is entirely devoted to assessment preparation, every week.
Each class requires students to do preparatory readings. The weekly-required readings, usually from the experts presenting and/or their research collaborators, and the follow-up activities, will be clearly outlined on the VLE.
Each student will be expected to undertake preparation for each session, in the form of reading and making notes. Students are expected to attend all sessions, and to be prepared to take full part in group discussion and the Q&A session (which they will take turns to lead in small groups – 2-3 students per group)
Exact speakers, their topics and their order vary year on year, for example, due to the dynamic nature of individual's research programmes as well as staff availability.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
Summative
Students will be put in the position of an editor of a special issue of an academic journal.
They will select 4-6 articles by researchers in the department of education. They should select pieces by two or more people.
They will put these articles in the order they think best, and write an editor’s introduction to the special issue they have curated.
The exercise will mobilise both synthetic and analytical skills.
The introduction will be 2,000 words.
Examples of special issues they might create:
- Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Teachers
- The Place of Literature in Second-Language Learning
- Current Debates in Education and Social Inequality
Formative Assessment
In the Autumn formative, students will try their hand at selecting a number of articles by the researchers who have presented that term. They will submit 4-6 articles by two or more of this term’s researchers, and offer a title for their proposed special issue and an abstract (400 words) to explain their reasoning behind it. This would mimic a proposal for a special issue to a journal.
The Spring formative will help students with the writing of the introduction. They will be given a set of articles by researchers of that term, already curated, and a title for the special issue, and will need to write 700 words of a critical introduction.
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Written feedback on assignment report sheet and face-to-face feedback in supervisions. The feedback is returned to students in line with university policy. Please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information.
Formative assessments
Group chairing: students work in groups of 2-3 to introduce the speaker and to chair the Q&A session once during the module. They will receive verbal feedback from the module leader directly after the session.
Indicative reading
Journal articles, book chapters, textbooks, policy documents as provided/stipulated on the VLE for each session –usually from presenting tutors, their research collaborators or inspirations.