An introduction to key concepts, principles and practices that inform the design of contemporary educational and social research, using a flipped classroom approach. Each week, students engage in guided self-study before collective exploration of: (1) a range of core concepts relating to the design of educational research (in the first half of the course) and (2) a series of exemplar research studies (in the second half of the course).

One two-hour seminar per week. Each seminar group includes no more than 28 students. Seminar groups are distributed over the week and include some evening options.

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The summative assessment will comprise of two assessments - one assignment of 1,000 words (25%) and a second assignment of 3,000 words (75%).

The overall aim of the course is to provide students with a fundamental level of educational and social research literacy. The course aims to:

1. introduce students to key considerations in designing educational research, including the interplay between purpose, theoretical perspective, ethical issues, reliability and choices about methods.
2. provide students with experience in reading and critically reviewing research papers

3. help students identify educational issues that are both researchable and worth researching

4. develop students' ability to critically appraise research designs
4. prepare students to start to design a research project of appropriate scope for a Masters dissertation
5. prepare students for further study of research methods and methodology

By the end of this course students will be able to:

- describe and give examples of a range of different purposes that motivate educational research

- identify educational issues and challenges that are suitable focuses for research, and provide a justification using relevant research, policy and grey literature

-articulate links between research designs and underpinning theoretical/paradigmatic perspectives, including the relationship between research methods and the kind of knowledge that is created

-identify uncertainties and their implications for knowledge claims 

-demonstrate an ethical approach to research design 

-relate research to their own past and future educational and professional practice and to wider educational practices and policies

-understand the purpose of referencing as part of a conversation with other people's work, and make consistent use of accepted referencing conventions 

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.