Researching Education Practice EC/EY

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

Students must have completed 50 points of study in the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood).

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This is the first of two subjects that all Master of Teaching students complete as part of their Capstone experience. Incorporating campus-based seminars and online modules, the subject will introduce students to different approaches to teacher led research and examine the important role of research in enabling educators to transform educational practices. Topics that will be examined include: undertaking ethical teacher research; accessing, gathering and critically analysing evidence from early childhood sources; writing up research, and; translating research into practice. Together these topic areas will provide students with the confidence, knowledge and skills to plan and carry out their own small-scale investigations for their Capstone project and future professional work. The subject will also introduce the research topics that students can choose from for their capstone research project.

On completion of this subject, teacher candidates should be able to:

• Use appropriate methods to collect data about the practices of learning and teaching
• Appreciate values and ethical dimensions of practitioner research
• Analyse data collected by themselves and critically appraise research presented in journal articles, policy documents and reports
• Understand how to represent research findings in textual and other forms
• Use research findings to advance education theory and practice

There are two assessment tasks:

• Written task of 1400 words. due mid-semester (35%)
• A research proposal equivalent to 2600 words, due end of semester (65%)

There is one hurdle requirement:

• Completion of six online modules, due throughout the semester

Attendance at all classes (tutorial/seminars/practical classes/lectures/labs/online classes) is obligatory. Failure to attend 80% of classes will normally result in failure in the subject.

O’Toole, J., & Beckett, D. (2010), Educational Research – Creative Thinking & Doing, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

On completion of this subject, students will have knowledge and skills that will enable them to:

• Understand the significance of developing their practice on the basis of research evidence
• Conduct education research in an ethical manner
• Undertake data management, analysis and report writing using small-scale qualitative and quantitative data sets
• Apply research findings with creativity and initiative to professional practice
• Plan and execute their capstone research project