Doctoral Research Seminar

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

At least 50 points of study in the DEd course including the following two subjects

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 Overview, Learning Outcomes 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 subject focuses on issues involved in designing and carrying out a thesis in the field of education. It assumes (and is different from) previous study of research methodology; and is intended to be undertaken in conjunction with working with their supervisor to develop their D Ed thesis proposal. In the Doctoral Research Seminar, students will consider the nature and role of a thesis project in the context of the professional and disciplinary constitution of the field of education. In this subject, students will consider questions not able to be technically defined in either methodology texts or doctoral regulations: what constitutes an adequate 'contribution to knowledge"? what voice is appropriate in the thesis writing? How is the scope of a literature review constructed? How do newcomer researchers learn to position themselves in the field? What identity demands are implicit in the task of producing a thesis? This doctoral research seminar will function alongside the preparation of the thesis proposal as a forum for students to reflect on the field they are entering and to build tacit as well as explicit knowledge about what is needed in undertaking their thesis project

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Describe specific norms of a doctoral thesis and how these differ from other forms of professional writing in education;
• Identify the way in which their own proposed thesis aims to make a contribution to knowledge;
• Locate the positioning of their own project within the methodological spectrum of the field;
• Identify challenges and needs that will face them in carrying out their doctoral project.
• Ability to analyse and produce writing for different purposes in the field of education
• Ability to understand and critique research located in different methodological traditions
• Communication both within and beyond one's specialist community.

20 minute seminar presentation (40 per cent); Written assignment(s) totalling 3000 words (60 per cent)

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

Yates, L. (2004), What does good education research look like? Situating a field and its practices. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.