| Unit name | Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EDUCM0103 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Myles-Jay Linton |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Education |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit introduces students to the principles underlying qualitative research methods, a variety of different qualitative research and analytical approaches, and some of the historical ways in which qualitative research has been used in psychology and education. Students will learn how to write qualitative reports, critically engage with and compare different research paradigms, and consider how qualitative research is distinct from quantitative research in psychology.
Why is this unit important?
Qualitative methods training is a core component of Psychology as a discipline, with a growing portion of psychological research relying on these approaches. This means that it is essential that all Psychology students receive a thorough grounding in both the principles of qualitative research design, and in a variety of analysis methods they are likely to encounter in their academic and professional careers.
Qualitative research training is a compulsory element of all British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited Psychology courses. It is also essential to being able to understand and engage with past and current psychology research, and to comprehend the ways in which the findings of that research have been applied in real-world contexts such as education. This unit provides students with a thorough grounding in both the skills to interpret qualitative studies that they read, and to design and conduct robust qualitative research of their own.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit supports students learning across their whole programme, as all other units will reference qualitative research studies and require students to evaluate their approaches and validity of their findings. It therefore provides the basis from which to critically engage with a broad range of material, as well as thinking about the practical implications of different methodological and analytical choices in research. These skills are crucial to the dissertation stage of the programme of study where many students will design and conduct a qualitative study of their own.
Overview of content
This unit will cover the history of qualitative research in psychological and educational research, the principles of qualitative research, critically engaging with positionality in research, a variety of qualitative research designs (e.g., case study, grounded theory), data collection (e.g., interviews, focus groups) and analysis methods (e.g., thematic analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis), and training in how to critically evaluate qualitative research that they encounter across the programme. Example topics include Reflexive Thematic Analysis, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Discourse Analysis, and creative methods such as Photovoice or image creation-based research. Students will also be encouraged to consider the ethics of qualitative research throughout the course, and how principles of open research can be applied to qualitative research. The final report will follow disciplinary standards for publishing in qualitative psychology journals, giving students further insight into how to critically read the papers they study as well as into publishing in academia.
How students will, personally, be different as a result of the unit
· Students will become confident and critical readers of qualitative psychology research
· Students will be able to design, conduct, and write-up qualitative research to address their own research questions
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the unit students will be able to:
1. Describe and apply different approaches of qualitative research and research methods in psychology of education
2. Creatively and independently apply knowledge of qualitative research methods in psychology to address research questions both within and outside academia
3. Summarise and critique published qualitative research
4. Carry out and effectively communicate their own research via written reports in line with disciplinary model
This unit will be taught by a mix of lectures, seminars, workshops and interactive group work. The unit will engage students with collaborative learning via group work, small tasks, inquiry-based teaching and allow time for questions, game-based learning and the blending of traditional methods with technology.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Students will have opportunities to engage in critical reflections on qualitative projects in live sessions, which will develop their skills for writing their summative assessments.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
A 2000 words, qualitative research proposal 50% (ILOs 1-4) (TB1)
A 2000 words, qualitative short research report 50% (ILOs 1-4) (TB2)
When assessment does not go to plan
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis. Students will resubmit a revised version of the original work.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EDUCM0103).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
