Introduction

This is the dissertation route for part time MA Educational Leadership and Management students. The dissertation is an opportunity to explore, in depth, an area of academic and/or professional interest related to your degree. Building on the knowledge and skills developed during the Foundation Research Methods module, and your other modules, you will conduct an independent research project, developing a deeper understanding of your chosen topic. From your research project you will produce a dissertation, with guidance from a supervisor who will be allocated to you. Through the dissertation you will demonstrate the ability to analyse and synthesise relevant literature, produce coherent arguments supported by relevant evidence and logical discussion, and acknowledge sources of ideas and information.

Principle Module Aims and Outcomes

The aim of this module is to provide students with a basic training in research methods in education. The module has three main aims:

• To enable students to engage in a critical reading and analysis of research accounts.
• To equip students with basic skills in a range of established research strategies and techniques, including data collection and analysis.
• To prepare students to frame and refine research questions and to design and execute a research and produce a research project (the final assessment).

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of a specific topic within the field of Educational Leadership.
• Demonstrate ability in critical analysis.
• Demonstrate ability to understand and articulate new concepts.
• Demonstrate ability to plan and structure a sustained report of research or a piece of sustained academic scholarship related to education.

Syllabus

The module will address the following core themes:

• Understanding educational research appropriate to educare/school-based inquiry.
• Interviews, questionnaires, observation schedules, survey data as tools for inquiry.
• Experimental design, survey and quantitative data analysis.
• Approaches to analysing qualitative data and using documentary and other sources.
• Designing, planning and writing a research project.
• Use of literature as a support for research.
• Implementing innovation.
• Extending innovation in an educare/school setting.

The module should enable students to develop key research skills appropriate for developing an educare/school-based project. Session tutors, drawing upon their particular research expertise, will guide students in the practicalities of research design, data collection and data analysis.

Each student will also be allocated a supervisor who will guide them on the specific focus of the practical research they will be undertaking and support them in producing a 15000 word project report.

Study time

Type	Required	Optional
Seminars	(0%)	4 sessions of 2 hours
Project supervision	10 sessions of 30 minutes (1%)
Private study	595 hours (99%)
Total	600 hours

Assessment

	Weighting
Professional Research Project	100%