MSc/Diploma
Educational Research
The MSc/Diploma Educational Research
programme offers advanced level training in core aspects of educational
research. It can be taken either as a free-standing degree, or during the
first year of doctoral study. This programme has been designed for students
coming from the variety of disciplinary backgrounds typically found among
applicants for a postgraduate degree in education. It also offers research
training for students coming directly from undergraduate study (usually
in a social science discipline), who wish to prepare for either a research
or an academic career and for mid-career professionals who are primarily
interested in researching within their own area of practice.
The programme is recognised 'RT' by the Economic
and Social Research Council.
The aims of the programme are:
- to develop students' understanding of the nature and use of research
in education
- to equip students to undertake empirical work in education settings
- to develop a range of research dissemination skills including oral
presentations, writing abstracts, research reports and articles,
bearing in mind the diversity and range of audiences for educational
research findings
- to encourage collaborative work on project planning
|
Programme
mode /structure |
Programme Mode:
The degree can be taken full-time over 12 months or part-time
over 24 to 36 months. Part-time students should enquire about programme
structure separately as most courses are offered during normal working
hours.
Programme Structure:
The programme comprises of
- Taught Component (4 core courses and 2 optional courses)
- Dissertation Component (15,000 words)
|
Core
courses |
 Nature of Enquiry
The aim of this course
is to introduce philosophical and epistemological perspectives which inform
research practice in the social sciences in an educational context. The
unit provides an essential introduction to the issue of values and ethical
problems in educational research. It discusses conceptions of education
and their implications for educational research processes.
Content:
• modes of philosophical and empirical inquiry
• the concept of paradigms
• research values and research ethics
• positivism
• poststructuralism, postmodernism and social research
• structuralism
• interpretivism
• feminist methodology |
Quantitative
Data Analysis with SPSS
This course will provide postgraduate students with an introduction to
the main statistical concepts and techniques of analysis of quantitative
data used in education and more widely in social sciences. It is addressed
to students who have little or no experience of using quantitative data
and it aims to enable students to develop an understanding of basic quantitative
methods and the ability to use these methods. Moreover, the course will
support students in learning the statistical programme SPSS.
Content:
• The nature of data
• First descriptive statistics: frequencies, proportions and percentages
• Measures of central tendency and dispersion
• The normal distribution
• Relationship between variables: correlation, regression, tables and
. measures
of association
• From sample to population and hypothesis testing
• Data modelling: multiple regression and logistic regression |
Qualitative
Data Analysis
This course
builds on the Nature of Enquiry course by exploring the nature of qualitative
data, its strengths and weaknesses and the kinds of claims that can be
made for research designs using qualitative methods. It explores the major
themes associated with the management and analysis of qualitative data.
It uses examples from educational settings to explore analysis of texts,
documents, interview and observational data.
Content:
• nature of qualitative data
• issues of reliability and validity
• accounts from qualitative data
• designing qualitative research
• categorising and making
. connections |
• identification of themes and
. patterns
• indexing
• conceptualisation and theorising |
Educational
Enquiry 1 (half course)
Educational
Enquiry 2 (half course)
|
Optional courses |
The two optional courses may be chosen
from those within MSc Education or other postgraduate programmes in the
University of Edinburgh with approval from the Postgraduate Director.
"...the programme offers advanced level training
in core aspects of educational research."
|
Entry
requirements |
Applicants should normally have at least an upper second class honours degree,
or its equivalent, in a relevant discipline. Those whose employment or other
educational experience provides evidence of intellectual ability of an equivalent
standard are also encouraged to apply.
English Language Requirement: Moray House School of Education require
the following:
IELTS Overall 6.5 at least 6 in all sections
TOEFL Overall 580 at least 4.0 in the Test of Written English.
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences will also accept:
• University of Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English - Grade
B or above
• University of Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English - Grade A
 Application
forms can be downloaded from here
Applications should be made by 30th June in the year of entry, although
applications received after this date will be considered.
|
Further information |
Visit
the MSc Education page for students comments and career options
Further information can be obtained from:
The Postgraduate Office
College of Humanities and Social Science
The University of Edinburgh
David Hume Tower (First Floor)
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9JX
Telephone 0131 651 3122
Email educationpg@ed.ac.uk
or if you require any academic advice about this programme please contact:
Alan Ducklin, Programme Director
The Moray House School of Education
St John's Land
Holyrood Road
Edinburgh EH8 8AQ
Telephone 0131 651 6121
Email Alan.Ducklin@ed.ac.uk
International Students are encouraged to refer to additional advice given
by the International Office |
|
