028288 Doing Your Research Project 2
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade, no marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject is the final component of the Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Education (Honours). It provides students with the opportunity to exhibit their skills and knowledge in a substantial project of empirical and scholarly research that they design and complete, with the assistance of an academic supervisor. Skills and knowledge relate to:
- Literature review – selecting, interpreting and critiquing literature;
- Making sense of data – analysis and findings;
- Development of a thesis, including structural procedural and ethical issues; and
- Project management, including scheduling, time management, pacing, stress and conflict management.
The honours project will be presented as a traditional academic thesis.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Finalise a clear, valid and relevant research question |
|---|---|
| b. | Design and execute an original research project |
| c. | Choose an epistemological and methodological approach appropriate to research design |
| d. | Engage in a sophisticated manner with theory appropriate to the research topic |
| e. | Present findings and arguments lucidly and persuasively |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
- Analyse and synthesise research and engage in inquiry (GTS 3) (2.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
The honours thesis is completed with the assistance of an academic supervisor, who advises the student on research design and methodology, and provides ongoing feedback. Students are expected to meet regularly with their supervisor to ensure the progress and timely completion of their Honours projects.
Statement on feedback
It is expected that the supervisor will offer constructive feedback on the student’s work and, especially with regard to substantial written submissions, will provide this advice in some written form within a reasonable time after submission. It is important the supervisor brings to the attention of students any perceived inadequacies in their work at the earliest opportunity, and discusses the various ways of addressing such problems. Furthermore, students will be required to present their work-in-progress at a seminar (convened by the honours course co-ordinator) in Week 6, that is designed to solicit feedback from academic staff.
Content (topics)
Content areas are unique to the specific student thesis.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Thesis
| Objective(s): | a, b, c, d and e | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 100% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 15000 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Required texts
No common text – reading should cover the designated research topic area and method. Students are expected to read widely from research journals and texts.
References
Bell, J. (2010). Doing your research project: a guide for first-time researchers in education and social science. (5th ed.). Maidenhead, England: Open University Press.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2002). Research methods in education. London: Routledge.
Lambert, M. (2012). A beginner's guide to doing your education research project. London: Sage.
McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2010). Research in Education: Evidence-Based Inquiry, MyEducationLab Series. Pearson.
Newby, P. (2014). Research methods for education. London: Routledge.
Punch, K. F., & Oancea, A. (2014). Introduction to research methods in education. London: Sage.