Methodology of Educational Research and Analysis

Recommended Prerequisites

Student knowledge obtained in curricular units related to research methods and statistics to the level of previous graduate courses are important.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and active pedagogical techniques.Reading and analysis of excerpts from previously published researches in the students'areas of interest. Group discussions about methodological decisions related to specific research projects alredy developed in the specialization field of this master degree. Using of exercises to train data collection and analysis through apropriate software: SPSS IBM 20 for quantitative data; MaxQDA for qualitative data.

Learning Outcomes

- To promote positive attitudes towards the scientific approach to the problems studied in the social and human sciences.

- To explore the characteristics (advantages and disadvantages) of several research strategies in the field of education and social problems in general.

- To foster the development of competencies that enable students to devise methodologically correct research projects in the aforementioned areas, whether it involves quantitative, qualitative ou mix-methods research projects.

- To develop competencies related to statistical data analysis and semantic data analysis.

- To provide students with the skills to read critically scientific literature.

- To help students to learn how to write a scientific report, helping them to learn how to write their master degree thesis.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

A. The characteristics of scientific research in social and human sciences: paradigms and assumptions.

B. Quantitative

- The formulation of scientific problems and hypotheses.

- Structured and unstructured data collection techniques.

- Quantitative Research plans: experimental and non-experimental designs.

- Probabilistic and non-probabilistic samples.

- Ethical concerns to have in a scientific study  

- Problems related to internal and external validity of quantitative studies.

- Bivariate and multivariate techniques of statistical data analysis: correlations, analysis of variance, exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression analysis and interpretation.

C.Qualitative research approaches

- Scientific problems; emerging hypotheses; the role of the researcher; most common techniques for collecting and analyzing data; issues related to the credibility of the knowledge produced.

- Rules for the organization of a scientific report.

Assessment Methods

Final assessment
Exam: 100.0%

Continuous assessment
Oral presentation: 20.0%
Synthesis work: 80.0%

Bibliography

  Amado, J. (Org.). (2013). Manual de Investigação Qualitativa em Educação. Coimbra: Imp. da UC.

Ary, D. et al.(1990). Introduction to research in education. Forth Worth: Holt, Rineh. and Winston, Inc.

Drew, C. J. & Hardman, M. L. (1985). Designing and conducting behavioral research. NY: Pergamon Press.

Field, A. ( 2005).Discovering statistics using SPSS (2nd ed). London: SAGE.for social scientists. East Sussex: Routledge.

Fraenkel, J. R &Wallen, N. E. (2003).How to design and evaluate research in education (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Vieira, C. C. (1999) A credibilidade da invest. cientifica de natureza qualitativa: questões relativas à fidelidade e validade.Rev.Port. Pedag., XXXIII, 2, 89-116.

Vieira, C.C. (1995). Investigação quantitativa e investigação qualitativa: uma abordagem comparativa. Provas de Aptidão Pedag. e Capac. Cient. apresentadas à FPCEUC.

Vogt, W. P. (1993). Dictionary of statistics and methodology. A nontechnical guide for the social sciences. London: Sa     .