EDUC42170 Professional Dissertation

Academic Year 2023/2024

An evidence-informed approach to teaching and learning is core to teacher education. This module is designed for student teachers to better understand, and contribute to, the process and practice of education research. Students will each complete an extended literature review dissertation. They will each have an academic supervisor who will advise on and guide their work. It is hoped that this research experience will inform, empower, and inspire student teachers’ engagement with research in their professional practice. This module carries a credit rating of 10 ECTS points. It is a companion module to the research methods module undertaken in Autumn of the second year of the programme.

For each student, the outcome of this module will be a professional dissertation which will be assessed. Student groups (4-5 people) will be assigned to an academic supervisor who will advise (but not direct) on all aspects of the action research project. Each student will meet their supervisor a total of three times. Two of those meetings will be with your group. One meeting will be just you and your supervisor. Students are obliged to attend these meetings and must commit to arrangements set by their supervisors.

Through consultation with their supervisor, students will focus on a topic of interest. This should be one that could impact on your practice as a teacher. Typically, areas of interest involve (but are not limited to):
i) Discipline specific pedagogy (e.g. history, art, science)
ii) Assessment of learning and for learning
iii) Informal learning and alternative educational practices
iv) Additional educational needs and inclusion
v) Technology and learning
vi) Psychology of teaching and learning
vii) Social and emotional learning
viii) History of education

Each student will produce a manuscript (6,000 words) that includes an extended literature review related to their practice in their field of interest. They will reflect on their own practice viewed through the lens of the literature review. These should connect and add value one to the other, so that together they form a coherent account of a small-scale piece of research relating to teaching & learning.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, students will be enabled to:
- Synthesize, with guidance and knowledge of relevant literature, a research-question and appropriate methodology to engage as a teacher researcher with that question.
- Inform their choice of research-question through an in-depth review of relevant literature.
- Collect/organise and analyse data* and present arguments that arise with a sense of critical analysis.(* Not all students will collect data, some may be using existing lesson observations and reflections, while others may even do an extended essay where published findings become the data. Your supervisor will work with your group to define your options at your first meeting).
- Evaluate their research-question in-light of arguments and ideas emerging from their data. Compare and contrast their findings with the arguments, ideas and concepts proposed by the relevant literature.
- Develop, through an immersive experience, a deeper understanding of how evidenced-based findings are made in education. Accordingly, in their conclusions, students should reflect on their own practice or profession in light of findings and, where appropriate, make recommendations.
- Communicate and present all ideas in a scholarly manner (i.e. through the use of academic writing conventions)

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Project Supervision

24
Specified Learning Activities

50
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Total

124
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Autonomous and Self-Directed Learning informed by Reflective Practice and Action Research 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
EDUC43970 - Prof Placement & Portfolio 1B


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Continuous Assessment: A 6,000 word thesis. Varies over the Trimester n/a Graded Yes

100

Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Dr Áine Mahon Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Mary Cunneen Tutor
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 

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