| CODE | EPE5027 | ||||||
| TITLE | Research Methods in the Early Years | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Early Childhood and Primary Education | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit has two aims. First, this study-unit re-introduces qualified early years鈥� educators and teaching professionals to quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches. Second, this study-unit introduces early years professionals to systematic literature review. It is becoming increasingly important that early years鈥� professionals examine, criticise and apply results and findings from quantitative studies that employ statistical techniques as part of their practice. Students will learn about the generation, application, analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary data. Consequently, manipulating data, interpreting results and applying findings from quantitative research are must-have skills for all early years鈥� educators. It is equally important that early years鈥� professionals understand the education and care processes relevant to the early years. This understanding can be better qualified through richer data that extends beyond the examination of associations, trends and trajectories. Consequently, it is just as important that early years鈥� professionals examine, criticise and apply findings from qualitative studies, that employ non-statistical techniques, as part of their practice. Familiarity with both quantitative and qualitative approaches will also enable students to recognise the complementary nature of these two approaches in research which is embodied in the third research approach of mixed-methods. Systematic literature reviews, offer a rigorous method for summarizing research and synthesizing research findings that enable educators, policymakers, and researchers to gain a comprehensive understanding about a broad range of topics, such as early childhood development, learning approaches, sustainability education, etc. Consequently, this unit will introduce the various types of systematic literature reviews; with a focus on rapid and scoping reviews. Increasingly rapid and scoping reviews are gaining prominence for their potential to address research questions within limited timeframes and/or map out the breadth of literature in emerging fields. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to equip students with the necessary research knowledge and skills to critically engage with and apply research methodologies in early years education. It aims to consolidate their understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, enhancing their ability to conduct rigorous educational research. By fostering an appreciation for the complementary nature of these approaches, the unit supports their integration in mixed-methods research and systematic literature reviews. The study-unit also aims to help students develop the ability to design research studies that align with well-formulated research questions, with a particular emphasis on the role of secondary data in research as a valid means of examining research questions. The study-unit also guides students in selecting, adapting, and administering appropriate research instruments and methods while considering research design and the use of primary or secondary data. Additionally, students will learn to systematically collect, collate, classify, and categorise data for analysis. They will acquire skills in applying statistical techniques to analyse quantitative data and develop proficiency in using thematic analytical techniques for qualitative data. Finally, the study-unit supports students in interpreting and effectively communicating findings from both quantitative and qualitative data analysis, including data obtained through systematic literature reviews. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: Understand the purpose of quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches to the conducting of research. Students will be able to: - Distinguish between quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches to the conducting of research; - Compare and contrast between quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods in terms of their objectives and associated methodologies; - Discriminate between different types of data (numerical, textual, visual, etc) and how different types of data may be employed differentially across quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches to research. Understand the purpose of systematic literature reviews. Students will be able to: - Identify the types of systematic literature reviews; - Explain the role of rapid and scoping reviews in synthesizing the research evidence; - Distinguish between rapid and scoping reviews in terms of their objectives and methodologies. Conduct and apply knowledge relevant to quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research approaches and knowledge relevant to systematic, rapid and scoping reviews. Students will be able to: - Design quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods type of research; - Identify, apply and execute quantitative and qualitative techniques and methods in a manner appropriate to the research question and the research design; - Conduct rapid and scoping reviews by defining research questions, setting inclusion and exclusion criteria and synthesizing findings from relevant literature; - Execute the streamlined processes of a rapid review and its protocol to deliver timely and rigorous results; - Execute the scoping review protocol to map broad research area. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Devise appropriate research questions; including questions for rapid and scoping reviews; - Refine the research question in response to the design and the methods relevant to the type of research (quantitative, qualitative, etc); - Identify different sources of data (primary and secondary) and different types of data (numerical, textual, visual, etc); - Discriminate between the generation of different types of data (numerical, textual, visual, etc); - Distinguish how different types of data may be employed differentially across quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches to research; - Distinguish and apply the relevant rapid and scoping review quality protocols (PICO, PRISMA, Cochrane, etc); - Identify and tailor appropriate research instruments (questionnaires, interviews, observation tools, diagnostic measures, videos, etc); - Identify and apply appropriate statistical techniques for the analysis of quantitative data (up to regression); - Identify and apply appropriate non-statistical techniques for the analysis of qualitative data (focus on thematic analysis and field-notes); - Critically evaluate the strengths, limitations and appropriate contexts for using systematic, rapid and scoping reviews in early childhood education; - Interpret and communicate findings from quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods type of research and effectively communicate their implications for research, practice and/or policy in early childhood education; - Interpret and communicate findings from rapid and scoping reviews and effectively communicate their implications for research, practice and/or policy in early childhood education. Main Texts: - Booth, A., Sutton, A., Clowes, M., & Martyn-St James, M. (2022). Systemic approaches to a successful literature review (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd. - Creamer, E. G. (2018). An introduction to fully integrated mixed methods research. SAGE Publications. - Field, A. (2013, 4th ed.) Discovering statistics using SPSS. SAGE. - Gough, D., Oliver, S. & Thomas, J. (2017). An introduction to systematic reviews. (2nd ed.). SAGE. - Richards, L. (2009). Handling qualitative data: A practical guide. SAGE. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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