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Start date: September 2022 (full-time or part-time)
Examine advanced quantitative and qualitative research methods in the context of broader education-related topics, with our MA Education (Research Methods).
We are one of the leading providers of teacher training in the UK, and are ranked 12th in the UK for Education in the Guardian University Guide, 2020.
In this programme, you will develop your understanding of educational studies and academic skills, whilst also acquiring knowledge and skills in research methods, including statistics, qualitive and mixed methods.
Offered on a full-time and part-time basis, this course is designed to meet the needs of busy professionals and to reflect your own interests.
This programme is ideal training for an aspiring education researcher, and provides the perfect background to anyone considering doctoral study in education. The course is underpinned by up-to-date research evidence and it examines the broader philosophical, sociological and psychological aspects and issues related to teaching and learning.
The Research Methods pathway will develop your knowledge of data collection and analysis across a range of research methods in education. You will review and appraise current trends and scholarship in education, develop analytical tools relating to education research, investigate research ethics, and learn to design research projects for a range of educational settings.
Alongside this, you can also choose modules from the wider MA Education programme, including:
- expertise in teaching and classroom practice
- early years and child development
- inclusive education and special educational needs
- leadership and management in education
- mentoring
- music education
- sociology in education.
You will develop your research skills alongside internationally or nationally renowned tutors, whose research regularly has a direct impact on school curricula and learning techniques — both in the UK and abroad. As experts in their field, their research also directly informs the focus and content of your course, and you will benefit from the breadth of their expertise and backgrounds in educating and influencing policy.
This pathway is suitable for those planning to embark on doctoral study. It also meets the requirements for a research methods master's, allowing home students to apply for three years of doctoral funding from our SeNSS doctoral training partnership.
Facilities
The Institute of Education houses an incredible collection of teaching and research resources, called the Learning Hub. A treasure trove for teachers and researchers, the Learning Hub contains an extensive selection of teaching aids for loan or reference, from big books to puppets. A printing and binding facility, and technical equipment library are also available for your use.
Research
The quality of our research was recognised in the latest Research Excellence Framework 2014, the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions, which placed the Institute of Education in the top quartile of education departments in the UK.
Over 80% of our research publications were rated as world leading or internationally excellent. The impact of our research on educational policy and practice in first and second language education was judged to be world leading.