Masters of Teaching Practice (Primary Education) MC219

Masters of Teaching Practice (Secondary Education) MC220

TCHE 2408
Approaches to Educational Research and
Inquiry

Course Guide: Semester 1, 2017

School of Education

College of Design and Social Context

RMIT University, Bundoora Campus

 CONTENTS

COURSE IDENTIFICATION AND STAFF ................................................................ 1

Course Identification .................................................................................................. 1
Support Services for Learning: .................................................................................. 2
COURSE OVERVIEW AND PROGRAMME ............................................................. 3
Course Overview ....................................................................................................... 3
Course Outcomes: ...................................................................................................... 3
Learning activities ...................................................................................................... 3
Lecture and tutorial schedule: .................................................................................... 4
LEARNING RESOURCES ........................................................................................... 6
Weekly required reading: ....................................................................................... 6
Recommended texts ............................................................................................... 6
ASSESSMENT TASKS ................................................................................................ 7
Attendance and Participation Requirements ............................................................ 14
Determination of the Final Grade ............................................................................ 14
Non-discriminatory Language ................................................................................. 15
Students with Disabilities ........................................................................................ 15
Course Evaluation .................................................................................................... 15
 COURSE IDENTIFICATION AND STAFF

Course Identification

Course Code and Title TCHE 2408 Approaches to Educational research and Inquiry

Year and Semester Semester 1, 2017

School School of Education

College Design and Social Context

Credit s 12

Teacher Guided Hours 1 hour lecture/equivalent online content and 2 hour tutorial per
week

Learner Directed Hours 6 hours per week

Duration 10 weeks

Mode of Delivery On campus

Course Staff and contact details

Course Staff Contact

Dr. Emily Gray Ph: 9925 7660

Email: emily.gray@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Room: 220.04.11

Office hours: Tuesdays 3:30-4:30pm or by

appointment

https://www.rmit.edu.au/contact/staff-
contacts/academic-staff/g/gray-dr-emily/

Dr. Seth Brown Ph: 9925 7848

Email: seth.brown@rmit.edu.au
Tutor
Office Hours: By appointment

https://www.rmit.edu.au/contact/staff-
contacts/academic-staff/b/brown-dr-seth/

Please contact your tutor via e-mail in the first instance.

A tutor has been allocated to your tutorial group. Your tutor is your first point of contact for
information about the course, and your tutor will give you feedback on your assessment tasks.
Please take note of your tutors availability and if you wish to meet with your tutor please arrange
an appointment as advised above.

The coordinator of TCHE 2408 Approaches to Educational Research and Inquiry is Dr. Emily
Gray. If you have any enquiries about the course that your tutor is unable to answer, please contact
the course coordinator by email. The coordinator will usually respond within 1-2 days of your
message. However please direct ALL ASSIGNMENT-RELATED QUESTIONS to the
DISCUSSION BOARD on the Blackboard site for this course. Tutors will not answer any
assignment-related questions via e-mail unless they relate to extension requests.

Support Services for Learning:

Language and Learning Support Staff: [Bundoora West Campus Ph: 992 57525]

http://aps.eu.rmit.edu.au/lsu/
International Student Support: http://www.rmit.edu.au/ISIS

RMIT University Library: http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/

Education Liaison Librarian: June Frost

Tel: 9925 6576
june.frost@rmit.edu.au

Secondary Education Library Guide: http://www.lib.rmit.edu.au/pathfinders/sec-ed.html

Blazing a Trail online: http://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/education/blazing/

Blazing a Trail is your survival guide while you are learning to teach at RMIT University. This
guide is developed each year by Education students for Education students.

It also includes School of Education referencing details, which follow APA formatting
guidelines. Please read these before submitting written work.

2
 COURSE OVERVIEW AND PROGRAMME

Course Overview
This core course provides you with an introduction to the major traditions and orientations
informing contemporary educational research. It focuses on a range of approaches, methods and
techniques used for knowledge production through research and inquiry in education. In this course
you develop skills as critical readers (consumers) of research as well as making informed choices
about appropriate research methodologies and techniques for your research and inquiry projects as a
teacher. In this course you will develop a research/inquiry proposal drawing upon understandings
about the research/inquiry approaches and techniques relevant to your professional work in
education as a teacher.

Course Outcomes:

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Identify assumptions and beliefs underlying different approaches to educational research/

inquiry;
2. Recognise educational research/inquiry methodologies in reports of research;
3. Critique reports of research in the field of education;
4. Make informed comparisons of educational research methodologies for inquiries into
questions, problems or issues in educational practice;
5. Choose appropriate research methodologies, techniques and ethical principles for a selected
research problem;
6. Apply selected approaches for research/inquiry to research questions
7. Construct a research proposal including the application of appropriate ethical principles; and
8. Plan a research project.

Learning activities
The course uses a combination of learning methods. These include:

Outlining assumptions and beliefs underlying different approaches to educational research/

inquiry
Summarising assumptions about educational research/inquiry methodologies in reports of
research
Critiquing reports of research in the field of education
Making informed comparisons of educational research methodologies
Choosing appropriate research methodologies, techniques and ethical principles for a
selected research problem
Applying selected approaches for research/inquiry to research questions
Constructing a research proposal within appropriate ethical guidelines
Planning a research project

3
Lecture and tutorial schedule:
Lectures take place on Tuesday mornings at 8:30am in 207.03.002

Please note that there are five face-to-face lectures for this course that take place during weeks 1,
4, 7, 9 and 10. Attendance at lectures and tutorials is expected and assignments will be difficult to
complete if you do not attend these sessions. The remainder of the course adopts a blended model
of learning where students will be asked to engage with course materials posted to Blackboard and
on the Teacher as learner Google Site ahead of tutorials. Please also note that week 8 is a public
holiday you will be expected to engage with online materials in your own time to make up for this
lost class time.

Week Topic Mode of Delivery Reading

1 Introduction Face to face: Teacher as Learner Google Site
lecture/tute Ontology.
28th Feb What is educational
research? Burke, R. and Christensen, L.
(2014). Educational research:
How do we do Quantitative, qualitative, and
educational research? mixed approaches. Los
Angeles: Sage, chapter 1,
Ontology Introduction to educational
research, 1-29.
Course outline

2 The Foundations of Flipped Teacher as Learner Google Site:

7th March Educational Research Epistemology

Epistemology

3 Theory 101 Face to face: Teacher as Learner Google Site,

14th March lecture/tute Theory: pragmatism, grounded
What is theory and theory and poststructuralism
why do we need it?

Lecturer: Emily Gray

4 Theory 102 Flipped Grix, J. (2004). The

st
21 March Foundations of Research.
Major traditions in Basingstoke: Palgrave, chapter
educational research 6. The Types and Uses of
Theory in Research. pp. 100-
116.

5 Reading for writing Face to face library King, J. (2010). How to write
28th March workshop: sessions an annotated bibliography.
Access. 24.4: 34-37.
How to read academic
texts and how to write
about them.

4
 What is an annotated
bibliography?
6 Planning a research Flipped Tute materials provided via
4th April project: Blackboard

What is a proposal?

Framing our research.

Friday 7th April

7 Approaches to Face to face: Teacher as Learner Google Site

th
11 April Educational Research Lecture/tute Reflective Practice.
I:
Rushter, I. and Suter, M.
Reflective practice (2012). Reflective practice for
teaching in lifelong learning.
Guest lecturer: Dr. Basingstoke: McGraw Hill.
Michael Crowhurst Chapter 1, Why reflect on
Practice? 1-12.

EASTER BREAK
8 Approaches to Online Teacher as Learner Google Site
25th April Educational Research Discourse Analysis.
II:
ANZAC Day Gee, J.P. (2014). An
public holiday Discourse analysis Introduction to Discourse
Analysis. London: Routledge.
Lecturer: Dr. Emily Chapter 2, What is discourse
Gray analysis? 16-30 (available
online).

9 Approaches to Face to face: Teacher as Learner Google Site

nd
2 May Educational Research lecture/tute Survey Research.
III:
O'Leary, Z. (2004). The
The construction and essential guide to doing
administration of a research. London: Sage, pp.99-
survey instrument 112.

Guest lecturer: Grant

Cooper

10 Approaches to Face to face: Teacher as Learner Google Site

th
9 May Educational Research lecture/tute Action Research.
IV:
McAteer, M. (2013). Action
Action Research Research in Education. London:
Sage. Section 1, Getting to
Guest lecturer: know action research, pp. 5-21.
Professor Amanda

5
 Berry

AT2 Due Friday 12th

May, 11:59pm

LEARNING RESOURCES

Weekly required reading:

Week 1: Teacher as Learner Google Site Ontology, and Burke, R. and Christensen, L. (2014).
Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches. Los Angeles: Sage, chapter
1, Introduction to educational research, pp. 1-29.

Week 2: Teacher as Learner Google Site: Epistemology

Week 3: Teacher as Learner Google Site, Theory: Pragmatism, grounded theory and
poststructuralism

Week 4: Grix, J. (2004). The Foundations of Research. Basingstoke: Palgrave, chapter 6. The
Types and Uses of Theory in Research. pp. 100-116.

Week 5: King, J. (2010). How to write an annotated bibliography. Access. 24.4: 34-37.

Week 7: Teacher as Learner Google Site Reflective Practice, and Rushter, I. and Suter, M. (2012).
Reflective practice for teaching in lifelong learning. Basingstoke: McGraw Hill. Chapter 1, Why
reflect on Practice? pp. 1-12.

Week 8: Teacher as Learner Google Site Survey Research and O'Leary, Z. (2004). The essential
guide to doing research. London: Sage, pp.99-112.

Week 9: Teacher as Learner Google Site Discourse Analysis, and Gee, J.P. (2014). An Introduction
to Discourse Analysis. London: Routledge. Chapter 2, What is discourse analysis? pp. 16-30.

Week 10: Teacher as Learner Google Site Action Research, and McAteer, M. (2013). Action
Research in Education. London: Sage. Section 1, Getting to know action research, pp. 5-21.

Recommended texts
Books

Creswell, J. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches
(3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Crotty, M. (1998). The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research
Process. St Leonards, NSW: Allen and Unwin.

Davidson, E.J. (2009). Evaluation Methodology Basics: The Nuts and Bolts of Sound Evaluation.
London: Sage

6
McLeod, J., & Thomson, R. (2009). Researching Social Change: Qualitative Approaches. London:
Sage.

Somekh, B., & Lewin, C. (Eds.). (2011). Research Methods in the Social Sciences (2nd. Edn.).
London: Sage.

Yin, R. (2009). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. London: Sage

Journals

The Australian Educational Researcher

British Educational Research Journal
Review of Research in Education
American Educational Research Journal
Educational Researcher

Websites

Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) - http://www1.aare.edu.au

British Educacional Research Association (BERA) - http://www.bera.ac.uk/
European Educational Research Association (EERA) - http://www.eera-ecer.eu/
American Educational Research Association (AERA) - http://www.aera.net

ASSESSMENT TASKS

The assessment tasks in this course are designed as an opportunity for students to demonstrate
evidence of their learning in relation to the course content and objectives.

This course is designed to introduce students to some of the key approaches in contemporary
educational research. In addition, the course is designed to provide students with the skills to
summarise and critique educational research.

Please note that all submissions are to be made via Blackboard/Turnitin by 11:59pm on the due
date.

Task Weighting Title Description Group/individual task

AT1 50% Annotated 2000 words. Choose a topic of Individual
Bibliography educational research and to
complete an annotated
bibliography of five research
papers/book chapters relating to
this topic.

AT2 50% Research proposal 2000 words Individual

In order to pass the course you need at to have scored at least 50% from a combination of the three
assessments. More detailed instructions will be provided during tutorials.

PLEASE NOTE THAT CRITERIA SHEETS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS ARE AVAILABLE
VIA BLACKBOARD.

7
Assessment task 1: Annotated Bibliography

Word limit: 2000

Course grade percentage: 50%
Due Date: Friday 7th April 2017

This course is designed to introduce students to some of the key approaches in contemporary
educational research. In addition, the course is designed to provide students with the skills to
summarise and critique educational research. The assessment tasks in this course are therefore
designed as an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning in relation to the course
content and objectives.

This assignment asks students to choose a topic of educational research and to complete an
annotated bibliography of five research papers/book chapters relating to this topic.

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to academic texts (book, articles, reports etc). Each
citation should be followed by a paragraph or annotation. The annotation should offer a brief
overview of the content of the article or book chapter and also offer an evaluation of it. The
purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the
sources cited in relation to the chosen topic. Annotated bibliographies help researchers to collate
their reading when in the early stages of a research project.

Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills:
concise description, succinct analysis, and informed library research. There will be a library session
during week 5 to help students to develop their library skills.

You have been provided with five suggested topics for your assignments in this course. For each
topic, two references have been provided. You will then need to find another three texts. It is better
to read a range of texts and to annotate the ones that are most useful to you.

Your annotated bibliography can be approached in a series of steps.

Step 1: Locate several texts that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly
examine and review the texts, then choose texts that provide different perspectives on your topic.

Step 2: To write up your annotated bibliography, first cite the book, article, or document using
APA style. Then write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the
book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the
author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you
have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic. Your bibliography
should be ordered alphabetically.

Step 3: You will also need to write an introduction to your topic and outline why you have chosen
it. You should also write a short summary after your annotated bibliography that demonstrates what
you have learned about the topic in the process of completing the assignment.

You may choose to base your final research project around the topic you choose for this
assignment. If you choose not to do this then you will need to discuss your topic change with your
tutor.

A note on word limit: Part of your assessment is that you are able to demonstrate your learning
within set parameters. One of these is the word limit. You are allowed to go 10% over or under the

8
word limit any less than this and your assignment will not be detailed enough to achieve a high
score. If you go too far over the word limit, your tutor may not read all of your assignment and
your grade may be affected.

Topics and starter texts:

You may choose from one of the topics below. Two readings have been provided for each topic.
You may choose a different topic, if you choose to do so it is up to you to find five texts for your
bibliography. You must also discuss you topic with your tutor before you commence the
assignment. There will be time in class set aside for this.

The texts below have been selected because they are good examples of rigorous academic work.
You do not have to use these texts in your assignment, but if you choose not to you must ensure that
the texts you have replaced them with are of similar quality and academic rigour.

All of the texts listed below can be downloaded via RMIT University Library.

Student engagement

Finn, J.D. and Zimmer, K.S. (2012). Student engagement: What is it? Why does it matter? In
Christenson, S.L., Reschly, A.L. and Wylie, C. (Eds.). Handbook of Research on Student
Engagement. The Netherlands: Springer. 97-131.

Harbour, K.E., Evanovich, L.L., Sweigart, C.A. and Hughes, L.E. (2015). A brief review of
effective teaching practices that maximize student engagement. Preventing School Failure:
Alternative Education for Children and Youth. 59.1: 5-13.

Differentation

Geelan, D., Christie, P., Mills, M., Keddie, A., Renshaw, P. and Monk, S. (2015). Lessons from
Alison: a narrative study of differentiation in classroom teaching, International Journal of
Pedagogies and Learning. 10:1, 13-23.

VanTassel-Baska, J. (2-12). Analyzing Differentiation in the Classroom Using the COS-R. Gifted
Child Today. 35.1: 42-48.

Teacher Identities

Sreide, G. E. (2006). Narrative construction of teacher identity: positioning and negotiation.

Teachers and Teaching. 12.5: 527-547.

Zembylas, M. (2003). Interrogating teacher identity: Emotion, resistance and self-formation.

Education Theory. 53.1: 107-127.

Learner Identities

Tan, E., Calabrese Barton, A., Kang, H., and ONeill, T. (2013). Desiring a career in STEM-related
fields: How middle school girls articulate and negotiate identities-in-practice in science. Journal of
Research in Science Teaching. 50.10: 1143-1179.

Wilkins, A. (2012). The spectre of neoliberalism: pedagogy, gender and the construction of learner
identities. Critical Studies in Education. 53.2: 197-210.

9
Curriculum

Lingard, B. and McGregor, G. (2014). Two contrasting Australian Curriculum responses to

globalisation: what students should learn or become. The Curriculum Journal. 25.1: 90-110.

Lowe, K. and Yunkaporta, T. (2013). The inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content
in the Australian National Curriculum: A cultural, cognitive and socio-political evaluation.
Curriculum Perspectives. 33.1: 1-14.

Assessment task 2: Research Proposal

Word limit: 2000
Course grade percentage: 50%
Due Date: Friday 12th May 2017

This course is designed to introduce students to some of the key approaches in contemporary educational
research. In addition, the course is designed to provide students with the skills to summarise and critique
educational research. The assessment tasks in this course are therefore designed as an opportunity for
students to demonstrate their learning in relation to the course content and objectives.

This assignment asks that you design and write a proposal for a small-scale research project. MC220 MTP
Secondary students will carry out this research project in the semester 2 course TCHE 2413 Educational
Research and Inquiry Project.

MC219 MTP Primary students will not carry out the research project itself unless they are taking TCHE
2413 as an elective .

What is a proposal?

A research proposal is a document that outlines a project that you intend to undertake. It should contain:

A title and an outline of the topic

An overview of the literature in the area - this is known as a literature review
2-3 research questions that you plan to investigate in the context of existing research/literature in the
area
An outline of your approach to educational research and inquiry (methodology, i.e. reflective
practice, discourse analysis, survey research). This should include the methods you will use.

You are required use a template to complete this assignment, the template can be found in the appendix of
the course guide and on Blackboard. The word limits set against each section are guidelines, but remember
that part of your assessment is that you are able to demonstrate your learning within set parameters. One of
these is the word limit. You are allowed to go 10% over or under the word limit any less than this and
your assignment will not be detailed enough to achieve a high score. If you go too far over the word limit,
your tutor may not read all of your assignment. Your references are not included in the word count.

Assessment task 1 for this course required that you write an annotated bibliography based upon research
written about one of the following topics:

10
 Student engagement
Differentiation
Teacher Identities
Learner Identities
Curriculum

Your research proposal should be based upon the topic you chose for AT1. If you wish to research a different
topic, you need to negotiate your alternative topic with your tutor before you commence the proposal.

Useful resource:

Resources for postgraduate degree by coursework (Study and Learning Centre)

http://www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=z0ulrj3q9w751

Assignment Submission

Assignments must be submitted via Turnitin by 11:59pm on the day of the deadline.

When you submit work electronically for assessment you are required to do so from a secure RMIT
account. You will be directed to the Assessment declaration website where you will be required to
click through this website, declaring authorship of the work. Online submission does not require
the submission of a separate cover sheet.

Extensions

Extension of time for assessment tasks may be granted where circumstances beyond your control
have prevented submission by the published due date. An application for extension of time must be
lodged with your tutor or the course coordinator, preferably prior to, but no later than one
working day before the due date for submission. The application form provided by the University
must be used. Supporting evidence must be supplied with your application.

An extension of up to seven calendar days may be granted if good reason can be demonstrated
according to the eligibility criteria specified in University Policy. Grounds normally considered
for extension include serious illness or psychological condition, loss or bereavement, and
hardship/trauma. You will be notified within no more than 2 working days of the date of
lodgement as to whether the extension has been granted.

Work submitted within 7 calendar days of a due (or an approved amended due) date may be
accepted in exceptional circumstances but will only be assessed as Pass (50%) or Fail. Work
submitted beyond 7 calendar days of a due date will be assessed as 0%.

Extensions beyond seven calendar days are not granted by tutors, lecturers, course coordinators
or the School of Education. To apply for an extension of time greater than 7 calendar days
students must lodge an application for Special Consideration.

Extension of Time Policy: www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/extension

Extension Application Form: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/seca86tti4g4z.pdf

11
Special Consideration

Students seeking an extension of more than 7 calendar days (from the original due date) must
lodge an Application for Special Consideration form under the provisions of the Special
Consideration Policy, preferably prior to, but no later than 2 working days after the official due
date. Late applications will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.

An application for Special Consideration must be lodged Online. The application must be
accompanied by documentary evidence. Applications made on medical or psychological grounds
must include a completed Impact Assessment Statement from a relevant qualified practitioner,
registered with a recognised body, for example a doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker.

An expert panel convened by the Academic Registrar will consider applications for Special
Consideration. Applications will be considered on the basis of the impact the documented incident
is perceived to have had on your academic performance. The expert panel will consult with a
relevant Program Coordinator where academic advice is deemed to be required. A decision on the
outcome of the application will be made within 10 working days.

Special Consideration Information: www.rmit.edu.au/students/specialconsideration

Special Consideration Application Form: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/8a5dgcaqvaes1.pdf

Assignment Submission

Assignments can be submitted either by e-Submission through Blackboard or Hard Copy

Submission. You will be informed by your lecturer/tutor which method is preferred.

When you submit work electronically for assessment you are required to do so from a secure RMIT
account. You will be directed to the Assessment declaration website where you will be required to
click through this website, declaring authorship of the work. e-Submission does not require the
submission of a separate cover sheet.

When submitting a hard copy for assessment, you are to attach a Cover Sheet to the submitted
work. All details on the cover sheet are to be completed. Please use the RMIT University Cover
Sheet that can be downloaded from: www.rmit.edu.au/students/forms/assessment
You (or each member of your group) must sign the declaration at the bottom of the cover sheet in
accordance with the policy on Academic Integrity outlined below. Assignments where the
declaration is not signed will not be assessed.

Assignments should be handed in during class time or at a time and place advised by the
lecturer/tutor. Failing that the assignment should be put in the tutors mailbox. If the above is not
possible due to exceptional circumstances, then you may go to the Program Administrator on your
campus to submit the assignment. For example, at the Bundoora campus you may go to the
Program Administration Office (Room 220.02.44); at the Brunswick campus you may go to your
relevant Program Administrator (in Building 514 Level 2).

Referencing

A reference list and (if required) a bibliography of resources is to be included with each item of
assessment. APA style must be used for all referencing. Footnotes or endnotes can be used but these
do not replace a reference list.

12
A guide to referencing and a link to information about the APA Referencing Style can be accessed
via the RMIT Library: www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=8rwjnkcmfoeez

Student Charter

The Student Charters principles and structure reflect RMITs core values. The Student Charter
recognises and reflects the complex and diverse nature of the University and its community. It
provides an overview of key responsibilities of RMIT students to ensure a successful experience of
university life. The charter can be accessed at: www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-education/supporting-
learning-and-teaching/student-charter/

Appeals against Assessment

If you believe you have grounds for review, for Stage One of the appeals process you must seek a
review from the Course Coordinator within 5 working days after the publication of the result.
The review must be submitted through email.

Please consult the Assessment: Conduct of Assessment and Appeals policy for guidance and
procedures (section 4): www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=ikqkqdh2zf5n1

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship through respecting the work of
others whilst having the freedom to build new insights, new knowledge and ideas. RMIT University
upholds the values of academic integrity as fundamental to the scholarship undertaken by all
members of its community. Further information on academic integrity at RMIT can be found on the
University website: www.rmit.edu.au/academicintegrity

Plagiarism and Collusion and Student Discipline

Plagiarism is the presentation of the work, idea or creation of another person as though it is your
own. Plagiarised material can be drawn from and presented in written, graphic and visual form,
including electronic data, and oral presentations. Plagiarism also occurs when the origin of the
material used is not appropriately cited. Plagiarism is not acceptable.

Collusion (or unauthorised collaboration) constitutes joint effort between students or others, in
preparing material submitted for assessment, except where this has been approved by the
coordinator of the course.

You are responsible for ensuring that your work is kept in a secure place. It is also a disciplinary
offence for you to allow your work to be plagiarised by another student.

Should staff detect plagiarism or collusion in any assessment it will be regarded as a serious matter
and dealt with according to School of Education, Design and Social Context College and RMIT
University policy and student discipline regulations.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Procedure: www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=sg4yfqzod48g1

RMIT Statute No. 1 Part 7: www1.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=2z9jz5794qndz

13
Student Academic Progress

Academic Progress Policy provides the opportunity for the School to monitor your progress through
the program to ensure you have access to appropriate support for timely completion of the program.
The policy also outlines the process for identifying unsatisfactory academic progress. Course
Assessment Committees and Program Assessment Boards are responsible for management of
academic standards through implementing the Academic Progress Policy and Procedures.

Unsatisfactory academic progress includes, but is not limited to, failing 50% or more of an enrolled
course load in a semester, failing the same course more than once, and failing or demonstrating
unsafe practice, or performing in a manner deemed professionally unacceptable in a professional
experience course.

Academic Progress Procedure: www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=vj2g89cve4uj1

Course Assessment Committees & Program Assessment Boards Procedure:
www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=q3dve00vnuix1

Attendance and Participation Requirements

You are expected to attend all lectures and all tutorials for this course. Lectures and tutorials have
been designed to compliment the assessment tasks and so failure to attend the majority of lectures
and tutes may mean that you will under-perform in your assessment tasks. Your attendance in both
lectures and tutorials will be recorded to provide an indication of your participation in the course.

Your tutor is willing to discuss issues with you and to clarify ideas explored in class as long as you
make the effort to understand the ideas first by attending lectures, tutorials and reading the
prescribed readings. Please do not ask your tutors or the course coordinator to assist you in
understanding course content or assessment if you have not attended the lecture, attended
tutorials or read the prescribed readings.

Determination of the Final Grade

In order to pass this course you must:

submit all assessable work, and

achieve a satisfactory performance on each component

Your final grade for the course will be reported by a letter and numerical grade according to the
following percentage ranges but please note that marks on any component may be moderated to
ensure equity of marking by different tutors and to ensure the balance is maintained between
assignments of different difficulty.

Notation Grade Percentage Range

HD High Distinction 80 - 100
DI Distinction 70 - 79
CR Credit 60 - 69
PA Pass 50 59
NN Fail Below 50

14
Non-discriminatory Language
The School of Education is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of
communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age,
sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental
ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not
meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however the language used in
such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the
use of discriminatory language in your written work. The most common form of discriminatory
language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are therefore
requested to check your work for this, and to ensure it is non-discriminatory in all respects.

Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from
Faculty Student Service staff and/or their course coordinator before completing assessment tasks
and examinations.

Course Evaluation
Students are provided with the opportunity to formally provide feedback at the end of the semester
by completing a course feedback questionnaire. However students are also encouraged to
informally provide feedback on the quality of the course and/or concerns they may have with the
delivery of the course throughout the semester by raising issues with their tutor, course coordinator
or more formally, with the Program Leader.

15
 Appendix: AT2 Template

Approaches to Educational Research and Inquiry

Assessment Task 2: Research Proposal
Title

Give your project a title that alerts the reader to what you intend to do, for example:
How does differentiation in the classroom impact upon year 9 maths students?

Project outline (150 words)

This section should offer a brief outline of the project that you intend to carry out.
You should state why you are interested in the topic and what the problem or issue is
that you are going to investigate.

Literature Review (1000 words)

A literature review is part of the story of your project and should help you to
structure the argument of your project. A literature review defines and explains the
issues in relation to your research topic. It is a synthesis of what is already known
about this area and identifies influential researchers in the area. You should refer to
at least five texts in this section.

Theoretical context (250 words)

In this section, you should outline the theoretical framework that underpins your
work. You should reflect here upon your ontological and epistemological positions
and how they have informed your choice of theory. You do not have to have read
Foucault, Butler or Dewey etc to have thought about and chosen a theoretical
context. Use the Google site to help you think about a theoretical perspective that
reflects your interests, e.g. pragmatism, grounded theory or poststructuralism.

Research questions (100 words)

Your research questions should reflect achievable investigative goals. Remember that
you are not writing a PhD thesis, but are conducting a small, semester long study.
Research questions should be concise and reflect the topic or issue you are
investigating. For example:

How do year 11 English students respond to an authentic task?

For Secondary students, you should think about some achievable research goals for
your project in semester 2. Primary students mostly will not be carrying out the
project but should imagine that you have 10 weeks to conduct a small-scale research
project.
16
Methodology and methods (500 words)

Here you should offer a brief description of, and rationale for, the proposed
approach to your project. You should outline the approach (methodology) that you
have chosen, i.e. reflective practice, discourse analysis, survey research or action
research, stating why you have chosen this approach and why it is the most
appropriate way to investigate your research questions.

References

References should be alphabetically ordered and in APA style. Remember that

numbers and bullet points are not necessary.

17