Upon completion of the course, students are able to:
• describe the main research approaches to educational research with an emphasis on qualitative approaches (experiments, design-based research, survey, action research, case studies).
• explain the most important research methods (interviews, survey, observation) and their relative merits.
• analyze qualitative data using a labeling system and simple quantitative data from questionnaires with SPSS.
• reason methodologically, using key concepts such as reliability, validity and generalizability.
• analyze critically the methods used in research papers.
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This course provides a general introduction into research methods in Science Education and Communication. Students will get to know the different steps of the research process and learn how to guarantee good quality in research projects. Information on research techniques and quality criteria is complemented with the individual planning of certain steps in a research projects in order to be actively involved in the procedures that have to be considered to produce high quality research. Reasoning methodologically is a central part of the course, which is reflected in the methodological analyses students will conduct during the course. Data analysis of quantitative and qualitative data is performed in class and students get the opportunity to attend two additional SPSS workshops to be prepared for their assignments and future research endeavors. Moreover, emphasis is placed on reporting results from data analyses in a scientifically appropriate way.
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