Activity 1 - Discussion about the course

The following has been given as a tutorial activity in my online E891 tutor group, so I thought I'd rough out some of my ideas here.

Enjoy my random thought processes...


Think about these three questions and post a short statement in response (about 100 words for each question).

1. What is Educational enquiry?

My first response to the above is to break it down into the two component parts and then see how they fit back together. 

The 'Educational' bit obviously is there as a descriptive word and is being applied to the word 'Enquiry'. If we're focusing on enquiry about education, then it suggests that it's the field of education and also the process / act of educating / being educated which is under investiation. Possibly also coming under this umbrella would be theories and / or models of education which exist in a variety of contexts - directly educational and indirectly educational. The 'Enquiry' element brings to mind investigation, asking questions, researching, looking deeper and creating / developing understanding. Reflective understanding of experiences are also relevant here, I would imagine and this further extends the definition of what might be considered educational.

So, a very basic answer to 'What is Educational enquiry' is that it is the investigation into different forms of educational experience and practice in formal and informal contexts using a variety of different methods. Educational enquiry will be informed by case studies, experience, relevant literature and other forms of research.  In order to generate understanding, critical analysis and review needs to be carried out and from there conclusions may be derived.


2. What constitutes a masters level understanding of Educational enquiry?

I think there are certain skills which need to be demonstrated.

An understanding of the theories and methodologies involved in research, the ability to conduct a review of literature.
An ability to research relevant sources and reference them correctly.
A thoroughness and accuracy in terms of writing
Independent thought which complements and develops the course material in a relevant context


3. How does one demonstrate a masters level understanding of Educational enquiry?

Ermmmm... not sure! I suppose completing the assignments is one way of demonstrating that understanding and having them assessed by a third party. I'm struggling to differentiate this question from the earlier one... I think maybe that's another skill that I'm lacking - being able to analyse and develop an answer accurately from the question given!

New reports measure impact of research

New reports measure impact of research | Research | EducationGuardian.co.uk: "The research councils have been looking at ways in which they can encourage researchers to think more about the economic impact of their work. One initiative that has generated a lot of controversy among academics is the councils' plan to consider the economic impact of research in the peer review process, where ideas are assessed and awarded funding. The councils plan to ask researchers to describe the potential economic impact of their ideas in their proposals for funding. But many researchers are worried that this could mean a move away from blue-skies science, where the impacts of research may only become obvious many years down the line. The PA Consulting report notes that in many of the 18 case studies, the resulting impact was not part of the original rationale for the research. The research councils admit that this suggests 'serendipity and opportunism are important factors for the research councils'."

Interesting report on the impact of research. Not sure whether this is a good or bad thing really. The inner economist in me thinks that it's a good thing for some economic awareness to exist in people's actions since they have a responsibility to the wider community (in a loose sense, I suppose). But... the other part of me thinks that research isn't just about the economics and that some ideas are ahead of their time, sure, but that doesn't mean their investigation doesn't have validity. I guess the main concern I have in my head is that the whole uncomfortable 'student as customer' thing is going to wend its way into research. 'Researcher as economically viable producer'. It just doesn't sit right. There's something 'other' to the messiness of education which makes trying to introduce quantitative measures as some kind of sole gold standard for entry misplaced.

Some questions about evidence-based practice in education

Some questions about evidence-based practice in education: "Some Questions about Evidence-based Practice in Education Martyn Hammersley"

Very relevant for TMA01.