This module serves as one of the introductory modules offered in Year 1 of the EdD programme, along with EDS443. The aim of this module is to build students’ abilities as research-led practitioners who use their critical analysis of research and scholarship to produce practical/policy applications, and then rigorously evaluate those practices/policies for improvement to create their own research, scholarship, and practical insights. The module works in conjunction with EDS443 to build students’ critical engagement with issues in educational research and develop their research skills, particularly evaluating existing research and scholarship in light of their own practice and context. Collectively, these modules develop students’ research and analysis skills to prepare them for the Year 2 modules: EDS444 Conducting Quantitative Research and EDS445 Conducting Qualitative Research.
A. Critically evaluate and synthesise research, scholarship, and practice/policy to clarify arguments and build new insights. B. Critique, select, and apply appropriate approaches to developing new insights into research, scholarship, and practice/policy. C. Demonstrate understanding of the symbiotic relationship between theory and practice by using theory to inform practice/policy, and evaluating practice/policy to develop theoretical insights. D. Reflectively locate their research interests and practical experiences/ambitions within the existing global bodies of theory, practice, and policy. E. Create a research-informed plan of action to address a practical/policy-based issue that incorporates appropriate research frameworks, rigorous evaluation processes, and recognition of the roles of key stakeholders, practices, and policies (including ethical concerns).
This module adopts a blended, research-led, and practice-oriented approach to teaching and learning, structured across three integrated layers of engagement: intensive residency weekends, synchronous online sessions, and sustained engagement tasks across the year. Together, these layers are designed to support deep learning, critical inquiry, and the progressive development of students’ research and practice-/policy-focused outputs. At the core of the module is a Research Led Project Based Learning (RLPBL) approach, where students work iteratively towards the development of a Research-based Programme/Policy Critique. This approach positions students as active knowledge creators, engaging with authentic problems drawn from their professional contexts and grounding their responses in rigorous engagement with research and scholarship. APPROACH 1 Residency weekends provide immersive, high-impact learning experiences. These sessions focus on conceptual development, collaborative inquiry, and critical dialogue between fellow students, faculty, and external practitioners and experts (including CoE Partners and Practice Mentors). Through workshops, structured discussions, and applied activities, students explore key ideas related to research design, theoretical framing, and impact. Residencies also create space for peer learning, feedback, and the development of a scholarly community. APPROACH 2 Synchronous online sessions are designed to provide additional structured learning opportunities between residencies. These sessions focus on targeted skill development, clarification of key concepts, and formative feedback opportunities. They also provide developmental check-in points to support student progression and address emerging challenges in their learning and research development. APPROACH 3 A series of developmental engagement tasks is embedded across the year to scaffold learning and ensure sustained engagement with research, scholarship, and practice/policy. These tasks provide ongoing opportunities for refining research focus, critical engagement with literature, developing conceptual frameworks, aligning methodology, and articulating practice/policy implications. These asynchronous learning opportunities would also draw on input and insights from CoE Partners and Practice Mentors to situate the learning in real-world problems and context as way to extend students above and beyond their own professional experience. All of these are essential for students’ independent learning development, and also support iterative development towards the final assessment. Feedback from, and dialogue with, peers and faculty throughout these tasks strengthens students’ capacity for critical reflection, academic writing, and research design. The module also integrates Education + AI as a cross-cutting theme, including using AI to support literature searching and synthesis, idea generation, and feedback processes, while also developing critical awareness of the limitations, biases, and ethical implications of these technologies in educational contexts. Students are supported to critically and ethically engage with AI tools to enhance their learning, research, and scholarly practice in the course of residencies, synchronous online sessions, and engagement tasks and other work done independently.