Research Methodologies in Adult Education

Code:

EFA02

Acronym:

MIEFA

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Educational Sciences

Instance: 2019/2020 - 1S

Active?	No
Responsible unit:	Education Sciences
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Adult Education and Training

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MEFA	0	Official Curricular Structure	1	-	6	49	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

- Knowledge and acquisition of skills in research methodology in Adult Education and Training; - Acquisition of knowledge on structural questions about research-making; that is, epistemological assumptions underlying research in Adult Education and Training;  - Knowledge about the process of designing research projects in Adult Education and Training; - Conception and design of research projects in Adult Education and Training, - Exposure to several research methodologies in Adult Education and Training, - Research practices in Adult Education and Training.

Learning outcomes and competences

The central concern with promoting students’ capacities to know “how-to-do” research in adult education and training is the main assumption of an approach that articulates the knowledge of research methods and their theoretical underpinnings and the experience in the field and the design of a project based on that experience, confronting literature and practice. Learning “how-to-do” research and intervention is inseparable from the activity of experimenting, in a specific context, the challenges of project design and implementation: from knowing the context to identifying resources and “problems”, from defining objectives to selecting strategies, etc. Learning from ‘situated problems’ is not only in tune with the ecological perspective that underpins this curricular unit, but also has a high potential for learning the knowledge and skills necessary to empower students adjust theory (about research and intervention) to a contextualized practice – as any adult education and training project demands.

Working method

Presencial

Program

- Presentation of the curricular unit, clarification of the learning aims and definition of the activities to be developed and the evaluation format.

- What is doing research? Epistemological issues underlying the research-making in Adult Education and Training.

- General presentation of the Research Methodologies in Adult Education and Training.

- Quantitative Methodologies: Questionnaires/Scales; Mixed Methods.

- Qualitative Methodologies: Ethnography and Participant observation.

- Qualitative Methodologies: Interviews.

- Qualitative Methodologies: Focus Group Discussions.

- Qualitative Methodologies: Content Analysis.

- Bibliographic research in FPCEUP databases.

- Scientific writing.

- Fieldwork planning, with tutorial guidance, in Adult Education and Training Institutions.

- Group discussion of the research work carried out in Institutions of Adult Education and Training.

- Delivery and public discussion of the portfolio built based on the fieldwork and on the reflective integration of the experiences gathered.

Mandatory literature

Bardin, L. ; Análise de Conteúdo. , Edições 70,, 2009
Bogdan, R,. & Biklen, S. ; Investigação qualitativa em educação, Porto Editora
Darlington; Y. & Scott; Qualitative research in practice: Stories from the field, Allen&Unwin, 2002
Flick, Uwe, Kardoff, Ernest von,% Steinke; A companion to qualitative research, SAGE, 2004
Morgan, D. (1998). ; The focus group guidebook, Sage Publications, Inc, 1998
Wacquant, L. . ; Ethnografeast: A progress report on the practice and promise of, Ethnography, 2003

Teaching methods and learning activities

- Contact hours: Exposition Debate, Group Work, Tutorial guidance – about 36 hours.

- Autonomous work: Fieldwork of research/intervention, to develop individually, under tutorial guidance, in the institutions of Adult Education and Training - about 30 hours.

- The teaching methodologies rest on a balance between the presentation and discussion of concepts and the fieldwork in institutions of Adult Education and Training where students, in heterogeneous groups (in terms of their initial training) and throughout the semester, start a process of context analysis, identification of needs and resources, and design of an intervention project, in close articulation with the literature and the vision of significant actors (professionals, participants). The process involves tutorial guidance and the presentation and discussion in class. The final discussion is individual.

The components of evaluation include: quality of fieldwork (20%), presentation in class and individual oral presentation (30%), research report (50%).

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	20,00
Defesa pública de dissertação, de relatório de projeto ou estágio, ou de tese	30,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	2,00
Elaboração de projeto	20,00
Estudo autónomo	60,00
Frequência das aulas	30,00
Trabalho de campo	10,00
Total:	122,00

Eligibility for exams

Calculation formula of final grade

The components of evaluation include: quality of fieldwork (20%), presentation in class and individual oral presentation (30%), research report (50%)

Component 1 = 20%
Component 2 = 30%
Component 3 = 50%