Structures and Dynamics in Research Work

Code:

PDCE01

Acronym:

EDTI

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Educational Sciences

Instance: 2022/2023 - A

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Education Sciences
Course/CS Responsible:	Doctoral Program in Educational Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
PDCE	26	Official Curricular Structure 2007	1	-	20	180	540

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The course Structure and Dynamics of Research (EDTI) aims to promote advanced knowledge and critical analytical capacities over educational research methods, with a special attention to the process through which decisions regarding research methodologies were taken.

More specifically, the course has the following learning goals:

. foster an advanced knowledge in the field of educational research methodologies;

. produce interdisciplinary knowledge adequate for the systematic analysis and discussion of research projects in education;

. stimulate the production of original knowledge;

. create opportunities to contact relevant research projects and researchers. 

Learning outcomes and competences

The course aims to foster the following learning results and competencies:

. capacity to systematically understand research projects in Education Sciences;

. capacity to critical analyze innovative methodological frameworks that are adequate to understand complex educational and social situations;

. capacity to derive creative solutions for the design of innovative projects that are adequate for understanding the complexity of educational and social situations.

Working method

Presencial

Program

The themes are organised around three thematic blocks:

1st block: Socio-epistemological conditions of research in Education

i. socio-institutional conditions of producing research in education;

i. socio-political conditions of research work in education;

i. epistemological conditions and causality models of research in education.

2nd block: Methodological conditions of research in Education 

i. the relationship between theory and empirical work in research in education;

ii. narrativity in research in education;

iii. language and communication in research in education;

iv. ethics in research in education;

v. relational conditions in research in education.

3rd block: Empirical work and research devices

i. organizing the empirical work (e.g, case studies, comparative studies, ...):

ii. research methods workshops (biographic methods, ethnography, questionnaire design and analysis, interviews, focus-groups, ...).

Mandatory literature

Alkin Marvin C.; Encyclopedia of educational research. ISBN: ISBN 0-02-900431-4
Bourdieu Pierre; O^poder simbólico. ISBN: 972-29-0014-5
Bruyne Paul de; Dinâmica da pesquisa em ciências sociais
Cohen Louis; Research methods in education. ISBN: 0-415-19541-1
Correia José Alberto; A^construção científica do político em educação
Creswell John W.; Research design. ISBN: 0-7619-2442-6
Denzin Norman K.; O^planejamento da pesquisa qualitativa. ISBN: 85-363-0663-7
Flick Uwe 340; A companion to qualitative research. ISBN: 978-0-7619-7375-1
Guba Egon G.; Fourth generation evaluation. ISBN: 0-8039-3235-9
Keeves John ed. lit.; Educational research, methodology, and measurement. ISBN: ISBN 0-08-042710-3
Mertens Donna M.; Research and evaluation in education and psychology. ISBN: 978-1-4129-7190-4
Saukko Paula; Doing research in cultural studies. ISBN: ISBN 0-7619-6505-X
Seale Clive 340; Researching society and culture. ISBN: 0-7619-5277-2

Teaching methods and learning activities

Teaching methods involve exposition, debate, supervised field work, group work, students’ presentations and tutorial work.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Defesa pública de dissertação, de relatório de projeto ou estágio, ou de tese	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Elaboração de relatório/dissertação/tese	90,00
Frequência das aulas	60,00
Trabalho de campo	6,00
Total:	156,00

Eligibility for exams

Follows to the regulation of the Doctoral Program.

Calculation formula of final grade

Follows to the regulation of the Doctoral Program.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Assessment is based on the research project (30-50 pages) presented by the doctoral student that involves the identification and operationalization of the research questions and a first draft of the methodological “how-to-do”. The Project will be discussed by a jury of three (or four) professors, including the supervisor (and co-supervisor), at the end of the second semester.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Follows to the regulation of the Doctoral Program.

Classification improvement

Follows to the regulation of the Doctoral Program.