Students will learn how to design research that contributes to the understanding and improvement of educational practice. They will develop an understanding of practitioner based research methods and produce a detailed research proposal that includes a clearly defined, and justified, research design and methodology aimed at studying a specific educational problem.

Research methods courses in education, social work or counselling prepare you for exploring answers to questions or testing theories about what works. They help students to develop expertise in disciplined inquiry. A range of courses are offered by the Faculty of Education and Social Work to prepare students for effectively researching and evaluating a programme or problem of practice in the most appropriate way. Research methods courses are organised under four major themes:

• Educational research
  Diverse methods spanning experimental/scientific to interpretive/post-modern approaches that focus on policy, teachers and teaching, students and learning, from pre-school to higher education.
• Practitioner research
  Methods that examine how best to conduct research with and by practitioners in their professional contexts.
• Kaupapa Māori research
  Methods that respect and utilise Māori perspectives on knowledge and knowing focused on research with, by, and for Māori.
• Social Work and Counselling research
  Methods used in applied and theoretical research within social work and counselling professional practices that inform social and community research.

2021 Epsom (Semester 2): Compulsory on campus block sessions on Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd July from 9am to 4pm.
2021 Online (Semester 2): Online scheduled sessions on Tuesday 20th, Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd July from 9am to 4pm.
2022 Epsom (Semester 1): Compulsory on-campus block sessions on Saturday 12 March, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm; Wednesday 16, 23 March, 6, 13 April, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm.
2022 Online (Semester 1): Online scheduled sessions on Saturday 12 March, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm; and Wednesdays 16, 23 March, 6, 23 April, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm.
Online scheduled sessions are part of our hybrid courses (courses that are taught simultaneously in two modes: a face-to-face or blended stream and an online stream). Students in the online stream will join the class remotely using video-conference. Through our advanced virtual classroom facilities, students in both streams will participate in group work and class discussions together. Please note that you will be required to be available to join the class at scheduled times.

This course can be taken as a taught course in the following programmes:

• Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Theory
• Postgraduate Diploma in Education
• Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership
• Master of Counselling
• Master of Educational Leadership
• Certificate of Proficiency
• Master of Education
• Master of Professional Studies in Education