QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS - 2020/1

Module code: PSYM064

Module Overview

The module examines the philosophical and practical basis of a range of qualitative approaches to psychological research and, through the provision of supervised qualitative research, develops/refines student’s skills in the field. The purpose of this is to allow students to understand the research literature that they are reading in other modules and to conduct qualitative analyses for their own research dissertation.

Module provider

Psychology

Module Leader

WILLIAMS Emma (Psychology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Overall student workload

Independent Learning Hours: 90

Lecture Hours: 33

Practical/Performance Hours: 27

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:


  • Week 1 Introduction to qualitative research and the group project

  • Week 2 Generating qualitative data: Individual interviews/Group report

  • Weee 3 Generating qualitative data: Focus groups/Group report

  • Week 4 Thematic Analysis: a foundational  method of qualitative analysis/Group report

  • Week 5 Phenomenology and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)/Group report

  • Week 6 Grounded theory/Group report

  • Week 7 Dicourse Analysis/Group report

  • Week 8 Narrative Analysis/Group report

  • Week 9 Presentations of group report I

  • Wee 10 Presntation of group report II

  • Week 11 The “So what?” question, credibility and ethics in qualitative research. 


Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Coursework RESEARCH REPORT 2,500 WORDS 100

Alternative Assessment

N/A  

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the skill to analyse and report qualitative data using one qualitative research method.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Research Report (addresses learning outcomes: 1 - 7) Submission: Week 12

Formative assessment

Students present an initial qualitative analysis in groups and receive feedback from the module convener on this.

Feedback

Written feedback on the assignment is provided by the course convenor.

Module aims

  • Provide students with philosophical knowledge underlaying qualitative psychological research
  • Provide students with knowledge of a range of qualitative approaches to data collection and data analysis
  • To give the opportunity to students to apply qualitative research methods knowledge to a topic

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
1 Develop qualitative research question/s KC
2 Identify appropriate methods of data collection and data analysis to help answer the research question/s KC
3 Conduct a qualitative interview and other sources of data collection CPT
4 Analyse qualitative data KC
5 Write a qualitative research report KCPT
6 Evaluate critically qualitative research KCPT
7 Reflect critically on personal interpretative framework KCPT

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:


  • Develop skills in qualitative research through small group discussion, facilitated by the lecturer.



The learning and teaching methods include:


  • Lectures and supervised group work. Each three hour is comprised of one hour lecture and two hours group work.


Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: PSYM064

Programmes this module appears in

Programme Semester Classification Qualifying conditions
Health Psychology MSc 1 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Environmental Psychology MSc 1 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Research Methods in Psychology MSc 1 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Social Psychology MSc 1 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.