EVALUATING EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH - 2026/7

Module Overview

This module enables participants to interrogate and evaluate higher and professional education research that they have encountered in previous modules and beyond. Through this approach, participants will weigh the research in recommending policy and/or practice to their context. This module aims to encourage critical and reflective thinking with respect to educational research within and across disciplines. In particular, participants are encouraged to assess the validity of findings for a particular policy and/or practice through the lens of various epistemological, theoretical and methodological perspectives. This module is a good complement to the ¿Researching in Higher and Professional Education¿ and ¿Research Dissertation¿ modules. Participants will work collaboratively, sharing their evaluation of research and reflecting on viewing research through different lenses.

Module provider

Surrey Institute of Education

Module Leader

HOSEIN Anesa (SIoE)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

Not applicable

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Indicative content includes: 
• Reading/Interpreting quantitative and qualitative research papers
• Using technology appropriately to select, retrieve and analyse papers e.g. GenAI, information databases
• Interpreting educational research literature, including:
  • Epistemological perspectives: e.g. normative, interpretive and critical theory paradigms
  • Methodological approaches: e.g. ethnography, experiments, longitudinal surveys, mixed methods, phenomenology
  • Theoretical approaches: e.g. constructivism, behaviourism, socio-culturalism, cognitivism
  • Contextual: e.g. disciplinary, university type, geographical location, finances 
• Research evidence weighing
• Ethical Considerations and Limitations of Research
• Reflexivity and Positionality
• Open Research Practices
• Writing policy/practice documents

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to:

The assessment strategy is designed to provide participants with the opportunity to demonstrate that they are able to meet the learning outcomes by evaluating research studies within Higher and Professional Education and reflecting on the process, the merits and challenges of evaluating research and how these can be applied to practice and/or policy. 

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

1. An Evidence-Informed Practice/Policy Proposal, which would be of three parts: 
   1. The policy and/or practice proposal normally consisting of (LO3, LO5):
      1. Context setting
      2. Key evidence
      3. Actionable Recommendations
      4. Limitations 
2. Annotation of the proposal justifying the decisions for including key papers in terms of their evidentiary weighting based on, for example, their methodological, theoretical, epistemological or contextual value. This may be included as an evidentiary table (LO1, LO2, LO3).
3. A reflexivity and positionality statement on how papers were selected and recommendations made  e.g. through discussions, GenAI, expert recommendations (LO4)

Formative assessment:

Formative assessment and feedback

Participants will have two opportunities for formative assessment and feedback:

1. Identify a policy or practice proposal for their context, including the selection of two papers and their analysis 
2. A 3-minute elevator pitch on their policy and/or practice proposal to receive critical peer feedback

Module aims

• Encourage critical thinking, inquiry and reflection around participants' beliefs in accepting and applying educational research for practice and/or policy
• Encourage critical thinking, inquiry and reflection on educational research.
• Encourage an evidence-based culture amongst participants.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
 

provide students with a safe environment to work collaboratively and critique both experts¿ and novices¿ work. The strategy aligns with the programme aims as it allows students to respect disciplinary research approaches but also question how these differing approaches shape and transform higher and professional education policy and practice. The learning and teaching strategy is also designed to encourage interaction and communication with all group members. The mode of study is online, and therefore, the seminars and discussion board activities are crucial to the development of a group identity. In addition, the learning and teaching strategy reflects the SIoE values through encouraging respect for each other¿s experiences and values, valuing dialogue and open-mindedness. Furthermore, through the learning and teaching strategy, participants are encouraged to be honest, reflective and critical.

Guided study 
Guided study is the major approach to learning within this online module, and it focuses on reading key literature in the field, engaging with the captured content, and undertaking iterative activities that build the skills for producing the assessment.  Guided study is accompanied by discussion boards where participants write their reflections on their studies. Guided study aims to encourage independent work and develop planning and monitoring skills. It allows participants to explore issues and reflect on their own educational and disciplinary context, as well as their own research knowledge

Captured content 
Participants will have access to pre-recorded short videos and different supporting resources such as pdf slides, short articles and resources on self-reflection.  The captured content aims to develop understanding of key concepts, approaches and theories. Participants will be expected to engage with the captured content in order to participate in the interactive activities both online and in the synchronous sessions. Engagement with the captured content and other online resources supports the development of participants¿ digital capabilities and ability to work autonomously. 

Seminar sessions 
The seminar sessions will build on the captured content and guided study. The seminar sessions are aimed at building a learning community, and helping to disentangle complex ideas or supporting participants in key readings or ideas that they have come across. 

Tutorial sessions

Tutorial sessions are intended for participants to have guidance on the development of their assessments or ideas throughout the module. These may be group or one-to-one.

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: GCAM007

Other information

The MA in Higher and Professional Education is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow participants to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Digital capabilities: Participants are expected to engage with the learning management system (Surrey Learn) throughout the module, and engage in seminars. Participants are also expected to contribute to the discussion forums. Participants would be taught how to use technology appropriately for selecting and analysing papers including the use of GenAI. They will be expected to use a variety of different online software in the seminars e.g. PollEveryWhere as well as how to prepare a digital elevator pitch.

Employability: The module provides the opportunity to build a real-life skill of writing research-informed policy/practice proposals that are needed in higher education and/ or professional contexts.

Global and cultural capabilities: Participants may be engaging and collaborating with participants from different educational and linguistic backgrounds. This plus a focus on argumentation in written work will raise awareness of different approaches to writing and rhetoric which may differ depending on cultural, educational and linguistic backgrounds.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: The module will create a safe space in which participants will give and receive feedback which may be uncomfortable initially but will build resilience and resourcefulness in their own practice going forwards. They will also learn how to manage large quantities of academic reading and how to read a research paper in a focused and purposeful manner.

Programmes this module appears in

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 2026/7 academic year.