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Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title Research in Guidance (Policy & Practice)
Module Code HD534 (ITS) / EDU1139 (Banner)
Faculty DCU Institute of Education School Human Development
Module Co-ordinatorAisling Murray Fleming
Module Teachers-
NFQ level 9 Credit Rating 20
Pre-requisite Not Available
Co-requisite Not Available
Compatibles Not Available
Incompatibles Not Available
None
Description

Students are invited to identity one aspect of policy or practice and to carry out a minor intervention in a professional setting in order to produce an original contribution to knowledge. This piece of research should aim to show how theory and practice inform one another in an explicit way – resulting a theoretical fusion (praxis). This module provides the opportunity for students to engage in depth with an issue of professional and intellectual interest with respect to the field of guidance counselling. Students, as a result of engaging in research under supervision, will have an opportunity to demonstrate how research contributes to the development of knowledge.o. This intervention should take the form a research proposal which contains a testable hypothesis and should aim to enhance the counselling experience of participants within the environment chosen as the project research site. The assessment of this project will be continuously based – with a maximum of 20% being awarded for a class-based presentation of the research proposal. The remaining 80% of the project will be assessed by way of traditional minor dissertation as per the module handbook. It is expected that the final completed version of this project should be no longer than 15,000 words in total [excluding appendices and bibliography]. It is of central importance that students demonstrate an explicit awareness of research ethics from the outset of their research proposal by placing the safety of any potential participants as the foremost concern in the development and delivery of their project.

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop a research proposal which relates to an issue in the area of guidance policy or practice.
2. Account for ethical considerations and implications in carrying out the research
3. Produce a robust literature review which relates to the chosen topic
4. Select an appropriate methodology for the research project, where appropriate collect data and carry out an analysis of collated data
5. Establish conclusions and generate recommendations for policy or practice



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Lecture36No Description
Directed learning14No Description
Independent Study450No Description
Total Workload: 500

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment100% Examination Weight0%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
AssignmentStudents will submit a dissertation proposal following completion of Research Methods Seminars in Semester 120%n/a
ThesisStudents will complete a 15000 word dissertation80%n/a
Indicative Reading List

  • Jerry J. Wellington: 2020, Educational Research, Second Edition, Bloomsbury, 9781474236966
  • Braun & Clarke: 2022, Thematic analysis : a practical guide, SAGE,
Other Resources

64157, Website, Dublin City University, 0, DCU library, https://www.dcu.ie/library, 64158, Website, DCU Library, 0, Citing & Referencing Guides, DCU, https://www.dcu.ie/library/citing-referencing, 64159, Website, DCU Library, 0, LETS: Library E-Tutorial for Students, https://www.dcu.ie/library/lets-library-e-tutorial-students,

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