| CODE | ACA5032 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Conducting Research in the Arts, Education and Communities | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Arts, Open Communities and Adult Education | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit engages students in quantitative, qualitative or triangulated research, guiding them through various methodologies and issues pertaining to arts and educational research in social contexts, focusing on theatre and visual art. The study-unit exposes students to Practice as Research (PaR) as a methodological paradigm that characterises much of today's practice-based and practice-led research in theatre and the visual arts within academic and professional contexts. PaR methodology includes the identification of a research question (or set of questions) as well as the selection of the appropriate means of investigation, documentation, and dissemination. Students also engage with arts-based research methods such as a/r/tography as forms of educational inquiry, generating new and counter-hegemonic theoretical and practical directions in the discourse of education. The notion of the artist-teacher will be examined in relation to the possibility of researching pedagogy through artistic practice. The discussion will cover the main stages of the research process - from the proposal stage to access to the field of research through relevant gatekeepers. The discussion will also delve into the design of quantitative and/or qualitative tools, methodological and ethical considerations and requirements, data gathering and fieldwork (including action research and use of online tools such as administration of a questionnaire or structured interview using a Google form and carrying out an interview using video chat), data analysis tools including an overview of analysing quantitative data using SPSS and analysing qualitative data using NVivo) and reporting. Throughout, the discussion will be sustained with reference to relevant case studies comprising quantitative and/or qualitative research in arts, education and in community settings. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit aims to: (a) equip students with skills and attitudes relevant to conducting research in the arts, education and communities; (b) highlight ethical issues and responsibilities relevant to becoming a researcher and working or collaborating with communities; (c) enable students to plan and implement an independent research project that combines the exploration of a question relevant to the visual arts or theatre and a community-oriented or educational issue; (d) foster a professional approach to arts-based research and artistic practices that are rooted in social interactions. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) explain the stages of the research process - from research design to reporting; (b) discuss methodological considerations (including ethical considerations) relevant to quantitative and/or qualitative research in arts, education and community; (c) review case studies comprising quantitative and/or qualitative research in arts, education and community; (d) evaluate research strategies that are appropriate for intended research purposes; (e) assess the role of co-production of knowledge in creative research and social practice arts. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: (a) develop an independent research project; (b) reflect on responsibilities when conducting arts-based research with others; (c) analyse research strategies, critical texts and case-studies; (d) write a proposal that outlines the research design of a research project relevant to arts, education and community; (e) use, in a basic manner, online tools and software for data gathering (Google form, video chat) and data analysis (basic use of SPSS and NVivo); (f) interpret, in a basic manner, given outputs of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: 1. Craig, G., Mayo, M., Popple, K., Shaw, M. & Taylor, M. (Eds.). (2011). The Community Development Reader: History, themes and issues. Bristol: The Policy Press. 2. Lomax, P. (2002). Action research. In Coleman, M. & Briggs, A.R.J. (Eds.). Research Methods in Educational Leadership and Management (pp. 122 - 140). London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd (SAGE). 3. QSR International. (1999/2014). NVIVO Support. N/A: QSR International Pty Ltd. Retrieved from http://www.qsrinternational.com/support (online link) 4. QSR International. (n.d.). NVIVO10 for Windows. N/A: QSR International Pty Ltd. Retrieved from http://download.qsrinternational.com/Document/NVivo10/NVivo10GettingStartedGuide.pdf (open access document, will be made available on VLE) 5. Schutt, R. K. (2012). Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press . 6. Nelson, R. (2013). Practice as Research in The Arts: Principles, Protocols, Pedagogies, Resistances (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan) 7. Trimingham, M. (2002). 'A Methodology for Practice as Research', Studies in Theatre and Performance, 22 (2002), 54-60. 8. Camilleri, F. (2013). 'Between Laboratory and Institution: Practice as Research in No Man's Land', The Drama Review, 57, 152-66. 9. Irwin, R. L. (2004). A/r/tography: rendering self through arts-based living inquiry, Pacific Educational. Supplementary Readings: 1. Al Yahmady H. H. & Saleh Said A. (2013). Using NVIVO for Data analysis in Qualitative Research. International Interdisciplinary Journal of Education 2(2). Retrieved from http://www.iijoe.org/v2/IIJOE_06_02_02_2013.pdf (open access document, will be made available on VLE) 2. Bazeley, P. & Jackson, K. (2013). Qualitative data analysis with NVIVO. London: SAGE. 3. Lomax, Richard G. and Debbie L. Hahs-Vaughn. (2012). An Introduction to Statistical Concepts. London: Routledge. 4. Reason, P. (2001). Learning and Change through Action Research. In Henry, J. (Ed.) Creative Management (pp. 182 – 194). London: Sage. 5. Stout, C.J. (Ed.) (2013). Teaching and Learning Emergent Research Methodologies in Art Education. Alexandria, VA: NAEA. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Kristina Borg Maria M. Brown Frank Camilleri Christian Mifsud Margerita Pule Raphael Vella (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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