| CODE | SWB5008 | ||||||
| TITLE | Research Methods | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Faculty for Social Wellbeing | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will provide students with a detailed understanding of existing research methodologies in the social sciences. The ways in which these methodologies are applied to the study of children and childhood will be addressed. Real- life examples, case studies and research findings will be interwoven throughout the lectures. Students will cover the philosophical and epistemological underpinnings of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. They will be guided on how to design a research study by considering different research questions that are pertinent to the field of childhood studies and children. Students will be facilitated in selecting suitable methodologies that complement specific research questions, together with appropriate data collection and analytic strategies. Furthermore, this study-unit will attend to the unique features of research with and on children, by taking into account ethical issues; the researcher-participant relationship; researcher reflexivity; validity, reliability and trustworthiness in research. Lectures will cover the following areas: epistemology and ontology in quantitative and qualitative research; participant observation; Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis; thematic analysis; interviewing child participants;semi-structured, unstructured and focus group interviews with children; a brief introduction to participatory action research methods with children; arts-based and visual forms of data collection; researching gender and childhood; researching disability and childhood; researching young people; mixed methods and childhood research; research ethics. Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to provide students with access to a range of multidisciplinary lectures focussing on research methods as applied to childhood studies across diverse professional perspectives. Topics presented serve to explore current research trends and debates in this field. Students will be facilitated in conceptualising the practical application of the methodologies they are exposed to. They will also be guided in recognising the strengths and limitations of these methodologies. The study-unit aims to equip students with the knowledge and understanding to identify key issues surrounding the field of research in childhood and to stimulate ideas and areas of study for their thesis. The study-unit also aims to foster a critical, evaluative stance to research methods. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. identify and distinguish the key philosophical underpinnings and theoretical foundations of different research methodologies; 2. recognise the unique features of the methodologies they are exposed to, including the diverse ways in which data is collected; 3. identify issues of reliability, trustworthiness and validity in research; 4. address ethical issues related to the study of children and childhood studies, including interviewing minors, vulnerability and informed consent; 5. engage with the strengths and limitations of the research methodologies they are exposed to. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. evaluate and critically appraise diverse research methodologies in the field of childhood studies; 2. locate local and international childhood-related studies, including qualitative and quantitative ones, in order to critically evaluate these and their contribution to knowledge in the field; 3. apply the knowledge they acquire in the course of their studies to their final year thesis; 4. identify research questions related to the study of childhood, attending to gaps in the literature; 5. select a suitable methodology to answer the research question(s) identified; 6. critically analyse and present research findings in a scholarly manner. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts: - Creswell, J.W., & Creswell, J.D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods apporaches. (5th ed.). Sage. - Farrell, A., Kagan, S.L., & Tisdall, E.K.M. (Eds.). (2016). The SAGE handbook of early childhood research. Sage. - Matthews, B., & Ross, L. (2010). Research methods: A practical guide for the social sciences. Pearson Education Limited. - Mukherji, P, & Albon, D. (2018). Research methods in early childhood: An introductory guide. (3rd ed.). Sage. - Silverman, D. (2020). Qualitative research. (5th ed). Sage. Supplementary Reading: - Brown, A. (2019). Respectful research with and about young families: Forging frontiers and methodological considerations. Palgrave Macmillan. - Due, C., Riggs, D.W., Augoustinos, M. (2014). Research with children of migrant and refugee backgrounds: A review of child-centred methods. Child Indicators Research, 7(1), 209-227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-013-9214-6 - Fleer, M. & Ridgway, A. (2014). (Eds.). Visual methodologies and digital tools for researching with young children. Springer. - Greig, A., Taylor, J., & MacKay, T. (2013). Doing research with children: A practical guide. (3rd ed.). Sage. - Harris, C., Jackson, Mayblin., L., Piekut, A., & Valentine, G. (2015). 'Big Brother welcomes you': Exploring innovative methods for research with children and young people outside of the home and school enviroments. Qualitative Research, 15(5), 583-599. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794114548947. - Lomax, H., Fink, J., Singh, N., & High, C. (2011). The politics of performance: methodological challenges of researching children’s experiences of childhood through the lens of participatory video. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 14(3), 231-243. https://doi-org.ejournals.um.edu.mt/10.1080/13645579.2011.563622 - Millei, Z. & Rautio, P. (2016). ‘Overspills’ of research with children: an argument for slow research. Children's Geographies, 15(4), 466-477. https://doi-org.ejournals.um.edu.mt/10.1080/14733285.2016.1277182 - Phelan, S.K. & Kinsella, E.A. (2012). Picture This . . . Safety, Dignity, and Voice—Ethical Research With Children: Practical Considerations for the Reflexive Researcher. Qualitative Inquiry, 19(2), 81-90. https://doi-org.ejournals.um.edu.mt/10.1177%2F1077800412462987. - Shamrova, D.P., & Cummings, C.E. (2017). Participatory action research (PAR) with children and youth: An integrative review of methodology and PAR outcomes for participants, organizations, and communities. Children and Youth Services Review, 81, 400-412. https://doi-org.ejournals.um.edu.mt/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.022 - Spyrou, S. (2015). Researching children’s silences: Exploring the fullness of voice in childhood research. Childhood, 23(1), 7-21. https://doi-org.ejournals.um.edu.mt/10.1177%2F0907568215571618 - Tisdall, E.K., Davis, J.M., & Gallagher, M. (2009). Researching with children and young people: Research design, methods and analysis. Sage. - Zeitlyn, B. & Mand, K. (2012). Researching transnational childhoods. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 38(6), 987-1006. https://doi-org.ejournals.um.edu.mt/10.1080/1369183X.2012.677179. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Angela Abela Anne-Marie Callus Gottfried Catania Lorleen Farrugia Marta Sant Ventura Stephanie Savona Elaine Schembri Lia |
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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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