This unit involves a 6,000 word research study grounded in the field of teaching practice, and is designed for those looking to continue educational research. It provides an opportunity for the candidate to integrate their awareness gained through immersion within the practicum aspects of the course along with their theoretical underpinnings in their various coursework units taken to date. The study must address either an aspect of challenge in an area of curriculum, learning or specific student assessment, or the experience and professional demands of the teacher in the local context and be agreed upon with their supervisor. The approach taken must employ at least one appropriate theoretical lens and involve a rich analysis of the sorts of predicaments, responsibilities and challenges commonly acknowledged in the domain of teaching practice.
Topics could therefore be concerned with intervention, innovation and positive culture change and may involve some variant of action research pending institutional access and ethics permissions. In any event, research topics chosen and findings should potentially be of benefit to typical educational stakeholders and the actual participants alike. Other methods such as critical ethnography, phenomenological or narrative methodologies are also welcome, although those involving human participation will require ethics clearance from the college HREC.
This project will usually take place within the scope of the 14 weeks of the semester in which they are enrolled in RP993.506, utilising an appropriate methodology based upon an proposal that has been approved both by their supervising lecturer and the College HREC or their representative.