Course coordinator
Professor Nan Bahr
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Education School
This course is designed as a capstone experience in the Master of Teaching (Primary) and Master of Teaching (Secondary) programs enabling students to plan, act and reflect as professionals through the design and execution of a research based project. The course includes an on-campus component and a research component associated with the professional experience placement undertaken during the semester. During the on-campus component, research principles and methods are introduced in the context of the need to act professionally, ethically and collegially to improve student learning and educational outcomes. Prior to and during the professional experience placement that follows, students will consult with university staff to design a research-based project directly related to their teaching at the school and the particular specialisation of their program. In the process of completing this course, students will develop and demonstrate the professional, ethical and values-based standards and competencies required of beginning teachers.
For Semester 1, 2025, the mid-semester break for this course will be relocated to university week 8.
Course requirements
Companion or co-requisite courses
You'll need to complete the following courses at the same time:
EDUC7535 or EDUC7615. This co-requisite does not apply to students in the Turn To Teaching Internship Program.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
EDUC4700, EDUC4703
Restrictions
Entry to the MTeach (Primary) and MTeach (Secondary) programs
Course contact
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Tutorials will be held from the first week of the semester.
Aims and outcomes
The course aims to develop students’ knowledge and understanding of research principles, methods and ethics, legislative policies and processes, sources of professional learning and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and apply this knowledge through the design and implementation of a research based project relevant to their professional learning needs. The course also aims to develop students’ understanding of and skills in analysis and synthesis of complex information. Application of knowledge and skills will be demonstrated through the design and implementation of a research based project. Students’ skills in written communication will be developed.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of research principles, methods and ethics, legislative policies and processes, sources of professional learning and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and apply this knowledge through the design and implementation of a research based project relevant to their professional learning needs. (APSTs 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2)
LO2.
Demonstrate critical analysis and synthesis of complex information and apply these skills through the design and implementation of a research based project.
LO3.
Demonstrate skills in spoken and/or written communication through analyses that are clear, logical, convincing, concise, free of textual errors and within required word limits.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Assessment Task 1 | 40% 2000 words (10% leeway) + Ref. List |
7/04/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Assessment Task 2 | 60% 3500 words (10% leeway) + Ref. List |
9/06/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Assessment Task 1
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40% 2000 words (10% leeway) + Ref. List
- Due date
7/04/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03
Task description
You are to apply your knowledge and skills by developing a proposal for a small-scale research-based project relevant to your professional learning needs. Prior to your professional experience placement you should consult closely with your tutor to design an appropriate project to ensure that it addresses an issue of current relevance within schools. This project will be implemented during your professional experience placement. It should be closely linked to your everyday work as a teacher with a broad connection to improving students’ educational outcomes.
To choose a topic, you should draw on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and identify a particular professional learning need to improve your practice. You might relate this professional learning need to one of your teaching areas (secondary), a learning area (for primary), or a topic that you are really interested in. As you may not know your professional experience placement until just prior to commencement, remember to ensure that your research-based project, as one source of professional learning, could be conducted in any school type.
Your proposal should include:
- Introduction. Outline the background to your problem. Include a clear statement of the issue to be investigated, and let the reader know why this issue is important and how it connects with a particular professional learning need you have identified from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to improve your practice.
- Review of relevant literature on research findings in the area of your proposed project. Demonstrate your analysis of the research others have done: what were the findings, when and where was the research conducted, who were the research participants, what were the research methods and data collection tools? Analyse and synthesise the literature in a way that provides an integrated argument in relation to the topic. Conclude by establishing the need for the research you plan to conduct by explaining how your project extends from or fills small gaps in the current literature.
- The research question/s to be addressed. State them clearly as questions. You will have a main research question and possibly some sub-questions (no more than three) that will help you answer your main research question.
- The research method and analysis. Identify your proposed research design (case study, action research, experimental research, ethnography, other?). What can you tell the reader about the context of your study? Who/what do you propose will be the object(s) of or the participants in your study? How will you select your research participants, if applicable? What instruments will you use to collect your data? You must include your data collection tool/s in an appendix. What steps will you take to collect your data? What steps will you take to analyse your data? That is, how will you collate your data and make sense of your findings? Justify your research method choices with academic references and demonstrate understanding of principles of ethical conduct of research as well as relevant legislative policies and processes. Ask yourself: With the information provided, could your study be replicated?
- Conclude by articulating how the research will help to fill a professional learning need and improve your practice as a begin
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment Task 2
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 60% 3500 words (10% leeway) + Ref. List
- Due date
9/06/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03
Task description
You are to apply your knowledge and skills by implementing and reporting on the conduct of your small-scale research-based project relevant to your professional learning needs based on the proposal submitted in Assessment Task 1. While it would normally be the case that your research reflects your proposal, changed circumstances may necessitate an alteration to the proposed project. Remember that your project should be closely linked to your everyday work as a teacher and with a broad connection to improving students' educational outcomes. Your research, as one source of professional learning, should provide you with valuable information for responding to a particular professional learning need you have identified from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to improve your practice as a beginning teacher.
You are encouraged to draw on aspects of your research proposal in writing up your research report.
Your report should include:
- Introduction. Outline the background to your problem. Include a clear statement of the issue investigated, and let the reader know why this issue is important and how it connects with a particular professional learning need you have identified from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to improve your practice.
- Review of relevant literature on research findings in the area of your proposed project. Demonstrate your analysis of the research others have done: what were the findings, when and where was the research conducted, who were the research participants, what were the research methods and data collection tools? Analyse and synthesise the literature in a way that provides an integrated argument in relation to the topic. Conclude by establishing the need for the research you conducted by explaining how your project extends from or fills small gaps in the current literature.
- The research question/s addressed. State them clearly as questions. You will have a main research question and possibly some sub-questions (no more than three) that will help you answer your main research question.
- The research method. Identify your research design (case study, action research, experimental research, ethnography, other?). What can you tell the reader about the context of your study? Who/what were the object(s) of or the participants in your study? How did you select your research participants, if applicable? What instruments did you use to collect your data? What steps did you take to collect your data? You must include your data collection tool/s in an appendix. What steps did you take to analyse your data? That is, how did you collate your data and make sense of your findings? Justify your research method choices with academic references and demonstrate understanding of principles of ethical conduct of research as well as relevant legislative policies and processes. Ask yourself: With the information provided, could your study be replicated?
- Analysis of data and discussion of findings and implications. Make sense of the data you have collected. Discuss common themes or patterns in your qualitative data, or share basic calculations in relation to aspects of your quantitative data that help you to answer your research question. Include data excerpts/examples in your report. Ensure that within your analysis section that you compare and contrast your findings
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy all of the basic requirements: submissions that lack appropriate references, relevance, coherence, organisation and length. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Fails to satisfy most of the basic requirements. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Fails to satisfy some of the basic requirements: submissions that lack appropriate references and relevance, or appropriate coherence, organisation and length. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfies all of the basic requirements: some use of fundamental concepts, some use of references, basically keeping to the topic; some elaboration of ideas and arguments, some degree of coherence and organisation and appropriate length; demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable with respect to explaining the significance and implications of the topic. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts of the topics, going beyond mere replication of ideas from source materials to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, analysis of implications and drawing of conclusions. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates awareness and understanding and subtler aspects of the topics, such as identifying and debating critical issues or problems, applying ideas to practical situations in schools, and offering insightful commentary, implications and conclusions. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all the learning objectives for the course; work is interesting or surprising or exciting or challenging or erudite. |
Additional course grading information
Determining final grades: The final grades are determined by consideration of the weighting of individual assessment items, through the use of weighting formula and the profile of individual grades across accumulated assessment tasks.
Both assignments in the course will be provided a grade out of 7. The final grade will be calculated using the weighting and the individual assignment grades as follows.
Example: A student receives the following two grades
Assignment 1 (A1): grade of 5 at 40% weighting
Assignment 2 (A2): grade of 6 at 60% weighting
The final grade for this student taking into account the weighting of each assignment would be:
(A1) + (A2)
(0.4 x 5) + (0.6 x 6) = 2 + 3.6 = 5.6
The final grade would be rounded up to the nearest whole number; in this case the grade would be 6.
In the case where the final grade is 0.5 or above, the grade will be rounded up to the nearest whole number (e.g. 5.5 would become 6). In the case where the final grade is 0.49 or below, the grade will be rounded down to the nearest whole number (e.g. 6.49 would become 6).
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
The following applies to all assessments in this course:
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the 'Assessment' folder in Blackboard for this course.
Release of assessment item marks and feedback
In addition to the grade awarded, feedback will be provided in a timely manner to enable students to apply the feedback to further tasks within the course or program and/or plan for supplementary assessment, requests for re-mark, or re-enrolment. However, as per UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Policy, results for the final assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released. Time frames for applications for assessment re-mark are indicated under the Assessment Procedure.
Re-mark policy
After each assessable item, students will be given the opportunity to view their assessment and so satisfy themselves that a marking or administrative error has not occurred. The formal process of querying a course result (requesting a remark on academic grounds) is set out in the UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Procedure.
Use of AI/MT to support or inform assessment
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI and/or MT technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI and MT tools.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Teachers as researchers APST - 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2 Introduction and justification discussion for the part classroom research plays for effective learning design. Learning outcomes: L01 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Formulating questions and reviewing the literature APST - 6.1, 6.2 Crafting research questions to frame a research project. Learning outcomes: L02 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Research methods and techniques APST - 6.2, 7.1, 7.2 Considerations for qualitative versus quantitative approaches to research design, data gathering and analysis. Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Research design and ethics APST - 6.2, 7.1, 7.2 Discussion of the key considerations for ethical research. Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Analysing your data APST - 6.2, 7.1 Approaches to presentation, coding and analysis of data. Learning outcomes: L02, L03 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Writing up: The research proposal APST - 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2 Guidance for the planning and structure of a research proposal. Sub-activity: Learning outcomes: L02, L03 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Writing up: The research report APST - 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2 Guidance for the presentation of a formal research report. Learning outcomes: L02, L03 |
Mid-sem break (21 Apr - 27 Apr) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester break No teaching and learning activity. Learning outcomes: L03 |
Multiple weeks From Week 9 To Week 13 |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Break for practical experience Students will engage in final practicum placement block. Learning outcomes: L03 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.