This course is designed to introduce students to the essential basics of conducting original research in

education. Students are expected to engage in data collection and conduct small-scale data analysis which will lead to the production of a full-length research paper at the end of term.

More specifically, the course will involve choosing and narrowing down a topic for investigation, finding and reviewing credible sources in existing literature, developing original research questions and/ or hypotheses and a suitable research design (qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods) that takes into account factors such as reliability and validity. The rest of the course will focus on hands-on practice in developing/adapting data collection tools, collecting and analyzing the data (using specialized statistical software and procedures) and synthesizing the results and formulating sound conclusions. Emphasis in the class will also be placed on the know-how of writing a good research paper. With this aim, students will be instructed on and given opportunities to practice their summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, citing and referencing skills. They will be introduced to the “APA style manual” to ensure their conformity to widely accepted academic standards when writing up their research.