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Qualitative Methods in Science Education
Provider: Faculty of Science

Activity no.: 5641-22-08-31
Enrollment deadline: 15/08/2022
PlaceInstitut for Naturfagenes Didaktik
Rådmandsgade 64, 2200 København N
Date and time31.10.2022, at: 09:00 - 04.11.2022, at: 16:00
Regular seats24
ECTS credits3.00
Contact personNadja Nordmaj    E-mail address: nnordmaj@ind.ku.dk
Enrolment Handling/Course OrganiserLene Møller Madsen    E-mail address: lmmadsen@ind.ku.dk

Content
Science education research has previously been dominated by a quantitative regime applied by science researchers. However, the use of qualitative methods has gained momentum and belongs to a growing area within the field. The area is growing both because the field of science education is moving towards asking explorative questions as why and how (as for example why do young people struggle to see themselves in science), and because the cross-disciplinary field of science education draws on both natural science knowledge and theories and methodologies from social science and the humanities. Hence, doctoral students within science education research are working in a cross-disciplinary field with no clear traditions or guidelines concerning how to design qualitative studies.
This course addresses these challenges by offering an in-depth exploration of qualitative methods within the field of science education. It will provide tools, knowledge and guidelines to the doctoral students in general and in particular support the doctoral students in developing their methodological approaches.
The course focuses specifically on the use of qualitative methods in science education, why doctoral students within science education research will have first priority. However, it will also include issues related to educational research in general, why students from related research areas as educational research in general are encouraged to apply as well.

The course will take place at the Department of Science Education (University of Copenhagen, Denmark), and it will last one full week (3 ECTS). Prior to the course, the doctoral students have three tasks: firstly, to write a short piece on their doctoral research project and their (intended) use of qualitative methods; secondly, to undertake a timeline interview according to a set of guidelines provided by the course organisers, and, finally, to orient themselves within the course literature.
The course itself consists of practical individual activities and group-work, teacher presentations as well as workshops and classroom discussions. In the final part of the course, the doctoral students receive individual feedback on their ideas of using qualitative methods within their research projects based on a revision of the short piece they wrote prior to the course adding insights gained during the course.

Formel requirements
Formal requirements
You must have gained experiences with empirical work in your thesis

BEFORE 15.08.2022
For admission, write to Emilie Gertz (eg@ind.ku.dk). The mail should include:
- Name, affiliation, field of study
- Do you have previous experiences with qualitative methods? If yes, briefly describe this
- How far you are in your PhD?

Final acceptance will be given 01.09.2022

Learning outcome
The learning objectives of the course are:
• The doctoral students will be able to identify the pros and cons of applying different qualitative methods.
• They will be capable of selecting and reflecting on their choice of methods and its suitability to different research aims.
• They will acquire the competences to carry out qualitative research in practice and to reflect on the challenges they encounter.
• They will be able to pick out relevant ethical considerations and to meet qualitative research criteria.

Teaching and learning methods
Scientific content
The course works intensively with different qualitative methodologies and the reflections qualitative researchers go through when engaging in these methods. The methods are qualitative interviews, observations, ethnographic fieldwork and longitudinal studies. In addition, the course includes topics such as qualitative research criteria, ethics, and the challenges of studying subtle mechanism as gender, power relations and positionality.

Qualitative interviews
Qualitative interviews is the most common method within science education and educational research in general. In the course, the doctoral students will reflect on how different ways of interviewing produces different knowledge outcomes and are suitable to explore various research aims. They will work on combining research aim and theory with suitable interview methods. The doctoral students will during the course work with classic interviews as well as more alternative approaches and based on this plan, carry out and reflect on different interview methods.

Observations
Observation methods are a central part of doing qualitative research within science education. The doctoral students will be presented with observations in multicultural settings and discuss disciplinary aspects of observations. They will discuss how to collect data and how producing different data can explore various research aims. They will reflect on the various roles of the observer and the ethical dimension related to the methods.

Ethnographic fieldwork
Ethnographic methods is a growing field within science education. Here the researcher follows the participants often in different cultural contexts often in long periods. This requires the researcher to continuously consider and re-negotiate research focus, reflect on own positionality and hence explore different ways to produce valuable data. During the course, the doctoral students are introduced to the knowledge potentials embedded in this type of fieldwork. They will discuss what counts as data, how to construct a guideline for data production and how to report and present ethnographic data. Finally, they will discuss when ethnographical methods are suitable as a method.

Making data in Multicultural settings
An increasing number of studies investigates how different students from various backgrounds relate to science. Therefore, the course will deal with how to study multicultural settings with a particular focus on race, gender and social background.

Qualitative research criteria, ethics and positionality
When conducting qualitative research it is crucial to engage in ethical reflections throughout the entire research process from contacting the participants, conducting the research to analysing the data. Ethical guidelines vary within different cultural contexts however; qualitative researchers’ have formulated general criteria that applies for such research. As part of that, qualitative researchers must reflect on their own position in the data-collection as well as in the analysis. Finally, the course will provide the doctoral students with knowledge of and reflections about how to meet the criteria of validity, generalizability, and representativeness. In qualitative research, these criteria are understood differently than in quantitative research traditions, and the doctoral students will discuss how they ensure that their research meet the standards for good qualitative research.

Workload
Preparation/self study 40
Course hours 30
Evaluation/reporting 8

Remarks
Participation fee

Registration is free of charge; participants are required to cover any and all costs pertaining to travel, room and board during the course.

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