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PSY-40087 - Module Specification
School of Psychology
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2023/24 Last Updated: 13 February 2024

PSY-40087 - Action research: Co-creating research to make a difference
Coordinator: Katie Wright Bevans Room: 1.81 Tel: +44 1782 7 32947
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 7
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733736

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None.

Barred Combinations

None.

Description for 2023/24

You can make a difference as well as learn new skills with this module. This is an opportunity to work with students in other postgraduate psychology programmes as well as a community group, to identify an issue, work to understand it and promote positive social change. Action research is a democratic research tool that works with participants instead of studying them from afar. In this module we will teach you the principles of this social justice-oriented methodology and guide you through a real lived example of action research of your own design. You will be taught about ethics, professionalism and fairness as well as how to navigate working with communities, co-produce research findings and get their collective voice heard by sharing findings with those in positions of power and influence.

Aims
This module aims to introduce students to action research through the co-creation of a group research project relevant to the student community at Keele University. The module aims to provide hands-on experience of co-production in research from design through data collection, analysis, and dissemination.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/psy-40087/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

Co-produce research with communities of interest: 1
Communicate research findings to stakeholders in an engaging way: 1
Make decisions on research design, analysis and dissemination, and take actions resulting from these decisions: 1

Study hours

24 hours (12 x 2 hour) workshops
12 hours asynchronous material: engagement with videos, reflection and project planning tasks
38 hours co-production of research: design, data collection and analysis required outside of the workshops
28 hours engaging in the research literature
48 hours assessment preparation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Report weighted 100%
Advocacy policy brief and methods
Each individual student will write a 3000-word advocacy policy brief based on the group action research project conducted in the module, of which up to 1,000 words will be dedicated to an attached appendix consisting of a method section to describe the process of carrying out the action research project in more detail after outlining proposed policy options. The report should be aimed at stakeholder/s in positions of power or influence (e.g., Policy makers, Keele University's Vice Chancellor etc...). The student will need to specify who their target audience is and why. The brief should take an advocacy rather than an objective approach, arguing the case of the project participants experiences and voice. The total length of the assessment submission will not exceed 3,000 words.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 13 February 2024