Graduate Certificate in University Teaching and Learning: ELT505: The Scholarship of teaching and learning:

research inquiry and journal article

Developed by Dr Sharon Thomas and Moira Cordiner

Synopsis of the task and its context

This is the second task in the unit and is weighted 70%. Students are required to design a research-based inquiry that can be carried out within one semester within a specific teaching and learning context. It can be done either individually or in collaboration with an ELT505 class member. The design has to be situated within relevant literature and demonstrate alignment of aims, context and methodology. Once students have collected and analysed the data from the inquiry, they determine its contribution to the literature, taking into account limitations, and make recommendations for future practice. The study is written up as an article suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed academic journal. The word length (approx. 3000-5000 words) and referencing protocols have to adhere to the target journal’s requirements. Note that the mostly heavily weighted criterion is the first one (design a research-based inquiry).

Match between learning outcomes/objectives and criteria for the task

Learning outcomes / new task-specific criteria
On completion of this unit, you should be able to: / To complete this task, you are to:
2. design and conduct a research-based inquiry into an aspect of a specific teaching and learning context / 1. design a research-based inquiry
  • alignment of aim/s, context and methodology
  • context (own context and literature context)
  • methodology (including limitations)

1. critically reflect upon the scholarship of teaching and learning literature and issues pertinent to your and others’ teaching and learning contexts / 2. critically evaluate research findings
  • limitations of findings
  • comparison with literature
  • contribution
implications (own context and discipline)
recommendationsfor future practice or research
3. communicate in academic teaching and learning contexts by presenting (orally) to peers and writing a scholarly research article / 3. communicate in the form of a journal article
  • adherence to target journal’s conventions (structure, referencing)
  • expression, English conventions(spelling, punctuation, grammar), acknowledge and reference sources
  • presentation of findings (e.g. tables, graphs, photos, figures, quotes from interviews)

1

Student name
Task name: Academic journal article (task 2) 70%
criteria / HD / DN / CR / PP
In your journal article, you: / In your journal article, you: / In your journal article, you: / In your journal article, you:
1. Design a research-based inquiry
  • alignment of aim/s, context and methodology
  • context (own context and literature context)
  • methodology (including limitations)
Weighting 50% / designed a manageable and well conceived inquiry by: / designed a manageable and consideredinquiry by: / designed a considered inquiry by: / designed an inquiry by:
  • clearlyaligning the explicitly stated aim/swith the context and methodology
/
  • describingsome of the links between the stated aims, the context and the methodology
/
  • implying a relationship between the aims, the context and the methodology
/
  • explaining the reasons for undertaking the research

  • thoroughlycontextualising it by:
/
  • thoroughly contextualising it by:
/
  • contextualising it by:
/
  • contextualising it by:

concisely describing your own teaching and learning context / concisely describing your own teaching and learning context / describing your own teaching and learning context / describing your own teaching and learning context
explicitly positioning it within a discerning and synthesised selection of relevant, current teaching and learning literature / positioning it within an analysed selection of relevant, current teaching and learning literature / positioning it within apartially analysed selection of relevant, teaching and learning literature / summarising a range of literature related to your research topic
clearly identifying and skilfullyappraising both its similarity with and difference to previous studies / clearly identifying and describing both its similarity with and difference to previous studies / describing how your inquiry relates to previous studies / drawing tenuous links between your own inquiry and previous studies
explicitly stating how it might contribute to existing knowledge
presenting a convincing and substantiated argument for the significance of the inquiry to:
teaching and learning (generally)
your discipline (specifically) / suggesting how it might contribute to existing knowledge
presenting a convincing and persuasive argument for the significance of the inquiry to teaching and learning / alluding to its significance
  • outlining a logical methodology (including data analysis) that:
was based on your literature review
was convincingly justified in terms of its suitability for achieving the aim/s
identified all possible limitations including your own biases /
  • outlining a logical methodology (including data analysis) that:
was related to your literature review
was justified in terms of its suitability for achieving the aim/s
identified major limitations /
  • describing your choice and use of a methodology (including data analysis) that:
was tenuously linked to the inquiry’s aim/s
identified some of the limitationsand challenges in conducting your inquiry /
  • describing your choice and use of a methodology (including data analysis) that:
implied a link with the inquiry’s aim/s
identified some of the limitations and challenges in conducting your inquiry
2. Critically evaluate research findings
  • limitations of findings
  • comparison with literature
  • contribution
implications (own context and discipline)
recommendationsfor future practice or research
Weighting 30% / critically and perceptively evaluated research findings by: / critically evaluated research findings by: / evaluated research findings by:
  • explicitly identifying anylimitations
/
  • identifying some of the limitations

  • insightfully comparing your findings to relevant literature with astute selections of evidence from your data
/
  • comparing your findings to relevant literature with convincing selections of evidence from your data
/
  • relating your findings to a sample of literature with selections of evidence from your data
/
  • selecting some examples from your data to support your discussion

  • clearly and convincingly establishing the original contribution your findings make to the literature, within the limitations of your small inquiry, by:
drawing validimplications for both your own context and discipline and supporting these with evidence
making plausible recommendations for future practice or research /
  • clearly establishing the contribution your findings make to literature, within the limitations of your small inquiry, by:
drawing implications for your own context and supporting these with evidence
making recommendations for future practice or research /
  • describing the contribution of your findings in terms of:
their influence on your future teaching and learning practice
their potential usefulness for others
3. Communicate in the form of a journal article
  • adherence to target journal’s conventions (structure, referencing)
  • expression, English conventions(spelling, punctuation, grammar), acknowledge and reference sources
  • presentation of findings(e.g. tables, graphs, photos, figures, quotes from interviews)
Weighting 20% / communicated in the form of a publishable journal article by consistently: / communicated in the form of a journal article by:
  • adhering to all the target journal’s conventions in terms of structure and referencing style
/
  • mostlyadhering to the target journal’s conventions in terms of structure and referencing style

  • expressing yourself in fluent academic writing that:
was coherent, concise and cohesive and adhered to all English conventions
acknowledged and accurately referenced all sources /
  • expressing yourself in academic writing that:
was coherent and partly cohesive and adhered to most English conventions
acknowledged and accurately referenced most sources
  • presenting findings that:
best suited the data
were correctly formatted, labelled and easily interpreted by the reader
were seamlessly integrated within the text /
  • presenting findings that:
suited the data
were correctly formatted, labelled and easily interpreted by the reader
were integrated within the text /
  • presenting findings that:
suited the data
were mostly correctly formatted, labelled and easily interpreted by the reader
were integrated within the text /
  • presenting findings that:
represented a small sample of the data
were mostly correctly formatted and labelled
were open to varying interpretations by the reader
were sporadically included in the text
Comment: Grade:

1