FLKM4410 Research Methodology Course description

The Research Methodology course will serve as both the foundation, and provide some of the tools, for the work on the master’s research project and thesis. Research methodology is related to the practical craft of collecting and analysing data, grounded in a coherent theory of knowledge research paradigm (as introduced in course FLKM4210). Research methodology and specific research methods are covered in teaching activities in connection to each other, and in connection to theories of knowledge.

No prerequisite knowledge required.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• has insight into the connections between r research methodology, particular methods, and theory of knowledge.
• has insight into central aspects of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in the social sciences, relevant for the program’s interdisciplinary field of international development, education, and sustainabilities.
• has knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and methods, including questions of alignment between research questions, methodology, methods, and analysis of materials to generate credible findings.
• has knowledge of ethical challenges and dilemmas in research within the field of international development, education, and sustainabilities; and associated with particular research methodologies and methods.

Skills

The student is capable of conducting independent research, including:

• writing a coherent research project proposal and design.
• formulating research questions consistent with the research methodology, and selecting and appropriate research methods, relevant to research project located within the program’s interdisciplinary fields.
• locating their project within theory of knowledge paradigms.
• preparing and carrying out qualitative and / or quantitative research methods suitable for particular research questions and projects.
• preparing and carrying out research interviews.
• analysing research material / data.
• identifying and critically analysing existing research literature and findings relevant to one’s topic.

General competence

The student:

• has the capacity to design and carry out a research project, including the collection and analysis of data, within a selected research methodology and methods.
• understands and can discuss ethical questions about their project’s design and implementation.
• can describe and apply quality criteria to assess the value of their research findings.
• understands the basic characteristics and limits of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Practical training is an important part of the programme and will contribute to integrating the learning outcomes in relation to knowledge, skills and general competence. The practical training is designed to support students’ achievement of the learning outcomes. The scope of practical training is 24 weeks, of which a minimum of 20 weeks is in authentic work situations.

Practical training, first year of the programme: In order to take part in practical training, students must have passed an exam corresponding to at least 20 credits from the autumn semester of the first year.

Practical training, third year of the programme: Students must have completed and passed the second year of the Bachelor Programme in Child Care and Welfare.

The students will have two longer periods of practical training in different fields of work that are relevant to child welfare officers, in addition to some shorter placements. Through the practical training, the students will experience establishing contact with children and families in different arenas, and of assessments/investigations, evaluation and decision-making processes in child welfare cases. The students will participate in cooperation meetings and become familiar with interdisciplinary work at the individual and system level.

Students will be supervised by professional practitioners during practical training. A plan containing learning outcomes will be drawn up for each student. Supervision is used, among other things, to develop understanding of the relationship between theory and practice in child care and welfare work. The students will develop their capacity for practical, ethical and critical reflection. They will be followed up by contact lecturers from the university during their period of practical training.

Practical training regulations

The periods of practical training must be completed and approved in accordance with the applicable regulations. Reference is made to the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Chapter 8 in particular. Supervised practical training. Number of attempts. A diploma will not be issued until the external practical training has been approved. Students who have not completed the whole programme can be issued a transcript of the exam records for the exams and parts of the programme they have completed.

The student and supervisor are assigned a contact lecturer at the university. The university college conducts visits to the practical training establishment as necessary. The university offers free supervisor training in the university’s geographical area.

Duties

Students are to carry out duties of a type that child welfare officers at the workplace normally do. The work duties should be varied. On the basis of the daily tasks, the students are encouraged to see the connection between the institution's tasks and general issues regarding its purpose, framework and work methods. The student's learning objectives must be formulated in a learning contract entered into between the student, supervisor and practical training establishment (see below).

The student must comply with the ordinary norms and rules that apply in working life. Reference is made to the applicable agreements and provisions set out in the Working Environment Act. If the practical training establishment has its own personnel regulations, the student must act in accordance with the sections regulating conduct on duty. The students must familiarise themselves with the duty of confidentiality and submit a written declaration of confidentiality on arrival at the practical training establishment. The student is expected to be familiar with the professional ethical principles and guidelines for child welfare officers and comply with them.

Working hours and attendance requirements at the practical training establishment

The student must comply with the practical training establishment's working hours. At workplaces where employees work in shifts, there should be a reasonable balance between daytime work and evening work. Night shifts are not to be included in the students’ working hours unless otherwise agreed.

The period of practical training is compulsory, and an 80% attendance requirement applies. Absence of up to 20% is only accepted in connection with illness, holding an office or approved leaves of absence. Any absence in excess of this must be made up for, and an agreement must be reached with the university and the practical training establishment about how this can be done.

Supervision

Every student must have a practical training supervisor at the practical training establishment. The supervisor should preferably have a social care education at university or university college level, and should preferably be a child welfare officer.

The student must receive at least one supervision session per week. Supervision can take place in groups, normally in combination with individual supervision at the beginning, midway and upon completion. The times and dates of supervision sessions should be decided as soon as possible after the student starts the period of practical training.

The supervision will be organised such that it enables the student to actively reflect on academic and ethical issues, and on what personal competence is in the context of practical social work. The supervisor follows the student's learning process and takes active responsibility for ensuring the required progress. Planning duties/learning objectives, their follow-up and assessment and any adjustments to duties/learning objectives fall under progress in the learning process.

The student is responsible for preparing content for the supervision sessions, with the help of the supervisor. The student will receive continuous feedback about how they are doing at the practical training establishment. The student will also receive more extensive feedback from their supervisor halfway through the practical training period and on conclusion of the placement. To what degree the student has met the learning objectives in the course description will be assessed, and whether they have met the learning objectives set out in the cooperation between the student, supervisor and practical training establishment.

The practical training supervisor's evaluation

On completion of the practical training period, the student submits a self-evaluation report. The report is a written evaluation of the student’s learning progress and completion of the practical training period, based on the learning objectives formulated in the learning contract. In the same document, the supervisor will confirm any absence and give a recommendation to approve/not approve the practical training period.

Assessment of practical training

Assessment is conducted in accordance with the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University Chapter 8. Approval/non-approval of the practical training period is an individual decision pursuant to the Public Administration Act. The formal assessment is related to completed and approved coursework requirements, including attendance requirements for practical training and completion of supervision sessions. The faculty decides whether to grant approval.

Doubt regarding approval/non-approval

The practical training supervisor, contact lecturer and/or department can raise doubt regarding whether to approve practical training, or advise not to. When there is doubt regarding approval, or if a recommendation has been made not to grant approval, the department must be notified immediately via the person responsible for the course.

If there is doubt regarding whether to approve the practical training, the student must be notified of this in writing as soon as possible and no later than three weeks before the end of the practical training period. Before the student is notified, the affected parties (student, programme representative and practical training establishment representative) must be called to attend a meeting. The initiative to hold such a meeting must be immediate and the university is responsible for inviting the parties and holding the meeting. Minutes are to be kept. The parties must be given the opportunity to comment on the minutes. Any comments must be in writing and sent to the university by care of the dean within a week of the minutes being circulated.

If the grounds for doubt concerning approval permit, a written plan for correcting the factors on which the doubt is based must be prepared. The plan must in such cases contain specific measures and specify the division of responsibility for implementing such measures. The parties must agree on a date for an evaluation meeting to assess the effect of the corrective measures. If doubt is raised concerning approval, the student must demonstrate satisfactory progress during the remainder of the practical training to pass.

If the university decides that the practical training period should not be approved, the student must be informed of this and of the grounds for the decision in writing as soon as possible. The case must then be submitted to the practical training committee as soon as possible. The practical training committee decides if the case is sufficiently documented, and acquires additional information as necessary. The practical training committee then makes the final decision. The decision must be explained in writing.

Appeals

Decisions to not approve the practical training cannot be appealed unless a formal error has been made. This means that it is not possible to appeal against the assessment on which the decision to deny approval is based. For appeals against formal errors, the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University apply. The Appeals Board at OsloMet is the appeals body.

New period of practical training

See the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, and the section on Rules for study progress.

Exclusion

A student who has acted in a grossly reprehensible manner during practical training may, if the Board of the university so decides, be excluded from the programme for up to three years, cf. the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges.

Case processing requirements

The decisions are, as mentioned, individual decisions and are subject to the case processing requirements that apply to such decisions at OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University.

The work and teaching methods used in the course are characterised by lectures and dialogue and discussions, to which the students bring their own different practical experience and academic backgrounds.

Students are assigned an academic supervisor for their research project (FLKM5000) by the start of this course, with up to 10 hours (out of 50 hours in total) of supervision available for work on the development of their research project description.

Through the programme, the candidate will develop broad expertise that builds on contributions from several relevant disciplines in the social sciences, humanities and natural sciences. The programme’s learning outcomes correspond with the learning outcomes specified in the Regulations on national guidelines for the education of child welfare officers, adopted by the Ministry of Education and Research on 15 March 2019. The Regulations describe the purpose of the programme, competence areas, learning outcomes and the structure of the programme’s practical training component (https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/5af90a9044c74d568d7de5c1d7f554eb/forskrift-om-nasjonal-retningslinje-for-barnevernspedagogutdanning.pdf).

The learning outcomes are grouped under the categories knowledge, skills and general competence, and are related to four overarching competence areas:

· Child care and welfare expertise

· Upbringing and family life

· Professional role, ethics and cooperation in the child’s best interests

· Innovation, critical thinking and evidence-based practice

Knowledge

The candidate

· has broad knowledge of the social mandate of the child welfare services, partners, the division of responsibility and tasks in the social welfare administration and multidisciplinary knowledge about fundamental child care and welfare topics, issues and processes

· has broad knowledge of applicable Norwegian and international law of relevance to child care and welfare and relevant legal methods

· has broad knowledge of children’s upbringing, childhood, socialisation, learning, formative education and development, and family and network cooperation, with particular understanding of children, young people and families in vulnerable life situations

· has broad knowledge of assessing and understanding what is in the child’s best interests, and children and families’ rights, including the rights of Sami children to practise their own language and culture

· has broad knowledge of neglect, abuse and violence including potential causes, characteristics and consequences

· has knowledge of different educational methods and measures in social therapy and other child care and welfare work

· has broad knowledge of communication, conflict management and interdisciplinary, inter-agency and interprofessional cooperation in a diverse society

· has knowledge of professional ethics, ethical values, dilemmas and issues in the area of child care and welfare and of inclusion, non-discrimination and equality

· has knowledge of relevant debates, research and development work and innovation processes

Skills

The candidate

· can apply relevant legislation, regulations, guidelines and knowledge from research, experience and from children, young people and parents as the basis for evidence-based practice in work with children, young people and families

· can apply relevant knowledge from children and young people as part of the basis of ensuring children and young people’s participation and co-determination

· masters preventive and health promoting work in arenas where children and young people spend time, and can apply multi-disciplinary knowledge to social therapy work

· can apply relevant measures that contribute to work inclusion of young people in disadvantaged situations, and reflect on power relations, professionalism and their own professional role when working with children and families

· can apply professional knowledge to communicate and cooperate expediently with children, young people and parents/guardians, and can talk to children about topics such as neglect, violence and abuse

· can apply professional knowledge of cultural diversity and demonstrate multicultural understanding and cultural sensitivity when providing services

· can use experience and knowledge to build relations, cooperate and communicate in a way that promotes inclusion, participation and co-determination

· can apply new academic knowledge in a methodological and scientific way for the purpose of professional development, quality improvement and service innovation

General competence

The candidate

· can use knowledge and experience to investigate, adapt, carry out, document, analyse, assess and evaluate child care and welfare work, and safeguard the child’s best interests and children and families’ rights in an ethical and responsible manner, both independently and when working with others

· has insight into their own preconceptions, attitudes and values and the importance of relational competence in child care and welfare work

· can use knowledge, skills and experience to demonstrate understanding, empathy and recognition when working with children, young people and families in vulnerable life situations

· has insight into and can handle ethical issues in the field of practice and their own service provision

· has insight into and can safeguard children, young people and families’ rights and help to ensure equitable services in a diverse society

The assessment consists of an individual course assignment: a 3,500 word (+/- 10%) written research project description that demonstrates a well reasoned methodological design and appropriate application of course contents.

Resit/rescheduled exam:

The resit/rescheduled exam is organised as a revision and resubmission of the course assignment, according to feedback provided in the initial assessment.

The structure of the programme promotes the integration of theory and practice, academic progress, a continuous profession-oriented approach and alignment with research. The students will practise critical and ethical reflection and practical skills, and will be challenged to work on their own attitudes and preconceptions.

The teaching methods, syllabus and forms of assessment correspond with the learning outcome descriptions. Academic progress is achieved by the student developing their expertise from general towards specialised child care and welfare expertise. To achieve this principle, the programme is structured so that each year has overarching core topics that will be covered.

Core focus areas in the first year are the professional practitioner and fundamental theory. Recurring topics are the relationship between self-understanding as a professional practitioner and understanding of the other, as well as ethics and theory of science. Work arenas for the child welfare officer form a core aspect of the second year. Recurring topics are knowledge management, user participation, critical reflection and practical skills in fields characterised by power and control. Practical training and critical reflection are in focus in the third year. The students will select specialisation areas and practise critical and analytical reflection on topics related to professional practice. The courses in the programme are centred around four subject areas that run as a thread throughout the programme.

· child care and welfare in the welfare state

· psychosocial perspectives

· law

· practical training

In the final semester, students will work on a bachelor’s thesis with the aim of integrating all four subject areas.

Different learning methods, educational methods and forms of assessment are used throughout the programme and are designed to support the learning outcomes of the various courses. The programme’s use of varied work methods and learning methods require active participation by the students both individually and in groups. Examples of learning methods are lectures, seminars, skills training, practical training, group work, written and oral assignments, and self-study.

The course assignment will be assessed by two internal examiners.

In accordance with the Guidelines for Appointment and Use of Examiners at OsloMet, the mode of assessment will periodically be reviewed by an external programme supervisor.