HOPEACADEMY
RSE4801
Assignment 6 (Contingency Assignment)
Uploaded: Monday, 24 November 2025
submitted on: , Friday, 23 January 2026, 23:59
PM
2025
Assignment questions
A. Learning Unit 1: Becoming an Educational Researcher (15
marks)
In a long essay of 1500 – 2000 words, discuss the key skills and
qualities required to become an effective educational
researcher. In your discussion, also include how these might
inform and shape your research design and the overall
outcome of your research
0 7 6 4 0 3 1 2 2 9
,Research in Education (RSE4801) – 2025
Assignment 6 (Contingency Assignment)
To be uploaded or published on: Monday, 24 November 2025
To be submitted on: , Friday, 23 January 2026, 23:59 PM
Assignment questions
A. Learning Unit 1: Becoming an Educational Researcher (15 marks)
In a long essay of 1500 – 2000 words, discuss the key skills and qualities
required to become an effective educational researcher. In your discussion,
also include how these might inform and shape your research design and
the overall outcome of your research project.
Educational research plays a central role in understanding, transforming,
and improving teaching and learning environments. Becoming an effective
educational researcher requires more than simply following a set of
procedures; it requires developing a combination of intellectual skills,
methodological competence, personal qualities, and ethical sensitivity.
These characteristics influence how researchers conceptualise problems,
design studies, interpret findings, and contribute to the broader field of
education. This essay discusses the key skills and qualities required to
become an effective educational researcher and explains how these
characteristics directly shape research design and the overall outcomes of a
research project.
1. Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills
,One of the most essential skills for any educational researcher is the ability
to think critically and analytically. According to Cohen, Manion and
Morrison (2018), critical thinking enables researchers to interrogate
assumptions, evaluate existing literature, analyse arguments, and identify
gaps that justify the need for further inquiry. Educational research often
deals with complex human behaviour, socio-cultural influences, and layered
systems; therefore, the ability to break down information, draw
connections, and synthesise ideas is foundational.
Critical thinking skills shape research design in several ways. Firstly, they
help researchers to identify a meaningful and researchable problem.
Without analytic skills, a researcher may choose a topic that is too broad,
vague, or unmanageable. Secondly, critical thinking informs the choice of
methodology. A researcher must be able to assess whether a qualitative,
quantitative, or mixed-methods approach best fits the research problem.
For example, investigating the impact of a reading intervention on learner
performance requires quantitative measurement, whereas exploring learner
attitudes toward multilingual teaching strategies might require qualitative
interviews.
Finally, critical thinking enhances the interpretation of findings. Creswell
and Creswell (2018) argue that research outcomes are only as valuable as
the researcher’s ability to interpret them accurately and logically. An
effective researcher avoids simplistic conclusions and instead provides
nuanced explanations that acknowledge limitations, contextual factors, and
alternative interpretations. In this way, critical thinking directly strengthens
the validity of research outcomes.
2. Research Methodological Competence
Another key requirement for becoming an effective educational researcher
is methodological competence. This includes understanding research
paradigms, methodologies, methods of data collection, and techniques for
, analysis. As Flick (2018) notes, methodological literacy allows researchers to
design studies that are rigorous, systematic, and credible.
Understanding Research Paradigms
A strong educational researcher understands the philosophical assumptions
underlying research, such as positivism, interpretivism, constructivism, or
critical theory. The choice of paradigm influences the entire research
design: the kinds of questions asked, the type of data collected, and the
way results are interpreted. For example, a positivist researcher studying
learner performance may emphasise objective measurement and statistical
analysis, while an interpretivist researcher exploring learners’ cultural
identities will rely on subjective meaning-making through interviews or
observations.
Selecting Appropriate Methods
Methodological skills ensure that researchers select and apply appropriate
methods. Creswell (2014) argues that methodological decisions must align
with the research purpose. The inability to choose suitable methods can
weaken the credibility of findings. For example, using a small, non-
representative sample for a study that seeks to generalise results across a
province would be methodologically inappropriate. Conversely, using a
survey to study deeply personal teacher experiences would fail to capture
rich, contextual data.
Data Analysis Competence
Data analysis—whether statistical analysis, thematic coding, or discourse
analysis—requires technical skill and conceptual understanding. These skills
influence research outcomes by ensuring that the findings are trustworthy,
RSE4801
Assignment 6 (Contingency Assignment)
Uploaded: Monday, 24 November 2025
submitted on: , Friday, 23 January 2026, 23:59
PM
2025
Assignment questions
A. Learning Unit 1: Becoming an Educational Researcher (15
marks)
In a long essay of 1500 – 2000 words, discuss the key skills and
qualities required to become an effective educational
researcher. In your discussion, also include how these might
inform and shape your research design and the overall
outcome of your research
0 7 6 4 0 3 1 2 2 9
,Research in Education (RSE4801) – 2025
Assignment 6 (Contingency Assignment)
To be uploaded or published on: Monday, 24 November 2025
To be submitted on: , Friday, 23 January 2026, 23:59 PM
Assignment questions
A. Learning Unit 1: Becoming an Educational Researcher (15 marks)
In a long essay of 1500 – 2000 words, discuss the key skills and qualities
required to become an effective educational researcher. In your discussion,
also include how these might inform and shape your research design and
the overall outcome of your research project.
Educational research plays a central role in understanding, transforming,
and improving teaching and learning environments. Becoming an effective
educational researcher requires more than simply following a set of
procedures; it requires developing a combination of intellectual skills,
methodological competence, personal qualities, and ethical sensitivity.
These characteristics influence how researchers conceptualise problems,
design studies, interpret findings, and contribute to the broader field of
education. This essay discusses the key skills and qualities required to
become an effective educational researcher and explains how these
characteristics directly shape research design and the overall outcomes of a
research project.
1. Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills
,One of the most essential skills for any educational researcher is the ability
to think critically and analytically. According to Cohen, Manion and
Morrison (2018), critical thinking enables researchers to interrogate
assumptions, evaluate existing literature, analyse arguments, and identify
gaps that justify the need for further inquiry. Educational research often
deals with complex human behaviour, socio-cultural influences, and layered
systems; therefore, the ability to break down information, draw
connections, and synthesise ideas is foundational.
Critical thinking skills shape research design in several ways. Firstly, they
help researchers to identify a meaningful and researchable problem.
Without analytic skills, a researcher may choose a topic that is too broad,
vague, or unmanageable. Secondly, critical thinking informs the choice of
methodology. A researcher must be able to assess whether a qualitative,
quantitative, or mixed-methods approach best fits the research problem.
For example, investigating the impact of a reading intervention on learner
performance requires quantitative measurement, whereas exploring learner
attitudes toward multilingual teaching strategies might require qualitative
interviews.
Finally, critical thinking enhances the interpretation of findings. Creswell
and Creswell (2018) argue that research outcomes are only as valuable as
the researcher’s ability to interpret them accurately and logically. An
effective researcher avoids simplistic conclusions and instead provides
nuanced explanations that acknowledge limitations, contextual factors, and
alternative interpretations. In this way, critical thinking directly strengthens
the validity of research outcomes.
2. Research Methodological Competence
Another key requirement for becoming an effective educational researcher
is methodological competence. This includes understanding research
paradigms, methodologies, methods of data collection, and techniques for
, analysis. As Flick (2018) notes, methodological literacy allows researchers to
design studies that are rigorous, systematic, and credible.
Understanding Research Paradigms
A strong educational researcher understands the philosophical assumptions
underlying research, such as positivism, interpretivism, constructivism, or
critical theory. The choice of paradigm influences the entire research
design: the kinds of questions asked, the type of data collected, and the
way results are interpreted. For example, a positivist researcher studying
learner performance may emphasise objective measurement and statistical
analysis, while an interpretivist researcher exploring learners’ cultural
identities will rely on subjective meaning-making through interviews or
observations.
Selecting Appropriate Methods
Methodological skills ensure that researchers select and apply appropriate
methods. Creswell (2014) argues that methodological decisions must align
with the research purpose. The inability to choose suitable methods can
weaken the credibility of findings. For example, using a small, non-
representative sample for a study that seeks to generalise results across a
province would be methodologically inappropriate. Conversely, using a
survey to study deeply personal teacher experiences would fail to capture
rich, contextual data.
Data Analysis Competence
Data analysis—whether statistical analysis, thematic coding, or discourse
analysis—requires technical skill and conceptual understanding. These skills
influence research outcomes by ensuring that the findings are trustworthy,
