Overall objectives:

1 - Know the paradigms of research in education.
2 - Understand the epistemological and ethical issues facing the education research.
3 - Know modalities and instruments of research in education, and in particular the research-action
4 - Develop an action research project centered on a problematization of teaching practice.

Syllabus:

1 - Foundations of Research-Action on Education
2 - Main paradigms of research in education and respective methodologies.
3 - Qualitative Methodologies.
4 - Research-action, narrative research and its relations with the ethnography of education.
5 - The construction of the problem: theory and issues in action research.
6 - Compilation and analysis of qualitative data (categories, criteria and interpretation of results).
7 - Issues of validity, reliability and generalizability.
8 - Ethical issues of research - action in education.
9 - Development of an Action Research Project

Literature/Sources:

A. Sousa , 2005 , Investigação em educação , Livros Horizonte
Fino, C. N , 2011 , Investigação e inovação (em educação). In Fino, C. N. & Sousa, J. M. Pesquisar para mudar (a educação) , ). Funchal: Universidade da Madeira - CIE-UMa.
Bogdan, R. e Biklen , 1994 , A Investigação Qualitativa em Educação , Porto Editora.
Esteves, L. , 208 , Visão Panorâmica da Investigação­Ação. , Porto Editora.
Spodek, B. (org). , 2002 , Manual de investigação em educação de infância. , Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.

Assesssment methods and criteria:

Classification Type: Quantitativa (0-20)

Evaluation Methodology:
Master's students are expected to develop gradual processes of autonomy in the study of the theoretical and methodological aspects of action research in education. The classes are organized with exhibitions, lectures and seminars to discuss the theoretical and methodological contents. The tutorials occurs in small group or individually throughout the different phases of project design research­action. The assessment focuses 50% on the wording of an individual research project and 50% for the presentation of the same project.