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Unit Summary
Unit type
PG Project/Other Research Unit
Credit points
12
AQF level
Level of learning
Advanced
Former School/College
Unit aim
Develops students’ research knowledge and skills so that they are able to read research reports and use research evidence to inform practice. Students learn to set up and conduct small-scale research projects involving both quantitative and qualitative methods. Examines the political, ethical and organisational contexts of research in social work.
Unit content
1. Introduction to social work research
2. Reading research and critically evaluating research quality
3. Research design and research proposals
4. Using research to inform practice
5. Sampling and data collection
6. Data collection continued
7. Qualitative data analysis
8. Quantitative data analysis
9. Program evaluation and action research
10. Narrative research
11. Ethics applications, project implementation, and dissemination
12. Conclusion
Learning outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Explain the political, ethical and organisational factors impacting on social work research. | |||||||
| 2 | Demonstrate skills in using research evidence to inform social work practice. | |||||||
| 3 | Critically evaluate the usefulness of different methodologies, including quantitative and qualitative methodologies, for addressing different research questions. | |||||||
| 4 | Set up and critically reflect on a research proposal on a relevant social work topic. | |||||||
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
-
Explain the political, ethical and organisational factors impacting on social work research.
- GA1:
- GA4:
-
Demonstrate skills in using research evidence to inform social work practice.
- GA4:
-
Critically evaluate the usefulness of different methodologies, including quantitative and qualitative methodologies, for addressing different research questions.
- GA1:
-
Set up and critically reflect on a research proposal on a relevant social work topic.
- GA1:
- GA4:
Prescribed texts
- Alston, M & Bowles, W, 2012, Research for Social Workers: An Introduction to Methods, 3rd edn, Allen & Unwin, Sydney. ISBN: 9781742378893.