Psychological Research and Evaluation A

Overview

This unit prepares students to apply and critically evaluate psychological theory, research evidence, and scientific knowledge to design research relevant to Educational and Developmental Psychology. Students will develop competence in formulating research questions, designing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies, and applying ethical, culturally responsive, culturally safe, and professional principles throughout the research process. The unit emphasises research communication, professional reflexivity, and the translation of research into evidence-based practice, policy, and service delivery. Experiential learning activities support the development of practical research and evaluation skills.

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

1. Apply and critically evaluate psychological theory, research evidence, and scientific knowledge to identify research problems relevant to Educational and Developmental Psychology.
2. Formulate research questions and design ethically sound quantitative, qualitative, and/or mixed-methods research studies using appropriate methodological approaches.
3. Apply ethical, culturally responsive, culturally safe, and professional principles when designing psychological research involving diverse individuals, groups, and communities.
4. Communicate research rationales, designs, and proposed methodologies safely, ethically, and effectively through professional oral, written, and/or digital formats for academic and professional audiences.
5. Evaluate the influence of researcher assumptions, values, positionality, and methodological decisions on the research process through professional reflexivity and critical reflection.
6. Evaluate and communicate the implications of psychological research for evidence-based practice, policy, and service delivery within Educational and Developmental Psychology.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn Online

Assessment

Content

• Understanding and Critically Evaluating Research Evidence
• Quantitative Research
• Qualitative Research
• Mixed Methods Research
• Measurement
• Reliability and Validity
• Ethics, Risk and Cultural Safety
• Stakeholder Engagement and Co-Design
• Positionality, Reflexivity and Research Teams
• Implementation Science
• Research Proposal Development
• Ethics Applications and Research Readiness
• Graduate Attribute 1 – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
• Graduate Attribute 2 – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
• Graduate Attribute 3 – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
• Graduate Attribute 4 – Teamwork Skills: Teamwork roles and processes
• Graduate Attribute 5 – Digital Literacies: Information Literacy
• Graduate Attribute – Future Ready Skills: Professional Judgement