MA-455 Research Method (Autumn 2024)

After successful completion of the course the student is able to

• have in-depth knowledge of scientific theory and method with relevance for the teacher researcher.
• have in-depth knowledge of research ethics and use of sources and academic reading and writing.
• have solid insight into various research strategies and research designs in mathematics education with an emphasis on classroom studies (in the form of case studies and action research/intervention research)
• have in-depth knowledge of various research methods in mathematics education: interview, observation and documents.
• have knowledge of collecting and processing data: data reduction, transcribing and coding.
• have knowledge of different perspectives on the analysis of data in mathematics education.
• have insight into quality criteria for research.
• have insight into the importance of research questions in mathematics education research.

The subject is about research methods in mathematics didactics. Key topics covered include: research design, research ethics, source finding/use, and academic reading and writing. Research articles in mathematics didactics are used as a starting point for discussing key aspects regarding research findings, methodology and analysis of the data material. Quality criteria for research and various research designs, methods and perspectives on data analysis will be emphasized in the teaching.

Through work on the course, the students are to acquire a good academic foundation so that they can carry out a professionally oriented and practice-oriented research project in mathematics education (the master's thesis) under supervision.