MSc Engineering and Education
Module Guide 2023-24 for
EDPS0249 Engineering and Education
Report
Module Leader: Marco Dean
Email: marco.dean@ucl.ac.uk
Assistant Lecturers: Elly Selby & Yixuan Fan
Emails: elizabeth.selby.21@ucl.ac.uk
yixuan.fan.18@ucl.ac.uk
Programme Administrator: Crystal Pereira
Email: crystal.pereira@ucl.ac.uk
UCL Institute of Education
20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL
Web: www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe
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Contents
1. Overview and Aim of the Module ..................................................................................... 3
2. What is a Report? ............................................................................................................. 3
3. Learning Outcomes .......................................................................................................... 5
4. Teaching and Learning Methods ...................................................................................... 6
5. Module Structure .............................................................................................................. 6
6. Supervision and Support .................................................................................................. 9
7. Report Timeline............................................................................................................... 11
8. Key Deliverables ............................................................................................................. 12
8.1 Topic Selection ............................................................................................................... 13
8.2 Research Proposal ......................................................................................................... 13
8.3 Ethics Application ........................................................................................................... 14
8.4 Draft of Report ................................................................................................................ 15
8.5 Final Report .................................................................................................................... 15
9. Plagiarism and Use of Artificial Intelligence in Assessments ........................................ 17
10. Key Readings ................................................................................................................. 18
Appendix A - IOE Approved Grading Criteria PGT Level 7 ................................................ 21
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1 Overview and Aim of the Module
All master’s-level students are required to submit a dissertation or a report at the end of their
final year. Typically, dissertations and reports are long and in-depth pieces of work that offer
a critical exploration of a subject matter relevant to a specific educational programme. To
successfully complete these assignments students are required to conduct extensive and
largely independent research involving the collection of primary and/or secondary data. They
should demonstrate abilities in research topic design, execution and presentation and a
capacity for in-depth critical thinking in their chosen area of study.
For the MSc Engineering and Education students, in particular, dissertations and
reports represent an opportunity to develop their research skills and investigate a topic of
interested in the field of engineering education. These pieces of academic writing are the
culmination of the MSc Engineering and Education Programme, the students' chance to
synthesise and use the knowledge gained during the year and demonstrate their expertise in
this field with the view to launching the next stage of their career.
Although dissertations and reports involve largely student-driven activities, a full
package of support is offered to the MSc Engineering and Education students, including
lectures and tutorials. In this regard, the EDPS0224 (Dissertation) and EDPS0249 (Report)
modules aim to guide the students through all the steps needed to successfully complete a
large-scale individual research project at master's level and help them develop all the
necessary skills and capabilities required to prepare this substantial piece of work.
EDPS0224 and EDPS0249 are coupled together in a single 'module' that run across Terms
1, 2 and 3 with the view to assisting students during the different stages of the dissertation
(EDPS0224) or report (EDPS0249) process. Furthermore, individual tailored support to each
student is also provided through an allocated dissertation or report supervisor.
This present guide provides an outline of the EDPS0249 (Report) module in terms of
intended learning outcomes, content and structure, nature of assessments and indicative
reading. It also offers guidance regarding the expected report timeline and details the
support available to students. Further information can be found on the course's Moodle
page.

2 What is a Report?
Dissertations and reports are an opportunity for a critical exploration of a field of study in
engineering education on a topic of direct interest to the student, which must be approved by
the student’s supervisor.
The number of credits assigned to the module, the word length of the assignment
and the scope of the study are the major differences between dissertations and reports. As
illustrated in Table 1, the Report module is worth 30 credits of the 180 credit MSc degree.
The main output of this module is a written report with a word limit of 10,000 words, plus or
minus 10% (1,000 words), excluding references and appendices. Compared with a
dissertation, a report represents a more focused and narrowly-defined study of a topic
relevant to engineering education. It is anticipated that this investigation can be based either
on

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a) Secondary information obtained from the analysis of the existing literature on a
particular topic; or
b) Secondary information derived from the literature review supplemented with a limited
amount of primary data collection.
The choice between type A and type B reports will be dictated by the specific
students’ inclinations and needs and the research topic under investigation, and will be taken
by the students after discussion with their supervisors.
Table 1 - Main differences between dissertations and reports.
Dissertation Report
A study of a specified topic based on the
gathering and analysis of primary and secondary
data.
An investigation of a narrowly defined topic
based on:
a) A review of the literature; or
b) A review of the literature
supplemented with a limited amount
of primary data collection.
60 credits – 20,000 words 30 credits – 10,000 words
Starting Point: Identification of a research gap,
and/or an area of conflict or controversy
Starting point:
a) A clear rationale for conducting the
research; or
b) Identification of a research gap, and/or
an area of conflict or controversy.
Aim: to generate new knowledge on a topic
(relevant to engineering education).
Aim:
a) To examine and present the state of
the art of the literature on a topic
(relevant to engineering education); or
b) To generate some new knowledge on
a topic (relevant to engineering
education).
Data: secondary data as well as a sufficient
amount of primary data (an Ethics Application is
required).
Data needed:
a) Secondary data only (an Ethics
Application is not required); or
b) Secondary data and a small amount of
primary data (an Ethics Application is
required).
Students need to be aware that type A and type B reports have different features and
expectations. In particular, type A reports (i.e., reports based on secondary information) are
expected to offer:
 An identification of a research topic of particular interest (which must be relevant to
engineering education) based on the student's reflections on the wide range of
themes covered in the other taught modules, and discussions with their supervisor
and other members of the MSc Engineering and Education team.
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 A thorough examination of what is already known about a problem or issue through a
comprehensive literature review, which must make use of materials and references
provided as part of the MSc Engineering and Education Programme.
 A critical discussion of the literature review findings where strengths and weaknesses
of previous studies are exposed, different authors' views are compared and perhaps
combined with the view to developing new theoretical frames and generating new
ways for understanding a particular problem, and research gaps and under-
researched areas are highlighted so as to pave the way for further primary research
studies.

By comparison, key features and expectations of type B reports (i.e., reports based
on secondary information and a small amount of primary data) include:
 An identification of a research topic of particular interest (which must be relevant to
engineering education) based on the student's reflections on the wide range of
themes covered in the other taught modules, and discussions with the supervisor and
other members of the MSc Engineering and Education team.
 An examination of what is already known about a problem or issue through a rather
synthetic and focused literature review, which must make use of materials and
references provided as part of the MSc Engineering and Education Programme.
 The recognition of a very specific and a narrowly-defined research gap that warrants
further investigation through primary research studies.
 The collection of (a limited amount of) primary data about that problem or issue
through fieldwork and data collection methods such as interviews and surveys with
the view to generating new knowledge about the chosen topic.
 Appropriate consideration of research ethics and data protection issues arising from
research and primary data collection activities.
 The analysis and discussion of the research findings as well as the exploration of
some new (or partially new) ideas about a problem or issue that can potentially have
some important implications for policy, practice and/or future research.
3 Learning Outcomes
Reports are student-driven exercises that should draw from and allow students to reflect on
the range of subject-matters covered in the taught modules. The purpose of undertaking a
report is to enable the student to apply the knowledge and skills acquired from their broader
programme to an investigation of a narrowly defined topic, thereby demonstrating a
capability to apply theory to the analysis of a topic and demonstrating the capacity to design
and execute an appropriate programme of research. More specifically, with the report
students should convey the ability to:
1. Identify a topic for original research.
2. Establish and address clearly focused and fundamental research questions.
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3. Critically analyse relevant theory and literature.
4. Supplement the literature review by gathering and analysing relevant primary
research data and information, thus making an original contribution to the field (only
for type B reports).
5. Conduct research safely and in a reflective manner, with suitable consideration of
ethical issues and data protection requirements (only for type B reports).
6. Write clearly and concisely in a manner that logically presents research findings and
evidence, and draws clear research conclusions and insight.
4 Teaching and Learning Methods
The overall package of support provided for dissertations and reports include a series of
lectures and drop-in classes, and some tutorials with the supervisors.
EDPS0224 and EDPS0249 run together across the three terms of the academic year
to guide students progressively through the different stages of the dissertation and report
process. EDPS0224 and EDPS0249 comprise 13 lectures, which examine the key elements
of a research project (i.e., research topic and aim, literature review, research methodology
and ethics, data collection and analysis methods, presentation of research findings), and 5
drop-in classes, which students can attend to further discuss the lecture materials and clarify
their doubts. Most of the lectures are compulsory and will be delivered in the classroom,
whilst drop-in classes are optional and may take place online or face-to-face. All lecture
notes and teaching materials will be uploaded to the course's Moodle page.
In addition to these compulsory and optional sessions throughout Terms 1, 2 and 3,
students will be also allocated a supervisor by Marco Dean, the Module Leader, in
consultation with other members of the MSc Engineering and Education team. Ideally, this
allocation will be based on the preliminary research topic chosen by the students and the
research interests of the supervisors. Supervisors can offer up to four hours of supervision
for reports, usually over the second and third term of the year. This may combine group and
individual tutorials, which can take place in person or online, and email support. A Microsoft
Teams group will be set up to facilitate communication between the students, the
supervisors and the Module Leader.
Individual reading and independent research are an essential and substantial
component of the Report module. The total workload to complete the report (including
lectures, drop-in classes and tutorials, student-driven reading and research; data collection
and analysis, and report writing and editing) is about 300 hours (1 Credit = 10 notional
learning hours).
5 Module Structure
As illustrated in Table 2, EDPS0224 and EDPS0249 start towards the end of the first term
with an introductory session that explains the features and the general expectations for the
modules. The lectures and drop-in classes in Term 2 are expressly designed to assist
students in writing their research proposals and preparing their ethics applications (only for
students who are planning to collect primary data), whereas the lectures in Term 3 are
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aimed at helping students with the application of the chosen data collection and analysis
methods. Whilst the plan is to have 13 lectures and 5 drop-in classes, the number and order
of sessions might vary depending on students' needs and specific circumstances.

Table 2 – Structure of the EDPS0224 and EDPS0249 modules.
TERMS WEEKS & VENUES SESSIONS & TOPICS NOTES
Term 1
Week 10
14/12/23
9:00-11:00am
IOE 20 Bedford Way,
Room 731
Session 1.1 - Introduction to the Course
Module
Term 2
Week 1

11/1/24
11:00-12:00
ONLINE
Session 2.1 – Summary of Session 1.1 &
Drop-in Class for Questions on the
Module
Week 2
18/1/24
11:00-13:00
Room C Ground Floor
Wolfson Centre
Session 2.2 - Choosing your Research
Topic and Defining your Research Aim
(Part 1)
Week 3
25/1/24
11:00-13:00
Room C Ground Floor
Wolfson Centre
Session 2.3 – Choosing your Research
Topic and Defining your Research Aim
(Part 2) &
Drop-in Class about Research Topics and
Aims
Week 4

1/2/24
11:00-13:00
Room C Ground Floor
Wolfson Centre
Session 2.4 – Developing your Research
Proposal
Students must
select a research
topic by Monday
29th January
Week 5

8/2/24
11:00-12:00
ONLINE (TBC)
Session 2.5 – Drop-in Class about Initial
Research Proposals
Optional session for
students who want
to discuss their
research proposals
READING WEEK
(12/2/24 to 18/2/24)
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Week 6

22/2/24
11:00-13:00
Room C Ground Floor
Wolfson Centre
Session 2.6 – Introduction to Research
Methodologies and Research Ethics
Week 7
29/2/24
11:00-13:00
Room C Ground Floor
Wolfson Centre
Session 2.7 – Introduction to Literature
Reviews
Students must
send their research
proposals to their
supervisors by
Monday 26th
February
Week 8
Week 9

14/3/24
11:00-13:00
Room C Ground Floor
Wolfson Centre
Session 2.8 - Ethics Applications
Only for students
who are planning to
collect primary data
Week 10

21/3/24
11:00-13:00
Room C Ground Floor
Wolfson Centre
Session 2.9 – Example of MSc
Dissertation &
Drop-in Class about Ethics Applications
Students who are
planning to collect
primary data must
submit their ethics
forms for review by
Friday 22nd March
Term 3
Week 1
22/4/24
11:00-13:00
TBC
Session 3.1 – Research Methods:
Literature Review and Documentary
Analysis
Optional session,
useful especially for
those students who
are conducting
research based on
secondary data
Week 2
Week 3
6/5/24
11:00-13:00
TBC
Session 3.2 – Research Methods:
Interviews and Focus Group Discussions
Optional session,
useful especially for
those students who
are planning to
conduct interviews
Week 4
Week 5
20/5/24
11:00-13:00
TBC
Session 3.3 – Research Methods: Surveys
Optional session,
useful especially for
those students who
are planning to
conduct surveys
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READING WEEK
(27/5/24 to 2/6/24)
Week 6
3/6/24
11:00-13:00
TBC
Session 3.4– Academic Writing Skills
Lecture delivered by
the Academic
Writing Centre
Week 7
Week 8
3/6/24
11:00-13:00
TBC
Session 3.5 – Structuring Your
Dissertations and Reports
Week 9
Week 10
17/6/24
11:00-13:00
TBC
Session 3.6 – Final Q&A and Wrap-Up
Session
6 Supervision and Support
Students are allocated a supervisor who, especially during Terms 2 and 3, has the main
responsibility for co-ordinating formal support, monitoring progress and project supervision.
In particular, the role of the tutor is to:
 Agree an appropriate topic with the student.
 Assist the student in developing a feasible and robust research proposal, and then
read and provide feedback on it.
 Help students with all the other remaining stages of the report process, including the
development of a robust literature review and theoretical frame, the design of a
suitable research methodology that includes appropriate data collection and analysis
methods, and the selection of a logical structure for the report to present the research
findings.
 Offer advice and guidance to ensure compliance by the student with the IOE’s ethical
clearance procedures, data protection requirements, and the UCL Code of Conduct
for Research, and check and sign off the student’s research ethics application before
the student conducts any primary data collection (only for type B reports); and
 Comment on a draft submission of the first part of the report (only if it is submitted by
the deadline – see Section 8).
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Students and supervisors have some discretion and freedom of action in how to
organise the supervision plans. As already highlighted, report supervision can take form of
group and individual tutorials, which can take place in person or online, and email support.
However, the guiding principle is that all students should receive a maximum of four hours of
supervision to ensure fairness across the whole student cohort.
Students should bear in mind that supervisors may be unavailable for some periods
of the summer due to research or annual leave. In particular, supervisors are not expected to
meet students after the end of July, but they should respond to brief, direct queries via email
(unless on annual leave). Supervisors will advise students of their availability early in the
supervision process so that appropriate plans can be made around this.
Students must also note that the supervisors are not expected to:
 Provide students with a suitable research topic.
 Direct the research.
 Proofread students’ work.
 Ensure that a report is of sufficient quality to meet the requirement for a pass mark.
All the above points are explicit responsibilities of the students. In addition, students
are also expected to:
 Attend all the compulsory sessions of the Report module as well as all the scheduled
meetings with their supervisors, at a minimum.
 Prepare a detailed work plan and schedule to work efficiently and make sure to meet
all the key deadlines as listed below and further discussed in Sections 7 and 8:
o Selection of a research topic and a possible working title for the report
by Monday 29th January.
o Preparation of a research proposal by Monday 26th February.
o Preparation of an ethics approval form by Friday 22nd March (only for
the students who are expected to collect primary data – i.e., type B
reports)
o Submission of the initial draft of report by Friday 5th July (optional –
only for students who want to receive feedback on drafts of chapters;
supervisors will not provide feedback on drafts submitted after this
date).
o Submission of the final report by 13:00 on Friday 6th September 2024
 Keep the supervisor informed of their progress and any difficulties they may
experience during the research process.
 Prepare sufficiently ahead of each meeting with the supervisor to make full use of the
time available to them.
 Inform their supervisor, the Module Leader and Abel Nyamapfene, the Programme
Leader, of any serious issues that may be affecting their ability to complete the report
and of any intentions to leave London and/or return to their home country before the
submission of the final report.
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7 Report Timeline
The following timetable and Gantt chart (Figure 1) are intended to help students develop a
detailed work plan for their reports.
 Wednesday 14th December: first session of the EDPS0249 (Report) module.
 Late December/early January: students will start thinking and doing some reading
about a possible research topic.
 Monday 29th January: students will select a research topic and register the
working title of their reports with the Module Leader and Programme Leader.
 Early-February: the Module Leader and the MSc Engineering and Education team
will allocate a supervisor to each student.
 Mid-February: students will meet their supervisors for the first time and will start
refining and developing initial ideas into a viable research proposal.
 Monday 26th February: students will send their research proposals to their
supervisors.
 Early-March: supervisors will provide students with feedback comments on research
proposals.
 Mid-March: students will start finalising their research questions and methodological
approach.
 Friday 22nd March: those students who are expected to collect primary data
(i.e., type B reports) will submit their ethics forms for review.
 Mid-April: students who are expected to collect primary data will receive ethical
clearance and will start planning fieldwork and primary data collection.
 Friday 5th July: students will send a draft of their reports to their supervisors.
 Late July: supervisors will provide comments on the drafts chapters and will meet
students for last time.
 13:00 on Friday 6th September 2024: students will submit their final reports.
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Figure 1 - Gantt chart for the report.
8 Key Deliverables
The grading for EDPS0249 is based entirely on the final report, which must be
submitted electronically via Moodle by 13:00 on Friday 6th September 2024.
Every report will be marked independently by two members of the MSc Engineering
and Education team. Both markers will provide detailed feedback comments and a
provisional grade, and a final grade will then be agreed between the two markers. Some
reports may also be subject to External Examiners' scrutiny. The grade related criteria are
provided in Appendix 1 and are available on Moodle.
However, as highlighted in the previous section and reported in the Table 3, there are
other deadlines and deliverables (subject to formative assessment by staff) that need
students' attention. All these deliverables are discussed in the following sections:
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Table 3: Key Deliverables.
Deliverables Deadlines
Formative/Summative
Assessments
Consequences for not
meeting the Deadlines
Topic Selection
Monday 29th
January 2024
Formative Assessment –
students will receive
feedback on the
appropriateness of the topic
Suboptimal allocation of
report supervisors; students
unable to commence their
reports
Research
Proposal
Monday 26th
February 2024
Formative Assessment –
students will receive
feedback on the feasibility of
the research
Major delays in the report
process
Ethics Application
(only for type B
reports)
Friday 22nd
March 2024
Formative Assessment -
students will receive ethical
clearance
Major delays in the report
process which ultimately
might even lead to the
impossibility of collecting
primary data
Draft of Report
Friday 5th
July 2024
Formative Assessment -
students will receive detailed
comments on the draft of the
first part of their reports
Students unlikely to receive
feedback comments on
drafts of chapters
Final Report
13:00 on Friday 6th
September 2024
Summative Assessment -
grading for EDPS0249 is
based entirely on the final
report
The usual UCL penalties for
late submission will apply
8.1 Topic Selection
Students must select a research topic and register the working title of their reports with
the Module Leader and Programme Leader by completing a specific spreadsheet form.
The deadline for completing this first step, extremely important for allocating students to their
tutors, is Monday 29th January. At this stage, students will receive feedback on the
appropriateness of the chosen research topic and may be asked to further refine or, if not
relevant to engineering and education, even change the topic.
8.2 Research Proposal
A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of a proposed research. The goal of
a research proposal is to demonstrate some prior knowledge of the chosen topic and show
that the proposed research is suitable for the requirements of the degree program and
manageable with the time and data available. More specifically, research proposals are
expected to include:
• A clear explanation of the research topic and some broad statements that describe
the overall purpose of the study.
• Evidence of some prior reading of research in the area with the view to:
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o Stressing the importance of the topic and making the case for conducting a
particular study in that field (especially for type A reports); and/or.
o Illustrating what previous researchers had found on this topic and some of
the gaps in their knowledge that the proposed study might be able to
address (especially for type B reports).
• Possible research approach and methods to collect, analyze, and interpret data and
achieve the research aim, although these do not need to be definitive at this stage.
A well-written and logically-structured research proposal constitutes a great resource
for students to being a discussion with their supervisors with the view to refining ideas and
developing a feasible research project and work plan.
A template for writing the research proposal will be made available on Moodle.
Students must email a copy of their research proposal to their allocated report
supervisors by Monday 26th February.
8.3 Ethics Application (Only for Type B Reports)
Research ethics are the moral principles that govern how researchers should carry out their
work. It is important to adhere to ethical principles in order to protect the dignity, rights and
welfare of research participants. In line with UCL IOE policy and best practice in research, all
dissertations and reports involving human beings, where students are planning to collect
primary data through, for instance, interviews and surveys, have to undergo an ethics
review. As part of this review students have to complete an ethics application form (available
on Moodle), which has then to be approved by their supervisors and another member of the
MSc Engineering and Education team.
Students must complete and email the application form for ethical clearance to
their supervisors by Friday 22nd March. At this stage students are expected to have
developed a draft methodology for their research, which is indeed an essential condition for
supplying the information requested in the ethics form. Interviewees and research
participants must also be given participants information sheets and/or consent forms, which
need also to be prepared by students and emailed to their supervisors as part of the ethics
review process. Examples of information and consent sheets will be placed on the course’s
Moodle page.
During the ethics review process, students may be requested to amend and resubmit
the form before receiving ethical clearance. Once approval is granted students can proceed
with their research and start the primary data collection process.
Students must also alert their supervisors to any changes in methodology that might
have ethical implications at any later stage in the study. These will need to be discussed and
approved.
Please also visit the UCL IOE website for further information on Ethics review
procedures for IOE students https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/research/research-ethics/ethics-
applications-ioe-students
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8.4 Draft of Report
Students are encouraged to send a draft of the first part of their reports for feedback to their
supervisors. Students who would like to take the opportunity to receive formative
feedback must email their drafts to their tutors by Friday 5th July.
Students can submit all the chapters and additional parts (e.g., proposed table of
contents, drafts of the questionnaires) that they have written by the deadline.
Please note that supervisors have the right not to provide comments on a draft
submitted after the deadline.
8.5 Final Reports
The main output of this module is a written report of 10,000 words, plus or minus 10%
(1,000 words). The word limit encompasses all text contained within the work, including
titles, headings, captions, tables, and footnotes. In this regard, please note that tables or
boxes containing text should be inserted in the document in a text-based format, not as a
picture or as a ‘text box’. The final bibliography, the title and cover page, the table of
contents and any lists of figures and tables, acknowledgements pages and appendices are
not included in the word count. The word count, calculated through MS Word and using the
criteria above, must clearly be stated on the cover page of the report.
The report must be submitted electronically via Moodle by 13:00 on Friday 6th
September 2024. Reports should be submitted anonymously. Students should not include
their names on any part of their reports. They should only include their student numbers on
the cover page.
As explained above, all reports will be marked independently by two members of the
MSc Engineering and Education team. The final mark is always a reconciliation between the
two suggested marks, subject to discussion between the markers. Appendix 1 includes the
grading criteria. The usual UCL penalties for late submission will apply. Marks may also be
deducted for reports that exceed the word limit.
As already highlighted in Section 2, type A and type B reports have different features
and expectations. Typically, type A reports (i.e., reports based on secondary information)
should contain:
 A cover page (available on Moodle) with all sections completed in-full (including the
total word count) as the first page of the report.
 A contents page and, if required, also a list of figures and tables.
 An abstract of not more than 200 words (included in the word count).
 A comprehensive introductory chapter providing some background information on the
topic of the research, setting out the questions or issues to be explored and
signposting the reader through each chapter of the report.
 A chapter or a long section illustrating the approach to the literature review that has
been adopted by the student (e.g., key words used and data sources searched,
selection criteria for articles, thematic analysis, etc.).
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 A thorough analysis and a critical discussion of the existing literature on the particular
research topic.
 Conclusions and relevant recommendations.
 A reference list.
 Appendices that may be used to include supplementary materials include material
which examiners are not required to read in order to examine the thesis, but to which
they may refer if they wish.
By contrast, Type B reports (i.e., reports based on secondary information and a small
amount of primary data) are generally expected to include:
 A cover page (available on Moodle) with all sections completed in-full (including the
total word count) as the first page of the report.
 A contents page and, if required, also a list of figures and tables.
 An abstract of not more than 250 words (included in the word count).
 An introductory chapter introducing the topic of the research, setting out the
questions or issues to be explored and signposting the reader through each chapter
of the report.
 A chapter including a thorough literature review of the work already done in that
particular field.
 A chapter containing an explanation of research design and methods.
 A presentation, analysis and discussion of the empirical research conducted by the
student.
 Conclusions and relevant recommendations.
 A reference list.
 Appendices, which may be used to contain useful supplementary materials such as
copies of questionnaire surveys or schedule of interview questions, and templates
(unfilled) of the consent forms and information participant sheets prepared by the
student as part of the ethics application. If interviews have been conducted and
transcribed, there is no need to include full interview transcriptions in the appendices
(indeed this may pose risks around anonymity of interviewees).
The report should be clearly divided into chapters, with appropriate use of headings
and sub-headings to break up text into meaningful sections and sub-sections. The pages
should be numbered in one continuous sequence from the title page to the last page.
The main text should be in size 12 font with minimum 1½ line spacing and presented
on single sides of A4, with sufficient margin so that the work is still easy to read.
Attention should be given to the format and presentation of maps, diagrams, tables,
illustrations, which must be fully titled and numbered, and cross-referenced to the relevant
part of the text.
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Referencing and citation should be done in the text and the reference list should
include all cited works. Referencing guidelines will be provided and discussed in class.
Students may find it helpful to look at master’s reports (and dissertations) held in the
UCL IOE Library to get an idea of acceptable style and format. A few examples of completed
reports from the MSc will be made available on the course’s Moodle page.
It will be necessary for students to indicate whether or not they wish their report to be
made available to other scholars and students for reference and for copying in connection
with their studies by including the following statement on the cover page of their work:
"This report [MAY / MAY NOT] be made available to the general public for borrowing,
photocopying or consultation without the prior consent of the author."
9 Plagiarism and Use of Artificial Intelligence in Assessments
All work submitted for assessment must be the students' original work.
Plagiarism is the quotation of someone else’s words without attribution. Plagiarism is
taken very seriously at the IOE. Under UCL regulations plagiarism is not allowed, as it
undermines academic integrity and the ethics of scholarship. Students found to have
committed an offence may be excluded from all further examinations of UCL or the
University of London or of both. To avoid plagiarism, it is essential to pay proper attention to
referencing and the use of citations. In particular:
 All direct quotations from another author's work must be placed in quotation marks
and cited correctly by providing the author’s name, date, and page number.
 All data, ideas, or lines of argument taken from other authors must be acknowledged
and referenced correctly (even when the exact words are not used).
 Self-plagiarism (i.e., a type of plagiarism in which the writer republishes a work in its
entirety or reuses portions of a previously written text) also must be avoided.
Therefore students cannot include material that they have already written and
submitted for another assignment without referencing it correctly. This includes work
completed in other institutions and other degrees.
Students who are in doubt about possible plagiarism should consult their supervisors.
The short course entitled Introduction to Academic Integrity, available on Moodle, is
designed to help students develop good academic practice and includes information on how
to avoid plagiarism.
Further information and guidance about avoiding plagiarism can be found in the
Programme Handbook (available on the Programme Handbook Moodle site) and on the UCL
website: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe-writing-centre/reference-effectively-avoid-
plagiarism/plagiarism-guidelines
In addition to reviewing these guidelines, students are also strongly recommended to
run their assignments through a test Turnitin drop box before they officially submit them. To
do this, please, visit the Plagiarism and Academic Writing course on Moodle and log in with
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your UCL username and password (if not logged in already). Then click the 'Enrol me' button
and select 'Check Your Work with Turnitin' tab.
Finally, students are strongly advised that Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as
ChatGPT can only be used in an assistive role to enhance the students’ learning process
(e.g., data mapping, translating and proofreading content, testing ideas and feedback). UCL
explicitly warns students against the use of AI tools to generate an assignment (or part of an
assignment) for a course. This is regarded as academic misconduct and treated as such.

10 Key Readings
Because the topics for reports are diverse, it is not possible to give a comprehensive reading
list for all possible topics. Students are expected to identify all other reading relevant to their
chosen topic for themselves. Included here are some recommended reading resources that
offer a general introduction to research projects, research methods, approaches and skills.
The reading list below can also be found on the course’s Moodle page. Additional books and
papers may be provided throughout the module. Students are, however, strongly
encouraged to read widely – beyond this reading list - to better familiarise themselves with
the basic principles of research design.

Research Proposal
Agee, J. (2009). Developing Qualitative Research Questions: A Reflective Process.
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 22(4), 431-448.
Denscombe, M. (2012). Research Proposals: A Practical Guide. The Open University Press.
Talinbe Abdulai, R. and Owusu-Ansah, A. (2014). Essential Ingredients of a Good Research
Proposal for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students in the Social Sciences. SAGE
Open, July-September 2014, 1–15.
Literature Review
Borrego, M., Foster, M.J., and Froyd, J.E. (2014). Systematic Literature Reviews in
Engineering Education and Other Developing Interdisciplinary Fields. Journal of
Engineering Education, 103(1), 45-76.
Jesson, J.K., Matheson, L. and Lacey, F.M. (2011). Doing Your Literature Review:
Traditional and Systematic Techniques. Sage.
Ridley, D. (2012). The Literature Review: A Step-By-Step Guide for Students. Sage.

Research Methodologies and Methods
Borrego, M., Douglas, E.P., and Amelink, C.T. (2009). Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed
Research Methods in Engineering Education. Journal of Engineering Education, 98(1),
53–66.
Burkholder, G.J., Cox, K.A., Crawford, L.M. and Hitchock, J.H. (Eds.) (2020). Research
Design and Methods – An Applied Guide for the Scholar-Practitioner. Sage.
Case, J. M., and Light, G. (2011). Emerging Methodologies in Engineering Education
Research. Journal of Engineering Education, 100(1), 186-210.
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Cohen, L. and Manion, L. (2011). Research Methods in Education. Routledge (7th Edition).
Creswell, J.W. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods
Approaches. Sage.
Johannesson, P. and Perjons, E. (2014). An Introduction to Design Science. Springer.
Panke, D. (2018). Research Design and Method Selection – Making Good Choices in the
Social Science. Sage.
Parrish, A. and Shaikh, G. (Eds.) (2023). A Quick Guide to Research Methods for
Dissertations in Education. Bloomsbury Academic.

Research Ethics
BERA (2018). Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research. London: British Educational
Research Association (4th Edition). Available at:
https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018-
online
Farrimond, H. (2013). Doing Ethical Research. Palgrave Macmillan.
Oliver, P. (2003). The Students' Guide to Research Ethics. The Open University Press.

Comprehensive Guides to Research Projects
Bell, J. and Waters, S. (2018). Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-Time
Researchers in Education, Health and Social Science. The Open University Press.
Biggam, J. (2021). Succeeding with Your Master's Dissertation: a Step-By-Step Handbook.
McGraw-Hill Education.
O’Leary, Z. (2014). The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. Sage (2nd Edition).
Lambert, M. (2012). A Beginner’s Guide to Doing Your Research Project. Sage
Thomas, G. (2022). How to Do Your Research Project: A Guide for Students in Education
and Applied Social Sciences. Sage (4th Edition).
Writing Skills
Academic writing
Barrass, R. (2005). Students Must Write: A Guide to Better Writing in Coursework and
Examinations. Routledge.
Crème, P. and Lea Mary R. (2008). Writing at University: A Guide for Students. Open
University Press.
Gillet, A., Hammong, A. and Martala M. (2009). Successful Academic Writing. Pearson
Longman.
Savage, A. and Mayer, P. (2006). Effective Academic Writing 1: The Paragraph. Oxford
University Press.
Savage, A. and Mayer, P. (2006). Effective Academic Writing 2: The Short Essay. Oxford
University Press.
Savage, A. and Mayer, P. (2006). Effective Academic Writing 3: The Essay. Oxford
University Press.
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Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling
Hilton, C. and Hyder, M. (1992). Punctuation and Grammar. Letts Educational.
Peck, J. and Coyle, M. (2012). The Student’s Guide to Writing: Grammar, Punctuation and
Spelling. Palgrave Macmillan.
Referencing
Neville, C. (2007). The Complete Guide to Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism. The Open
University Press.
Critical Thinking Skills
Cottrell, S. (2017). Critical Thinking Skills: Effective Analysis, Argument and Reflection.
Palgrave Macmillan.
Judge, B., Jones, P. and Mcreery, E. (2009). Critical Thinking Skills for Education Students.
Learning Matters.
Ogden, J. (2018). Thinking Critically about Research: A Step-by-Step Approach. Routledge.
Van den Brink-Budgen, R. (2010). Critical Thinking for Students: Learn the Skills of
Analysing, Evaluating and Producing Arguments. HowtoBooks Ltd.
Weyers, J. and Mcmillan, K. (2013). How to Improve your Critical Thinking & Reflective
Skills. Pearson Education.
Reading Skills
Fairbairn, G.J. and Fairbairn, S.A. (2001). Reading at University: A Guide for Students. The
Open University Press.
Roberts, J.Q. and Hamilton, C. (2020). Reading at University: How to Improve Your Focus
and Be More Critical. Red Globe Press.
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Appendix A: IOE Approved Grading Criteria PGT Level 7
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