There is a growing pedagogical culture in research methods education within UK universities, according to a new review paper published by NCRM researchers.
The systematic review found that there has been a recent increase in the volume of published papers on how research methods are taught and learnt, particularly qualitative methods.
The authors also reported that, within the latest literature, there is more theoretical discussion of practices, rationale and reflection on the teaching process.
In previous years, researchers had flagged underdevelopment of a pedagogical culture and a lack of an effective body of knowledge to guide methods teachers.
The new paper concludes that "clear intention to engage in dialogue and contribute to evidence-based practice and knowledge in research methods education is evident" and that "the ‘how to’ element is richly articulated and justified".
The systematic review was conducted by Professor Melanie Nind, Co-Director at NCRM, who was assisted by doctoral researcher Angeliki Katramadou.
Published in the British Journal of Educational Studies, the paper synthesises pedagogic approaches and strategies documented in 55 papers on doctoral and post-doctoral training published between 2014 and 2020.
These papers feature a plethora of case studies and reflective accounts about teaching approach, strategy, tactics and tasks in research methods education.
Consistent with previous studies, the review highlighted the predominant use of experiential, active learning and student-centred approaches, which often overlap or combine with other approaches.