Learning to design research: Students' agency and experiences in a master of education program in Hong Kong

Learning to design research: Students' agency and experiences in a master of education program in Hong Kong

• Yang, Weipeng Singapore University of Social Sciences
• Li, Yongyan The University of Hong Kong
• Zhou, Wumei The University of Hong Kong
• Li, Hui Macquarie University

ECNU Review of Education, 3(2), 291-309, 2020

Sage Publications Ltd.

2020

• Q Philosophy of Education, Educational System & School At Different Levels
  • QG Adult, Lifelong & Continuing Education
    • QGB Professional Continuing Education
• T Educational Research
  • TA Research Instruments & Methods

Educational Research English as a Foreign Language Master of Education Research Design Student Agency

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Post-Secondary Education

Purpose: Learning to do research has been understudied in the context of professional development in postgraduate programs. This exploratory study investigated the agency and experiences of five Chinese students who learned to design their research project in a Master of Education program at an English-medium university in Hong Kong SAR. Design/Approach/Methods: We obtained the data from semi-structured interviews and documents to establish data triangulation. Findings: The findings revealed that (1) the students' agency in research design and proposal writing was associated with their personal/professional backgrounds, (2) their English proficiency affected their agency in the proposal writing, (3) the supervisors' feedback would stimulate students' agency in changing/refining their research design, and (4) ineffective supervision and learning resources would impede students' achievement of agency on their way to creating a robust research design. Originality/Value: This study adds empirical evidence to the field of research training through the lens of learner agency. It demonstrates the applicability of using the ecological framework of agency in theoretically interpreting the contextual facilitators and constraints in making postgraduate students active agents. Copyright ©Sage Publications Ltd.

• English

Journal Articles

• 20965311

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/en/bibs/2520d22c

2021-04-13