EDUC91372 Disciplined Inquiry Capstone

For this task, we are asking you to develop a Methodological Note. This is a schematic document that scaffolds your reflective process and guides it towards a more action-based approach. The output will be a collection of ideas and methods to enact some sort of change in the real world of education. The note is comprised of three parts:

• A written summary providing an updated description of your inquiry.

• A "stakeholder interview": a video recording in which you interact with a stakeholder- someone directly or indirectly relevant to your inquiry- who will provide feedback and advice about scope, strengths and weaknesses of vour proiect. This is consistent with the notion of "partnership model" that we use in the Capstone: educational change is never a purely individual effort but requires collaboration with several individuals and groups. The recording shouldl not be longer than 10 minutes.

• A structured evaluation of three "evidence sources", which together exemplify the types of new knowledge that your inquiry will need to succeed.

You will use a template to assist you in this task. In addition to the completed template, a video recording of your stakeholder interview must be uploaded as a media file. This means you will need to submit two files:

• A word file (completed templatel

• A 10-minute video recording (stakeholder interview)

If either file is not present, the submission will be deemed incomplete and you will fail the task.

Support

• Retrace your steps during the second module "extending your inguiry"- ie. week 5 to week 9 - and reflect on the asynchronous learning activities and the discussions during the workshops.

Assessment instructions

Methodological note (approximately 2000-2300 words)

Type of file: Word or PDF

For this task, work directly in the template provided.

Start from the first section in which you are asked to provide an updated critical description of your inquiry that considers the reflective work you have carried out until now. The definition should include a brief discussion of the sensitizing concepts that are supporting the refinement of your inquiry. It is very important that you show a degree of progression in your thinking compared to AT1. Overall, you are required to write approximately 500 words in this section. Here are some stimulus questions that you can use to structure the section:

• What is the problem at the heart of your inquiry? Are you interested in promoting innovation in teaching and learning? Or perhaps in tackling a specific challenge in your school? Are you interested in a broader policy issue? Remember, a "problem" should not be merely an academic research question. You should make an effort to ground that problem in an actual or future professional context.

• In response to that problem, what aspects of practice and policy should change? What aspects should remain the same? Once more, focus on a real or future professional context to articulate your change strategy: a school or university faculty, an industry setting, a government department, a specific policy or legislative processes, and so on.

• How is reading the literature supporting your understanding of your problem and the development of an inquiry to tackle that problem? We understand this is an ongoing process, and that you have already engaged with three "foundational" readings for AT1. For this task, we are asking you to compare/contrast 2 references. One reference should be one of the foundational readings from ATi, and one reference should demonstrate independent/autonomous reading around a sensitizing concept. The new source must be carefully chosen, and it should be highly relevant to your inquiry. You should read it deeply and multiple times, taking several reflective notes. Once more, we are emphasising deep and meaningful engagement with influential texts rather than coverage.

IMPORTANT: While the task requires you to engage with only two readings in the way described above, remember that established citation rules still apply: all sources and authors should be acknowledged and added to a list of references (not included in the wordcount). So, for example, if you happen to mention other authors as you compare/contrast your key texts, these authors should be referenced appropriately using APA style.

The second section of the template asks you to summarise your updated stakeholder strategy. Develop a 500 words reflection which must be informed by the stakeholder mapping exercise carried out for AT1 and, to a much larger extent, by the stakeholder interview in week 6. Describe briefly the interview (when and how it happened, and whether you had a real stakeholder or a role-playing peer), then reflect on the main themes that emerged during the discussion to develop an updated definition of your partnership strategy. The key questions at the heart of a partnership strategy are: why is your inquiry problem important for your stakeholders? How can those stakeholders be meaningfully involved in shaping a professional change project?

The third section of the methodological note requires you to identify and evaluate "new" forms of knowledge and evidence. Use the evaluation framework provided in the template. Copy and paste the framework in the same document to complete the activity. For each source, you are required to write 300-350 words explaining its relevance to your inquiry. Answer these questions to explain the relevance of a source:

• Why did you choose this source?

• What keywords did you use to find the source (don't use chatbots to find sources, they are unreliable and give you" readymade" outputs that undermine your critical thinking skills. Use the Library search engine or Google Scholar).

• How has this source shaped your thinking around the problem at the heart of your inquiry?

• How has the source shaped your thinking around the types of evidence needed to support your inquiry?

Remember: All direct quotes from the literature must be in quotation marks and include page numbers. Please include page numbers even when you're not directly quoting.

The fourth section of the methodological note asks you to reflect on the ethical considerations of your inquiry. Ethics is fundamental to a disciplined inquiry because it ensures that any activity that involves human participants is conducted with integrity, fairness, and respect, while also safeguarding the credibility and impact of findings. What are some of the ethical considerations for your disciplined inquiry? Consider the concepts listed in the template and write a short description if they apply to your inquiry. Refer to materials and workshop activities in W8 and W9. The only compulsory consideration is informed consent (you must write something about it, and it's highlighted in the template), the others may or may not apply but it is advised to consider at least three of the dimensions below. 300 words.