This course equips students with research methods know-how for a strong capstone thesis and
future publishable papers. It begins with the nature of educational research and the logic of
qualitative inquiry. Students learn how to turn educational issues into researchable problems
and craft focused research questions. They learn how to make ethically sound methodological
choices. The course introduces the nuts-and-bolts of a basket of qualitative methods, including
methodological considerations such as sampling and access, tool design, responsible data
management, and the analysis and interpretation of evidence, leading to clear academic writing.
It also builds a firm grasp of research quality across traditions, including credibility,
trustworthiness, validity, and reliability, and introduces selected quantitative approaches and
mixed methods to support coherent research designs and defensible analysis plans.