Module Information

The work based research module offers the opportunity for students to focus in depth on a topic of personal interest to them within a professional, work based context. The module will allow them scope to address a research question of applied relevance, employing appropriate research methodology to do so. The project may be discipline specific but may be multidisciplinary and in a work based, applied context this is quite likely. The professional context itself must have a clear connection with exercise and/or health.

The specific content of the module will depend on the student’s chosen area of research but will focus on areas covered in Part One modules and will be driven by the research question identified through literature or systematic review and needs appraisal within the chosen professional work based context. Specific activities will include critical review and synthesis of the literature, appraisal of the contextual needs of the applied setting, planning and securing ethical approval for the research, data collection and analysis, and compiling a report. Students will secure their own professional context for the research which will be approved by a supervisor who will be allocated to the student based on their academic area of expertise. The research process will be facilitated by tutorials between the student and supervisor.

Completion of a research project is a common element of a Level 7 award. A distinguishing feature of the proposed module is that the research should be conducted in an applied, work-based exercise and health context. The module is guided by the precepts detailed in the QAA Code of Practice Section 9: Work-Based and Placement Learning (Revised, 2007) in which the importance of work-based learning in HE is emphasised. As stated therein, opportunities to engage in work placed learning for students who have access to a professional context are increasing in HE. Thus the purpose of this module is to offer such opportunity to students who are currently, have been previously or aim to be employed in a relevant professional context. Whilst the focus of the module is on the completion of an advanced piece of research, embedding this research within a professional context will contribute to the educational aim of the MSc programme to offer students opportunities to enhance their employability. Conducting research within a professional context in this field will provide students with insight into the professional skills, needs and demands of the work-based context and their in-depth engagement with this setting will offer the potential for the student to add context specific knowledge and skills to their personal employability profile.