Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Master's Dissertation
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish
Teaching staff
Introduction
Master’s Dissertation (MD) represents the students’ final effort to integrate the instructional content they receive and the skills they acquire over the course of the master’s programme.
Pre-course requirements
Students must have successfully completed at least 80% of the subjects of the Master’s Degree prior to preparing and defending the Master’s Dissertation. The MD should preferably be linked to the school placement and the activities carried out at the placement school.
Objectives
Master’s Dissertation is a learning activity and integrative exercise that aims to develop the students’ capacity to analyse, summarise and make critical judgements in the professional and research context of teaching English as a foreign language. To do so, the students are required to apply the knowledge, skills, attitudes and competences they acquire during the master’s programme; as a result, the way in which the knowledge, skills, attitudes and competences are integrated must respond to the specific educational and professional objectives of the programme. With the MD, the students must demonstrate their ability to perform and communicate educational research or pedagogical innovation proposal at an advanced level.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - The student will be able to identify the processes of acquiring and learning English as a foreign language on English literature and culture.
- CP01 - The student will be able to express themselves in English, both orally and in writing, and both inside and outside the classroom, undertaking all the communication functions that are typical of an English language teacher.
- CP04 - The student will be able to use adequate resources and strategies to improve as a professional.
- CP05 - The student will be able to integrate information and communication technologies into teaching and learning activities, teaching management and professional development.
- CP06 - The student will be able to generate innovative and competitive suggestions as a professional and as a researcher
- CP09 - The student will be able to assess the development of pupils’ English language skills during different stages of education, according to the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- CP10 - The student will be able to apply the fundamental aspects of current educational research methodologies to improve the processes of teaching and learning English as a foreign language.
- CP11 - The student will respect the fundamental rights of equality between men and women, the promotion of human rights, and the values inherent to a culture of democracy and peace, using language that avoids androcentricity and stereotypes.
- HB01 - The student will be able to recognise the phonetic and phonological aspects of English in the classroom, to begin teaching the pronunciation of English as a foreign language.
- HB02 - The student will be able to make judgements based on limited or incomplete information, including reflections on social and ethical responsibilities
- HB03 - The student will know how to communicate conclusions and the reasoning behind them to specialised and non-specialised audiences in a clear and unambiguous way
- HB04 - The student will be able to apply skills that allow them to continue studying in a largely self-directed or autonomous way.
- HB05 - The student will be able to apply information (spoken, written, video, digital or multimedia) to the teaching of English as a foreign language.
- HB06 - The student will be able to apply information (spoken, written, video, digital or multimedia) to the teaching of English as a foreign language
- HB07 - The student will be able to organise their working time according to their learning priorities and objectives, encouraging self-learning.
- HB08 - The student will be able to offer informed decision-making in the field of teaching English as a foreign language.
- HB09 - The student will be able to apply educational innovation and research models to the acquisition, teaching and use of English as a foreign language in specific circumstances, in the school context, and/or in contexts related to education, in a way that links theoretical knowledge with educational practice.
- HB10 - The student will be able to provide a critical analysis of their own work.
- HB11 - The student will be able to provide explanations in public and make presentations using digital media adapted to different audiences in a school context (teachers, families, students, etc.).
- HB12 - The student will be able to analyse the process of learning languages other than the first language at different educational and life stages.
- HB13 - The student will be able to differentiate between methodological approaches and current and innovative pedagogical practices at different educational stages and in bilingual and multilingual contexts.
- HB15 - The student will be able to assess current models and methodologies of educational research.
- HB16 - The student will be able to use the English language for academic and professional purposes related to research in the fields of acquisition, teaching and learning English as a foreign language.
- HB17 - The student will be able to express themselves in English, both orally and in writing, and both inside and outside the classroom, undertaking all the communication functions that are typical of an English language teacher.
Syllabus
Preparation, presentation and public defence of an original theoretical or empirical/practical educational innovation project (an educational research project or an educational intervention / pedagogical innovation proposal) on any topic related to the teaching and/or learning-acquisition of English as a foreign language, under the supervision of one of the lecturers from the master’s programme. The student must:
(1) Choose a topic in the field of teaching English as a foreign language that is related to the subjects taught in the Master’s Degree and identify a relevant problem;
(2) Formulate research objectives, research questions and research hypothesis (if applicable);
(3) Design a research methodology proposal to prove this hypothesis / Design a proposal of the Needs Analysis;
(4) Carry out the methodology and collect data using the relevant data collection techniques and instruments / Carry out the Needs Analysis,
(5) Present, analyse and interpret the data collected / Develop an educational innovation proposal based on the results of the Needs Analysis; and
(6) Prepare a discussion and conclusion based on the findings / design the Assessment and Communication Plan and prepare a final discussion.
The structure of the Master’s Dissertation must be as follows:
Type A: Classroom-based research:
- Abstract and keywords
- Table of contents
- Introduction to and relevance of topic
- Theoretical framework and literature review
- Hypothesis, objectives and research question/s
- Methodology (context, participants, instruments, procedures)
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusions
- References
Type B: Educational innovation proposal:
- Abstract and keywords
- Table of contents
- Introduction to and relevance of topic
- Needs Analysis
- Action Plan:
- Theoretical and methodological Rationale
- Context and end users
- Innovation Proposal (activities, materials, expected outcomes, contingency plan, implementation calendar)
- Assessment Plan
- Communication Plan
- Conclusions
- References
The cover of the MD must be in the standard UIC Barcelona format and must include the title of the work, the author, the supervisor, the name of the master’s degree and the date.
Teaching and learning activities
Online
Online teaching methodology
RP Problem-Solving Tasks
EC Case Study
ABP Project-Based Learning
Online teaching and learning activities
TI Individual Autonomous Work
TL Online Tutorials
TFM Master’s Dissertation
Evaluation systems and criteria
Online
50% - Presentation of the MD Written Report
25% - Oral presentation and defence of the MD before an Academic Assessment Committee
25% - MD supervisor report
Anti-plagiarism and anti-AI (artificial intelligence) software will be used to check the integrity and originality of the MD Written Report.
The MD defence will be oral, individual and public. It may be done in person or by videoconference via the secure Google Meet platform.
The evaluation criteria for the MD are as follows:
MD Written Report:
- To be capable of selecting, collecting and analysing relevant information regarding the topic and the theoretical-practical approach of the Master’s Dissertation, incorporating updated references related to the latest research and publications.
- To integrate knowledge and formulate well-reasoned critical judgements based on the information available, taking into account the characteristics of the specific context being investigated.
- To identify and assess the various possibilities for teaching intervention or to design a pedagogical innovation proposal, justifying the decisions made based on the conditions of the educational practice.
Oral presentation and defence of the MD:
- To demonstrate a capacity to summarize and present an adequate selection of content.
- To demonstrate adequate oral expression in English.
- To adequately respond to theoretical-practical questions and/or comments of the members of the MD Committee.
Bibliography and resources
Cohen, L., Manion, L. & K. Morrison. (2017). Research Methods in Education. 8th Edition. Routledge.
Guba, E. & Lincoln, Y. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N.K., Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp.105-117). SAGE Publications.
Hart, C. (2005). Doing your masters dissertation. SAGE Publications.
Hinkel, E. (2011). Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning. Routledge.
Ince, A. & Kitto, E. (2019). A Practical Guide to Action Research and Teacher Enquiry: Making a Difference in the Early Years. Routledge.
Murphy, M., Redding, S., & Twyman, J. (Eds.). (2013). Handbook on innovations in learning. Center on Innovations in Learning, Temple University.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2009). Designing Education Projects: a Comprehensive approach to Needs Assessment, Project Planning and Implementation, and Evaluation. 2nd edition. U.S. Department of Commerce.
Wallace, M. J. (1997). Action research for language teachers. Cambridge University Press.