Duration
30h Pr
Number of credits
| Bachelor in political sciences : general | 6 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Students must carry out a field study to implement a qualitative analysis approach to a public action sector or a precise system, with collection of primary data through semi-direct interviews and focus groups, then write a report including a biographical study.
During classes and tutorials, the following points will be the subject of particular attention:
- elaboration of a research question
- identification of contextual and institutional elements, as well as the stakeholders concerned;
- establishing and analysing a scientific bibliography on the chosen theme;
- identification of the aspects to be taken into consideration in the analysed policy in order to establish the interview guides and the outline of the focus group, and to bring together the relevant elements;
- analysis of the qualitative data collected through interviews and focus groups;
- writing a research report by suggesting a general tendency based on observations in the field.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The aim of this course is to involve students in all the stages of a qualitative analysis approach to a public policy system, so that they can :
- examine in detail and use the theoretical concepts studied during the two co-requisite courses in Q1
- implement a field survey both individually and in a group
- acquire practical skills to analyse public policies, develop analysis tools, and elaborate theorisations leading to an approach based on the separation of facts and values
- reproduce the methodological choices and the conclusions reached during verbal communication and in a written report.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Two courses are co-requisites :
SPOL2330-2 Methods in political science (theory) - Sébastien Brunet - Suppl : Céline Parotte et Catherine Fallon
SPOL2331-1 Analysis of public policies (theory)- Catherine Fallon
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Carry out a piece of research in groups (5 to 7 students, according to the number of students enrolled. They will be informed of the groups during the first session): the field work must be organised by the students, who have to use reference methods used in political science (bibliographical research; semi-directive interviews; organisation of a focus group).
Regular support from the teaching team and formal compulsory presentations during plenary lectures devoted to the following major steps :
- elaboration of the research question, constitution of a bibliographical corpus, presentation of the methodological choices, contextual elements (institutional and social) and identification of the stakeholders
- results of the exploratory survey stage (first interviews) and honing of previous experiences; preparation of the focus group (stakeholders, interview guide, etc.)
- results of the analysis of the collected material
Oral defence during the June exam session (per group)
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)
Teaching will be in the form of plenary lectures (all students are obliged to attend) and group sessions.
Recommended or required readings
Students were provided with the majority of references during the two co-requisite courses.
The slides and methodological support notes will be available through MyULg.
Assessment methods and criteria
70 % - Assessment of field work and the written report (adequacy of the research question, quality of the approach, quality of the interviews and the organisation of the focus group; relevance of the analysis of the material collected and the conclusions reached, integration of the literature, quality of the writing)
30 % - Oral presentations of the work (intermediary presentations and defence)
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
Contacts
The two lecturers for the course are :
Catherine Fallon
Céline Parotte plays an important role in providing individualised support for students throughout their work with the help of support students. celine.parotte@ulg.ac.be
Adaptation of teaching commitments following the COVID-19 pandemic for the May-June 2020 session
Teaching methods implemented : distance-learning
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