Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
| Master of education, Section 4: Physical education | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Marie Housen, Mickaël Idrac, Doriane Jaegers, Pierre Lerusse, Gilles Lombard, Alexandre Mouton, Maurine Remacle, Grégory Voz, Christophe Winkin
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
Teaching is not limited to the transmission of knowledge: it also involves questioning one's practices, drawing on research-based knowledge, and sometimes contributing to it, in order to develop more contextualized responses to certain educational challenges. In a constantly evolving school environment, the ability to rely on research is an essential component of a teacher's professional identity. As Bressoux (2017) points out, this connection must be established from the initial stages of teacher training (and maintained throughout the career) to enable teachers to critically assess research studies and findings, and to evaluate their relevance to their own practices.
It is from this perspective that the decree of February 7, 2019 on initial teacher training was developed. It strengthened the role of educational research within the curriculum. It states that training must enable students to "develop a reflective attitude" and to "draw on research to analyze and improve their practices" (art. 5). It also includes a specific focus on "education and didactics research, both as content and through practice" (art. 19).
In this context, this course serves as an entry point into the culture of educational and disciplinary didactics research. It has four main objectives:
To identify the key components of the scientific research process;
To introduce students to documentary research;
To critically read scientific articles in the field of education and didactics;
To identify and interrelate the components of scientific research (research question, data collection, corpus construction, analytical framework, methods, data analysis).
Research is therefore not approached as an external activity reserved for specialists, but as an integral part of teaching practice that helps to better understand what occurs in educational settings. It contributes to fostering a reflective and critical stance by challenging certain professional assumptions (Kahn et al., 2018). By engaging with a variety of approaches-both qualitative and quantitative (Karsenti & Savoie-Zajc, 2018)-research becomes a lever for learning and professional development for future teachers.
In practical terms, the course offers a progressive and experiential approach that aims to:
Introduce students to key research concepts (issues, research questions and hypotheses);
Familiarize students with literature, methodological approaches, and research topics in education and didactics (both general and subject-specific);
Support students in documentary research, critical reading, and the comprehension of scientific texts;
Present different methods for data collection or corpus selection, along with their scientific and practical strengths and limitations;
Introduce students to the fundamentals of both quantitative and qualitative data analysis;
Introduce students to research methods and questions specific to their disciplinary didactics;
Equip students with the tools for scientific writing.
This course thus aligns with the perspective-supported by scientific literature and the RFIE decree-that teachers' professional identity is built and strengthened through the integration of a reflective and research-oriented stance. Its goal is to enable each student to become not only a critical reader of scientific findings, but also a reflective practitioner capable of contributing actively to a learning organization.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
Read, analyze, and connect the scientific literature in education and/or subject-specific didactics with their professional practice;
Formulate a relevant research question based on scientific literature, link it to an appropriate theoretical framework and methodology, and relate these elements to data for analysis.
These learning outcomes are designed to foster a gradual entry into a research culture: the aim is for each student to recognize the value of research as a lever for professional development and to begin a process that will continue through the completion of the master's thesis.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
No administrative prerequisites are required to enroll in this course. However, it is recommended that students have acquired:
- skills in reading and understanding scientific texts in French, along with a willingness to engage with texts in English;
- writing and argumentation skills;
- intellectual curiosity and a disposition toward reflexivity regarding their professional practice.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
- Lectures
- Reading of scientific articles
- Exercises
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Blended learning
Further information:
In-person, with the integration of digital tools (eCampus platform) for providing resources, submitting assignments, and supporting individual work.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
- Lecture notes available on eCampus
- Scientific articles in education and didactics
- Reference works on research methodology in education
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Individual work: thesis project including:
A contextualized problem statement and a clearly formulated research question,
An initial theoretical framework linked to the question,
A justified methodological proposal,
A scientific bibliography.
More detailed guidelines will be provided on eCampus.
Participation in all seminars: required for the allocation of the grade ("green light"). Further details on this requirement will be provided during the course.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Course co-organized by educators, sociologists, and didacticians
Contacts
Doriane Jaegers : djaegers@uliege.be
Marie Housen : marie.housen@uliege.be
Mickaël Idrac : midrac@uliege.be
Gilles Lombard : gilles.lombard@uliege.be
Maurine Remacle : Maurine.Remacle@uliege.be