RSNE4011 – Quantitative research methods and design

Course content

The course provides training in core quantitative research methods.  

Areas of study include: 

• Research problems and strategies in special needs education 

• Research design, methods, measurements and data collection 

Learning outcome

Knowledge: 

After completing the course, you should have gained: 

• a broad understanding of quantitative research design, reliability and validity

• knowledge of methods used for survey design, cross-sectional design, longitudinal design, experimental design and quasi-experimental design  

• knowledge about Philosophy of science and research ethics 

 

Skills: 

After completing the course, you should be able to: 

• use and evaluate different quantitative research designs 

• apply critical and independent thinking to quantitative research questions 

• critically read and assess quantitative research literature 

• conceptualize, plan and evaluate a quantitative research proposal  

 

General competences:

After completing the course, you should have gained the ability to: 

• understand which types of research questions can be answered using quantitative research designs 

• describe the key characteristics of quantitative research methods, including their strengths and limitations, with reference to the field of special needs education 

• describe and discuss key characteristics of quantitative data collection and analysis methods, and reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches 

• understand the principles of research ethics 

Admission to the course

Admission to the Master’s programme in Special Needs Education or Master in Research in Special Needs Education. This course is also open for international exchange students at Master's level with a relevant Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

Recommended previous knowledge

Recommended prior knowledge: SPED1200 Spesialpedagogiske forskningsmetoder og forskningsbasert praksis or equivalent. 

Overlapping courses

• 5 credits overlap with SPED4010 – Vitenskapsteori, forskningsmetode og statistikk.
• 5 credits overlap with SNE4231 – Research Methodology.

Teaching

The teaching is comprised of lectures and seminars.  

This course has two compulsory components:

·        Attendance at seminar

·        Written group assignment designing a quantitative research project 

The compulsory component must be completed and approved before you are allowed to take the exam.

Examination

School exam (4h) where the students are presented with a research problem and asked about methods and design. Students receive two vignettes on different topics (e.g. psychsocial, specific learning difficulties) and design two different quantitative studies.  

Examination support material

No examination support material is allowed.

Language of examination

You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.

Resit an examination

Re-sit exam: 

Students who do not pass an exam may have a second attempt as soon as it is possible to arrange. This is called a re-sit examination. The re-sit examination is held within 3 months of the original examination.

Students who have passed their exam, but who wish to improve their grade may not participate in a re-sit examination. You may take an exam to improve your grades the next time the course has an ordinary exam, as long as you have not already used all three attempts.

The Department of Special Needs Education will provide information and guidelines about the re-sit examination.

More about examinations at UiO

• Use of sources and citations
• Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
• Withdrawal from an exam
• Illness at exams / postponed exams
• Explanation of grades and appeals
• Resitting an exam
• Cheating/attempted cheating

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.