Introduction to Systematic Review (SR) in Education (DUH100)

This spring semester version of the course is part of the NORBARN research school and provides an introduction to systematic reviews (SR) in educational research with a specific focus on early childhood education and care (ECEC) research. There are many different types of SR, but they all have in common that they are a synthesis of existing knowledge, and they utilize transparent and explicitly defined procedures to find, evaluate and synthesize the results of relevant research with minimum bias. SR is used to analyze and synthesize both quantitative and qualitative research. It has been widely used in medicine and is currently becoming more and more common within education, including the ECEC field.

This course is structured to reach two main goals: (1) An understanding of why SRs are important in the field of education, i.e., the purpose and principles of evidence in education, and (2) basic skills needed to appraise a research article and a SR article, and knowledge of the phases and practices of conducting a SR. Both goals will, combined, provide a foundation for you to assess the value of doing a systematic review within your own field in and be able to start planning a systematic review. The examples and focus in this NORBARN version of the course will be centered around ECEC research.

KCE collaborates nationally and internationally, and we will involve our partners in delivering PhD courses, ensuring that PhD students have access to a wide range of prominent researchers in the field. This NORBARN course will be led by course teachers from the SR and ECEC research field:

Course coordinator: Astrid Guldbrandsen, Associate Professor, Knowledge Centre for Education, UIS

Course teacher: Hilde Christine Hofslundengen, Professor, Høgskulen på Vestlandet (HVL)


Course description for study year 2024-2025

Facts

Course code

DUH100

Version

1

Credits (ECTS)

5

Semester tution start

Spring, Autumn

Number of semesters

1

Exam semester

Autumn

Language of instruction

English

Offered by

Content

1. What are systematic reviews?

Here, you will become acquainted with the value of systematic reviews, and learn about different kinds of SR, including SRs with meta-analysis, meta-synthesis and mixed-methods reviews, and learn about other approaches such as mapping and scoping reviews.

2. Framing the question

Framing a research question for an SR is an essential aspect. We will approach this issue by investigating different kinds of research questions used in systematic reviews and through your own work on developing a possible research question.

3. Developing a search strategy and protocol

What are the relevant sources of evidence needed to answer the research question posed in a non-biased way? Investigating possible databases and other sources of information will be a main topic in order to develop a search strategy and a protocol. We will critically discuss the importance of minimizing bias in various stages of systematic reviews including identifying relevant literature and extraction of data.

4. Critically appraising research articles and SR

Following the introduction to SR, we will carefully examine research articles and systematic reviews and discuss their quality using different appraisal tools.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

By completion of this course, the PhD candidate will have knowledge about:

  • What a SR is and main principles of evidence
  • Why SRs are relevant within the field of education
  • The differences between a narrative review and different kinds of SR
  • The different phases in conducting a systematic review
  • Protocols and other tools used for systematic reviews

Skills

By completion of this course, the PhD candidate will have gained following skills:

  • How to assess the quality of research articles and SR
  • To plan and make a relevant research question
  • To build a high quality search strategy

General competences

  • Further individual development of critical research literacy

Required prerequisite knowledge

Students must be enrolled in a PhD program. PhD candidates at other universities and university colleagues in Norway and EEA can apply for admission to the course. Note that this spring edition of the couse is tailored for PhD students with a specific interest in early childhood education research.

Exam

Form of assessment Weight Duration Marks Aid
Hand inn 1/1 Passed / Not Passed

Active participation and completion of small individual and group assignments during the course, as well as a final paper (min 3000 words), which includes a protocol development with a rationale for your study, a research question, your method including a search strategy with search string, OR a critical assessment of existing protocols and systematic reviews. The paper may be written in English or in a Scandinavian language. The portfolio is assessed (pass/fail) and participants will receive constructive feedback on their paper.

Coursework requirements

Attendance
At least 80% attendance to the three synchronous meetings, and completion of all the modules.

Course teacher(s)

Course teacher:

Hilde Christine Hofslundsengen

Course teacher:

Sanna Erika Forsström

Course teacher:

Therese Deocampo Pigott

Course teacher:

Melissa Bond

Course coordinator:

Astrid Guldbrandsen

Course teacher:

Serap Keles

Course coordinator:

May Irene Furenes Klippen

Study Program Director:

Hein Berdinesen

Method of work

The digital version of the course will have various modules which involve asynchronous lectures in different formats such as video lectures, video/ podcast conversations, information texts: as well as individual and group tasks. In addition, during the course, there will be three synchronous approximately 2-hours online meetings. At the end of the course, students should submit an individual final paper.

Open for

Students enrolled in a PhD program. If there are a large number of applicants, PhD students enrolled in the research school NORBARN will be prioritized. If any available space, the admission will also be open to researchers and master students. Applicants may be turned down due limitations in number of places (max. 20 participants).

If you are a PhD candidate at UiS you can register using studentweb. All external candidates must contact phd-uh@uis.no for admission to the course.

Course assessment

There must be an early dialogue between the course supervisor, the student union representative and the students. The purpose is feedback from the students for changes and adjustments in the course for the current semester.In addition, a digital subject evaluation must be carried out at least every three years. Its purpose is to gather the students experiences with the course.

Literature

Search for literature in Leganto