Staying sharp with research skills

How do researchers and research-leads in schools develop their skills in quantitative and qualitative methods?

Pymble Institute staff recently completed micro-credentials in research design, data collection, analysis and interpretation with the Centre for Continuing Education, Australian National University. The online environment was ideal for bringing together people whose work and study calls for research work. It was also a great way for school-based researchers and research-leads to learn alongside postgraduate students and professionals and to see how research skills are relevant in a range of public and private sphere organisations.

The courses took us on a deep dive into the research tool box as we refined research questions, and tackled technical issues in sampling, stratification and survey design. There was the chance to explore the use of demographics, sampling frames and apply different forms of analysis to projects we’ve been designing. In the quantitative analysis domain, coursework covered statistical hypothesis tests and multivariate and longitudinal analysis. Greater skills in data and analysis will enrich the research services the Pymble Institute offers both students and staff.

For research leaders based in schools, investing in your research toolkit is important as you are often called upon to assist colleagues with a range of projects and these can be out of your own field in terms of both content and method. Many of us also work in partnership with universities and it is important to be able to collaborate actively in decisions around the design of research which will be undertaken in the school community. Completing the assignments in these courses gave us the chance to apply the skills and, most valuably, receive feedback from the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods team. 

For those interested in the ANU Data and Analysis Micro credentials through the Centre for Social Research and Methods, more information is available here. Contact Sarah or Victoria for more information on our experiences with this learning program.