This course is designed for graduate students in the first year of their program. It acknowledges the importance of excellence in research design, but is predicated on the assumption that problem definition should determine research design and choice of methodology or methodologies. It aims to provide an initial understanding of the nature and purpose of various approaches to research— all of which are useful in grappling with the complexities of researchable educational phenomenon, though they may appear to differ substantially from one another. This is considered to be introductory in educational research methodology: it should not be the only one to be taken in the development of competence in research. However, it should provide students with the background necessary for making intelligent decisions regarding which kind(s) of methods, and which additional research training, are relevant to their research interests. Also, the course promotes qualified "critical consumption" of published and unpublished research by its students. This course will put students in a good position to successfully complete, submit, and defend their thesis at the end of their ELL Professional Master Studies.

• Get students familiarized with a cross-section of research methods available for the conduct of research in education (e.g., experiments, surveys, field studies, ethnographies, historical analysis etc.). • Get students familiarized with resources available to them for the conduct of research (e.g., research library, computer facilities, faculty expertise), and • Enable students to use the information and skills obtained in the above through the development of assignments that reflect their personal research interests