Program Presentation
Education systems are undergoing profound transformations: greater diversity in classrooms, persistent inequalities, accelerated technological change, and a growing demand for evidence-based policies and practices. In this context, the Master in Educational Research Methodology emerges as a proposal aimed at strengthening the research capacity of professionals committed to educational improvement.
Throughout the program, students develop competencies to formulate relevant questions, design sound research, and analyze data rigorously, integrating quantitative, qualitative, and mixed perspectives. This training allows understanding complex educational phenomena, identifying emerging problems, and generating knowledge applicable to institutions, communities, and educational policies.
One of the pillars of this master's degree is its critical and contextualized approach. Participants address central issues, such as access and permanence gaps, territorial inequality, attention to socio-cultural diversity, impact of digital technologies, educational evaluation, and construction of inclusive environments. The program promotes the ethical use of digital tools for research and informed decision-making in increasingly dynamic educational settings.
In addition, this master's degree integrates a vision of education that recognizes the value of equity, interculturality, and lifelong learning, in line with international recommendations and policies that guide educational transformation. Students learn to interpret educational reality from multiple perspectives, to dialogue with different communities, and to design evidence-based solutions relevant to each context.
This master's program is conceived as an academic space that promotes innovation and critical thinking, offering a rigorous methodological training that allows the production of relevant knowledge to improve pedagogical practices, evaluate educational initiatives, and support decision-making processes in institutions and organizations related to education.
Who is the programme for?
The program is aimed at professionals in the educational field who wish to strengthen their competencies to integrate educational research approaches and, where appropriate, the ethical, innovative, and pedagogically informed use of emerging technologies. It is also aimed at those seeking to initiate or consolidate a research career that will allow them to understand and improve teaching and learning processes in different contexts.
The program is especially designed for graduates in areas related to education, such as the following:
- Undergraduates in Teaching or Teacher Training, in any of their specialties.
- Undergraduates in Pedagogy.
- Undergraduates in Social Education.
- Undergraduates in Early Childhood Education.
- Undergraduates in Primary Education.
- Master's Degrees in Education or related fields.
- Master's Degrees in University Teaching or other areas related to teacher training and practice.
University graduates whose training is equivalent or related to the above, either because they belong to new areas of study within the university system or because they come from international educational systems with comparable training levels, may also be admitted.
Diploma
Upon completing the program, students will be awarded the title of Master’s Degree in Educational Research Methodology, issued by the university in which they are enrolled.
Program Structure
Duration
The Master in Educational Research Methodology has 90 credits.
The duration of the program varies between 12 and 17 months, depending on the student's commitment. During this period, students must successfully pass all the corresponding evaluations as well as the Final Project.
Objectives
The learning objectives of the master's degree are oriented towards students developing a solid understanding of educational research and being able to apply it to analyze and transform educational contexts. These objectives are articulated in three dimensions: knowledge, skills, and competencies.
Knowledge
At the end of the program, students will be able to:
- Describe the paradigms, approaches, and methodological designs that underpin contemporary educational research.
- Analyze current problems of Latin American education and propose answers based on innovative and pertinent approaches for different socio-cultural contexts.
- Systematically search for information in reliable academic sources and manage the retrieved data in an organized manner.
- Identify lines and trends of research in the various fields of study related to education.
- Recognize the ethical principles of educational research, including respect for communities, data protection, and social responsibility of knowledge.
Skills
Upon completing the master's program, students will be able to:
- Conduct rigorous, exhaustive, and objective reviews of the scientific literature, appropriate to the topic and research approach.
- Design solid research projects, selecting the methodologies most consistent with the objectives set.
- Plan and execute field work, using techniques and instruments for data collection appropriate for each educational context.
- Analyze quantitative, qualitative, or mixed data, selecting procedures according to the nature of the information.
- Communicate research results through reports, articles, papers, posters, audiovisual presentations, or other formats of scientific communication.
Competencies
This master's degree seeks that students develop the ability to:
- Formulate relevant research problems, questions, and objectives.
- Apply criteria of methodological quality, guaranteeing rigor, validity, and transparency in the research processes.
- Interpret and contrast the data obtained with the objectives of the study and with the available knowledge to generate solid conclusions.
- Propose improvements, innovations, or educational interventions based on the evidence generated by the research.
- Research and innovate with social responsibility, considering the educational, community, economic, and environmental impact, and contributing to the development of societies that are more accessible, inclusive, sustainable, and respectful of human rights.
Career Opportunities
This master's degree prepares students to assume the following roles:
- Researcher in education, participating in studies, diagnostics, and improvement projects at different educational levels and contexts.
- Specialist in educational evaluation, designing, applying, and analyzing institutional evaluation processes, programs, and policies.
- Educational data analyst, interpreting quantitative and qualitative information to guide academic and administrative decisions.
- Pedagogical advisor or educational consultant, supporting innovation, inclusion, and improvement processes based on evidence.
- Trainer in research methodologies, contributing to the professional development of teachers and the updating of educational teams.
- Designer of socio-educational projects, developing proposals based on rigorous diagnoses that respond to the needs of diverse communities and educational systems.
Study Plan
The curriculum of the Master in Educational Research Methodology consists of 90 credits and is made up of the following subjects:
MODULE 1: FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
| MODULE 1: FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | SUBJECTS | CREDITS |
| 1 | The Scientific Research Process in Education | 8 |
| 2 | Educational Research Paradigms and Methods | 8 |
| 3 | Educational Innovation and Research | 6 |
| TOTAL | 22 | |
MODULE 2: RESEARCH DESIGN AND PLANNING
| MODULE 2: RESEARCH DESIGN AND PLANNING | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | SUBJECTS | CREDITS |
| 1 | Methodological Strategy Design | 6 |
| 2 | The Theoretical Framework of Research and Scientific Text Writing | 6 |
| TOTAL | 12 | |
MODULE 3: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND SCIENTIFIC COMPETENCIES
| MODULE 3: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND SCIENTIFIC COMPETENCIES | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | SUBJECTS | CREDITS |
| 1 | Seminar: International Bibliographic Standards | 3 |
| 2 | Search and Management of Scientific Information with ICT Tools | 6 |
| TOTAL | 9 | |
MODULE 4: MEASUREMENT AND DATA COLLECTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES
| MODULE 4: MEASUREMENT AND DATA COLLECTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | SUBJECTS | CREDITS |
| 1 | Measurement in Educational Research | 7 |
| TOTAL | 7 | |
MODULE 5: DATA ANALYSIS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
| MODULE 5: DATA ANALYSIS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | SUBJECTS | CREDITS |
| 1 | Quantitative Data Analysis: Descriptive and Inferential Statistics | 6 |
| 2 | Multivariate Data Analysis | 6 |
| 3 | Qualitative Data Analysis | 6 |
| TOTAL | 18 | |
MODULE 6: SCIENTIFIC INTEGRATION, APPLICATION, AND PRODUCTION
| MODULE 6: SCIENTIFIC INTEGRATION, APPLICATION, AND PRODUCTION | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | SUBJECTS | CREDITS |
| 1 | Research Paper Development, Presentation, and Defense | 4 |
| 2 | Master's Final Project | 18 |
| TOTAL | 22 | |
*The number of credits and the duration the master's degree may vary depending on the university issuing the degree
Description of the Subjects
MODULE 1: FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
- The Scientific Research Process in Education
Research process: general perspective. Research process. Bibliographic sources. Research hypotheses. Methodology and method. Research variables. Choosing the sample. Data collection instruments. Research design and its validity. Data analysis and types. Ethics in the research process. Aspects related to ethics in social research. Plagiarism and other bad practices in research. The ethics committee.
- Educational Research Paradigms and Methods
What is a paradigm? Natural sciences and human sciences: positive empirical conception and hermeneutic or interpretative conception. Epistemological basis. Classification of paradigms. Research methods in education. Methodologies related to the positivist paradigm. Methodologies related to the interpretive paradigm. Methodologies related to the sociocritical paradigm.
- Educational Innovation and Research
Concepts, models, and techniques of educational research and innovation. Methodology and tools for educational research and innovation in the classroom. Innovation projects. Trends in educational research. Analysis of journal articles as a tool for teacher and research training.
MODULE 2: RESEARCH DESIGN AND PLANNING
- Methodological Strategy Design
Research design. Quantitative designs. Qualitative methods and designs. Methodology and designs of evaluative research.
- The Theoretical Framework of Research and Scientific Text Writing
What does the theoretical framework actually consist of? Literature review: documentation and information search. Developing a theoretical framework: guidelines. Composition of written texts. Writing issues. Some spelling and style issues. How to read academic texts? Strategies for reading and comprehension of written texts.
MODULE 3: INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND SCIENTIFIC COMPETENCIES
- Seminar: International Bibliographic Standards
APA standards. ABNT standards. General rules for in-work citations. Bibliographical references within the text. Abbreviations.
- Search and Management of Scientific Information with ICT Tools
Scientific information and its use. Need for quality scientific documentation. Scientific papers. Networked document databases. Specialized search engines. Bibliographic management tools. Knowing how to search the web.
MODULE 4: MEASUREMENT AND DATA COLLECTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES
- Measurement in Educational Research
Measurement in educational research. Techniques and tools. Measurement in social sciences. Statistical measurement levels. Measurement and statistical techniques. Technical characteristics of measuring instruments. Data collection techniques. Data collection tools.
MODULE 5: DATA ANALYSIS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
- Quantitative Data Analysis: Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
Quantitative methodology in educational research. The R Commander software. Descriptive data analysis. Normality distribution. Statistical inference. Parametric tests. Non-parametric tests. Analysis of variance. Definition of concepts and introduction to sampling.
- Multivariate Data Analysis
Introduction to multivariate analysis. The R Commander software. Multivariate analysis tools. Simulation and initial data exploration. Factor analysis. Typology and cluster analysis. Correspondence analysis. Discriminant analysis. Regression analysis. Segmentation analysis. The CHAID model.
- Qualitative Data Analysis
Main methods and techniques in qualitative analysis: thematic content analysis, category analysis, structural analysis, and critical discourse analysis. Data analysis: analysis and interpretation. The holistic perspective. Data. Data levels. How to analyze qualitative data. Thinking, working, and reconstructing data. Nvivo software. Report on research results. Research dissemination.
MODULE 6: SCIENTIFIC INTEGRATION, APPLICATION, AND PRODUCTION
- Research Paper Development, Presentation, and Defense
Research report. Evaluation of research reports. Analysis and review of the quality of the work. Compliance with regulations. Clarifications on oral expression. Preparation of the presentation. Research paper defense. Tips for a good defense. Oral presentation.
Note: The content of the academic program may be subject to slight modifications depending on updates or improvements made.