This module will enable students to develop and enhance contemporary research methods and data analysis skills in sport and exercise. The content of the module includes: a critical appreciation of both quantitative and qualitative research, evaluating sources of data, appraising research designs, considering researcher’s philosophies, statistical data analysis via SPSS covering tests of differences and relationships, interpretation of research findings, and the presentation of research results. Students will learn practical analytical skills by working with provided sport and exercise datasets to conduct quantitative analyses, and report the results. A variety of approaches to qualitative research will be critically appraised (e.g., thematic analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis) and applied to sport and exercise datasets. The theoretical rationale for, and execution of, a range of inferential statistical techniques will also be covered (e.g., t-tests, correlations, regression, and mediation).

The module is examined through two assessments. All elements of assessment must be passed on this module to proceed:

Assessment 1: A quantitative data analysis report to conduct, report and interpret analyses completed on quantitative datasets provided (2,500 words) weighted at 50% to assess learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3.

Assessment 2: A qualitative data analysis report to conduct, report, and interpret analyses completed on qualitative data provided (2,500 words) weighted at 50% to assess learning outcomes 1, 4, and 5.

Students follow a distance learning guided study programme and access support material via Blackboard. Each week represents an Activity that contains a series of learning outcomes to be achieved, followed by tasks using a range of formats (e.g., video lectures, reading materials, step-by-step analysis instruction guides, asynchronous video tutorials) to achieve the learning outcomes. Students will be required to access additional support material independently. Within the Activities students will use the collaborative discussion boards to further reflect on and analyse their own work, and the work of their peers to facilitate learning. Students will have the opportunity to critically discuss module content with module tutors and their peers via a live webinar. The assessment set within the module will allow students to demonstrate understanding and critical analysis skills via content and task related activities drawn from the module topic areas. In addition to core tasks, further additional reading, optional tasks and specific preparation for the module assessments will be required. Students will receive formative feedback throughout the module comprising task-related feedback within the discussion boards, together with the opportunity for peer-learning in addition to comments from relevant tutors.

1. Demonstrate a critical appreciation of the nature of research and issues involved in analysing quantitative and qualitative data appropriately (e.g., statistical power, effect sizes, philosophy, reflexivity). Knowledge & Understanding
Learning

2. Choose, conduct, interpret (using SPSS), and report on appropriate parametric and/or non-parametric statistical tests.
Analysis
Application
Knowledge & Understanding
Problem Solving
Enquiry

3. Demonstrate a working understanding of statistical tests such as t-tests, Analyses of Variance, Multivariate Analysis, correlation, and regression.
Analysis
Application
Knowledge & Understanding
Problem Solving
Enquiry

4. Using sport and exercise datasets, and in an informed manner, choose, conduct, interpret, and report on appropriate qualitative analysis techniques (e.g., thematic analysis).
Analysis
Application
Enquiry
Knowledge and understanding
Problem solving
Reflection

5. Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to qualitative research methods (e.g., interview, focus groups) and analysis (e.g., grounded theory, interpretative phenomenological analysis).
Analysis
Application
Enquiry
Knowledge and understanding

Access to an appropriate PC, with accompanying software including Office 365 (MS Teams, One-Drive, Word, PowerPoint et al.), Adobe, and Java software.
Access to appropriate reading materials, which can be accesses through the Staffordshire University library resource page for sport and Exercise.
Access to SPSS Software via University license (note that SPSS does not work on Chromebooks).

Brace, N., Kemp, R., & Snelgar, R. (2018). SPSS for psychologists (and everybody else) (6th Ed.). London: Palgrave.
Sparkes, A. C., & Smith, B. (2014). Qualitative research methods in sport, exercise and health: From process to product. Oxon: Routledge.

This module will enable students to develop and enhance contemporary research methods and data analysis skills in sport and exercise. The content of the module includes: a critical appreciation of both quantitative and qualitative research, evaluating sources of data, appraising research designs, considering researcher’s philosophies, statistical data analysis via SPSS covering tests of differences and relationships, interpretation of research findings, and the presentation of research results. Students will learn practical analytical skills by working with provided sport and exercise datasets to conduct quantitative analyses and report the results. A variety of approaches to qualitative research will be critically appraised (e.g., thematic analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis) and applied to sport and exercise datasets. The theoretical rationale for, and execution of, a range of inferential statistical techniques will also be covered (e.g., t-tests, correlations, regression, and mediation).