Study Skills for Master's Level Students, second edition: A Reflective Approach for Health and Social Care

Introduction

In the current context of an increasing graduate workforce and the resulting development of postgraduate provision for continuing professional development (CPD), there is a general understanding in higher education (HE) circles that, at postgraduate level, students aim to be independent and self-directed learners. Therefore, within Master’s level courses there exists an expectation of relative independence alongside an emphasis on the centrality of the student’s individual learning needs. As experienced academics working in HE, we feel that there is a paucity of guidance to enable students to understand what becoming an ‘independent learner’ entails and on how to identify and recognise individual learning needs.

This text will therefore explore the world of Master’s study – its context, regulation and operation – in order to assist students to develop capability in both thinking and writing at Master’s level. This will be achieved through the use of practical and reflective activities aimed at recognising and developing the use of higher academic skills. Such skills include critical thinking, using literature and writing to demonstrate distinctive and independent thought with the synthesis of ideas and critical engagement with alternative views. Also, through being encouraged to think reflectively, analytical thinking skills and self-learning will be developed.

However, please note that this text will focus mainly on the needs of taught Master’s students (for our definition of what this is, please see Chapter 1). Also note that, although research as a discipline is not specifically addressed in the text, the thinking and writing skills required for undertaking a research project are developed throughout the book. Research skills will be referred to in the text and the students will be signposted to the plethora of texts that exist specifically to develop skills in research methods.

USING THIS BOOK

This book has been written to support students who are new to studying at postgraduate level and who want to understand the difference between studying at Bachelor’s level and studying at Master’s level. The book may also be useful to those students who would consider themselves established within a postgraduate course but who need to revisit the principles of studying at that level, and may even be a useful resource to those academic staff who are supporting students at Master’s level. While we would encourage you to read the book as a complete narrative, you may wish to dip in and out of chapters as your needs arise over the duration of your studies.

Content and coverage

Chapter 1, ‘What is Masterly?’ This chapter essentially sets the context for the book by introducing the reader to a number of different facts about, and approaches to, postgraduate study. By examining the difference between Bachelor’s level and Master’s level of study, it seeks to demystify learning outcomes by encouraging the student to consider both the specific personal aims of postgraduate study as well as considering the wider goals of postgraduate education, and to consider how these might be achieved and evidenced.

Chapter 2, ‘What is Critical Thinking?’ This chapter examines more closely one of the key skills of working and writing at Master’s level – that of critical thinking. The concept and theory of critical thinking will be explored and activities will be used to develop students’ critical thinking skills.

Chapter 3, ‘Becoming an Independent Learner’. This chapter examines the concept of independence as it applies to higher-level study. This is about strategies that the students can employ in order to manage their postgraduate studies effectively and includes support mechanisms for students during their programme of study.

Chapter 4, ‘Finding and Critiquing Literature’. This chapter aims to develop students’ ability to find high-quality literature, to critique it, to challenge theory, and to apply the findings within debate and argument. The issue of plagiarism will also be considered.

Chapter 5, ‘Writing at Master’s Level’. This chapter explores the expectations for students’ writing at postgraduate level. It covers addressing posed questions, pursuing arguments, structuring the argument, examining the skill of writing interesting and appropriate introductions and conclusions, and considers the use of abstracts. The use of theory, concepts and paradigms is also explored.

Chapter 6, ‘How to get Published’. This chapter presents and considers the obligation to share knowledge among the academic community and discusses both tools and tips for getting published.

Chapter 7, ‘Applying Postgraduate Knowledge and Skills in the Workplace’. This chapter looks at why it is so important to apply postgraduate skills within the workplace. The concept of employability will be explored and students will be encouraged to examine and develop the skills that make them ‘employable’. There is also a discussion of the benefits of Master’s thinkers in the workplace, including the impact on improving practice and the quality of care delivery.

THE AUTHORS

Debbie Casey is a senior lecturer in the School of Health and Community Studies at Leeds Beckett University. As a registered nurse she has held a range of senior clinical posts. She has been involved in supporting learning in the practice setting, within an education, development and training department of a large NHS Trust and as a lecturer for the Open University. Her current teaching portfolio includes continuing professional development for health and social care professionals across a range of academic levels. She holds an MA in health care studies.

Liz Clark is a Principal Lecturer in the School of Health and Community Studies at Leeds Beckett University, with wide experience of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students within nursing, health and social care. Prior to working in higher education, she held a range of senior clinical and educational posts within a large NHS Trust. Her current portfolio includes supporting learners in practice, research in practice and student transition to postgraduate study. She holds an MSc in Health Professional Education and is currently undertaking a Doctorate in Education.

Sally Hayes works as Director of Strategy, Planning and Resources in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies at the Open University. She has experience of teaching students at different academic levels within nursing and health care related professions. Her Master’s level education was an MA in management and leadership with the Nuffield Institute of Leeds University and this was undertaken while working as a lead nurse in a Primary Care Trust. She completed her Doctorate of Education in 2013 examining the policy, professional and individual discourses surrounding the move to an all-graduate profession of nursing. She sees education as transformational for both individuals and society, and is particularly interested in facilitating the development of practitioners who base their practice on a journey of lifelong learning through critical reflection.

1

What is Masterly?

This chapter covers the following key issues:

the opportunities that Master’s level study offers students;

consideration of the issues Master’s level students face during their studies;

types of Master’s level courses;

the difference between Bachelor’s and Master’s level study and outcomes;

the regulation of higher education and the role of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA);

types of content, structure and delivery;

the types of assessment, learning and teaching students may experience.

By the end of this chapter you should be able to:

understand the different types of Master’s courses available;

explain the differences between Bachelor’s and Master’s level courses in terms of what is expected of you as the student;

describe the role of the QAA;

explain how Master’s courses may be structured and delivered;

describe the types of assessment, learning and teaching methods that you might encounter.

INTRODUCTION

Relatively little literature exists regarding the transition to postgraduate study, and the research or literature to support learning that is available tends to focus on doctoral study. O’Donnell et al. (2009) surmise that this may be based on an assumption that once students graduate with their first degree, postgraduate-level study simply represents ‘more of the same’, or ‘taking things to the next level’, and that therefore there is little (if anything) in the way of a transition to be undertaken. As academics supporting students to take that leap into Master’s level study, we disagree with this assumption. Furthermore, we support findings from the research that suggest that difficulties in the transition to postgraduate study are experienced as difficulties in the mastery of key skills or academic practices, suggesting that postgraduate students do not come ‘equipped’ for their studies in higher education (O’Donnell et al., 2009). Students come to Master’s level study with very different expectations and experiences and with different levels of skills in areas such as writing, use of information technology (IT) and even in their ability to access and identify relevant literature. The standard use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) such as, for example, Blackboard, can therefore be quite a challenge to some students whose IT skills simply have not kept pace with advancements since completing their Bachelor’s degree. However, the most common anecdotal anxiety is ‘What is different about Master’s level study and what does Master’s level writing look like?’ This book is therefore intended to support students who are new to Master’s level study and who are seeking help in understanding what is expected of them and the challenges that will be coming their way.

STUDYING AT MASTER’S LEVEL

There are many reasons why individuals who already have a Bachelor’s degree wish to undertake further study at Master’s level. Some of these reasons may be professional – for example, career development through studying a Master’s in advanced practice, in order to develop nursing practice to include assessment, diagnosis and treatment in a nurse practitioner role or a consultant therapist role. Other reasons might include: looking for competitive advantage at interview; a love of reading; a wish to recapture the experience of university life and education; or simply a lust for learning. All of these reasons may apply as motivations for professionals from health and social care backgrounds. However, there may be further reasoning. In professions where learning is recognised and valued as driving quality and where reflective practice is a reality, individuals often need the space that academic study can give to stop, unravel, examine and re-create understanding and solutions to the everyday problems that they face in practice. They are looking for the opportunity to face those problems as a ‘master’. But what does this mean; what is ‘masterly’? Why does undertaking Master’s level study make a difference to the ways in which health and social care practitioners think and practise and, importantly, in what ways does it benefit patients and service users?

Various types of Master’s degrees exist in the UK, reflecting the independent nature of higher education institutions and the diversity of traditions that exist within different disciplines. For students, this means that there are no nationally agreed definitions of types of award and also that awards with similar titles can vary in nature both between institutions and across disciplines. However, all Master’s degrees are expected to meet the generic statement of outcomes set out by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) in the UK Quality Code for Higher Education (QAA, 2014) and the Characteristics Statement – Master’s Degree (QAA, 2015). The qualification descriptor sets out broad expected outcomes for a Master’s degree in terms of what graduates should be able to demonstrate and the wider abilities that they would be expected to have developed.

According to the QAA, the opportunities that Master’s study offers students include the following:

Focusing on a particular aspect of a broader subject area in which they have prior knowledge or experience, whether through previous study or employment.

Focusing on a particular subject area or field of study in greater depth than they encountered during the course of previous study or experience.

Learning how to conduct research, often linked to a particular discipline or field of study. Such programmes often include a greater emphasis on the delivery of structured learning as opposed to independent study.

Undertaking a research project on a topic within the area of interest that makes up the majority of the overall assessment and is normally undertaken with little structured learning.

Specialising or becoming more highly specialised in an area of employment or practice related to a particular profession.

(adapted from QAA, 2009)

Furthermore, in the UK three broad and different ‘types’ of Master’s degrees are often described and have been defined by the QAA in their publication Characteristics Statement – Master’s Degree (QAA, 2015). These types are:

research Master’s;

specialised/advanced study Master’s;

professional/practice Master’s.

The QAA classifies them using:

programme characteristics;

programme purposes;

intended entrants;

relation to further study or employment;

characteristics of graduates.

The following descriptors are adapted from the QAA’s document Master’s Degree Characteristics Statement (QAA, 2015).

1. Research Master’s – for example, the MPhil

The characteristics of the programmes in this category are that they are typically of one to two years’ duration, with two years being most common (based on a full-time mode of study). The research component is larger than the taught component and the student normally conducts a research project through independent study with the inclusion of a smaller ‘taught’ element like, for example, research methods modules. Assessment is often specific to the individual and likely to be via oral examination that involves discussion/defence of a thesis, dissertation or other output such as an artefact, performance or musical composition. Research Master’s are less common than other types in health and social care.

The purpose of the programme is to prepare students for the next stage in their careers, whether pursuing further research or entering employment of different kinds, and to enable those undertaking the programme to contribute towards research in the discipline.

The type of entrant (or admission requirement) is defined by the institution but often requires a Bachelor’s degree with honours in a cognate or closely related subject, although experience through work or other means may also be considered appropriate.

In terms of further study or employment, graduates of Research Master’s programmes will normally be prepared to enter a variety of types of employment or to continue to doctoral study.

Graduates typically have subject-specific attributes including an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the discipline informed by current scholarship and research, the ability to study independently in the subject, and the ability to use a range of techniques and research methods applicable to advanced scholarship in the subject, plus generic attributes such as communication skills.

2. Specialised/advanced study Master’s – for example, the MSc, MA, MRes and integrated Master’s

The characteristics of the programmes in this category are that they are often ‘taught’, include research methods training, and at least a third of the programme is devoted to a research project or dissertation. They are typically of 9 to 18 months’ duration based on a full-time mode of study. These programmes include integrated Master’s degrees (integrated with study at the level of a Bachelor’s with honours degree within a single programme) and they also include the MRes, where the student develops the ability