TS3S003 - Evidence Based Practice 01 Sep 2023 - 31 Aug 2029 | Version 4

Associated Module Information

Module Code: TS3S003
Module Title: Evidence Based Practice
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Therapeutic Studies
Faculty Sub Group: Professional Learning in Education
Module Leader: Anna Fox
Module Team: Luke Colquhoun, Kirsten Amis, Andrew Dale, Michael Kay, Emma Dalgleish, Anna Playle, Kirsty Richards
First Intended Intake: SEP 2017 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 6
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100495 - counselling
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 4
Valid From 01 Sep 2023
Valid To 31 Aug 2029

Module Aims

Develop a critical understanding of the underpinnings of evidence-based practice which informs counselling.

Develop the skills necessary to engage in a small-scale research project to inform counselling practice.

Content Summary

Understanding research and how it informs practice:

Different ways of gathering information.

The importance of research to inform counselling.

Ethics in research.

Introduction to qualitative research methods.

Introduction to quantitative methods.

Engaging in research activities:

Reading and evaluating counselling research.

Formulating a research question.

Scoping, searching, selecting, analysing, synthesising and reporting on existing bodies of literature.

Evaluating the strengths and limitations of different types of research into counselling.

Writing research proposals.

*In order to meet the Professional Practice criteria for the course it is a requirement that you attend and actively participate in at least 80% of all timetabled lectures, meetings and other learning activities arranged as part of this module.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 18
Tutorial 1
Project supervision 3
Practical classes and workshops 11
Independent Study 92
Directed Study 72
Problem / challenge based learning 3
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Understand and evaluate the strengths and limitations of different research methodologies.
LO2 Ability to provide a proposal for a small-scale research project, including systematically reviewing relevant literature and proposing and justifying an appropriate research method.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Research Plan / Proposal / Project/ Log 1 Research proposal and literature review 0 3000 60 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Report 1 A critical analysis of two research articles demonstrating knowledge and understanding of different research methodologies. 0 2000 40 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Research Plan / Proposal / Project/ Log 1 ✘ ✔
Report 1 ✔ ✘

Reading List

Aveline, M. (2005) ‘Clinical case studies: their place in evidence-based practice’, Psychodynamic Practice, 11, pp. 133-152.

Aveyard, H. (2014) ‘Why do a literature review in health and social care?’, in Aveyard, H. (ed.) Doing a literature review in health and social care: a practical guide. 3rd edn. Maidenhead: Open University Press, pp. 20-36.

Barker, M. (2015) ‘Doing a literature review’, in Vossler, A. and Moller, N. (eds.) The counselling and psychotherapy research handbook. London: Sage Publications, pp. 61-73.

Dallos, R. and Vetere, A. (2005) Researching Psychotherapy and Counselling. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Donati, M. (2015). ‘Writing a research proposal’, in Vossler, A. and Moller, N. (eds.) The counselling and psychotherapy research handbook. London: Sage, pp. 116-128.

Finlay, L. (2020) ‘COVID-19 Took My Breath Away: A Personal Narrative’, The Humanistic Psychologist, 48 (4), pp. 321-339.

Georgiadou, L. (2016). ‘“You look like them”: Drawing on Counselling Theory and Practice to Reflexively Negotiate Cultural Difference in Research Relationships’, International journal for the advancement of counselling, 38(4), pp.358–368.

Knox, S. and Burkard, A.W. (2009) ‘Qualitative research interviews’,

Psychotherapy Research, 19 (4-5), pp. 566-575.

McLeod, J. (2003) ‘An Ethical Framework for Research Practice, in McLeod, J. (ed.) Doing Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy. 2nd edn. London: Sage, pp. 167-177.

McLeod, J. (2003) Doing counselling research. London: Sage.

McLeod, J. (2001) ‘Developing a research tradition consistent with the practices and values of counselling and psychotherapy: Why Counselling and Psychotherapy Research is necessary’, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 1(1), pp. 3-11.

McLeod, J. (1999) Practitioner research in counselling. London: Sage.

McLeod, J. (2001). ‘Qualitative inquiry and the reconstruction of counselling and psychotherapy’, in McLeod, J. (ed.) Qualitative research in counselling and psychotherapy. London: Sage, pp. 2-20.

McLeod, J. (2001) Qualitative research in counselling and psychotherapy. London: Sage.

McLeod, J. (2003) ‘Using Quantitative Methods’, in McLeod, J. (ed.), Doing counselling research. London: Sage.

Mitchels, B. (2019) Ethical guidelines for research in the counselling professions. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Available at: https://www.bacp.co.uk/media/3908/bacp-ethical-guidelines-for-research-in-counselling-professions-feb19.pdfhttps://www.bacp.co.uk/media/3908/bacp-ethical-guidelines-for-research-in-counselling-professions-feb19.pdf.

Prior, S. (2012) ‘“Pink at the heart of it”: the containment of vulnerability by a man and a boy in therapy for sexual abuse’, Psychodynamic Practice, 18 (2), pp. 213-229.

Punch, K.F. (2006) Developing Effective Research Proposals. Second Edition. London: Sage.

Wall, S. (2006) ‘An autoethnography on learning about autoethnography’, International journal of Qualitative Methods, 5 (2), pp. 146-160.