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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Design, conduct and co-ordinate research

SAQA US ID	UNIT STANDARD TITLE
9942	Design, conduct and co-ordinate research
ORIGINATOR
SGB Occupationally-directed ETD Practitioners
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-
FIELD			SUBFIELD
Field 05 - Education, Training and Development			Higher Education and Training
ABET BAND	UNIT STANDARD TYPE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	CREDITS
Undefined	Regular	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	10
REGISTRATION STATUS		REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE	SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date - Status was "Registered"		2000-10-11	2003-10-11	SAQA 0532/00
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2004-10-11		2007-10-11

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This unit standard does not replace any other unit standard and is not replaced by any other unit standard.

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD

Practitioners who have achieved this unit standard will be able to design a research project and conduct, write up and report on the research they have conducted. In addition, they will be competent to co-ordinate others in the conducting of research.

This competence will be integrated into a mastery of one or more academic or occupational disciplines. It will enable the practitioner to qualitatively improve all aspects of their practice, knowledge base, and on-going academic and professional development. This unit standard provides a basis for further research at a Masters level.

Practitioners with these research skills will be investigating existing bodies of knowledge in order to answer questions about ETD and/or occupational practice and theory.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Practitioners applying to enter a learning programme for this ETD standard -or applying to be assessed against this ETD standard -are assumed to have a qualification or equivalent competence in an occupation in which they will practice this ETD competence.

This standard describes the ETD competence, which will be needed for them to design, conduct and co-ordinate research in their occupational competence

UNIT STANDARD RANGE

The following statements provide a general guide to the scope and complexity of the competence expected of a practitioner:
1. Practitioners are required to demonstrate that they can perform the specific outcomes with understanding and reflexivity. However, at this level they will be creatively interpreting the "rules" or principles, which inform what they do.
2. The specific outcomes should be performed in line with an established methodology for designing, conducting and co-ordinating research. At this level the practitioner should be able to describe a spectrum of methodologies; to explain how their performance would differ if they used them and to justify their choice of methodology.
3. At this level, practitioners are expected to draw on and integrate insights and knowledge from beyond their occupational and ETD competences to the performance of the ETD competence described in this standard.

Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria:

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1

Select an area and topic for research.

OUTCOME NOTES

Select an area and topic for research by, e. g.,

considering the aims and objectives of the skills development strategy;

considering sector and workplace skills development plans; and

selecting areas or topics that will transform an element of ETD or occupational practice, or contribute to the development of a discipline.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

See Notes

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

The assessment of practitioners against this standard should meet the requirements of established assessment principles.

It will be necessary to develop assessment activities and tools, which are appropriate to the contexts in which practitioners are working. These activities and tools may include an appropriate combination of self-assessment and peer assessment; formative and summative assessment; portfolios and observations; etc.

The assessment should ensure that all the specific outcomes, critical cross-field outcomes, and essential embedded knowledge's are assessed.
1. The specific outcomes must be assessed through observation of performance. Supporting evidence should be used to prove competence of specific outcomes only when they are not clearly seen in the actual performance.
2. Essential embedded knowledge must be assessed in its own right, through oral and written evidence. It cannot be assessed only through seeing the knowledge being applied.
3. The specific outcomes and essential embedded knowledge must be assessed in relation to each other. If a practitioner is able to explain the essential embedded knowledge but is unable to perform the specific outcomes, they should not be assessed as competent. Similarly, if a practitioner is able to perform the specific outcomes but is unable to explain or justify their performance in terms of the essential embedded knowledge, they should also not be assessed as competent.
4. Evidence of the specified critical cross-field outcomes should be found both in performance and in the essential embedded knowledge.
5. Performance of the specific outcomes must actively affirm target groups of learners and not unfairly discriminate against any learners. Practitioners should also be able to justify their performance in terms of these values.
6. As occupation-directed ETD practice is intended to contribute to the goals outlined in the skills plans of the workplace, enterprise or sector, practitioners should explain how their performance does this.

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2

Select and apply appropriate research methodologies.

OUTCOME NOTES

Select and apply appropriate research methodologies by, e. g.,

considering research aims and resources available; and

considering disciplinary norms and bodies of knowledge.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

See Notes

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3

Design a research plan.

OUTCOME NOTES

Design a research plan by, e. g.,

considering research aims and selected methodologies as well as resources available; and

considering norms and ethics of the discipline or occupation concerned.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

See Notes

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4

Conduct and manage the research process according to the research action plan.

OUTCOME NOTES

Conduct and manage the research process according to the research action plan by, e. g.,

adapting both the plan and the implementation as necessary.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

See Notes

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 5

Interpret the data collected.

OUTCOME NOTES

Interpret the data collected with regard to the research question and methodology, hypothesis and topic concepts.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

See Notes

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 6

Evaluate the research process.

OUTCOME NOTES

Evaluate the research process by, e. g.,

considering the intended process and the extent to which the research question has been satisfactorily answered.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

See Notes

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 7

Make recommendations regarding future improvements to research.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

See Notes

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

SPECIFIC OUTCOME 8

Produce and present a research report.

OUTCOME NOTES

Produce and present a research report by, e. g.,

considering a format appropriate to the target audience

considering a format appropriate to the occupation or discipline.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1

See Notes

ASSESSMENT CRITERION NOTES

UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS

1. Anyone assessing a learner against this unit standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA.
2. Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this unit standard or will assess this unit standard must be accredited as a provider with the relevant ETQA.
3. Moderation of assessment will be overseen by the relevant ETQA according to the moderation guidelines in the relevant qualification and the agreed ETQA procedures.

Therefore anyone wishing to be assessed against this unit standard may apply to be assessed by any assessment agency, assessor or provider institution, which is accredited by the relevant ETQA.

UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE

Practitioners should be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of:
1. A range of research methodologies.
2. Communication techniques.
3. Validation techniques.
4. Data interpretation techniques.
5. Self management techniques.
6. Project management techniques.
7. Concepts underpinning research.
8. Acceptable formats for research action plans and techniques for compiling an action plan.
9. Information retrieval, including resource centres, libraries and electronic sources.
10. Acceptable methods for publishing research findings.
11. Appropriate research technologies.
12. Group dynamics.
13. Conceptual knowledge relating to the research topic.
14. Outcomes-based forms of designing, conducting and co-ordinating research, which are consistent with the aims and objectives of the National Qualifications Framework and Skills Development Strategy.
15. Forms of practice, which promote the values described in the Bill of Rights and the principles underpinning the Employment Equity Act.

Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO):

UNIT STANDARD CCFO IDENTIFYING

Identify and solve problems
e. g. practitioners will solve issues relating to group/stakeholder dynamics involved in the research; issues arising from the implementation of the research project; and issues relating to the research question/s.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO WORKING

Work in teams
e. g. working with stakeholders involved in the research. This would apply to both colleagues as well as to any stakeholders involved in the research.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING

Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information
e. g. this is the essence of the research project.

UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING

Communicate effectively
e. g. both in the process of research as well as in the sharing of research results, communication is an essential part of the research project.

UNIT STANDARD NOTES

VALUES
The ETD practice outlined in this unit standard should promote the values of affirmation and non-discrimination as described in the Bill of Rights and Employment Equity Act.

QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD:

	ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	STATUS	END DATE	PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
Core	13742	Degree: Occupation-directed Education, Training and Development Practice	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	Passed the End Date - Status was "Registered"	2003-10-11	ETDP SETA
Elective	22903	Bachelor of Environmental Education, Training and Development Practice	Level 6	Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L6	Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"	2023-06-30	CHE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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