Important notice
The course guide is provisional.
The PDF version of the course guide may take a few days to become available in the DDD.
Master's Degree Dissertation
Code: 43894Credits: 12
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Sport and Exercise Psychology | TFE | 2 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Eva Parrado Romero
- Email :
- eva.parrado@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Yago Ramis Laloux
- Anna Jordana Casas
- Eva Parrado Romero
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
This module does not have prerequisites, but it is recommended that the student completes all the modules of the first and second semesters of the Master's Degree in Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity prior to enrolling in this module with a special mention to the subect "Research Strategies". It is also recommended that the student has already an allocated supervisor and that the compromise document between student and supervisor has been signed including information about the content, timing and supervision tasks associated to the Master’s Degree Dissertation.
Objectives
The Master’s Degree Dissertation (MDD) aims at confronting the student with a practical case of research, evaluation and/or intervention related to the activities developed in the previous modules of the Master Program, to the external practices and to the lines of research of the supervisors of the master's degree.
Once the MDD has been finished, the student should be able to:
- Present a problem or identify needs from the field of sport and physical activity psychology.
- Collect and analyze relevant information regarding the state of the art in relation to the topic of interest.
- Design and develop a series of objectives and actions that respond to the problem or opportunity.
- Communicate to different partners the relevance of the problem or the opportunity, as well as the relevance and viability of the solution or response developed.
The expected outputs of the MDD include: an abstract and initial project proposal, a written report describing the design and development of the project, a brief oral presentation of the project and the results obtained, and a social media outreach item that communicates the main idea of the work in an accessible way.
Learning outcomes
- CA33 (Defend research or applied practice in the field of sports psychology or physical activity.) Defend research or applied practice in the field of sports psychology or physical activity.
- CA34 (Interpret the results derived from research or their own intervention in the field of sports psychology or physical activity.) Interpret the results derived from research or their own intervention in the field of sports psychology or physical activity.
- CA35 (Integrate ethical responsibility, respect for diversity and democratic values into their own intervention or research project.) Integrate ethical responsibility, respect for diversity and democratic values into their own intervention or research project.
- CA36 (Integrate ethical and social considerations in the preparation of an intervention or research report identifying inequalities based on sex / gender.) Integrate ethical and social considerations in the preparation of an intervention or research report identifying inequalities based on sex / gender.
- CA37 (Integrate information from different professional models for the development of their own intervention model in sports psychology or physical activity.) Integrate information from different professional models for the development of their own intervention model in sports psychology or physical activity.
- CA38 (Generate a weekly work schedule incorporating the actions necessary to develop a research project or applied practice.) Generate a weekly work schedule incorporating the actions necessary to develop a research project or applied practice.
- CA39 (Communicate in a rigorous and synthetic way the results obtained in an applied project or research of their own elaboration.) Communicate in a rigorous and synthetic way the results obtained in an applied project or research of their own elaboration.
- SA17 (Appropriately use scientific terminology in written reports and oral presentations.) Appropriately use scientific terminology in written reports and oral presentations.
- SA18 (Determine the objectives, target population, instruments and procedures of an applied or research project.) Determine the objectives, target population, instruments and procedures of an applied or research project.
- SA19 (Identify updates and future lines in the methods and work processes in sport and exercise psychology providing responses to the needs and demands of our society.) Identify updates and future lines in the methods and work processes in sport and exercise psychology providing responses to the needs and demands of our society.
- SA20 (Analyse data, whether quantitative or qualitative, obtained in a research project or applied practice.) Analyse data, whether quantitative or qualitative, obtained in a research project or applied practice.
Contents
Throughout the Master's Degree in Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, and specifically during the supervision of the MDD, students will acquire sufficient competencies and resources to carry out their own research in the following three types:
- Professional: Development of a practical case of assessment or intervention in the context where the student has conducted his/her external practices or in a different context in which he or she has access to.
- Empirical research: A research project that, based on specific and relevant objectives, involves a data collection design and an evaluation of results.
- Theoretical research: systematic review with the purpose of (a) evaluating an existing project, program or methodology; (b) providing critical reflection on specific topics of interest with a focus on identifying areas scarcely studied or problematic in the current state of research; or (c) developing guidelines for the applied practice of different areas of professional activity in the field of sport and physical activity psychology.
The MDD can be presented in Catalan, Spanish or English. The dissertation must include abstracts in English, Catalan and Spanish. The approximate length of the dissertation should be that of a scientific article. That is, between 5000 and 7000 words including abstracts, graphic elements and references.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordination and evaluation | 2.5 | 0.1 | CA33, CA34, CA35, CA36, CA37, CA38, CA39, SA17, SA18, SA19, SA20 |
| MDD Development | 275 | 11 | CA33, CA34, CA35, CA36, CA37, CA38, CA39, SA17, SA18, SA19, SA20 |
| Mentoring with the academic tutor | 20 | 0.8 | CA33, CA34, CA35, CA36, CA37, CA38, CA39, SA17, SA18, SA19, SA20 |
The 12 ECTS (300h) of the MDD are basically earned from autonomous work (275h) and, to a lesser extent, from supervised work (20h) and evaluation (2.5h). Although no directed teaching is projected in this module, there will be sessions organized during the first course of the Master’s degree with the aim of (a) presenting the functioning of the module, (b) explaining in detail the characteristics and the process of preparation of the MDD, and (c) facilitating the process of supervisor allocation and preparation of the project draft.
The MDD will have a content supervisor that will track the process through different follow-up sessions. This tutoring has the purpose of clarifying the typology of dissertation, offering models and frameworks for the fundamental aspects of the dissertation, guiding students during the process and offering them feedback.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial summary of the project | 15% | 0.5 | 0.02 | CA38, SA18, SA19 |
| Science Communication | 5% | 0 | 0 | CA33, CA35, CA39 |
| Final report of the MDD | 50% | 1.5 | 0.06 | CA33, CA34, CA35, CA36, CA37, SA17, SA18, SA19, SA20 |
| Public defense | 30% | 0.5 | 0.02 | CA39, SA17 |
The evaluation system of the MDD includes four results that arise from the research exercise: the Initial Project Summary (EV1), the Final Report (EV2), the Public Defense (EV3), and the Science Communicarion Activity (EV4). The Initial Project Summary and the Public Defense will be assessed by external evaluators, while the Final Report will be evaluated by the supervising tutor. The Science Communicarion Activity will be assessed through peer evaluation.
In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks such as information or bibliography search. Copying or plagiarism, as well as a lack of transparency regarding the use of AI, will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in partial or total penalties on the grade of the activity, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.
Feedback on the assessment evidence will be provided by the individuals responsible for evaluating each type of evidence (the supervising tutor in the case of EV2, external evaluators for EV1 and EV3, and classmates for EV4), as follows:
| Type of Feedback | Evidence and Type | Week |
| Written |
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| Digital Tool |
|
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| In class |
|
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| Tutorial | EV1: Initial Summary (written) | 6 |
|
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EV2: Final Report (written) | Up to 2 weeks after submission |
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EV3: Public Defense (oral) | Up to 2 weeks after defense |
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EV4: Science Communicarion (written) | Up to 2 weeks after defense |
Bibliography
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association (7th Edition).
Appelbaum, M., Cooper, H., Kline, R. B., Mayo-wilson, E., Nezu, A. M., Rao, S. M., & Clinic, C. (2018). Journal Article Reporting Standards for Quantitative Research in Psychology : The APA Publications and Communications Board Task Force Report. American Psychologist, 73(1), 3–25.
Levitt, H. M., Bamberg, M., Creswell, J. W., Frost, D. M., & Suárez-orozco, C. (2018). Journal Article Reporting Standards for Qualitative Primary , Qualitative Meta-Analytic , and Mixed Methods Research in Psychology : The APA Publications and Communications Board Task Force Report. American Psychologist, 73(1), 26–46.
Moher, D., Libertati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151(4), 264-270. http://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135
UAB regulation for intelectual property and data management : https://webs.uab.cat/dretsautor/
Software
Not applicable.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TFMm) Treball de fi de màster | 1 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |