PSBA037 Bachelor’s Project Seminar

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2027
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Martin Jelínek, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
doc. Mgr. Vojtěch Juřík, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Helena Klimusová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
doc. PhDr. Petr Květon, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Martin Jelínek, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Kateřina Šefčíková
Supplier department: Department of Psychology – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
PSBA016 Methodology of Psychology II && PSBA019 Statistics II
No prerequisites required.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Abstract
The course builds upon previous methodology- and statistics-oriented courses, particularly Methodology of Psychology I and II and Statistics I and II. Its main objective is to guide students towards the development of a high-quality research project and the subsequent practical implementation of their research.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to manage all phases of the research preparation process. They will be capable of formulating research objectives, identifying and reviewing relevant literature, and compiling a comprehensive theoretical overview of the topic. They will critically derive a theoretical model based on the reviewed literature and formulate research questions or hypotheses. Students will be able to choose an appropriate research methodology, design a research proposal, and carry out data collection. They will also be able to perform appropriate data analyses, draw conclusions and interpretations, and critically evaluate their own research, situating their findings within both research and applied contexts. In the case of a theoretical study, students will demonstrate the ability to critically distinguish and evaluate scientific knowledge, synthesize different approaches and theories beyond existing summaries and theoretical studies, conduct critical analyses of a sufficient number of primary sources in particular, assess the contribution, methodological soundness, and empirical basis of published theories and approaches, and derive their own logical conclusions and/or models. They will also be able to propose directions for future research or methodological procedures.
Key topics
  • Topic Selection – Description and justification of the chosen research/theoretical problem
  • Empirical Study – Review of fundamental literature, narrowing down the topic and formulating objectives – description and justification of the conceptual model derived from theory (how the constructs are related and why), formulation of research questions and general hypotheses. Clear definition of the studied constructs. Choice of methodology and research design – operationalization of constructs: which methods are generally used to study the given constructs; which methods were chosen by the student and why. Formulation of specific research hypotheses (if applicable to the research type). Preparation of methods and data collection.
  • Systematic Literature Review – Clear formulation of the theoretical work’s objective, process of selecting analyzed concepts with justification, formulation of core arguments, detailed outline of the paper including addressed topics, literature review.
Study resources and literature
    required literature
  • FIELD, Andy P. Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. 6th edition. Los Angeles: Sage, 2024, xxxii, 111. ISBN 9781529630008. info
  • GOODWIN, Kerri A. and C. James GOODWIN. Research in psychology : methods and design. Eighth edition. Hoboken: Wiley, 2017, xx, 455. ISBN 9781119330448. info
  • MIOVSKÝ, Michal. Kvalitativní přístup a metody v psychologickém výzkumu. Vydání 1. Praha: Grada, 2006, 332 stran. ISBN 9788024713625. info
    recommended literature
  • MAREŠ, Jiří. Přehledové studie: jejich typologie, funkce a způsob vytváření. Pedagogická orientace. Brno: ČPdS, 2013, vol. 23, No 4, p. 427-454. ISSN 1211-4669. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5817/PedOr2013-4-427. info
Approaches, practices, and methods used in teaching
Individual and group consultations
Method of verifying learning outcomes and course completion requirements
In the initial sessions, students propose their own topic for the bachelor’s thesis project, which is gradually specified and developed into a full research proposal. Particular emphasis is placed on the level of students’ engagement and discussion activity during consultations. Credit is awarded based on an evaluation of the project’s development in relation to the criteria required for a bachelor’s thesis project.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught each semester.
The course is taught every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2026.
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2027/PSBA037