Shaw University

Department of Education

 

ECI 692

The Design of Educational Research and Evaluation

 

Instructor:       C. Harold McManus, Ph.D.                                                                                                             Phone: (919) 546-8677

Office:               311 TOS                                                                                                                                           Email:  cmcmanus@shawu.edu

Meeting Time: 1:30 – 4:00 pm. Sat, TOS 116                                                                                                                                               Office Hours:  Sat 1:00 1:30

Semester:         Spring 2008                                                                                                                                      Th 2:00  3:00 

 

Conceptual Framework Theme

 

The theme/purpose of the conceptual framework undergirding the Department of Education’s programs is: to produce graduates who are critical thinking problem solvers with the knowledge, pedagogical, and technological skills, and professional dispositions needed to function as effective teachers in a diverse world.

 

Department of Education Mission Statement

 

The Shaw University Department of Education builds on the knowledge, skills, and values that students acquire through their liberal arts and science foundations.  Candidates graduating from the department will have the specialty area knowledge, professional skills, and experiences that will enable them to function as competent and effective teachers who think critically and demonstrate effective problem-solving skills.

 

Departmental majors may choose a specific concentration from four different specialty areas.  Each student is encouraged to choose one of the specialty areas listed below by the end of his/her sophomore year.

 

Birth through Kindergarten Education (B-K)

Elementary Education (K-6)

 

Graduate students may pursue a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Early Childhood Education.

 

[The Secondary English Education (9-12) and Secondary Mathematics Education (9-12) programs are housed in the content areas.  The University suspended the Special Education: General Curriculum (K-12) Program, effective in fall 2006.]

 

Department of Education Goals

           

The goals of the Department of Education are:

 

1.      to align the institutional mission and goals with state, regional, national, and departmental  standards and requirements; 

 

2.      to prepare candidates to work in schools as teachers who know and can demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all P-12 students learn;

 

3.      to implement an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and unit operations to evaluate and improve the unit and its programs;

 

4.      to collaborate with school partners to design, implement, and evaluate field experiences and clinical practice so that teacher candidates develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn;

5.      to design, implement, and evaluate curriculum and experiences for candidates to acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn;

 

6.      to maintain a qualified faculty that models best professional practices in scholarship, service, and teaching; and

 

7.      to maintain the leadership, authority, budget, personnel, facilities, and resources for the preparation of candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

 

Required Texts

Sax, G. (1996).  Principles of Educational and Psychological Measurement and

Evaluation, 3rd Edition.  Belmont , CA.  Wadsworth Publishing Company.

            ISBN 0534257496

 

Additional readings will be assigned during the term.

 

General Course Description

This is a graduate level course devoted to research methods and will focus on proposal development.  Building upon the foundation of ECI 691, this course will explore how to develop a research proposal including title page, abstract, introduction, a statement of the problem, a literature review, thesis statement, methodology, results/findings, discussion, summary, conclusions, and references.  Ideally, the project developed in the course will become the student’s actual masters’ thesis proposal, which should be ready for presentation as early as the following semester.  This is an asynchronous web-enhanced course and uses the capabilities of the internet to promote effective learning and the acquisition of useful skills.  The Blackboard Courseview Platform will provide a foundation for this course. You should have a basic understanding of how to test for relationships, mean differences and predictive relationships as well as basic computational concepts BEFORE taking this course. Prerequisite: ECI 691 or an equivalent graduate-level statistical class.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

 

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

 

1.              Demonstrate their ability to synthesize the knowledge drawn from several interrelated courses in the broad area of the psychological foundations of education, curriculum and instruction, and early childhood education.

2.              Demonstrate their understanding of the knowledge of concepts and techniques, including the use of technology for scholarly research and evaluation.

3.              Demonstrate their understanding of research design and methodology to by designing a research proposal (that will later be developed into a masters’ thesis) related to an approved topic in early childhood education.

Specific North Carolina Standards and Indicators

 

STANDARDS

FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE LICENSE

                                                                                                                                               

 

Teachers granted the master’s degree license are expected to have demonstrated the following knowledge skills, and dispositions which are derived from research findings, reports of best practice, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

 

 

A. Instructional Expertise

 

The candidate demonstrates instructional expertise by applying the theoretical, philosophical, and research bases for educational practice in P-12 settings to improve student learning.

 

 

 

B. Knowledge of Learners

 

The candidate incorporates knowledge of the nature of the learner, learning processes, variations in learning abilities and learning styles, and strategies for evaluating learning into the planning, delivery, and evaluation of instruction.      

 

 

 

C. Research

 

The candidate uses research to examine and improve instructional effectiveness and student achievement.

 

 

C. Research continued

 

Indicators:

 

1.      The candidate, based on a supplied rubric, will critically read and apply historical and

      contemporary educational literature, including theoretical, philosophical, and research

      materials.

2.      The candidate will investigate educational problems through action research.

3.      The candidate will investigate educational problems using the scientific method.

4.      The candidate will engage in the development of a complex APA-styled research project.

 

 

D. Content Knowledge

 

The candidate demonstrates advanced depth and breadth of knowledge and skills in the academic discipline and in education.

 

Indicators:

 

1.      The candidate demonstrates theoretical and applied advanced content knowledge.

2.      The candidate understands current knowledge and trends in education.

 

 

E. Professional Development and Leadership

 

The candidate engages in continued professional development and provides leadership at the classroom, school, and community levels, and within the profession.

 

Indicators:

 

1.      The candidate initiates professional inquiry through reading, dialogue, reflection, professional development, and action research.

2.      The candidate seeks, evaluates, and as appropriate, acts on input from educators, parents, students, and other members of the community for continuous improvement.

3.      The candidate participates, formally and informally, in appropriate professional communities.

4.      The candidate participates in collaborative leadership to address educational problems.

 

 

Course Assignments

 

This course engages students with the practical application and appreciation of educational research and evaluation. Classroom discussions begin with the most fundamental concepts and progresses in a logical fashion through basic research to thesis proposal writing. All assignments MUST be submitted to the Blackboard digital drop box. Hard copies of all assignments should also be submitted. Graded items should be placed in a portfolio.

 

Students will:

 

·        Research and choose a proposal topic in the field of early childhood education.

 

·        Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of educational design and methodology and apply this understanding to the design of their proposal by drafting the research proposal (including introduction, clearly defined statement of the problem, review of the literature, and an overview of methods to be used or a discussion of optional methods, and calendar).  

 

·        Share writing with professor and advisor and incorporate his/her feedback into future draft(s).

 

Student performance will be evaluated with a number of assessments that will be provided along with assignment descriptions.

 

1.      Reading Assignments.  The textbook and selected web-based readings have been selected to provide background knowledge, foundations, content, and ways to use research and evaluation to improve learning for children aged birth through kindergarten.  You are expected to read and conduct research based on the foundations developed in the text and assigned readings. Specific assignments will be announced to support your learning experiences (C1, 2, 3;. D1, D3, 4; E1)

 

2.  Journal Article Analysis.  Read and send a copy twenty (20) journal articles   

      related to your research interest. Write a two page (double-spaced and typed)   

analysis on the overall quality of the research article with focus on the research methodology. Use NC-Live and request a full-text version of the articles.  Submit the PDF copy of the article with your analysis. You must be prepared to discuss your article during class or on the Discussion Board. (C1, 3; D3, 4; E1).

 

Write your analysis according to the following format: (Use a-h below as headings)

a.  APA citation (at the top of your analysis doubled spaced)

b.  Introduction

c.  Hypotheses tested

d.  Method section

f.   Results/Findings

g.  Conclusions relevant to the quality of the article

h.  Implications of the Research for Practice

 

 

 

 Technology Competence.  Demonstrate competence in the following areas:

             

A.          Web Search:  Find refereed research material that focused on birth through kindergarten or early childhood education issues (C1, 3; D 3, 4; E 1).

B.           Microsoft Excel:  Enter various data sets into Excel to compute simple statistics (C1, 3; D3, 4).

C.          SPSS-PC:  Interpret data sets produced by SPSS-PC and draw appropriate conclusions (C1, 3; D3, 4).

  

3.      Teacher-Made Tests.  The three examinations for this course will cover the materials from the textbook, class discussions and assigned readings. ( C1, 3; D3, 4; E1, 2).

 

4.      Thesis Proposal.  Complete your thesis proposal and share it with your advisor and professor. Present your final products in class using technology (C1, 3; D3, 4; E1, 3).    

 

    6.    Library Component. The librarian from the Curriculum Material Center will

be available to help each student identify “Research resources” to develop the thesis proposal.  The professor will help you with your library skills in the following areas:   

 

·        How to write thesis using the APA style (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed.)

·        How to use NC-Live databases to locate research sources

·        How to locate sources in the Curriculum Material Center and campus library

·        Tips on effectively using Microsoft Word, Access, and PowerPoint.

 

 

To provide feedback on this library component, students will be asked to complete an evaluation form.

 

Course Requirements

 

All written assignments must be typed, double-spaced using a 12–point Time New Roman font. Assignments should include an APA-styled cover page with the student’s name, date, assignment title, course number, and semester.  Each assignment should be proofread and free of grammatical errors.  All assignments should be submitted to the drop box in Blackboard, and hard copies should be submitted to the instructor. Common rubrics, stored in Blackboard will be used to assess each assignment. Assessed work products will be sent to students via Blackboard. All graded work will be placed in the Course portfolio.

 

 

Assignments/Topical Course Outline

 

Date

Topic

Class activity/Assignment Due

 

1/12/08

 

Introduction to Educational Research

 

Please start the NCI training and complete by the deadline below.

 

Complete the Academic Integrity workshop by 1.19.2007.

 

Submit the NCI Certificate and the academic integrity quiz to the dropbox.

Read chapters 1 & 2

 NCI IRB training workshop at the external links section.

 

Academic Integrity workshop at the external links sections.

 

Be able to discuss the history and development evaluation in education.  Pay close attention to ethnical issues and alternative approaches to assessing students.

1/19/08

 

 

Observational research

Individual and group behavior

Summarizing and interpreting measurement

Read chapters 6 & 7

 

King Holiday weekend

1/22/08

Last Day to Add or drop a class

 

 

1/26/08

 

 

 

Developing Research Questions and Research Proposal Preparation.

Read chapter 8

Complete the NCI IRB training workshop and print certificate.

 

Formulate Conceptual and/or Theoretical Framework. Identify research questions for your thesis topic.

2/02/08

 

 

Research Ethics.

 

The Tuskegee Study and other examples will be discussed.

Assigned reading posted

Discussion of IRB information and requirements. Literature Review.

2/09/08

 

 

Standardized Measurement and Assessment

Assigned reading posted

Thesis proposal chapter 1 draft due

2/16/08

 

Methods of Data Collection

Assigned reading posted

Thesis proposal Chapter 2 draft due.

2/23/08

 

 

The empirical process overview

Exam #1 will post on

2/27/2008 and is due by 7:00 PM on 2/29/2008

3/01/08

 

 

Reliability & Validity

Read chapters 9 & 10

 

 

Date

Topic

Class activity/Assignment Due

3/08/08

 

Data collecting instruments

Selecting a test

Intelligence

Group test

Read chapters 11 & 12

Completed thesis proposal due (Chapters 1-3) to dropbox by 3/6/08 @ 9:00 PM

3/15/08

 

 

Qualitative and Historical research

Exam #2 will post on 3.17.2008 & due by 3.20.2008 @ 7:00 PM.

Revisions due 3/21/08 by 7:00 PM

3/21 – 3/30

 

Spring Break

No Class on 3/22/08 &  3/29/08

Read chapters 13, 14, 15, & 16

4/05/08

 

 

Measuring aptitude, academic achievement, interest, attitudes, and values.

Anticipated Findings – chapter 4 draft due to dropbox by 1700 Hours on 4/07/2008

4/12/08

Measuring personality

Evaluating programs

Assigned reading posted

 

4/19/08

 

 

Formal research proposals

Exam #3 will post on 4.14.2008 and will be due by 4.17.2008 by 7:00 PM.

4/26/08

 

 

 

 Presentation of Thesis Proposal           

 

 

Presentation of complete thesis proposal to class and submission of paper.

 

5/02/08

Final Exam Due by 5:00 PM

Verify you class portfolio. 

 

 

Course Evaluation

 

Grading:  Grading will be on a 100% scale:  100-90% =A (Target); 89-80% = B (Acceptable); 79-70% = C (Acceptable); 69-60% = D (Unacceptable); and below 60% = F (Unacceptable).  Common rubrics to assess performance on assignments will be used.  Performance at target, acceptable, and unacceptable levels will be assessed for all assignments. 

                  Item(s)                                          Value per                              Cumulative

1.      Three examinations             100 points                                300 Points

            2.   One Final Exam                              100 points                               100 Points

3.   One Research proposal draft          050 points                                050 Points

      4.   One Research proposal update       050 points                                050 Points

      5.   One full thesis Proposal                050 points                                   050 Points

      6.   One full thesis revision                 050 points                                    050 Points

      7.   One Thesis Presentation Session  100 points                               100 Points

      8.   Twenty article critiques                005 points                       100 Points

9.   Discussion Board Participation        100 Points                               100 Points 

10  Research application skills   100 Points                                100 Points   

TOTAL:                                                                                                          1000 Points

Supplementary Materials

The class textbook will be supplemented with materials from other sources, including e-books,

e-journals, and refereed web sites.  Students are encouraged to consult professional journals including the following resources.

 

Bibliography

 

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American

Psychological Association,  (5th ed.), Menasha, WI.

An interactive Stat site 4u (http://davidmlane.com/hyperstat/)

How to do research (http://www.psychstat.smsu.edu/handbook/hbk01.htm)

Keppel, G. & Zedeck, S. Data Analysis for Research Designs. New York: Freeman & Co.

Mitchell, M. L. & Jolley, J. M. (2005).  Research Design Explained.

Belmont, CA.: Wadsworth. (ISBN:  0-534-61731-X)

Runyon, R., Haber, A., Coleman, K. A.  (1994).  Behavioral Statistics: The Core. McGraw-Hill

Higher Education.

Sampath, S. (2002).  Sampling Theory and Methods. CRC Press LLC.

Sudman, S. & Bradburn, N. M.  (2000). Asking Questions: A Practical Guide to Questionnaire

Design.  New York, NY: Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Scott, J. M., Koch, R., Scott, G. M. & Garrison, S. M. (2002).  The Psychology Student

Writer’s Manual (2nd ed.). NJ.: Prentice Hall Publishing Company. 

Stat Book One on-line (http://www.psychstat.smsu.edu)

Sutor, D. C. & White D. B. (2001).   Nonparametric Statistics. Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc.

Tokunaga, H. & Keppel, G. (2000).  Basic Introduction to Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences.

Freeman & Co.

Witte, J.  (2002).  Statistics. New York: Wiley & Sons, Inc.

 

Journals:  It is important that students consult scholarly journals/publications including the following, for recent developments in the field:

 

American Psychologist

American Educational Research Journal

Black Issues in Higher Education

Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary School

Journals Continued:

Principals (NASSP)

Encyclopedia of Educational Research

Educational Leadership</