ACTION RESEARCH
Instructor: Trudi Gaines, EdD, LMHC Building 85, Room 176 850-474-2948 [email protected] (preferred method of contact)
Course Description:
Implementation of a proposal prepared in Research Practicum including identification of a problem in the area the student's Masters Program, review of pertinent literature and preparation of a proposal with all the necessary information, conducting research in a professional manner, evaluation and written report of the results. Prerequisite: Research Practicum
Prerequisites:
Students must have successfully passed Research Practicum.
Students must have permission from the instructor.
Purpose of Course: The “empowered person and professional taking action” (EPP) is the theme of the College of Professional Studies’ conceptual framework. This theme focuses learning experiences on activities that permit the teacher to examine what he/she does and to take an active role in the instructional process. The subject matter, class activities, and skill development of this course were selected to assist your personal growth in the following EPP taking action characteristics: a) critical thinker, b) lifelong learner, c) counselor/mentor, d) decision maker, e) problem solver, and f) ethical/moral professional.
Required Course Text:
1. Cozby, P. (current edition). Methods in Behavioral Research. McGraw Hill: ISBN: 0072523425
2. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 5th Edition (2001). APA: ISBN: 1557987912. 3. Kennedy, C. H. (2004). Single-Case Designs for Educational Research. Allyn and Bacon. ISBN: 0205340237
Student Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course: (each is worth 20%)
1. Submit an application to the IRB and that application must be approved prior to initiating research 2. Conduct a study following the protocol outlined in their approved IRB application 3. Analyze the data they collect for the study 4. Compose a Final Paper suitable for publication, which summarizes their research and follows the APA Guidelines for a manuscript in terms of format as well as content from the current APA manual
Grading, Incompletes, and Additional Enrollment
Grading will be based on a standard percentage:
100 – 81 = Passing (Satisfactory)
80 or below = Not Passing (Unsatisfactory)
Please note that there are no letter grades for Action Research.
Incompletes (I) will not be given except under very extreme circumstances and only when the student has competed 70% of the assignments required for the course. The 70% rule is a university policy. If you do not complete at least 70% of the assignments by dead week of the semester enrolled, you are not eligible for an incomplete. Please see catalog for rules about Incompletes and course withdrawals.
At the instructor's discretion, I may allow incomplete grades for those completing less than 70% of the course assignments. You may request one of these options rather than taking an F in the course. These options will require that you enroll in additional semester hours of Action Research in order to fulfill the course requirements. Again, this is up to the discretion of the professor and will be considered only if the professor deems the request reasonable under the circumstances. 1. Students who complete the IRB application and all necessary revisions including attachments, obtain necessary signatures, and receive approval from the IRB committee at UWF may request that they receive an incomplete grade for the semester. These students will be required to enroll in an additional 3 hours of Action Research to complete the remaining 4 assignments of the course.
2. Students who complete the IRB application outlined above and have completed their study but have not analyzed their data may request that they receive an incomplete grade for the semester. These students will be required to enroll in an additional 2 hours of Action Research to complete the remainder of the course.
3. Students who complete the IRB application outlined above, completed their study, and have analyzed their data for their final report including statistical analysis, qualitative analysis, or Excel charts if using a single case design, may request that they receive an incomplete grade for the semester. These students will be required to enroll in an additional 1 hour of Action Research to complete the remainder of the course.
4. Students who complete the IRB application outlined above, complete their study, complete their data analysis needed for their final report, and have written a reasonable draft of their complete final paper that follows APA 5th edition style and includes all the needed sections, may request that they receive an incomplete grade for the semester. These students have completed approximately 70% of the course and the professor may allow an incomplete without additional enrollment in Action Research. Again, this is at the professor's discretion.
Goals:
Ø To prepare students to meet portions of the following Accomplished Practices mandated by the State of Florida: 2, 3, and 4 (http://www.firn.edu/doe/bin00026/acco-pre.html). Ø To prepare students to use appropriate Sunshine State Standards in teaching exceptional students (http://firn.edu/doe/curric/prek12/frome2.html).
Ø To prepare students to meet CEC Standards for Professional Practice Professionals in Relation to Persons with Exceptionalities and Their Families (http://www.cec.sped.org/ps/code.html).
Ø To prepare students to meet portions of the following National Board for Professional Teaching Generalist Standards: #8, #11 (http://www.nbpts.org/).
Course Alignments by Assessments, Outcomes, and Standards
Course Assessme Course EAPs NCATE Learned TESOL Numbe nt Outcomes Addresse Standard Society Competenci r d Addressed Standard es Program/ (Characteristi Addressed Addressed cs) Project (Name of Society)
Action Rationale Critical 2, 3, & 4 1.1, 1.2, 1.5 none none Resear (or Thinker ch justificati on Section Lifelong I) Learner
Problem Solver IRB Proposal
Final Paper
Special Technology utilized by Students:
Students will need access to Adobe Acrobat Reader© (version 5 or higher) to open PDF files that are used during the course. Students will need access to word processing software that is capable of reading and saving DOC or RTF files. Students will need access to an Internet browser that has JavaScript enabled. Students must be able to complete online forms to participate in threaded discussions. Students will need access to a computer that supports access to the eLearning system.
University Policies
Expectations for Academic Conduct/Plagiarism Policy: As members of the University of West Florida, we commit ourselves to honesty. As we strive for excellence in performance, integrity - personal and institutional - is our most precious asset. Honesty in our academic work is vital, and we will not knowingly act in ways which erode that integrity. Accordingly, we pledge not to cheat, nor to tolerate cheating, nor to plagiarize the work of others. We pledge to share community resources in ways that are responsible and that comply with established policies of fairness. Cooperation and competition are means to high achievement and are encouraged. Indeed, cooperation is expected unless our directive is to individual performance. We will compete constructively and professionally for the purpose of stimulating high performance standards. Finally, we accept adherence to this set of expectations for academic conduct as a condition of membership in the UWF academic community.
The Student Code of Conduct sets forth the rules, regulations and expected behavior of students enrolled at the University of West Florida. Violations of any rules, regulations, or behavioral expectations may result in a charge of violating the Student Code of Conduct. It is the student’s responsibility to read the Student Code of Conduct and conduct himself/herself accordingly. You may access the current Student Code of Conduct at http://www.uwf.edu/judicialaffairs.
Assistance: Students with special needs who require specific examination- related or other course-related accommodations should contact Barbara Fitzpatrick, Director of Disabled Student Services (DSS) [email protected], (850) 474-2387. DSS will provide the student with a letter for the instructor that will specify any recommended accommodations.