(EDF 660) Educational Inquiry & Evaluation

Syllabus of Record

Catalog Description: Introduces educational inquiry and explores the impact it can have on educational institutions. Investigates educational evaluation. Provides foundational research knowledge necessary for capstone courses ED 693 and ED 695. Three credits.

Unit Mission, Philosophy, Values:

Our Mission: “Teaching, Leading and Learning in a Democratic Society” The College of Education prepares candidates who enhance the individual growth of their students while working to establish policies and practices that promote the principles of democratic education. The College articulates this mission as Teaching, Leading, and Learning in a Democratic Society.

Philosophy: Student Potential, Ethical Implications Believing that schools function as social and political entities as well as for the growth of individuals, the College of Education prepares teachers and leaders a) to enhance the academic and personal potential of their students b) to evaluate the social and ethical implications of educational policies and practices.

Values: “Expertise, Equity, Liberal Education, Social Responsibility” The College of Education values expertise to guide our practice, equity to guide our interactions, liberal education to guide our perspectives, and social responsibility to guide our commitment to democratic education. We value these ideals in our preparation of candidates, our development of faculty, and our relationships with the larger community we serve.

Unit and Program Standards:

Common Unit Standards: (a) Michigan Department of Education (MDE) (b)National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)

Common Advanced Program Standards: Propositions 1-5 from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS); Standards for Foundations of Education from the Council for the Social Foundations of Education; College of Education Standards (Research Competencies).

Course Standards and Assessments:

Standards for Foundations of Education from the Council for the Social Foundations of Education . Principle #2 – The educator understands and can apply normative perspectives on education and schooling. . Principle #3 – The educator understands and can apply critical perspectives on education and schooling.

College of Education Standards (Research Competencies) (b) Scholarly writing (c) APA format (d) Library research (e) Formulating research questions (f) Problem identification, definition and context

Common Course Assessment: Develop a thesis or project proposal which includes the following: a statement of the problem, importance of the problem, background of the problem, statement of purpose, objectives or research question, and definitions of key terms.

Major Topics:  Introduction to educational evaluation and inquiry processes  Introduction to a variety of inquiry modes, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods  Test and measurements  Research ethics and the process of obtaining HRRC approval  Choosing a topic area, formulating research questions and developing a problem statement and a statement of purpose  Writing objectives or research questions  Developing a research or evaluation proposal  Reviewing literature - using the library resources  Creating a bibliography  Analyzing and synthesizing primary research articles  APA format and style

Course Knowledge Base:

American Psychological Association. (2002). Publication Manual of the APA (5th ed.). Washington D.C.: Author Babbie, E. (2005). The basics of social research (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson Wadsworth. Best, J.W. & Kahn, J.V. (2006). Research in education (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. Bracey, G.W. (2006). Reading educational research: How to avoid getting statistically snookered. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Creswell, J. (2002). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. New York: Sage. Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (2003). The landscape of qualitative research. New York: Sage. Fraenkel, J.R. and Wallen, N.E. (2006). How to design and evaluate research in education (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P. & Borg, W. R. (2003). Educational research: An introduction (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Gall, Gall & Borg. (2003). Educational research: An introduction (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Gall, Gall, & Borg. (2005). Applying educational research: A practical guide. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Kubiszyn, T. & Borich, G. (2003). Educational testing and measurement. (7th ed.). NY: John Wiley and Sons. Locke, L.F., Spirduso, W.W. & Silverman, S.J. (1993). Proposals that work (3rd ed.). CA: Sage Publications. McMillan, J.H. & Schumacher, S. (2006). Research in education. Evidence based inquiry. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Merriam, S.B. & Associates. (2002). Qualitative research in practice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd ed.). CA: Sage Publications Slavin, R.E. (2007). Educational research in an age of accountability. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Weis, L. & Michelle Fine. (2000). Speed bumps: Student-friendly guide to qualitative research. New York: Teachers College Record. Wolcott, H. (1990). Writing up qualitative research. New York: Sage.