<p> ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION</p><p>SYLLABUS for</p><p>ADM 696—EDS Thesis in Administration I</p><p>Course Number: ADM 696</p><p>Catalog Description: Involves writing a thesis advancing an original point of view as a result of research.</p><p>Prerequisite: Complete EDU 511 –Educational Statistics EDU 512 – Introduction to Research</p><p>Additional course information: This is the first part of the thesis development course. At the end of this course, candidates are expected to present formally Chapters 1-3 of the thesis proposal to their thesis committee. </p><p>Credit Hours: 3 Semester Hours</p><p>Instructor: Dr. Hyacinth E. Findlay, Professor</p><p>Office: 201 C, Doctoral Annex or 212 Councill Hall</p><p>Telephone: (334) 229-4417</p><p>E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]</p><p>Prepared by: ______Hyacinth E. Findlay, Instructor Date</p><p>Approved by: ______Department Chairperson Date</p><p>______Dean/College of Education Date</p><p>NOTE:Any candidate requiring alternative formats for instruction for this course or other types of accommodations, due to a handicapping condition, should advise the instructor. ADM 696—EDS Thesis in Administration I</p><p>PURPOSE OF THE COURSE</p><p>The course focuses on the development of the thesis proposal. In this course, the candidate uses skills learned in earlier courses to develop a review of literature related to a particular research problem; to develop research questions, hypotheses and/or objectives, and to decide on methods and procedures for the study. It is important to note that the development of the proposal is a collaborative exercise between the candidate and his/her thesis committee, especially the thesis advisor. Once the proposal is completed, the candidate will meet with the committee and present the proposal. </p><p>Consistent with the conceptual framework of the College of Education entitled “The Educator as Decision-Maker,” this course helps graduate students to develop skills and abilities in research methodology —essential professional skills for decision-making. </p><p>Textbook: Candidate are required to read and become familiar with the following:</p><p>American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. </p><p>School of Graduate Studies (1999). Preparing your thesis: Requirements and guidelines. Montgomery, AL: Alabama State University.</p><p>COURSE OBJECTIVES</p><p>The Course Objective is as follows:</p><p>Demonstrate the ability to research, write and defend an original point of view in the area of Educational Administration. To this end, the candidate will do the following:</p><p>1. Review the elements of the thesis </p><p>2. Brainstorm various issues and problems in educational administration</p><p>3. Conduct and write a comprehensive review of the literature -- Chapter II– Review of Related Literature</p><p>4. Using the literature, write Chapter I-- Introduction </p><p>5. Write the narrative for Chapter III – Methods and Procedures/Materials</p><p>6. Prepare the Reference List according to APA style.</p><p>7. Prepare the Research Abstract. </p><p>8. Apply for and obtain permission from school, system and/or parents to conduct the research.</p><p>9. Apply for and obtain Institutional Review Board waiver to conduct the research. 10. Present the research proposal to a committee </p><p>11. Make necessary corrections </p><p>COURSE TOPICS</p><p>The Course Topics are as follows:</p><p>1. Chapter I: INTRODUCTION </p><p>Review the components of this chapter that introduces the topic to the reader in a general way. Then, focus on the other elements of Chapter I as outlined below:</p><p> Statement of the Problem  Rationale/Need/Significance of the Study  Theoretical Framework of the Study (if applicable)  Purpose and Objectives  Hypotheses  Assumptions  Delimitations/Limitations  Definition of Terms</p><p>2. Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW </p><p>This section deals with previous empirical research studies and other literature related to the study.  Restate the purpose of the study (optional)  List the major sub-topics under which the review will take place  Use objectives and/or hypotheses as a guide to determine the content to be included in the Literature Review  Use guidelines from the American Psychological Association (APA) to write the literature review and the Reference List.</p><p>3. Chapter III: METHODS AND PROCEDURES</p><p>Introduction: List major sub-headings under which the methods and procedures will be described. </p><p>Describe the following in depth:  Design of the Study  Population and Sample  Instrumentation  Data Collection (how the data will be collected)  Data Analysis (how the data will be analyzed)</p><p>Chapters 1-3, Abstract and References constitute the proposal. 4. Chapter IV: FINDINGS/RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS</p><p> Recognize the elements to be included in Chapter IV</p><p>5. Chapter V: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS</p><p> Recognize the elements to be included in Chapter V</p><p>6. Reference List: Include all the citations used in the body of document. Only references used should be included.</p><p>7. Abstract: </p><p> This is a summary of the entire study in about 100 words. It should include the purpose, hypotheses, methodology</p><p>EXPECTATIONS</p><p>Candidates are expected …</p><p> to meet regularly with the thesis advisor  to make the changes necessary to improve the proposal  to apply for and receive the Institutional Review Board waiver before conducting research  to work diligently at completing the thesis in a reasonable amount of time – not more than two semesters  to uphold the standards of academic integrity and honesty espoused by Alabama State University (See The Pilot, Alabama State University’s Student Handbook.)</p><p>EVALUATION & MINIMUM STANDARDS</p><p>The quality of the research will be considered when assigning a final grade. A candidate will not be allowed to present until the advisor deems the document satisfactory. At the presentation, the candidate must be able to explain the research study and give reasons for the statistical techniques that will be used.</p><p>GRADING</p><p>Grading Policy: Candidates will be assigned a grade of “I”, Incomplete, if the thesis proposal is not completed by the end of the semester that they enrolled in the course. </p><p>Three readers will grade the proposal. The score for each reader will range from 1 to 100 points. The three scores will be added together and an average score will be computed. </p><p>For a grade of “A”, the candidate must achieve a minimum of 90% For a grade of “B”, the candidate must achieve an average of 80-89%. For a grade of “C”, the candidate must achieve an average of 70-79%.</p><p>Note: A candidate earning below “C” will be recommended to repeat the course or to withdraw from the program. RUBRIC FOR GRADING A PROPOSAL</p><p>The following is the guide used in grading term papers. You may use it as a guide as you write.</p><p>Quality of the Research </p><p>Does the student  Adhere to the intellectual standards of Clarity --Is the statement easily understood? Could you give an example? Accuracy --Is the statement true? Precision --Are more details needed? Could you be more specific? Relevance --Is this related to the issue at hand? Depth -- What are the complexities of the issue? (Avoid superficiality.) Breadth --Do we need to consider various viewpoints? Logic --Does this argument make sense?</p><p> Establish his position clearly at the beginning of the paper?  Argue appropriately (i.e., make statements healthy for the position)?  Develop/justify each point?</p><p>Writing Mechanics /Style/Format</p><p>Does the student  Use appropriate vocabulary, grammar?  Avoid spelling errors?  Adopt a style, tone appropriate to a technical paper (avoid slang, contractions, etc.)?  State points clearly? Avoid wordiness?  Use reported speech and quotations appropriately?  Sequence ideas and paragraphs logically? Avoid one-sentence paragraphs?  Make smooth transitions from one point/paragraph to the next?  Follow the format for writing each chapter of the proposal?</p><p>Documentation</p><p>Does the student  Use citations to support his arguments?  Use APA style correctly?</p><p>Reference List</p><p>Does the student  List all references used?  List all references used according to APA style?</p><p>Developed 11/30/01 Dr. Hyacinth Findlay Proposal and Thesis RUBRIC </p>