ED 500 Educational Research (2SH)

May 12-June 18, 2009

 Syllabus

 

Kip Ault, Instructor

Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling

423 Rogers Hall

503.768.6106

ault@lclark.edu

http://www.lclark.edu/~ault

Office Hours: by appointment

 

Catalog Description

 

How professional educators can gather and interpret the information they need for effective decision making. Topics include the major uses and components of classroom or school-based research processes, quantitative and qualitative methods, the scholarly critique of research studies, and what it means to be a reflective teacher-researcher.  No prerequisites; 2 semester hour credits.

 

ED 500 Educational Research responds to the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling’s Guiding Principles as follows:

 

  • Assess, document, and advocate for the successful learning of all students and school stakeholders.

 

Educators in ED 500 examine an “equity issue” and review a research article about this issue; for example, drop out rates, achievement disparity among ethnic and racial groups, or the outcomes of ability grouping.

 

  • Adopt habits of personal and scholarly reflection that examine professional practice and lead to systemic renewal.

 

Course readings encompass 3 approaches to scholarly reflection:  “scientific research, portraiture, and connoisseurship.”   Respectively, these approaches feature warranted generalization (based upon systematic data gathering and definitions of variables), valid description (based upon deeply contextualized case studies and narratives), and critical judgment (based upon analysis of values)

 

In addition, each member of the class outlines a classroom inquiry according to the “teacher-researcher” or similar model.

 

  • Lead and collaborate with others to plan, organize, and implement educational practices and programs that confront the impact of societal and institutional barriers to academic success and personal growth.

 

This principle expresses the most fundamental aim of ED 500.  Educational Research about student learning, school practices, and curriculum structure has greatest value when it contributes to the democratic goal of equal opportunity.

 

  • Pursue a professional identity that demonstrates respect for diverse peoples, ideas, and cultures.

 

Sound research dispels myths, stereotypes, and biases about children and their potential.  It provokes examination of assumptions.  Thus, knowledge of research contributes to a progressive professional identity.

 

Readings

 

Self-theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development (2000) by Carol Dweck.  Please read pages xi to 19 (Intro. and chapters 1-3) before the first class.

Reading Educational Research: How to Avoid Getting Statistically Snookered (2006) by Gerald W. Bracey.

 

The Kind of Schools We Need (1998) by Elliot W. Eisner.

 

Additional articles distributed in class by the instructor.

 

Assignments

 

  1. Analysis:  Please be prepared to share your analysis in class of a primary research article with a focus on equity in terms of:  (1) questions, (2) concepts, (3) design, (4) data, (5) interpretations, and (6) conclusions.  Due May 26, 28, or June 2—class presentation plus 2 page summary using these 6 categories or their general equivalents.
  2. Comparison:  Experiments, cases, syntheses.  Choose one of these three categories, find an exemplar of this category that is of interest to you, and prepare to summarize the article for the class.  Please distribute a copy (electronic or paper) to the class at least 2 days before you present a summary.  You may decide on the format to use to best communicate your summary.  Due June 9 (experiments), 11 (cases), or 16 (syntheses)—class presentation plus 2 page summary.
  3. Inquiry:  design a teacher research study with the potential to influence your teaching, coaching, counseling, or administrative work.  Due as a proposal shared in the last class.  Following presentation to a small group, be prepared to respond to “friendly critic” feedback regarding your questions, concepts, design, data, and the potential importance of the study.  Do plan to share your proposal in a visual or text format (Vee diagram, concept map, outline, narrative, flow chart, etc.).  Your oral response to friendly critic feedback—in class—will bring this assignment to conclusion (no report to turn in).

 

Schedule

 

May 12:    Introductions and instructor “researchography”  Exploring a research paradigm:  the work of Carol Dweck.  Gowin’s Vee as a tool for the analysis of inquiry.  The value and meaning of equity in education.

           

Read for the next class:          Dweck, pp. 20-63 in Self-Theories.

                                               

May 14:    Vee analysis of research in Dweck’s Self-Theories.  Elaine Hirsch and accessing on-line research:  databases and webdisk.

 

Read for the next class:          Dweck, pp. 64-131 in Self-Theories.

                                               

May 19:    Examining Dweck from the perspective of disparity of achievement by gender or race; identifying explanatory and responding variables, describing her research designs.

 

Read for the next class:

 

Bracey, G. W.  (2006).  “Introduction,” pp. xi-xx, and “Data, Their Uses and Their Abuses,” pp. 1-35 in Reading Educational Research.

 

May 21:    Analysis and interpretation of quantitative data, a vocab primer, part 1.  mean-median-mode, rates, normal curve, standard deviations, z scores, and percentiles.

 

Read for the next class:

 

Bracey, G.W.  (2006).  “The Nature of Variables,” pp. 36-67 and “Making Inferences,” pp. 68-101 in Reading Educational Research.

 

May 26:    Analysis and interpretation of quantitative data, a vocab primer, part 2.  Correlation, contingency, Simpson’s paradox.  Equity article presentations.

 

Read for the next class:          Bracey, G.W.  (2006).  “Testing,” pp. 102-170.

 

May 28:    Analysis and interpretation of quantitative data, a vocab primer, part 3.  Sampling distributions, confidence intervals (polling data), significance.  Equity article presentations.

 

Read for the next class:          “Science Teachers as Researchers” Roth (class handout).

 

June 2:      Analysis and interpretation of quantitative data, a vocab primer, part 4.  Linear regression, analysis of variance, independent and dependent variables.  Promise and pitfalls of the Teacher Researcher paradigm as synthesized by Roth.  Equity article presentations.

 

Read for the next class:          Shagoury Hubbard, R., & Miller Power, “Introduction,” pp. xiii-xx; “Try to Love the Questions Themselves:  Finding and Framing a Research Question” and “Form and Function:  The Research Design,” pp. 1-36 from The Art of Classroom Inquiry (class handout).

 

June 4:      Rationale and principles of teacher research and preliminary classroom inquiry ideas.

 

Read for the next class:          Eisner, “Introduction; Cognition & Representation,” 1-56.

 

June 9:      Eisner’s conception of “forms of representation” and the qualitative-quantitative distinction.  Sharing exemplary articles of interest:  experiments.

 

Read for the next class:          Eisner, “”Rethinking Educational Research,” pp. 103-156

 

June 11:    Eisner’s conception of educational research and criteria of artistry.  Sharing exemplary articles of interest:  cases.

     

Read for the next class:          D.K. Reid’s “Anna’s Story ” (class handout)

 

June 16:    The value of story in educational research.  Sharing exemplary articles of interest:  syntheses.

     

June 18:    Classroom inquiry proposals.  End!