Syllabus in PDF

2011-3

EDUCATION 864 Research Designs in Education Last Updated 9/23/11 Fall Semester 2011

Instructor:

Dan Laitsch

Meeting Dates and Times:

Office:

15-655 Surrey Campus

Telephone:

778-782-7589

Email:

[email protected]

Friday, Sept 9: 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm Friday, Sept 23: 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Saturday, Sept 24: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Friday, Oct 14: 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Saturday, Oct 15: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Friday, Oct 28: 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Saturday, Oct 29: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Friday, Nov 18: 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Saturday, Nov 19: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Saturday, Nov 26: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Location:

SURREY CAMPUS

Room:

SUR 3280

COURSE RATIONALE This course is required for completion of the MEd in Educational Leadership.

DESCRIPTION This course is designed to help students design and interpret research about education. It serves as an introduction to research methods, including qualitative and quantitative research designs. Basic descriptive and correlation statistics are covered and the research process is emphasized.

GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

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The primary goal for this class is to help students construct and prepare to implement an action research project. By the end of the course students should have a comfortable understanding of basic descriptive and comparative statistics, action research, research methods, ethical processes and concerns, and related data analyses.

REQUIRED TEXTS Creswell, J. W. (2011). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (4th ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson Education. ISBN-13: 978-0131367395.

Salkind, N. J. (2009). Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics: Excel 2007 Edition (Paperback). 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Statistics for Health, Life, and the Social Sciences (http://bookboon.com/uk/textbooks/statistics/statistics-for-health-life-and-social-sciences) Study Site for Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics 2nd Edition (http://www.sagepub.com/salkind2study/) ResearchBriefs (http://researchbriefs.sdsu.edu) Open Access Journals (http://www.doaj.org/) Open Access textbooks (http://bookboon.com) (http://globaltext.terry.uga.edu/) The Research Methods Knowledge Base (http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/) Peer editing guide (http://www.sfu.ca/~dlaitsch/courses/950fall07/peer_editing.pdf)

COURSE OVERVIEW This course is designed to help students design and interpret research about education. It serves as an introduction to survey techniques, correlational designs, classic experimental and evaluation designs for investigating causal relations, case study methods, and interpretive approaches to research. The primary goal for this class is to help students construct and prepare to implement a research project. By the end of the course students should have a comfortable understanding of basic descriptive and comparative statistics, action research, research methods, ethical processes and concern, and related data analyses. GRADING

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Mini-papers 1-4 (10% each, 40% total)

Research Proposal (10%):

Proposal presentation (10%):

Research Journal and Statistics Workbook (20%):

Research Briefs (10%)

Participation (10%):

You will turn in four short papers throughout the semester, each dealing with one aspect of the final course paper. Paper 1: Issue background and research context. Due 9/30 Paper 2: Research question and sampling. Due 10/17 Paper 3: Data collection procedures. Due 11/07 Paper 4: Data analysis plans. Due 11/21 Your final paper for the course will be a formal research proposal. The proposals are due no later than December 5, 2011. The paper should include: the background and research context; research question; data collection and sampling procedures; and data analysis plans. The final paper will be a compilation of the earlier assignments under the related headings. Each student will be asked to defend their action research proposal in a public presentation on the last day of class. Presentations should cover the research context and background; research question; data collection procedures; and data analysis plans. You are to keep a research notebook where you record possible evaluation questions, methods, problems to solve, etc. As part of this you should also include the Salkind exercises you complete. This journal will be graded based on completion. You are to post three summaries of research articles through ResearchBriefs (http://researchbriefs.sdsu.edu). The summary should be of a research article that you find to be particularly well written or powerful. You may also submit the summaries by e-mail if you are having troubles with the online system. You are expected to complete the required readings prior to each class session. Think critically about what you read and consider the connections between the readings. Your active and thoughtful participation in class discussions will be part of your grade. Attendance is expected at every class meeting, including the 2010 Summer Institute. You should contact the instructor before class if you will be unable to attend for some important reason. When possible, alternate assignments may be negotiated (for example, if you are required to miss class for an education event, credit may be awarded for a brief report from the event). Your participation in small groups and the summer institute session are included in the grade.

ACADEMIC HONESTY STATEMENT PLEASE NOTE: Students in all Faculty of Education courses are responsible for knowing policies pertaining to academic integrity available on the website: http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity/policy/index.html. Course Meetings Note: The last two hours of Saturday class will be reserved for one on one student advisement meetings Sept 9 Introductions, course expectations, program expectations. Research presentation. Intro to stats (Chapter 2/3). For next class: Readings: Creswell (Chapter 1-4) Salkind (Chapter 3-6) 3

Sept 23/24

Oct 14/15

Oct 28/29

Nov 18/19

Nov 26

Class work: Stats and the Research process Student meetings (by sign up) For next class: Readings: Creswell (Chapter 5-7) Salkind (Chapter 7-9) DUE: Monday, September 30: Mini paper 1 Class work: Quantitative research, sampling Student meetings (by sign up) For next class: Readings: Creswell (Chapter 8-10) Salkind (Chapters 10, 16, 20) DUE: Monday, October 17: Mini paper 2 Class work: Qualitative research Student meetings (by sign up) For next class: Readings: Creswell (Choose 1: Chapter 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17) Salkind (Chapters 11, 14) DUE: Monday, November 7: Mini paper 3 Class work: Designing your study; Research Ethics Student meetings (by signup) For next class: Readings: Salkind (Chapter 17) DUE: Monday, November 21: Mini Paper 4 DUE: Nov. 26: Research Presentation. Class work: Presentations Student meetings (by signup)

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