PIEDMONT COLLEGE
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Mastering the art of teaching: Preparing
proactive educators to improve the lives of all children
I. COURSE
INFORMATION:
EDUC 699 Methods and Interpretation of Educational Research Prerequisites: none Credit: 3 hours
Period:
II. INSTRUCTOR
INFORMATION:
Name: Sandra
Dickson
Office Location: Piedmont
College, Demorest Campus
Phone Numbers: 706-778-8500 ext. 1400; 1-800-277-7020
ext. 1400
E-mail: sdickson@piedmont.edu
Fax Number: 706-776-0135
Office Hours: TBA
III. TIME
AND PLACE
CAMPUS:
SEMESTER:
YEAR:
Dates:
Time:
Place:
IV. TEXT
AND SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:
Mills, G.E. (2003). Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher. Columbus, OH: Pearson Education, Inc.
American
Psychological Association. (2001). Publication
manual of the American Psychological
Association (5th
ed.). Washington, D. C.: Author.
Supplemental readings will be required
as needed throughout the course. These readings will include research, professional
documents, and personal reading. Also,
copying some materials to share with the class may be required.
V. PIEDMONT
MISSION:
Piedmont
College Mission:
Inspired by the liberal arts tradition and a historical association with the Congregational Christian Churches, Piedmont College cultivates a diverse, challenging and caring intellectual environment to encourage academic success and spiritual development.
To accomplish this mission, the college offers a
number of major fields of study that are informed by the liberal arts,
including specialized professional programs and selected graduate
programs. Instructional opportunities
are also provided at distant locations to meet student needs.
School of
Education Mission:
The theme of the School of Education is “Mastering the art of teaching: Preparing proactive educators to improve the lives of children.” The School of Education strives to prepare reflective, scholarly, proactive educators in a caring environment with challenging and meaningful learning experiences. These practitioners effectively educate their own students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive, and collaborative learners in diverse, democratic learning communities.
Specific ideals under-gird our conceptual
framework. We advocate the democratic
ideals of: equal rights and opportunities; individual freedom and
responsibility; responsibility for the greater good; respect for diversity;
openness to possibilities; and open, informed discourse.
We endorse the following processes as a means of
striving for our democratic ideals: engaging in participatory decision-making;
collaborating in teaching and learning; collecting information from all
constituencies; examining options and projecting
consequences; nurturing open discourse; providing for field experiences;
assessing processes as well as products; modeling democratic ideals in the
classroom; forming communities of learners; and constantly revising the curriculum to reflect new insights and
understandings. Further, we endorse the
development of a sense of personal integrity and of strong habits of mind
(e.g., reflectiveness, persistence,
clarity, accuracy, and responsiveness to feedback).
Graduate
MA and MAT Program Goals:
The goal of the Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) programs at Piedmont College is to provide the graduate candidate knowledge in the social and educational development of students. Through an individualized program of study based on the candidate’s undergraduate program, experience, and professional goals, the programs seek to:
¨
provide the
candidate with the ability to
communicate and teach effectively using an interdisciplinary knowledge base and
understanding of multidimensional classrooms;
¨
use and facilitate
critical thinking skills;
¨
enhance candidates’
content knowledge, integrating it with instructional technology;
¨
enable candidates to interpret
and assess educational research, and conduct their own classroom-based
research; and to
¨
provide experiences that
enable candidates to assume roles as scholarly practitioners and develop their
skills and abilities as professional teachers.
MAT Program Goals
Through an individualized program of study based on
the candidate’s undergraduate program, experience, and professional goals, the
MAT program seeks to:
¨
build the candidate’s
knowledge base and understanding of P-5 students’ characteristics, knowledge,
skills, experience, interest, approaches to learning, special needs, and
cultural heritage;
¨
prepare candidates who
have knowledge and understanding about multicultural and global issues and
perspectives as well as to plan and implement instruction based on these
perspectives;
¨
build the candidate’s
knowledge and understanding of content, pedagogy, record keeping and a wide
variety of diagnostic and assessment techniques and strategies;
¨
develop the candidate’s understanding
and use of educational technology including the use of computer and other
technologies in instruction, assessment, and productivity;
¨
build candidate’s
ability to create classroom environments that include: respect, rapport, a
culture for learning, effective management of classroom procedures, appropriate
management of student behavior, and efficient organization of physical space;
¨
inform candidates of
resources available for teachers and students to support and enhance student
learning;
¨
develop the candidate’s
repertoire of strategies for effective teaching;
¨
enable candidates to
plan and implement instruction based on acquired knowledge of subject matter,
students, and the community;
¨
provide candidates with
concrete field experiences across grades P-5 that help them link theory and
practice through observation and participation;
¨
develop the candidate’s
understanding and use of effective interactions with parents or guardians for
supporting students learning and well-being;
¨
develop the candidate’s
ability to use research, research methods, and knowledge about issues and
trends to conduct research on an educational topic of interest;
¨
help candidates grow and
develop professionally toward becoming proactive, scholarly, reflective
practitioners, and lifelong learners who improve the lives of children.
MA
Program Goals
Through an individualized program of study based on
the candidate’s undergraduate program, experience, and professional goals, the
MA program seeks to:
¨
enable candidates to critique
their planning and teaching strategies so they can more effectively plan
instruction based on extended knowledge of subject matter, students, and the
community;
¨
broaden the candidates’
knowledge of developmentally appropriate content and resources needed for
teaching and interacting with their students;
¨
expand the candidate’s
repertoire of strategies for effective teaching and communication with parents;
¨
enhance and expand the
candidate’s knowledge and understanding about multicultural and global issues
and perspectives as well as ways to plan and implement instruction based on
these perspectives;
¨
expand the candidate’s
understanding and use of educational technology including the use of computer
and other technologies in instruction, assessment, and productivity;
¨
diversify field
experiences for candidates to strengthen their understanding of the link
between theory and practice;
¨
develop the candidate’s
ability to use research, research methods, and knowledge about issues and
trends to improve practice in schools and classrooms;
¨
develop the candidate’s
ability to assume roles as leaders and mentors in the profession;
¨
establish procedures
that candidates can use to continually keep up-to-date on changes in the field;
¨
help candidates become
more independent in their professional development as scholarly, reflective,
practitioners and lifelong learners who improve the lives of children;
¨
encourage candidates’
involvement in professional activities and endeavors; encourage candidates to
present at local, state, and national conferences.
VI. COURSE
DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE:
The purpose of this course is the study of current
research methods and theories,
procedures and designs with an emphasis on critical thinking, assessment, and
action research. Included in this
course will be the evaluation, interpretation, and application of educational
research methods. The focus of this
course is the critical understanding of the knowledge, skills, and production
of education research that can contribute to the knowledge base of can be
applied to professional practice, with a special emphasis on students becoming
competent users of research. In
addition, considerable attention will be paid to action research and collaborative
research.
As
producers and/or users of research, it is necessary to critically understand
the basic logic and procedures of research in order to better evaluate it. The public and public officials hold schools
accountable for what is accomplished, and as educational practitioners seek to
improve their activities, research (especially action research and assessment)
takes on increasing importance. Through
the use of research (action research), educators are in a better position to
undertake educational improvements and assess their outcomes to improve the
quality of education for all students.
The
use of technology is an integral part of the is course; e.g., location research
articles, work processing assignments, and preparing charts and graphs for
individual research proposal.
VII. SCHOOL
OF EDUCATION OUTCOMES
Core
Candidate Learning Outcomes :
The following outcomes, adapted from the 1994 INTASC standards (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) and updated Fall 2003, are addressed in this course.
1) Learning Environment: The proactive
teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation to create a
caring, democratic learning environment that encourages positive social
interaction, active engagement in learning, self regulation, and collaboration. The proactive teacher fosters the ideals of a democratic classroom by treating
students fairly and justly, providing intellectual challenge, and supporting
students as they pursue knowledge and understanding. CO: 1
2) Subject Matter: The scholarly teacher
understands and can model the central concepts, tools of inquiry, national
standards, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create
learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for
students. CO: 1,2,3,4
3) Student Learning: The reflective teacher understands how students
develop and learn and provides well-managed learning opportunities that support
students’ intellectual, social, and personal growth. The teacher documents
student achievements and contributes to systems of accountability designed to
improve schooling. CO: 1
4) Diversity:
By understanding that all learners are products of their innate abilities,
preferred learning styles, and cultural experiences, the democratic teacher
modifies instruction and assessments to meet diverse needs of all students. CO:
1,2,3,4
5) Instructional Strategies: The proactive teacher understands and
uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage the development of all
students’ creative talents, critical thinking, problem solving, and performance
skills. CO: 1,2,3,4
6) Assessment Strategies: The scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher
designs a variety of assessments including alternative assessment strategies,
which (a) assess the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and dispositions
expected in the subject, (b) offset the negative effects of high-stakes
testing, and (c) encourage the continual intellectual, social, and personal
growth of all students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive learners.
CO: 1,2,3,4
7) Communication and Technology: The proactive teacher uses knowledge of
effective verbal, non-verbal, and media communication techniques and
technologies to foster active inquiry, collaboration,
and supportive interaction in the classroom. CO: 1,3,8,
8) Planning Instruction: The scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher
plans and manages instruction based upon knowledge of content, pedagogy,
students, the community, and curriculum goals. CO: 1,2,3
9) Reflection and Professional Development: The scholarly teacher is a reflective
practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of her/his choices and
actions upon others, institutes research aimed at improving instruction,
attends to the development of policies affecting education at the state and
national levels, proactively seeks opportunities for the continual development
of a personal pedagogy. CO: 1,2,3,4
10) Collaboration and Relationships: The scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher
communicates and collaborates with other educators, parents/families,
agencies and the community through democratic processes to support
student learning and well being. CO: 1,2,4
Early
Childhood Graduate Candidate Learning Outcomes:
11)
Constructivist Practices: The
scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher models and provides opportunities
for constructivist practices. CO:
1,2,3,4
12)
Informed Teachers: The scholarly,
reflective, proactive teacher is an informed professional. CO: 1,
13)
Scholarly Work: The reflective,
proactive teacher actively engages in scholarly work. CO: 1,2,3,4
14)
Action Research: The scholarly,
reflective, proactive teacher participates in action research. CO: 1,2,3,4
Secondary Education Masters-level Candidate
Learning Outcomes:
¨
For both Initial and Advanced Certification Programs
15) Research: The teacher refines instructional practices
informed by critical consideration of relevant research and by the application
of action research as an ongoing aspect of practice. CO: 1,2,3,4
16) Democratic Classroom: The teacher guides students toward involvement in
activities that provide skills and dispositions to fulfill the roles of a
citizen engaged in pursuing the ideals of democracy. CO: 2
17) Philosophical Orientation: The teacher studies initiatives, patterns, trends
and policies for their philosophical underpinnings as part of a continuing
assessment of the efficacy of those underpinnings. CO: 1,2,3,4
18) Integrity: The teacher pursues her/his professional
practices with a strong sense of mission beyond keeping a job, and with a keen
sense of ethical integrity. CO: 2
19) Philosophical Pragmatism: The teacher maintains an intellectual spiral in
which practices are improved by conceptual refinements, which are in turn
refined by assessing the results of implementations over time. CO: 1,2
¨
For Advanced Certification Programs
20) Modeling and Mentoring: The teacher both models best practices and accepts
responsibility to mentor new and veteran teachers. CO:
21) Professional Discourse: The teacher participates actively in the
professional discourses related to the field of certification--at the school
and in regional and national venues. CO: 1,2
22) Proactive
Involvement: The teacher takes
advantage of opportunities to influence the school toward curricula, instructional
practices, policies and professional climate which result in students acquiring
more durable knowledge and skills and in-depth understanding, as well as
positive dispositions toward learning. CO: 1,2,3,4
Dispositions for All Candidates:
In addition to the common core learning outcomes, all
candidates are expected to be familiar with the dispositions expected of
professionals. Their work with
students, families, and communities reflects the following dispositions as
defined by the School of Education faculty:
Scholarly: Inquiring; creative; seeks solutions; thinks
critically about theory and method; keeps current in discipline (conferences,
journals, classes); pursues lifelong learning.
Reflective: Bases daily decisions on in depth reflection,
done frequently and honestly; considers many possibilities for problem
solutions; stays open to constructive criticism.
Proactive: Anticipates problems in management;
anticipates problems and difficulties in instruction; addresses pertinent
issues of school and community to support student learning; encourages
students’ critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity; plans for
important student learning; fosters visionary thinking and action; promotes
mindful leadership to improve schools.
Democratic: Facilitator; views others as capable to deal
with problems and able to make decisions; promotes equitable treatment for all
students; has high expectations for all students; seeks best interest of
students they serve; open-minded; able to view other perspectives; accommodates
individual differences; culturally sensitive in areas of communications,
learning, assessment, and cultural norms; collaborates well with others; works
for the good of the community.
Responsible: Patience, professional temperament; aims to
be the best he/she can be; good work ethic; punctual; recognizes when their own
dispositions may need to be adjusted and are able to develop plans to do
so.
VIII. COURSE
OUTCOMES (CO):
Upon successful completion of this course, the candidate will be able to:
1. Demonstrate
the knowledge and skills to conduct educational research by (CLO
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,17,19,21,22)
§
identifying research
problems from current school settings
§
identifying and
evaluating current research literature related to a research problem
§
formulating research
questions
§
developing a research
design
§
collecting and analyzing
data
§
defining basic research
terminology
§
interpreting results of
educational research
§
determining
generalizability of educational research
2. Demonstrate the knowledge and skills needed to read
educational research by (CLO
2,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,21,22)
§
evaluating current educational
research and determining the quality of research methodology and results
§
considering the results
to current school settings
3. Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to use
educational research by (CLO
2,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,13,14,15,17,22)
§
applying appropriate
research in order to improve educational practice
§
exhibiting an awareness
of current educational trends
4. Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to report
educational research by (CLO
2,4,5,6,9,10,11,13,14,15,17,22)
§
utilizing the basic components
of a research proposal
§
applying the APA style
to writing a research proposal
§
defining appropriate
audiences for research findings
§
selecting effective
means to present findings to an audience defining effective ways to distribute findings to the educational
community
IX. COURSE
POLICIES & PROCEDURES:
1.
Class Attendance/Participation:
Attendance,
timeliness, and participation are required and part of your grade. The School of Education policy states that more
than the allotted number of excused absences for any reason will result in
failure of the course. The allotted
number of excused absences for this course is one (for example: illness of
candidate or family member, death in the family, or other extenuating
circumstances approved by the professor).
Only those absences due to emergencies will be excused. Please contact the professor prior to
absence when possible. Work missed due
to an excused absence may be made up.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to inform the professor in writing
how he/she will make up the work. The
writing should be professional and include: the date absent; a statement about
why the candidate was absent; a detailed description of the process the
candidate undertook to make up the work; and a comprehensive summary of the
content that was covered in class. Be
sure to include a cover page. If work
is not made up satisfactorily, the highest grade a candidate can receive for
the course is a B. Any candidate who
misses more than one class without approval of the professor and the cohort
coordinator will be asked to drop the course or will receive an F at the end of
the semester. However, if makeup work is approved by the professor and
satisfactorily completed, a passing grade is still possible. Also understand that reading a classmate’s
notes cannot easily duplicate many of the experiences of the course.
INCOMPLETES – A candidate may receive an incomplete (I) for
reasons such as illness or other extenuating circumstances upon approval of
the course instructor and the dean.
An incomplete is not granted just to extend time to complete work that
should have been done in a timely manner.
(See the Piedmont College catalog for additional information regarding
an incomplete).
If
the candidate’s illness is extended, causing more than two class absences, the
candidate may need to request in writing a medical withdrawal. If the Registrar approves the request, a
candidate may receive a “W” for the course.
IN-PROGRESS GRADES - Assigning an In-Progress
grade is at the discretion of an instructor.
An In-Progress grade in research may be awarded in cases when the
researcher is unable to complete the research as a result of delays beyond the
control of the researcher.
INCLEMENT
WEATHER – In general, classes are
dismissed or cancelled (day and/or night classes) when conditions in and around
Demorest become such that the main streets and college parking lots become too dangerous
on which to drive. Candidates who live
outside the Demorest area for which road conditions are too difficult to
proceed should stay at home. Candidates
who miss class should consult their instructors for assignments and make-up
work. Dismissed or cancelled classes
must be made up during semester breaks, the first available Saturday, or an
agreed upon make-up by class members and the professor. When classes are dismissed, the following
radio/TV stations will be informed of the action taken: Station WCON (99.3 FM)
– Cornelia; WMJE (102.9 FM) – Clarkesville/Gainesville; WNEG (6.30 AM) –
Toccoa; WAGA TV – Fox 5, Atlanta; WNEG TV Ch. 32; and WXIA TV – 11 Alive.
PARTICIPATION - Active participation means:
Ø
prepare for classes by
reading the text and/or other assigned readings;
Ø
attend all classes for
duration of allotted class time;
Ø
take active part and
contribute significantly during class discussions and activities;
Ø
be attentive and
respectful of peers and the professor during the discussions, dialogue, and
presentations;
Ø
submit all assignments
on time.
2.
Written Work:
Use
APA style (5th ed.). All
papers for the course are to be typed using size 12 print and one of the
following fonts: Bookman, Times New Roman, Geneva, or similar font. Papers should be double-spaced, error-free,
and grammatically correct (including punctuation, spelling, capitalization,
etc.). Make good use of writing
references such as dictionaries, writing handbooks, and computer spelling and
grammar checks.
Quality is important! Work
submitted should reflect your professionalism and graduate level work. Your writings and reflections will be
assessed according to the depth, breadth, clarity, and accuracy they convey.
Be sure to keep a duplicate copy of all submitted work for your
own records.
3.
Academic Integrity:
By
accepting admission to Piedmont College, each candidate makes a commitment to
understand, support, and abide by the "Academic Integrity Policy"
without compromise or exception. This
class will be conducted in strict observance of the policy. Refer to your Piedmont College Student
Handbook for details.
All
work submitted must be your original work created in and for this course. It should be referenced properly using APA
(including information from the internet).
Double dipping (to be discussed in class) is not permitted.
4.
Special Considerations: Piedmont College makes every effort to provide reasonable
and appropriate accommodations to students with disabilities. Accommodations must be coordinated through
the Office of Academic Support by contacting the director at 1-800-277-7020
ext. 1359 or by email – dtaylor@piedmont.edu
.
Students are responsible for providing accurate and current
documentation of their disability and for making a written request to the
Director of Academic Support before receiving accommodations. Students with special needs (disabilities,
problems, or any other factors that may affect their performance or that
require special instructional strategies) should also make these needs known to
the professor/instructor during the first class session.
5. Human Subject Research:
The Piedmont Human Subject
form should be completed for any research project.
X. STUDENT EXPECTATIONS AND COURSE
OUTLINE:
1. Instructional Methods
This class will operate as a democratic classroom. Candidates will engage in shared decision-
making and in taking responsibility for making the classroom the best it can
be. Interactive discussions and problem
solving will be emphasized where all ideas and contributions are explored and
respected. Various approaches will be
utilized by the candidates and professor including: lecture, demonstrations, observations, class discussions, small
group discussions, cooperative group work, field observations, use of
educational technology, student presentations, readings, writings, listening,
questioning, and formative and summative evaluations.
2.
Assignments:
Readings from the assigned texts will be the focus for discussions, writings, and group activities. Please read the assigned readings before coming to class in order to facilitate quality discussions. Think about how the readings relate or could relate to your classroom teaching experiences. Also keep in mind that you are responsible for the reading assignments even if we do not go over them in class.
All work for the course is to be in on time, or handed in on an agreed upon future date. Work submitted late will automatically lose 15 points per class meeting unless prearranged by the professor and the candidate. To meet the deadline, assignments may be mailed (post marked by the due date) or delivered by a peer at the class meeting. Make-up tests will be considered if a person for missing the original test is justified. Completion of all assignments is required for a passing grade in the course. If at any time you are unclear about assignments or expectations, please contact me for clarification.
Other
assignments or activities may be required as deemed necessary to assure the
mastery of the course objectives as stated.
3. Description of Assignments
·
Portfolio –
Each student will maintain a notebook of all assignments, notes, papers and
presentations. This notebook will serve
as a reference document throughout your program and may be reviewed
periodically by the instructor and/or peers.
·
Textbook Assignments – Read textbook assignments and be ready for discussion each class.
·
Field Experience – Complete one field experience activity (see X.d.)
·
Reflection Paper – Write a reflection paper and express your personal thoughts,
reactions, reflections, suggestions, etc. to the topics, discussions or other
classroom activities.
·
Research Article(s) – Be prepared to discuss critiques of research articles. A form will
be provided for article critique. Articles
are to be original sources and not summaries.
A listing of web sites is provided to facilitate accessing research
articles. Additional readings of
periodicals will be assigned as needed.
·
Research Proposal – Each student will develop a personal research proposal to demonstrate
mastery of the logic, procedures, and processes of action research. The proposal should relate to your
current/future professional tasks in your assignment as a teacher. The proposal must be approved in advance by
the instructor. In addition, any research conducted in a school setting should
have the approval of the administration.
The Piedmont Human Research form must be completed for each proposal. A description of minimum components will be
provided.
·
Presentation –
A summary of the proposal will be presented to the class using a power
point/computer presentation and/or other visual aids.
4. Field Experiences (Initial and
Advanced Certification Tasks):
Conduct one field based observation or interview. This observation or interview should serve
to introduce you to various types of data available for use in research, allow
you to observe research first-hand, and/or give you insight or ideas for your
own action research. All graduate
students are required to accumulate a particular number of hours of field
observation and these experiences can count toward that total. Ideas for the observation or interview,
etc., include:
1.
interview a testing
coordinator at your school or identify data sources and trends monitored by the
school or district;
2. compare student achievement data for your school, cluster and/or system;
3.
interview principals of
other leaders to determine how test data are reported and interpreted to the
faculty;
4.
interview Title I,
vocational education, special education, psychologists, gifted program and/or
federal or state program teachers and officials concerning data collection and
reporting in these programs,
5.
identify and analyze
student discipline or dropout data, counselor reports, social worker reports,
etc.
6.
identify and analyze state-wide data on a particular
topic; or
7.
observe or participate
in ongoing action research in your school or district.
The field experience report should be typed,
doubled spaced, with 12 point font, should be at least two but no more than three pages, and
should include the following:
1.
the agency, individual
or school visited;
2.
a description of your
activity; and
3.
a complete summary and
critique of your experience.
XI. RESOURCES:
1. Bibliography
Creswell, J. W.,(1994). Research
design, London: Sage Publications.
Kranzler, J. H.,(2003). Statistics for the
terrified, New Jersey: Pearson Education.
Lester, J. D. (2002). Writing research papers, New
York: Addison-Wesley.
Strunk, W., & White, E.B. (2000). The elements
of style, Boston: Allyn &Bacon.
2. Relevant Web Sites:
Piedmont College’s Web Page: www.piedmont.edu
§
Library: http://library.piedmont.edu
§
Galileo: http://www.galileo.usg.edu/
§
Bookstore: http://www.piedmont.bkstr.com/
§
Georgia Professional
Standards Commission: www.gapsc.com
§
Georgia Department of
Education: http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/
§
QCC objectives/GPS: http://www.glc.k12.ga.us
US
Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/
Education
World: http://www.education-world.com/