Research Methods in Education (EDUC 7011) Spring 2010
- Class meeting times:
- Threaded discussion throughout the semester in Moodle (https://moodle.umn.edu/) Please read about Moodle here!!
- February 6th - 8:30 am to 4:00 pm in Montague 108 - class agenda
- Instructor:
- Barbara Z. Johnson, M.Ed. (web site: http://www.d.umn.edu/~bjohnson/ )
- Office:
- EduE 45
- Phone numbers:
- 218-726-7108 (UMD office)
- email:
- bjohnson@d.umn.edu
Office hours (online via Moodle chat unless you make other arrangements ahead of time):
- Monday 10 - 11 am
- Wednesday 11am - noon
- Thursday 8 - 9 pm
Course Description and Overview
- This course provides in depth knowledge and skills in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research methodology. The course provides a base for designing and implementing the master's thesis required for this program.
Learner Outcomes
- Apply the principles of research and inquiry to problem-solving and decision-making
- Demonstrate understanding of educational and research methodologies and their appropriate use
- Explain validity and reliability and apply it to a research plan
- Develop a plan for a research design
- Examine various strategies for data collection and analysis in educational research
- Prepare a draft of a educational research project that includes a research question, review of relevant literature, and a plan for collecting and analyzing primary research data
Alignment with Program Benchmarks
M. Ed. Program Objectives:
1.Critical reflection
2. Investigation and application of educational theory to practice
3. Evaluating and conducting educational research
4. Cultural competence
5. Building and maintaining communities of learners as professionals
6. Developing leadership in educational reform and social justice
| Course Content | Program Objectives |
|---|---|
| Apply the principles of research and inquiry to problem-solving and decision-making | 2, 3 |
| Demonstrate understanding of educational and research methodologies and their appropriate use | 2, 3 |
| Explain validity and reliability and apply it to a research plan | 2, 3 |
| Develop a plannining matrix for research design | 2, 3 |
| Examine various strategies for data collection and analysis in educational research | 1, 2, 3 |
| Prepare a draft of a educational research project that includes a research question, review of relevant literature, and a plan for collecting and analyzing primary research data | 2, 3 |
Required Texts
- Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007) . Research methods in education, Sixth Edition. This book has been used in the M.Ed. program for a couple of years. Don't panic at the level of detail on many of the topics. This text is the best compromise I could find that gives enough detail for the student who will do a particular type of research while pulling all that detail into one text that we will all have in common.
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition, just re-released in December 2009. I recommend the spiral binding since that allows you to open up the book and lay it flat. Make sure you have the newest edition since the first printing (in July 2009) was loaded with mistakes and had to be recalled.
- Readings on electronic reserve for EDUC 7011.
Recommended Resources
Additional readings will be recommended to support student pursuit of particular research methods, data collection and data analysis.
- Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. We will use sections of this text again since he does an excellent job with many concepts.
- Bui, Yvonne N. (2009). How to write a master's thesis. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
- Glesne, C. (2006). Becoming Qualitative Researchers (3rd ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.
- Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4), 597-607. Retrieved from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR8-4/golafshani.pdf
- Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (1995). Ethnography: Principles in Practice (Second ed.). London: Routledge.
- Klassen, Peter. (2010). Comparing Validity and reliability. Retrieved from http://www.documentingexcellence.com/stat_tool/reliabilityvalidity.htm
- Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
- Salkind, N. J. (2008). Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
- Van Manen, M. (1990). Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy. New York: State University of New York Press.
Instructional Strategies Used in This Class
The following instructional strategies and formats will be used:
- In-person class February 6th: direct instruction, small and large group discussions, and experiential learning activities
- Most modules will include an audio-video lesson from the instructor - often a PowerPoint presentation with voice over recorded
- Assigned readings - please do these and incorporate your understanding of the readings in the online discussions
- Web-based threaded discussions, approximately 3-4 hours per week: original posts, feedback and responses which will include critical reflections, collaboration and discussion on assignments
- Project-based learning toward capstone project, which will include significant self-directed work to complete your IRB application, data collection instrumentation, and other documents required for research in conjunction with your advisor.
Course Requirements and Expectations
As members of the cohort learning community, the expectation is that we all contribute to the learning of the group and each other, and share in creating a quality learning environment. Cohort members bring diverse and extraordinary experience to the process, and we will encourage and rely on that experience to deepen the learning of the group. Participation is therefore expected during the class sessions, as well as bi-weekly online threaded discussions.
- Online Text-Based Discussions
Asynchronous threaded discussions and group work (in Moodle) constitute the majority of interaction in the course after the first in-person meeting . Discussion topics and questions will be posted usually inone week units, with guidelines for the quantity and type of posts required during this period of time. The minimum expectation is that you will participate in each threaded discussion assignment by posting initial input, engaging in web dialogue, and providing feedback/responses to group members. We suggest you allow yourselves 3 - 4 hours per week to engage in threaded discussions.
I expect that you will do your initial post for each unit by Tuesday each week . The second post should come by Thursday, with a final post by Saturday. I will aim to grade these and wrap up the unit late on Saturday.
- Considerations?
Writing your insights, thoughts, and responses to others in a way that's relatively public and semi-permanent (at least for the duration of the semester) can be a little un-nerving at first and can stifle creativity or thoughtful discussion.
Since a major portion of your learning during this term involves learning to use the technical terms of research, try to use these new terms and phrases as accurately as you can. A portion of your assessment will be based on growth in this ability over the term. Also, if you refer to a source (other than another post in our Moodle discussion), use APA formatting - this is a good time to practice!
- As to the kind of posts?
Productive, satisfying discussions are often the result of risk-taking, feedback, questioning, and occasional disagreements, as well as affirming, supportive interaction. With each unit's discussion topic, I will ask you for thoughtful input that reflects the reading, your own experience, and your thoughts or insights. I will also ask you to reflect on other's posts--do you agree or disagree, do you have questions, does this lead you to think about something else? Don't be afraid to ask for clarification or to say that you don't understand something!!
Use this Discussion Rubric as a general guideline. Ideally, for each unit, you will include posts that fit into ALL of the categories of types of discussions.
In this term, many of your assignments are a chance to put up your ideas for your capstone project and get feedback from the instructor and your fellow students.
- Asynchronous threaded discussions (Moodle)
With asynchronous online discussions, it is also important to simply "be present" -- to find ways to describe in writing what you might be doing non-verbally, e.g., nodding your head, smiling, or looking quizically at someone. Imagine making a statement in person in a class, and having no response from the audience--let people know you're there, that you've read their posts. Also, let others in your small group(s) know when you might be out of town or away from your computer, and when you'll return.
In addition to the course-related threaded discussions, I have created a folder called "Cyberspace Cafe" in Moodle. This is the place where you can have casual conversations similar to what goes on in classrooms before class starts, during breaks, etc. We will occasionally start a discussion, and encourage you to create your own discussions for conversation on topics that interest you. Participation in the Cyberspace Cafe is not required.
Also, there will be a discussion called "Barb's Office" in Moodle. Please use this for fairly urgent questions that other students might also have. I will check this FIRST thing every morning.
Schedule
See Moodle site for weekly modules, reading, and assignments.
Assignments (Subject to change!!) 200 points possible throughout the term
Progress toward meeting course objectives will be measured in a variety of ways including: quizzes, case studies, online group discussions, in-person discussions, written assignments, and drafts of components of the final capstone project. There are many "assignments" to compensate for the lack of classroom time together, but keep in mind that many of these are initial drafts of components of your research project for the M.Ed. capstone project.
These are brief descriptions. More in depth assignment descriptions will be posted in each module.
Put your name on all assignments uploaded to Moodle. You can put your name in a header of a Word document or provide a cover sheet. All assignments should be uploaded into Moodle - do NOT send them to the instructor via email!!
Moodle Discussions (50 points)
Discussions related to the readings in each unit. You will be expected to post at least three times each discussion. By Tuesday to answer the questions posed by the instructor, by Thursday to respond to another student's posts, and by Saturday to wrap up and respond to people who responded to your initial post.
Note: not every week will have a discussion!!! Toward the end of the term, you will be focusing on writing Chapter 3 and the IRB application.
Your Research Question or Hypothesis (10 points)
Post a draft of your proposed research question or hypothesis. Explain how this is a good example, based on the criteria in the readings. You will also be expected to give feedback to your classmates on their drafts and revise your draft based on feedback.
Your High Level Research Plan (10 points)
Describe your topic, research question/hypothesis, purpose, and data gathering plans. Strive to answer some or all of these questions - can critically read and give feedback to fellow students on these:
- Do these all align with your philosophy toward the topic you will research (positivistic vs. socially constructed)?
- Why do you want to conduct this research?
- Will you have access to the data you plan to use?
- Can you find a survey or questionnaire used by someone else, so you don't have to design one?
- Who will you need to talk with to get access to subjects or data?
- How much time will it take to gather data and when can you start?
- How much money will it cost? Where will it come from?
Name that Sample - Quiz (10 points)
Short quiz on terms regarding population and samples.
Setting, Population, and Sample (10 points)
Describe the setting that you will use for your data gathering, the population that you want to learn something about, and the sample you will use. Describe how you will choose your sample. What type of sample is it? What are the strengths and weaknesses of using that particular type of sampling scheme.
Give feedback to fellow students based on your understanding of the readings.
Creating an Instrument or Sample Questions for Your Study (10 points)
For this assignment, you may do one of two things:
- Create a draft of your survey, questionnaire or list of interview questions - explain why you chose the questions and format that you did. How did you or will you pilot this? How do you check for validity and reliability?
- Locate a survey or questionnaire used by other researchers or institutions, get permission to use that instrument and share it with the class. Explain why this instrument fits your study, and also it potential drawbacks of using it.
Research Proposal (20 points)
Using the format provided, write your formal proposal to be approved by the M.Ed. committee and your advisor. This must be succesfully completed in order to receive a grade for the course and to enroll in the next class in the research sequence.
Protecting and Informing Your Subjects (10 points)
Discuss how you will inform your subjects about the nature of your research and expectations of them during it. How will you protect their confidentiality or anonymity? How will you keep their data secure and for how long?
Post the draft of your informed consent letter, or the equivalent if your research does not require one. If you do not need to get a signed consent form, explain why.
Plan for Data Analysis (10 points)
Discuss your plan for analyzing your data. What statistics will you calculate and why? Or how will you code data, if you are doing a qualitative study?
Chapter 3 Draft (50 points)
Using the format described in the Research Chapters description for your capstone project, complete a good draft of Chapter 3 of the thesis. This draft must include references, examples of data gathering instruments, and informed consent letters. This draft should follow APA guidelines for manuscript formatting, which you can read in the APA manual.
IRB Application, Appendicies and Attachments (10 points)
You will need to send your advisor your IRB application, all appendicies (Appendix J at least, possibly others depending upon your research), an example of your informed consent letter, and your sample data collection instrument or questions. Copy your instructor on that email for this assignment. You will receive feedback or approval from your advisor for this assignment - NOT from your instructor. Please allow at least 2 to 3 weeks for review by your advisor.
Late Assignment Policy
You may hand in assignments past the due date, but you will receive a lower score. I will subtract 10% per day from the points you would have received if it was on time.
Since we are all adults with busy lives and unexpected problems do come up, if you contact me BEFORE an assignment is due and let me know that you have a crisis (health or other) that will cause you to turn in an assignment late, the late policy will not be enforced. We will negotiate a new due date without penalty.
On discussions, try to jump in and post early in the week of each unit. If you know you will be gone during that time, alert the class and try to post early instead. These discussions rely upon you all to make them profitable for everyone.
Grading
Tentatively, grading will be done on a fixed scale. I may LOWER the percentages required for a specific grade based on the final scores for the whole class. In-progress grades will be available in UMD's eGradebook, available at: http://www.d.umn.edu/egradebook/ - which includes the percentage cutoffs for each grade.
Accommodations for People with Disabilities
If you have a diagnosed learning disability, please see me as soon as possible so we can arrange for appropriate adaptation!
If you have any condition that requires adaptation of classroom, online, or assessment methods, please let me know as soon as possible! I am happy to make modifications, but some of them require some lead time to arrange.
Student Appeals and Grievances
The Department of Education's policies regarding student appeals and grievances come from the University of Minnesota Duluth's set of policies, which are listed here: http://www.d.umn.edu/educ/student_resources/appeals.html.