Educational Foundations 605

EDEF 605: Introduction to Educational Research

Credit hours (3)


This course introduces students to the concepts, methods, applications, and products of educational research. The course examines the functions of research and scientific thinking in the professional practice of educators and the continuous improvement of education. 


Detailed Description of Course


This course introduces students to the concepts, methods, applications, and products of educational research. The course examines the functions of research and scientific thinking in the professional practice of educators and the continuous improvement of education.  Students are expected to (a) locate, read and use research literature; (b) think more scientifically and critically as educators; (c) recognize the strengths and limitations of non-statistical and statistical analysis in the conduct of disciplined inquiry; and (d) communicate with peers and other professionals using relevant field literature.

Course topics include the following:
    1) What is research?
    2) What does it mean to be a competent consumer of research?
    3) Role of research in educational practice
    4) History of educational research
    5) Library skills for scholarly research
    6) Classification of research methods
    7) Introduction to qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research paradigms, methods, and terminology
    8) Professional writing and APA style


Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

    1) Course readings will serve as primary course basis for class discussions
    2) A variety of written and/or multimedia assignments (locating research, reviewing and critiquing research, formal papers,
        group discussions and projects) will be used to help students develop a complex understanding of educational research
        and communicate with peers and other professionals about the implications of educational research on practice
    3) Lectures by the professor will be utilized to supplement and reinforce course readings
    4) Videos will provide additional content for personal reflection and/or class discussion
    5) Internet searches will provide an additional source for acquiring related course content


Goals and Objectives of the Course

Goals, objectives, and assignments in this course address the CAEP 2013 Accreditation Standard 1.2: [Program] completers use research and evidence to develop an understanding of the teaching profession; and the Virginia Licensure Regulations (8VAC20-542-100; 8VAC20-542-110; 8VAC20-542-120) 1.i.: Teacher candidates demonstrate the ability to analyze, evaluate, apply, and conduct quantitative and qualitative research.

By the conclusion of this course, the student will develop competencies in the following knowledge and skills and will be able to:
    1) Explicate the role of research in education and the need for practitioners to become competent consumers of research;
    2) Locate and discern appropriate research-related sources of information on a given topic;
    3) Explicate the role of research and theory in education as it applies to best practice, teaching strategies, and teaching
        models;
    4) Apply scientific reasoning (deductive, inductive, abductive) to data-driven continuous improvement efforts;
    5) Identify and describe the major characteristics of each of the major methods of conducting research;
    6) Identify the critical elements of a research article;
    7) Critically read and analyze a research article;
    8) Identify features of a research article that are adequate or inadequate and describe how they affect the quality of the
        study or how they could be altered to enhance quality;
    9) Demonstrate a complex understanding of educational research as an integrated process that includes multidisciplinary
        approaches, frameworks of knowledge, and methodological foundations focused on the task to produce knowledge,
        advance practice, understand social contexts and advance notions of teaching and learning; and
    10) Demonstrate professional writing and adherence to APA style.


Assessment Measures

All instructors of this course will assess learning in this class in a variety of ways.  These include, but are not limited to, the following:
    1) Response journals to assigned readings to support students in processing and reflecting on course content;
    2) Written assignments such as reading reflections, research study analyses, literature reviews, formal papers;
    3) Small group projects;
    4) Class participation in discussions and small group activities;
    5) Paper or poster presentations (individual or in a group);
    6) Quizzes; and
    7) Mid-term and/or final examination/s on course content.

Technological proficiency must be demonstrated in written assignments, electronic mail communications, and correspondence.


Other Course Information

This course will be a pre-requisite course for EDEF 606.

 

Review and Approval

May 2, 2016
May 11, 2015