EDUC500 Research Design and Methodology: Global Study (3 units) Summer, 2010 Pre-sessions (5 sessions): June 14th - June 17th (M - Th) + June 21st (M) 4 -7PM Japan sessions : June 23rd (leaving US) - July 1st (leaving Japan) Post-session: July 13th: (T) 4-7PM Pre-departure orientation: TBA Instructor: Noriyuki Inoue, Ph.D. Email: inoue@sandiego.edu Office: MRH235 Telephone: 619-260-7669 Course Description EDUC 500 is an introduction to research methods with an emphasis on methods of reflective, practitioner-directed inquiry. The course includes a focus on action research aimed at improvement of professional practice in leadership, teaching and counseling. The course also surveys quantitative methods and logic in the social sciences to prepare professionals to access and critically consume traditional research findings to support and extend their own inquiries. The political implications of traditional and practitioner driven research models are discussed. Students who take this course are expected to take EDUC580 Capstone Seminar in the next semester, and initiate the action research or thesis project based on the action research plan or thesis proposal developed in the course. (This does not apply to special education students.) This global study course is offered partially in Tokyo, Japan. The students will first learn about research design and methodology at USD and then learn about action research in depth in Tokyo by utilizing Uchiyama’s SSM (Soft System Methodology) as a theoretical framework. In Tokyo, action research discussions take place in the form of interactions with Japanese professionals, students at Daito Bunka University, and staff of JAAR (Japan Association of Action Research) including Uchiyama who developed SSM as a powerful theoretical framework for action researchers. The students will develop a deep understanding of different ways practice improvement could be done in different cultural contexts as well as how practitioners go through self-transformation and reflection during action research. The Japanese sessions take place at Daito Bunka University in Tokyo. The Tokyo sessions will be conducted jointly with COUN515 and COUN525.
Course Objectives/Candidate Outcomes Outcome I. Academic Excellence, Critical Inquiry and Reflection • Demonstrate familiarity with aims and benefits of practitioner-directed research (K) • Demonstrate understanding of methods of action research (S) • Access on-line research networks and resources (S) • Demonstrate understanding of basic principles of quantitative research design and statistical analysis (K) • Practice critical evaluation of traditional published research (S) (619) 260-7443
129 Hill Hall
solesglobal@sandiego.edu
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Identify the strength and limitation of various research paradigms (K, S) Design basic research framework based on your academic/professional interest (S) Critically examine the effectiveness of educational practices and innovations with the eyes of researchers (S, D)
Outcome II. Community and Service • Participate in building a democratic, research community-of-practice (D) • Examine work sites as foci of research inquiry (D) Outcome III. Ethics, Values and Diversity • Critically assess the relevance and political implications of traditional and practitioner driven research models. (S) S=Skill, K=Knowledge, D=Disposition
Textbooks/Readings
Textbook Leedy, P. D. & Ormrod, J. E. (2005). Practical Research: Planning and Design (8th edition). Prentice Hall. McNiff J. & Whitehead, J. (2009). Doing and writing action research. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Checkland, P. (1999). Systems thinking, systems practice. Wiley. Reserved materials Ginsburg, H.P. (1997). The need to move beyond standardized methods, from Entering the child's mind: The clinical interview in psychological research and practice. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Mertens, D. M. (1998). Research Methods in Education and Psychology. Chap. 1. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications. Ratner, C. (1997). Cultural Psychology and Qualitative Methodology: Theoretical and Empirical Considerations. New York: Plenum. There will be others reading materials available on the class WebCT (pope.sandiego.edu) and after arriving at Tokyo. Please use your email ID/password to log in. Web sites Copley Library Article Databases: http://marian.sandiego.edu/alldbs.htm ProQuest Digital Dissertations: http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/
Course Requirements/Activities Class participation: You are expected to actively participate in all the learning activities and questions/answer sessions for building a democratic community-of-practice. There will be collaborative dialogues on your research plan/proposal throughout the course. Your preparation for the class and active contribution to the discussions is an essential learning (619) 260-7443
129 Hill Hall
globalcenter@sandiego.edu
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activity of the class. You are also required to participate in the pre-departure orientation held by Global Center (TBA). Assignments: Occasionally, you will be given in-class, take-home and online assignments such as research reflection, project progress report, etc. One of the online assignments will be to complete the human participant protections education for research teams at NIH(National Institute of Health) website at http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~gra/login.php. Research critique presentation: You will be sign up for two or more published research articles you're your peers and lead the class discussions on the methods, major findings, educational implications and your own critiques on the strength and limitation of the research projects discussed in the articles. Each of your presentation is expected to be about 10 minutes followed by 5-10 minutes of Q&A session. You are expected to facilitate active discussions on the research articles in the class. The use of PowerPoint is required. Mid-term exam: There will be an exam that is take-home, open-textbook, essay style. You are expected to give clear and insightful answers to the exam questions based on our class discussions and readings. Completing the exam takes 3 to 10 hours, depending on your progress. Final project: You will write an action research plan or thesis proposal for your graduation research as the final project for the course. Action research plan: Those who are conducting an action research project for your graduation research will organize an action research plan as the final project for the course. First, you will identify your professional identity and driving concern (or omoi) as an educator, identify the context that could benefit from an action research project, identify guiding theories and research, and submit a 5-7 page research background report that discusses these issues. Then you will conduct needs assessment and organize a full action research plan that discusses the identified needs and the first phase plan of action and assessment along with the research background (revised research background report) and inputs from your action research team. Thesis proposal: Those who are conducting a thesis project for your graduation research will organize a thesis proposal as the final project for the course. First, you will identify your own research interest, review existing literature, identify your research question, and organize a 5-7 page research background report that describes your critical review of existing theories and research on the topic you are interested in. Then you will conduct a small pilot study (n≼8) and organize a research proposal that involves the description of the study for answering your research question and the result of the pilot study along with the research background (revised research background report) and inputs from your research team. Your final project requires a short presentation of your work in class. The detailed guideline for the final project is given in class. Assessment Plan/Grading Criteria/Rubric The final grade is calculated based on the following criteria: Class participation: 15% Assignments: 10% Mid-term exam: 25% Research critique presentation: 5% Final project: 45 % (619) 260-7443
129 Hill Hall
globalcenter@sandiego.edu
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(Outline 5%, Research background report 20%, Final paper 20%) The following table shows the correspondence between letter grades and 100 point scale scores. Letter grade A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D DF
100 pt score 9490-93 87-89 83-86 80-82 76-79 73-75 69-72 66-68 63-65 60-62 0-59
Equivalent score 96 92 88 85 81 78 74 71 67 64 61 0
Course Schedule (tentative)
Sessions
Topics
6/14 (M)
Course overview/Introduction Leedy Chapter 1, 2 Introduction of research in education McNiff Chapter 1 Traditional research and action research Research ownership issue Understanding variables Conceptual/operational definition of variables Reading research abstracts critically I Removing epistemological biases Power of brainstorming/collaborative reflections WebCT introduction Ethical issues/IRB approval - Research background report guidelined is handed out.
6/15 (T)
Quantitative research Leedy Chapter 4, 5 Sampling methods Leedy Chapter 9-11 Correlational design Ginsburg (1997) Experimental design Quasi-experimental design Descriptive and inferential statistics overview Strengths and weaknesses of quantitative research Validity/reliability Identifying theoretical framework for research Reviewing literature I Online database/APA style workshop Role of theories and research literature
(619) 260-7443
Reading assignments
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globalcenter@sandiego.edu
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Students’ research critique presentations I 6/16 (W)
Qualitative research Leedy Chapter 7 Ethnographic research Mertens Chap. 1 Case study/cross-case study Ratner (1997) Phenomenological research Mixed design Triangulation Research paradigms Ontological/epistemological assumptions Positivistic, constructivist, and emancipatory paradigms Reviewing literature II Students’ research critique presentations II NIH Certificate (Assignment) due
6/17 (Th)
Action research I Conceptual framework Needs assessment Determining action research questions Students’ research critique presentations III - Mid-term exam is handed out Research background report outline is due
McNiff Chap. 2, 3
6/21 (M)
Action research II Developing action and assessment plans Data analysis and reflection Recursive design Cultural assumptions in action research What is SSM (Soft System Methodology)? Students’ research critique presentations IV Pre-departure orientation - Final paper guidelines is handed out. Mid-term exam due
McNiff, Chap. 6, 7 Checkland (1999)
6/23(W) -7/1(Th) ==== Japan Sessions ==== Research background report due at the airport Orientation and introductions Action research III SSM and Japanese epistemology Omoi, Koto, and Mono Practice improvement and community Learning from action research in Japan SSM exercises I, II, III Japan, Tokyo and global society Communities of Tokyo and Japanese schools Japan, Tokyo and global society 7/13 (T)
(619) 260-7443
Students presentations Final paper due
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globalcenter@sandiego.edu
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- The instructor may change the tentative schedule depending on the situations around transportations, budget, room availability, etc. Please check your USD email regularly for announcement of changes. Requests for Accommodation Reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act will be made for course participants with disabilities who require specific instructional and testing modifications. Students with such requirements must identify themselves to the University of San Diego Disability Services Office (619.260.4655) before the beginning of the course. Every effort will be made to accommodate students’ needs, however, performance standards for the course will not be modified in considering specific accommodations. Grade of Incomplete: The grade of Incomplete (“I”) may be recorded to indicate (1) that the requirements of a course have been substantially completed but, for a legitimate reason, a small fraction of the work remains to be completed, and, (2) that the record of the student in the course justifies the expectation that he or she will complete the work and obtain the passing grade by the deadline. It is the student’s responsibility to explain to the instructor the reasons for non-completion of work and to request an incomplete grade prior to the posting of final grades. Students who receive a grade of incomplete must submit all missing work no later than the end of the tenth week of the next regular semester, otherwise the “I” grade will become a permanent “F.” A petition for a grade of incomplete must accompany all requests for an incomplete at the end of the course term. Criteria for changing a grade of incomplete to a letter grade must be negotiated with the instructor before the final class. The criteria must be outlined on the signed Incomplete Request Form. A completed form with both the instructor and student signature must be turned in by the last session of the class. Without a student signed form the registrar requires assignment of a grade of F. A student must complete an incomplete by the 10th week of the next session or a grade of F is permanently calculated in the overall grade point average. Any attempts to complete an incomplete after the 10-week deadline requires the approval of the Associate Dean of the School of Education. Academic Integrity All members of the University community share the responsibility for maintaining an environment of academic integrity since academic dishonesty is a threat to the University. Acts of academic dishonesty include: a) unauthorized assistance on an examination; b) falsification or invention of data; c) unauthorized collaboration on an academic exercise; d) plagiarism; e) misappropriation of resource materials; f) any unauthorized access of an instructor’s files or computer account; or g) any other serious violation of academic integrity as established by the instructor.
(619) 260-7443
129 Hill Hall
globalcenter@sandiego.edu
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