Spring 2006

KEAN UNIVERSITY

Union, New Jersey

DISSERTATION SEMINAR

Course Number: EDD 7101

Semester Hours: Three

Prerequisites: PSY 6010 (Research Design and Statistics I), PSY 6020 (Research Design and Statistics II), EDD 6302 (Research Seminar in Urban Education and Policy), obtain a passing score on the comprehensive exam or by permission of the program coordinator.

Limitations on Enrollment: 10

Required: For Ed.D. candidates

Catalog Description

Develop an understanding and apply the principles of advanced research design in order to facilitate the development and submittal of a doctoral dissertation proposal. Action research methodology that focuses on issues in the urban environment will be emphasized.

N.B. In order to insure full class participation, any student with a disability condition requiring special accommodations (e.g., tape recorder, special adaptive equipment, special note taking or test taking procedures) is strongly encouraged to contact the professor at the beginning of the course.

DISSERTATION SEMINAR

(EDD 7101)

I. Course Objectives

Students will become informed, dynamic, professionals through knowledge acquisition, skill application and development of dispositions, as evidenced by demonstration of the ability to:

A. identify and define a research problem that focuses on a specific school district or community program based issue, which requires an action research inquiry methodology. (Knowledge/Skills/Dispositions)

B. formulate and design research questions and hypotheses. (Knowledge/ Dispositions)

C. design and conduct a focused review of the literature as it applies to their specific topic incorporating both traditional and electronic resources. (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)

D.  explore and develop methodological strategies that employ either a quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methodology research design. (Knowledge, Skills)

E.  explore and identify ethical implications for conducting social science research in a public milieu. (Knowledge, Skills, Dispositions)

F. develop and prepare a coherent, well-structured and relevant dissertation proposal. (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)

II. Course Content

A. Identifying and defining a problem for an action research based dissertation

  1. Assessment of school and community based topics
  2. Scan the appropriate literature
  3. Choice of topic
  4. Understand action research methodology
  5. Different approaches to research
  6. Naturalistic inquiry
  7. Objective science and experimental research
  8. Experimental, quasi-experimental, and ex-post facto methods
  9. Phenomenology
  10. Meaning interpretation and qualitative methods
  11. Research relationships in classrooms and schools

B. Develop research questions and hypotheses

1.  Define the problem

2.  Hypotheses development

a.  Research hypotheses

b. Alternative hypotheses

c.  Null hypotheses

i.  No difference/non-directional

ii.  Directional

3.  Qualitative research questions

C.  Review of the literature

1.  Purpose

2.  Primary source literature

3.  Secondary source literature

4.  Electronic search resources

a. Journal indexes

b.  Electronic databases

i.  Reviews

ii.  Abstracts

c. Internet

5.  Writing the literature review

a. Organization of literature

i.  Reorganization of files

ii.  Retrieval of related abstracts

iii.  Evaluation of the literature

- Intelligent discussion

iv.  Using primary sources

v.  Annotated bibliography

vi.  Narrative conclusion

D.  Methodological strategies

1.  Designing a quantitative methodology

  1. Identifying populations and samples
  2. Determining design validity
  3. Determining instrument validity and reliability
  4. Standardized, norm and criterion-referenced tests
  5. Alternative assessment methods
  6. Questionnaires, surveys, observational quantitative tools

2.  Designing a qualitative research methodology

  1. Research questions and case study designs
  2. Appropriate sampling strategies
  3. Data collection and analysis methods
  4. Design validity and limitations
  5. Ethical problems and dilemmas in fieldwork

3.  Designing a mixed-methodology approach

a. Types of mixed-method designs

i.  Explanatory

ii.  Exploratory

iii.  Triangulation

b.  Conducting mixed-method research

  1. Secondary data analysis

E.  Ethical implications

1.  Institutional Review Board (IRB)

2.  Kean University ORSP procedures

3.  Consent and debriefing forms

4.  APA guidelines

F.  The dissertation proposal

1.  Developing the proposal

  1. Utilize a rationale
  2. Requesting an advisor/mentor
  3. Choosing a committee

2.  Using peer collaboration

  1. Structuring the collaboration
  2. Weighing the advantages and disadvantages

3.  Organizing the committee

  1. Schedule the conference
  2. Keeping the committee informed

4.  Using technology to create a dynamic presentation

  1. PowerPoint
  2. Internet

5.  Learning from the proposal conference

III. Methods of Instruction

A. Lecture/Demonstrations

B. Discussion groups

C. Assigned readings

D. Socratic dialectic

E. Cooperative learning activities

F. Individualized & differentiated instruction

G. Computer lab activities

H. Self analysis/Peer analysis

IV. Methods of Evaluation

A. Instructor’s critique of scheduled dissertation chapter submissions.

(Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)

B. Final dissertation proposal submission (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)

C. Computer analysis activities (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)

D. Classroom participation (Knowledge/Skills/ Dispositions)

E. Analysis & discussion of scholarly journal articles (Knowledge/Skills)

F. Analysis & discussion of scholarly Internet resources (Knowledge/Skills)

G. Analysis & discussion of doctoral dissertations (Knowledge/Skills)

V. Recommended Texts

Glatthorn, A.A. & Joyner, J.L. (2005). Writing the winning thesis or dissertation: A

step-by-step guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Roberts, C.M. (2004). The dissertation journey. Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American

Psychological Association (5TH ed.). New York, NY: Pearson and Allyn &

Bacon.

VI. Bibliography – (Current)

Airasian, P. W. & Gay, L. R. (2002). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and

applications(7th ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Babbie, E. (2002). The basics of social research (2nd ed). New York, NY: Wadsworth.

Bryant, M.T. (2003). The portable dissertation advisor. Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin

Press.

Coghlan, D. & Brannick, T. (2000). Doing action research in your own organization. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Cowan, G. (2004). Understanding and conducting research in education: A user-friendly approach (2nd ed.). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.

Creighton, T.B. (2001). Schools and data: The educator’s guide for using data to improve decision making. Thousands Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Gall, M., et al. (2002) Educational research: An introduction (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn

and Bacon.

Gravetter, F. J., & Wallnau, L. B. (2005). Statistics for the behavioral sciences, (6th ed.).

New York: Wadsworth/Thompson.

Graziano, A. M. & Raulin, M.L. (2004) Research methods: A process of inquiry. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Hopkins, D. (2002). A teacher’s guide to classroom research (3rd ed.). New

York, NY: Routledge Farmer.

Kirkpatrick, L. A., & Feeney, B. C. (2005). A simple guide to SPSS for windows for

version 12 (Revised Edition). New York, NY: Wadsworth/Thompson.

Marzano, R. J. (2003) What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria,

VA: ASCD.

Mertler, C. A. & Charles, C. M. (2001). Introduction to educational research (4th ed.).

Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Mills,G. E. (2000). Action research: A guide for teacher researchers. Upper Saddle River,

NJ: Merrill.

Mislevy, R.J. (2004). Can there be reliability without “reliability”? Journal of Educational

and Behavioral Statistics, 29(2), 241-244.

Moss, P.A. (2004). The meaning and consequences of “reliability”. Journal of Educational

and Behavioral Statistics, 29(2), 245-250.

Parsons, R. & Brown, K. (2002). Teacher as reflective practitioner and action researcher. Belmont CA: Wadsworth.

Sagor, R. (2000). Guiding school improvement with action research. Alexandria VA:

ASCD.

Sanders, J. R. (2000). Evaluating school programs: An educators guide. Newberry Park,

Ca: Corwin Press.

Schostak, J. (2002). Understanding, designing and conducting qualitative

research in education. New York, NY: Routledge Farmer.

Shadish, W.R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Stevens, J. (2001). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences, (4th ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Thomas, R.M. (2003). Blending qualitative & quantitative research methods in theses and

dissertations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Trochim, W.M.K. (2005). Research methods: The concise knowledge base. Cincinnati,

OH: Atomic Dog Publishing.

Trochim, W.M.K. (2001) The research methods knowledge base (2nd ed.). Cincinnati,

OH: Atomic Dog Publishing.

VII. Bibliography – (Seminal)

Adler, E. & Clark, R. (1999). An invitation to social research. New York, NY: Wadsworth.

Arney, W. R. (1990). Understanding statistics in the social sciences. New York, NY:

Freeman.

Bell, J. (1993). Doing your research project. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press.

Best, J. (1996). Research in education (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Best, J. (Ed.) (1992). Encyclopedia of educational research (5th ed.). New York, NY: Free

Press.

Bogdan, R. & Bilkin, S. (1992). Qualitative research for education: An

introduction to theory and method (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon

Borg, W.R. et al. (1993). Applying educational research (5th ed.). New York, NY:

Longman.

Burgess, R. (1995). Essays in educational ethnography. San Francisco, CA: Falmer.

Carspecken, P. (1995). Critical ethnography in educational research. New York, NY:

Routledge.

Charles, C.M. (1995). Introduction to educational research. New York, NY: Longman.

Cochran-Smith, M. & Lytle, S.L. (1993). Inside/outside: Teacher research and

knowledge. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Conner, R. (Ed.) (1991). Methodological advances in evaluation research. Beverly Hills,

CA: Sage.

Creswell, J. W. (1994). Research design: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Crowl, T. K. (1996). Fundamentals of educational research. Madison, WI: Brown & Benchmarck Publishers.

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y.S. (1994). Handbook of qualitative research. Beverly Hills,

CA: Sage.

Donahue, Z. et al (eds.) (1996). Research in the classroom: Talk, texts, and

inquiry. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Drew, C. J., Hardman, M.J., & Weave-Hart, A. (1996). Designing and conducting

research. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Eisenhart, M., & Borko, H. (1993). Designing classroom research: Themes, issues, and struggles. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Ferguson, G. A. (1981). Statistical analysis in psychology and education. New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill.

Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (1990). How to design and evaluate research in education

(2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Gall, M., Berg, W., & Gall, J. (1996). Educational research: An introduction. NY:

Longman.

Gay, L. R. (1996). Educational research (5th ed.). Columbus, OH: Charles Merrill.

Glass, G. V., & Hopkins, V.P. (1996). Statistical methods in education and psychology. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Glanz, J. (1998). Action research: An educational leader’s guide to school improvement, (2nd ed.). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers Inc.

Hopkins, D. (1993). A teacher's guide to classroom research (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press.

Hubbard, R.S. & Power B.M. (1993). The art of classroom inquiry. Portsmouth,

NH: Heinemann Publishers.

Jones, R. A. (1996). Research methods in the social and behavioral sciences. Boston, MA:

Sinauer.

Kanji, G. K. (1993). 100 statistical tests. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Krathwohl, D. R. (1993). Methods of educational and social science research: An

integrated approach. New York, NY: Longman.

Lancy, P. F. (1993). Qualitative research in education. New York, NY: Longman.

Langenbach, M. C., & Argaard, L. (1994). An introduction to educational research.

Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Leedy, P. (1993). Practical research: Planning and design (5th ed.). New York, NY:

John Wiley.

Lieberman, A. (1996). Creating intentional learning communities. Educational

Leadership, 54(3), 51-55.

Maruyana, G., & Deno, S. (1992). Research in educational settings. Beverly Hills, CA:

Sage.

McMillan, J.H. (1999). Educational research: Fundamentals for the consumer (3rd ed.).

New York, NY: Addison-Wesley Publishing .

Meloy, J. M. (1994). Writing the qualitative dissertation. New York, NY: Erlbaum.

Miles, M. & Huberman, A.M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded

source book (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Foundation.

Minium, E. (1990). Statistical reasoning in psychology and education (4th ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley.

Peterson, V. D. (1995). Teacher evaluation. Beverly Hills, CA: Corwin.

Power, B. (1996). Taking note: Improving your observational note taking. York,

ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Solso, R. L., & Johnson, H.H. (1984). An introduction to experimental design in

psychology. New York, NY: Harper and Row.

Sprinthall, R.D. et al. (1991). Understanding educational research. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Stainback, S. & Stainback, W. (1988). Understanding and conducting qualitative

research. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

Stringer, E. T. (1999). Action research: A handbook for practitioners. Thousand Oaks, CA

Sage.

Tuckman, B. (1999). Conducting educational research (5th ed.). Belmont CA:

Wadsworth.

Vockell, E. L., & Asher, J.W. (1995). Educational research (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Walker, M. (1994). Writing research papers. New York, NY: Norton.

Winer, B. J., Brown, D. R., & Michels, K. M. (1991). Statistical principles in experimental design, (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Wampold, B. E., & Drew, L.J. (1990). Theory and application of statistics. New York,

NY: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.

Wierman, W. (1995). Research methods in education (6th ed.). Itasca, IL: Peacock Publishers.

VIII. Recommended Periodicals

American Educational Research Journal

Education Administration Quarterly

Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis

Educational Leadership

Educational Leadership Review

Journal of Curriculum and Supervision

Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics

Education Leadership

Educational Researcher

Evaluation in Education

Journal of Staff, Program and Organization Development

National Forum on Educational Administration and Supervision

Phi Delta Kappan

IX. Non-Print (Departmental)

The following computer software packages are available in the College of Education Computer Center, Willis 100.

Name Content

STAT-PAK Statistical Package and

SPSS Statistical Packages for Social Sciences

Video Tapes distributed by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, VA:

Action Research

Guiding School Improvement with Action Research

X. Websites

1. http://ed-research .com Educational Research

2. http://cleo.murdoch.edu.au/gen/iierI Issues In Educational Research

3. http://www.ers.orgl ERS - Educational Research Service Home Page

4. http://www.educationindex.coml/ Education Index

5. http://www.aera.netf AERA.NET Front Page

6. http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/oeribro.html ED/OERI: Office of Educational

Research and Improvement

7. http://www.cerd. org CERD - Center for Educational Research and

Development

8. http://www.accesseric.org ERIC -- Educational Resources Information Center

9. http://www.nwrel.org Welcome to the Northwest Regional Educational

Laboratory

10. http://www.iournals.uchicacjo.edu/AJE/ American Journal of Education

11. http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html APA Style Manual

12. http://library.kean.edu Kean University Library

13. http://libdex.com Kean University Library Index

14. http://infolink.org Online Information Link

15. http://ericeece.org ERIC Documents Online