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(ED 693) Master’s Project

Syllabus of Record

Catalog Description: The student identifies a problem, reviews literature, creates a product based on applicable literature, research or theory that addresses the problem, and develops a plan for implementation and evaluation. Prerequisite: 27 credit hours; ED 660. Application required. Three credits.

Unit Mission, Philosophy, Values:

Our Mission:

“Teaching, Leading and Learning in a Democratic Society”

The College of Education prepares candidates who enhance the individual growth of their students while working to establish policies and practices that promote the principles of democratic education. The College articulates this mission as Teaching, Leading, and Learning in a Democratic Society.

Philosophy:

Student Potential, Ethical Implications

Believing that schools function as social and political entities as well as for the growth of individuals, the College of Education prepares teachers and leaders

a)  to enhance the academic and personal potential of their students

b)  to evaluate the social and ethical implications of educational policies and practices.

Values:

“Expertise, Equity, Liberal Education, Social Responsibility”

The College of Education values expertise to guide our practice, equity to guide our interactions, liberal education to guide our perspectives, and social responsibility to guide our commitment to democratic education. We value these ideals in our preparation of candidates, our development of faculty, and our relationships with the larger community we serve.

Unit and Program Standards:

Common Unit Standards: Michigan Department of Education; National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Standards; Council for Social Foundations of Education (CLSE).

Common Advanced Program Standards: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards; College of Education Research Competencies.

Common Assessment: Research Project

Course Objectives:

1.  The student will demonstrate the ability to identify a problem within an educational context.

2.  The student will demonstrate the ability to review scholarly research relevant to the problem.

3.  The student will demonstrate the ability to apply research to develop a product that addresses the problem.

4.  The student will develop a plan for implementation and evaluation of the product in a particular educational context.

5.  The student will demonstrate an understanding of the ethical requirements of research and how philosophical and theoretical assumptions affect evaluation.

Course Knowledge Base:

Babbie, E. (2003). The practice of social research. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Gay, L.R. (2002). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and application. Columbus, OH:

Merrill.

Graziano, A. M., and Raulin, M. L. (1999). Research methods: A process of inquiry. NY: Harper Collins.

Guidelines for Preparation of the Masters Thesis/Project (current edition). Grand Valley State University.

McMillan, J. H., and Schumacher, S. (2000). Research in education: A conceptual introduction. NY: Harper Collins.

Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (current edition). Washington, DC