EAF 410: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND STATISTICS IN EDUCATION I
SUMMER 2006
Place of work: 323 DeGarmo
Phone: (309) 438-2051
Office Hours: By appointment (Email preferable).
Class Meets: Tuesday & Thursday 5:30-9:20pm, Room: DEG 504
Email: jkrugut@ilstu.edu
Click here for a pdf version of the course syllabus
| Introduction | Content Outline | Course Objectives | Class Format | Texts & Software | Required Student Tasks |
| Student Performance and Evaluation | Delivery System |
|
Department Name |
Educational Administration and Foundations |
|
Course Number |
EAF 410 |
|
Course Title |
Research Methodology and Statistics in Education I |
|
Catalog Description |
The development of basic skills required in the understanding, planning and executing of a research study; introduction to analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. |
Course Overview |
EAF 410 is a first graduate-level course in research methods and statistics as applied to the field of education. The course (a) emphasizes qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches; (b) introduces descriptive and inferential statistics; (c) enables students to become more effective consumers of research; (d) prepares students for subsequent and related courses; and (e) provides a foundation for students to be able to conduct original research that may lead to theses, dissertations, or other products.
Illinois State University has a historic and enduring commitment to educate leaders who will be responsive to the moral and intellectual demands a democratic society places on them. This course provides students with a general knowledge and basic understanding of research methods, statistics, and measurement. It encourages contagious intellectual enthusiasm and creativity, an orientation that requires a seriousness of purpose and reverence for learning.
Technology components: As a part of this course, students make use of a variety of technological tools. These include computer databases and the Internet that are accessed to locate relevant research articles, and word processing packages to type and format class assignments.
|
| Introduction | Content Outline | Course Objectives | Class Format | Texts & Software | Required Student Tasks |
| Student Performance and Evaluation | Delivery System |
Topical/Content Outline...Subject to Change
The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the course syllabus as necessary.
It is the student's responsibility to keep up with changes to the syllabus
|
Week |
Date |
Topic |
Assignment |
Chapter |
|
1 |
05/23 |
Introduction and Overview Structure of a Research Process |
|
Other |
|
1 |
05/25 |
Fundamentals of Research Scales of Measurement Organizing and Graphing Data |
|
BK-Ch1*,10 (pp. 353-358) Other** |
|
2 |
05/30 |
Selecting a Problem and Preparing a Research Proposal Organizing and Graphing Data |
|
BK-Ch2,10 (pp. 353-358) |
|
2 |
06/01 |
Ethics and Research Variables and Hypotheses Measures of Central Tendency Measures of Spread/Variability |
Assign. #1 |
BK-Ch10 (pp. 358-368) (pp. 407-413) Other |
|
3 |
06/06 |
Literature Review Normal Distribution |
Article Critique |
Other BK-Ch10 (pp. 368-378) |
|
3 |
06/08 |
Research Method--Descriptive Studies: Survey Designs Normal Distribution |
|
BK-Ch5 (p. 119-133), 10 (p. 414) |
|
4 |
06/13 |
Midterm Examination!!! |
|
|
|
4 |
06/15 |
Research Methods—Correlational Designs Correlation Analysis
|
Assign. #2 |
BK-Ch5 (p. 138-147), 10(pp. 378-391) Other |
|
5 |
06/20 |
Research Methods--Causal-Comparative Designs A One sample t Test
|
|
BK-Ch5 (p. 134-138), 11(pp.414-415) Others |
|
5 |
06/22 |
Research Methods--Experimental Research Designs Independent-Measures t Test |
Project Presentation |
BK-Ch6, 11(pp. 414-415) Other |
|
6 |
06/27 |
Research Methods-Single-Subject Experimental Designs Related t Test |
Final Project Due |
BK-Ch7, 11(pp. 419-421) Other |
|
6 |
06/29 |
Final Examination!!! |
|
|
Note: * Research in Education (Best, J. W., & Kahn, J. V.)
** Instructor’s discussions and/or summary notes (where notes are available, they will be posted on the last link of the
assignment section of WebCT).
1. Research Methods/Statistics in Education I
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
a. Identify a variety of research designs (mostly quantitative paradigms).
b. Understand the concepts of internal and external validity.
c. Identify a researchable problem and conduct research on it.
d. Use a research library and other public sources of data and research.
e. Demonstrates ones’ ability to critically analyze and interpret published research (through literature
reviews and/or article critiques).
f. Understand the issues related to the concepts of instrument validity and reliability.
g. Correctly calculate and interpret basic descriptive and inferential statistics.
h. Understand the logic of statistical inference and hypothesis testing.
i. Be able to calculate and interpret inferential statistics on z, t, and r.
j. Write according to APA guidelines.
1.2 Class Format
The format of the course will be a combination of lectures, seminar, and computer time. Each topic that we cover will
have a combination of lecturing by me, to give you the necessary background for the topic, lab exercises so that we can
learn how to interpret output, and a discussion period where we all read assigned work that apply the topic.
Required text are:
(BK) Best, J. W., Kahn, J. V. (2006). Research in Education (10th ed.). Allyn & Bacon. ISBN: 0-20545840-8
Recommended texts:
American Psychological Association. (2000). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. (5th ed.).
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Creswell, J. W. (2005). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and
Qualitative Research (2nd ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Frankel, J. R. & Wallen, N. E. (2003). How to design and evaluate research in education (6th ed.).
New York: McGraw Hill.
Vogt, W. P. (2007): Quantitative Research Methods for Professionals. Allyn & Bacon.
ISBN: 0-205-35913-2
Primary software: Microsoft Excel and SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). We will use the Windows
version of SPSS as much as possible. The examples I will offer in class and the lab computer exercises will be computed
in Excel and SPSS. SPSS online tutorials are available on http://www.coe.ilstu.edu/jkrugut/SPSS/
Course Requirements and Required Student Tasks:
The following point allocation will be used to determine final grades for the class:
1. Class participation/attendance 5 points
2. Assignments 1 & 2 10 points
3. Article Critique 10 points
4. Midterm 25 points
5. Final Project 20 points
6. Presentation of Final Project 5 points
7. Final Exam 25 points
Assignments. Assignments 1-2 are worth 5 points a piece for a maximum of 10 points. Handing in a
well thought out and well written assignment on the due date is worth 5 points. Assignments turned
in late will receive half-credit of 5 points if well done. A high-quality final paper submitted on time
will receive 20 points. Final papers turned in one day late will receive a maximum of 15 points and
final papers turned in more than one day late will receive half-credit, or a maximum of 10 points.
A well-done final presentation of your results will receive 5 points. Students who do not present
their research projects will not receive credit for the presentation.
Letter grades will be assigned in accordance with the following scheme:
Points Letter
Grade
90-100 A (Exceptional Performance)
80-89
B (Above Average Performance)
70-79
C (Average Performance)
60-69
D (Below Average Performance)
0-59 F (Failing)
This course will be presented using a variety of delivery systems: The class will combine lecture,
seminar/discussion (in-class and through online), statistical computing and student presentation.