Research Design in Education

 

(EAF509)

 

Department of Educational Administration and Foundations

College of Education

Illinois State University

Spring (2007)

Professor: Zeng Lin

F     Email: zlin@ilstu.edu

F     Phone: 438-2105

F     Office: DeGarmo 344

F     Classrooms: On campus,  DeGarmo 307; Meeting Time: Wednesdays 5:30-8:20 p.m.

 

F     Classrooms: Off campus, Computer lab room 211, University Center of Lake County 1200 University Center Drive Grayslake, IL 60030: Meeting Time: Wednesdays 5:30-9:00 p.m.

 

F     Office Hours: By Appointment Only

F     Syllabus On the Web: http://www.coe.ilstu.edu/zlin/eaf509.htm

 

Credit Hours

3

Contact Hours

48 hours

Prerequisites

EAF 410 or equivalent

Catalog Description

Examination of issues related to designing and planning research studies. Students learn to apply techniques to specific educational research problems.

 

 

Course Overview

 

EAF 509 is an advanced methods course for PhD/EDD candidates who study in the EAF programs. Prerequisite of the course assumes that students have acquired basic knowledge of educational research. Instead of repeating what student already learned, this course emphasizes quantitative methods while qualitative methods are treated as an inseparable part of the whole course.

 

Several national and Illinois State surveys will be used in this course to demonstrate how national and the state surveys have been conducted, and what types of research questions can be raised and how research paper can be developed on survey data analyses.

 

One of the steps in designing a research project is to review the literature on the topic in which you are interested. From the literature review, you should be able to identify a research need and research questions. Much of our time in the course will be devoted to survey data analyses where the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) will be used.

 

The course (a) emphasizes 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 quantitative methods and measurements. 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 SPSS and the Internet that are accessed to locate relevant research articles, and word processing packages to type and format class assignments.

 

 

Class Schedule

 

 

An Important Note:

Since two sessions of EAF 509 have been scheduled in the same time slot, when one session is on site, another session would be on WebCT. The following is the off campus class schedule, therefore, the opposite schedule is true for on campus class.

 

Week

Date

Topics and Readings

 

01/17/07

* Introduction to WebCT

* Introduction to SPSS

 (for on campus class only)

I

01/24/07

 An overview of the course: philosophical, scientific, and statistical foundations of research.

 Readings: chapters 1 and 2 WebCT

ii

01/31/07

* Research Design

1. Identifying the research problem

2. Paradigms, theory, and research

3. Literature Review

4. Conceptualization, operationalization, and measurement

* Research in an information age On Sites

iii

02/07/07

* Graphic Representation

* Central Tendency

 Readings: Chapters 3 and 4 WebCT

iv

02/14/07

* Variability

* Normal Distributions and Standard Scores

* Introduction to SPSS

* Readings: Chapters 5 & 6 On Sites

v

02/21/07

* Correlation

* Regression and Prediction

 Readings: chapters 7 & 8 On Sites

vi

02/28/07

* Probability and Probability Distributions

* Sampling Distributions

 Readings: chapters 9 and 10 WebCT

vii

03/07/07

 Mid-term online exam (25%)

viii

03/14/07

 Spring Break, no class

viiii

 

 

* The One Sample z Test

* Estimation

* Chapters 11 & 12 WebCT

x

03/28/07

* One Sample t test

* Comparing Means of Two Populations: independent samples

* Readings: Chapters 13 and 14 On Sites

xi

04/04/07

* Comparing Means of Dependent Samples

* ANOVA

 Reading: chapters 15 and 16 WebCT

xii

04/11/07

* Inferences about Pearson Correlation Coefficient

* Making Inferences from Frequency Data

* Readings: Chapters 17 and 18 On Sites

xiii

04/18/07

* Data Analysis (1) On Sites

xiv

04/25/07

* Data Analysis (2) WebCT

 

05/02/07

 Presentations WebCT

xvi

05/09/07

 Final Online Exam (30%)

 

Class Requirements

 

*   Students are expected to have read the assigned materials before attending each class so that they are able to actively participate in lectures and discussions.

 

*   Final papers should be submitted for marking on the due dates described in the section of Grade Distribution and Due Dates. Only one late submission will be accepted penalty-free with your Riding Ticket. Other late submissions will receive a five percent deduction each day after the due date.

 

Research Project (35% in total)

 

The course requires students to develop their own research projects in the areas of education, based on national and/or state data.

 

   Research Assignment (25%)

 

Each Research should include:

 

v     Title of the research paper. Make the title creative and reflective of what you really want to address! It should tickle the imagination and make the reader curious to read full text.

v     Literature review. By carefully reviewing the literature, the author should identify the needs for further research on the topic.

v     Basic hypotheses. What is the dependent variable, and what are the independent variables? What kind of relationships are you looking for?

v     Methodologies. What are the specific quantitative methods used in the research?

v     Results of the research

v     Conclusion and policy implications

(Hints: 1. Pay attention to the logic of the arguments, and think about logic connections of the whole research project. Ask yourself if you can find the evidences to support your arguments. 2. Think about issues of validity and reliability).

 

 Presentation (10%)

 

After complete your assignment, you are asked to create a PowerPoint presentation, 10 slides or less. You have to submit your presentation to the WbCT under the icon “discussion”. You are asked to comment on at least two presentations of your classmates. The final mark for the presentation will be based both on the instructor’s and classmates’ evaluations.

 

   Research Assignment Format

 

v     The final research assignment should be not longer than 15 pages in length, double-spaced.

v     At least five references (books, journal articles) should be cited.

v     APA format should be used.

 

Grade Distribution and Due Dates

 

Activities

Due Date

Evaluation %

Midterm in class exam

March 7

30

Assignment

May 2

25

Presentations

May 2

10

Final in class exam

May 8

30

Riding Ticket

 

5

 

Grading Scale

 

90-100

A

80-89

B

70-79

C

60-69

D

59 and below

F

 

 

Ticket to Ride

 

Each student is awarded a “ticket to ride” at the beginning of the course.  This can be applied to one late assignment, OR one absence (to make up for lost participation).  If a student does not use the riding ticket (e.g., turns all assignments in on time and has perfect attendance), 5% will be added to the final mark.

 

ISU Policies

 

ISU Regulations state:

 

"Written or other work a student submits in a course must be the product of his/her own efforts:  plagiarism, cheating, or other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited."  Cases of suspected copying, cheating, or plagiarism are referred to Student Dispute Office for a University hearing.

 

Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD).

 

 

Required Texts

 

Coladarci, T., Cobb, C. D., Minium, E. W., and Clarke R. B. (2004). Fundamentals of

            Statistical Reasoning in Education.  MA: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

 

Vogt, W. P. (2005, 3rd Ed). Dictionary of Statistics & Methodology: A Nontechnical

            Guide for the Social Sciences. New York: Sage Publications.

 

 

Recommended Articles and Books

 

Agresti, A., and  Finlay, B. (1997 3 ed.). Statistical Methods for the Social Sciences. New

Jersey: Prentice Hall.

 

Babbie, E. R. (2002). The Basics of Social Research (2nd ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth

            Thomson Learning.

 

Beck, U. (1992). Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. London: Sage Publication.

(Read “Introduction”, pp.9-16 and Part I – “Living on the Volcano of Civilization: the Contours of the Risk Society”, pp.17-50).

 

Mertens, M. D. (1998). Research Methods in Education and Psychology: Integrating

Diversity with Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. New York: Sage Publications.

 

Vogt, W. P. (2006). Quantitative Research Methods for Professionals. New York:

            Pearson Education Inc.

 

Websites

 

On-Line Courses

Descriptive Statistics

Normal Distribution and Standard Scores

Correlation

Statistical Inference and Interval Estimation

Analysis of Categorical Data

Sampling

Test Score Reliability & Validity