Department of Educational Policy Studies EDUCATIONAL POLICY STUDIES 612 Research Methods II Winter term 2007/08 Dr. Elizabeth (Beth) Lange Office: 7-133F Education North Phone: 492-0765 E-mail: elange@ualberta.ca Office hours: Mons 4-5 pm Weds 1-2 pm And By Appointment Dr. José (Joe) L. da Costa Office: 7-111 Education North Phone: 492-5868 E-mail: Jose.da.Costa@ualberta.ca Office hours: By appointment Purpose of the Course: The main purpose of this course is to enable students to further develop their conceptualizations of epistemology, ontology, and methodology through the very practical development of a draft candidacy research proposal. With support from the instructors and classmates, through oral and written feedback, students will develop and refine their research proposals. Students will also experience, in a safe and supportive environment within the class, the process of a mock doctoral candidacy. Textbook: Rudestam, K. E. & Newton, R. R. (2007). Surviving your dissertation (3rd Edition). Newbury Park, CA: Sage (note that 2 nd Edition is acceptable). EDPS 612 Course Pack: The textbook will be supplemented by additional readings (available at the bookstore). Assignments: Students will be required to: (a) participate actively in discussions related to the content from the textbook and supplemental sources, and (b) submit drafts of their thesis proposals and share highlights of the same with peers during class discussions.
Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on the basis of their assignments on a contract basis. Grades will be assigned as per the following table: B- Satisfactory completion of one page background statement and tentative research question as well as an outline (including all headings) for the introduction, literature review, and method sections of the proposal.* B Satisfactory completion of the five-page version of the proposal, including the introduction (addressing background, purpose, research questions, definitions), AND an outline (including all headings) of the literature review, AND an outline of the method section.* B+ Satisfactory completion of the ten-page version of the proposal, including the introduction (addressing background, purpose, research questions, definitions), AND an outline (including all headings) of the literature review, AND a reasonably well developed method section (addressing how, who, epistimology/ontology, trustworthiness, limitations/delimitations, significance).* A- Satisfactory completion of the thirty-page version of the proposal, including the introduction (addressing background, purpose, research questions, definitions), a comprehensive literature giving the reader a good sense of previous research in the area and demonstrating how the proposed study contributes to the literature, and a well developed method section (addressing how, who, epistimology/ontology, trustworthiness, limitations/delimitations, significance).* A Satisfactory completion of the thirty-page proposal as described above, AND one of the following: (a) satisfactory completion of a mock candidacy OR (b) submission of a paper, based on the proposal writing, to a refereed journal.* A+ Satisfactory completion of the thirty-page proposal as described above, AND satisfactory completion of a mock candidacy AND submission of a paper, based on the proposal writing, to a refereed journal.* * Class participation and discussion is an integral component of this course contributing to your own learning and to the learning of your classmates. Under normal circumstances missing more than 6 hours of class time will result in the reduction of the contracted grade by one. Missing more than 12 hours of class time will normally result in the reduction of the contracted grade by two. Under normal circumstances, course grades will be assigned on the basis of work submitted by the last day of class. Equity in the University Environment The Faculty of Education is committed to the providing an environment of equality and respect for all people within the university community, and to educating faculty, staff, and students in developing teaching and learning contexts that are welcoming to all.
Date Topics Readings (subject to change) Assignments Day 1 Introduction Library orientation Day 2 Research Questions for dissertations: General and specific R&N, ch 1, 2 Day 3 Role of the supervisor and supervisory committees: examinations. Significance of proposed research: Speculation http://gradfile.fgsro.ualberta.ca/g radmanual/eight.htm 1 page identifying area of interest and tentative research question. Day 4 Review of the Literature. Sample thesis proposals discussion/critique Thesis proposal I Thesis research question--thesis proposal I Day 5 Interviews. Developing an interview schedule Day 6 Questionnaires Debrief interview experience Thesis proposal II Reading Week: No class Day 7 Empirical studies. Barriers. Writing. Numbers. Thesis proposal II Day 8 Methodology Method chapter Assumptions, epistemology Validity/trustworthiness and reliability/dependability Thesis proposal II Day 9 Ethics in research. Thesis proposal III Day 10 Research and policy/practice, implications section of the dissertation. Publishing your work. Thesis proposal III Day 11 Evaluating research Preparation for Mock candidacies Day 12 Mock candidacy sessions I and II R&N, ch 4 Elford (proposal) Kluczny (proposal) Berg (2004), ch 4 Gorard (2001), ch 5 R&N, ch 6, 7, 9, 11,12 R&N, ch 3,5 Guba (1982) Denzin & Lincoln (2000, ch. 1, 34) Corazzon (online material) R&N, ch 8, 13 UofA & Faculty policy. Faculty forms Brown, A. F. (1962). Anderson & Kanuka (2003, ch. 5) -share 1 page proposal. -Interview someone using the interview schedule developed -Share insights regarding interviewing. -10 page proposal (share in class) -10 page proposal (share in class) -10 page proposal (share in class) -30 page proposal (share highlights in class) Denzin & Lincoln (2000, ch. 39) -30 page proposal (share highlights in class) -Distribute to small group for feedback Gay, 1996 Mock candidacy proposals Day 13 Mock candidacy sessions III and IV Mock candidacy proposals -Thesis proposal due
Recommended Resources American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Alberta. (1997). Thesis handbook. Available online at < http://gradfile.fgsro.ualberta.ca/docs/thesis/tguide.pdf >. Course Pack Readings Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (2005). The Discipline and Practice of Qualitative Research in Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Berg, B. (2004). A Dramaturgical Look at Interviewing in Qualitative Research Methods. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Gorard, S. (2001). Surveying the Field: Questionnaire Design in Quantitative Methods in Educational Research. New York: Continuum. Guba, E. (1981). Educational Communication and Technology: A Journal of Theory, Reearch and Development, 29 (2), p. 75-91. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ247523. Retrieved from ERIC database. Smith, J. & Deemer, D. (2000). The Problem of Criteria in the Age of Relativism. In Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (eds.), The Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Brown, A. (1962). Teaching Under Stress. In Downey, L. (ed.), The Canadian Administrator. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta. Anderson, T., & Kanuka, H. (2003). E-Research: Methods, Strategies, and Issues. Toronto: Allyn and Bacon. Rist, R. (2000). Influencing the Policy Process with Qualitative Research. In Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (eds.), The Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Gay, L. (1996). Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application. Columbus: Prentice-Hall. Additional References Babbie, E. & Benaquisto, L. (2002). Fundamentals of Social Research (pp. 30-56). Scarborough, ON: ThomsonNelson. Brause, R. (2000). Writing your doctoral dissertation : invisible rules for success. London, UK: Falmer Press. Carson, T. & Sumara, D. (1997). Action Research as a Living Practice. New York: Peter Lang. Clark, I. (2007). Writing the successful thesis and dissertation: entering the conversation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Creswell, J. (1994). Research Design: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Creswell, J. (2008). Educational Research. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Davis, G. (1997). Writing the doctoral dissertation: a systematic approach. Hauppauge, N.Y. : Barron's. Fraenkel, J. & Wallen, N. (2006). How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill. Gay, L. R. (1996). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and application (5 th ed.). Toronto: Prentice-Hall. Grady, M. (1998). Qualitative and action research: a practitioner handbook. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa. Guba, E. & Lincoln, Y. (1994) Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Gleshne, C. & Peshkin, A. (1992). Becoming Qualitative Researchers. White Plains, NY: Longman. Guba, E. & Lincoln, Y. (1989). Fourth Generation Evaluation. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (2003). Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Denzin, N. & Lincoln, Y. (2005). The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Glass, G. V., & Hopkins, K. D. (1996). Statistical methods in education and psychology (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Gorard, S. (2001). Quantitative Methods in Educational Research: The role of numbers made easy. New York, NY: Continuum. Keeves, J.P. (Ed.). (1988). Educational research, methodology and measurement: An international handbook. Oxford: Pergamon. Keeves, J.P. (Ed.). (1996). Educational research, methodology and measurement: An international handbook (2nd ed.). Oxford: Pergamon. Lather, P. (1991). Getting Smart: Feminist Research and Pedagogy With/In the Postmodern. New York: Routledge. McTaggart, R. (1997). Participatory Action Research (pp. 25-43). Albany, NY: SUNY. Meloy, J. (1994). Writing the qualitative dissertation: understanding by doing. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Mertens, D. (1998). Research Methods in Education and Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Neuman, W.L. (1994). Social science research and methodology (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Ogden, E. (2007). Complete your dissertation or thesis in two semesters or less. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield. Roberts, C. (2004). The dissertation journey : a practical and comprehensive guide to planning, writing, and defending your dissertation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Rowntree, D. (2000). Statistics Without Tears: A Primer for Non-Mathematicians. London: Penguin Books. Seale, C., ed. (2000). Researching Society and Culture. London, UK: Sage Silverman, D. (2005). Doing Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Wiersma, W. (2000). Research methods in education: An introduction. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.