01/2016
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE DEPARTMENTAL COURSE SYLLABUS
“The College of Education is dedicated to the ideals of Collaboration, Academic Excellence, Research, and Ethical Practice (CARE). These are key tenets in the Conceptual Framework of the College of Education.Competence in these ideals will provide candidates in educator preparation programs with skills, knowledge, and dispositions to be successful in the schools of today and tomorrow.”
Course Prefix and Number: EDG 7743 Credit Hours: 3
Course Title: Philosophies of Inquiry
Course Prerequisites (if any): N/A
Regular Instructor(s): Vonzell Agosto, William (Bill) Black, Alan Feldman, Phyllis Jones, Johanna Lasonen, Kofi Marfo, Jennifer Wolgemuth, Dana Zeidler
Course Description: This course is designed to forge students’ critical engagement with the philosophies, theories, perspectives, and paradigms that inform traditions of inquiry, which are influenced by prevailing value systems that shift over time.
Course Rationale: This course seeks to broaden the purview of the research education curriculum to ensure that the education research leaders of tomorrow will be knowledgeable about, appreciative of, and committed to understanding the philosophical assumptions and theories upon which education inquiry is built. To the extent that inquiry takes place in context (historical, ecological, and socio-cultural), it is influenced by the prevailing value systems at any given point in time. All forms of inquiry make assumptions even if they are not explicitly communicated they find expression, for instance, in the relationship of the inquirer to the focus of inquiry and the methodological approach employed in the inquiry process.
The design of this course was informed by several observations about the nature of research preparation within the field of education. First, much research education remains grounded in the residual traditions of positivism borrowed from the social and behavioral sciences. Second, research education has tended to focus preponderantly on methodological and procedural considerations to the virtual exclusion of considerations of “the philosophical, moral, and political values that underpin procedural practices and that frame, however tacitly, the context for knowledge production” (Paul & Marfo, 2001). Third, while there has been a significant shift toward a more pluralistic framing of the nature of inquiry since the 1990s, research education remains relatively imbalanced in the amount and quality of attention paid to the different philosophical stances that undergird different forms of inquiry..
Graduate Certificate Statement (if applicable): This course may be part of the graduate certificate in a specialized field of study with a specific focus. Most certificates require 12 -15 hours of selected coursework. To inquire into certificates and whether or not this course applies, please go tohttp://www.usf.edu/innovative-education/programs/graduate-certificates/application-process.aspx for more information or to register for a certificate.
Course Objectives:
· Students will acquire knowledge of philosophies of inquiry in social sciences and education.
· Students will become aware of various theoretical perspectives such as post-positivism, social constructionism, interpretivism, critical theories, and post-structuralism.
· Students will become cognizant that educational research communities select methods of inquiry based upon a particular theoretical perspectives or paradigms.
· Students will explore values, realities, and knowledge(s) involved in educational research.
· Students will further develop their identities as researchers.
Course Goals (Student Learning Outcomes):
· Students will be able to critically analyze assumptions in research methodology.
· Students will be able to critique research through various lenses/perspectives.
· Students will be able to make informed decisions about the meaning of research, research questions, and the interpretability of research findings.
Content Outline:
The seminar is organized around, but not limited to, three broad strands of inquiry in education:
Positivism, Post-Positivism, and Critical Approaches to Inquiry. Within each tradition, discussions will be organized around the following: Ontology (the nature of reality); Epistemology (the nature of knowledge); Axiology (the ethical, moral, or aesthetic values and issues); and Methodology (how inquiry is designed and justified).
Attendance Policy: Attendance is highly recommended since this is a seminar/discussion course, which suggests a high demand for interpersonal intellectual engagement. Specific attendance policies will be determined and inserted by the instructor of record.
Evaluation of Student Outcomes: The products and performances being assigned and evaluated vary among instructors. Typical assignments and assessments include: written responses, posters, facilitation, and reviews of research/scholarship. The graded areas include: Response papers (5/5% each) 25%, a Perspective/Paradigm Paper or Poster 25%, Group Facilitation 25%, and a Critical Review 25%.
Grading Criteria: The points in the plus/minus grading system translates as such:
A + = 97-100 points
A = 94 - 96 points
A - = 90 - 93 points
B+ = 87 – 89 points
B = 84 – 86 points
B - = 80 – 83 points
C + = 77 – 79 points
C = 74 – 76 points
Please be aware: No grade below “C” will be accepted toward a graduate degree.
C - = 70 – 73 points;
D = 60 – 69 points;
F = below 59 points
Textbook(s):
Lukenchuk, A. (2013). Paradigms of research for the 21st century: Perspectives and examples from practice. Peter Lang.
Crotty, M. (1998/2015).The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process.(Reprint) London: Sage.
Howell, K. E. (2012). An introduction to the philosophy of methodology. Sage Publications.
Sample Articles or Chapters:
Educational Inquiry
Paul, J. L., & Marfo, K. (2001). Preparation of educational researchers in philosophical foundations of inquiry. Review of Educational Research, 71(4), 525–547.
Epistemology
Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966).The social construction of reality: A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. Penguin UK.
Ontology
Gorski, P. S. (2013). What is critical realism? And why should you care? Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews,42(5), 658-670.
Paradigms/Perspectives
Guba, E. G. & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 105-117). London: Sage.
Kincheloe, J. L. & Tobin, K. (2009/2015). The much exaggerated death of positivism. In K. Tobin & S. R. Steinberg (Eds.), Doing educational research (2nd Edition), (pp. 15–32). Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Methodological Pluralism
Hammersley, M. (2011). Methodology, who needs it? Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Kincheloe, J. L. (2005). On to the next level: Continuing the conceptualization of the bricolage.Qualitative Inquiry,11(3), 323-350.
Springgay, S., Irwin, R. L., Kind, S. W. (2005). A/r/tography as living inquiry through art and text. Qualitative Inquiry, 11(6), 897-912
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Standard Policies can be found at http://www.grad.usf.edu/policies_Sect7_full.php#resp
Gender-Based Crimes: Educators must report incidents of gender-based crimes including sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, dating violence and domestic violence. If a student discloses in class, in papers, or to an instructor, the instructor is required by law to report the disclosure. The Center for Victim Advocacy and Violence Prevention (813-974-5757) is a confidential resource where you can talk about such situations and receive assistance in confidence. Additional confidential resources on campus are: the Counseling Center (813-974-2831) and Student Health Services (813-974-2331).
Student Academic Grievance Procedures: http://www/ugs.usf.edu/policy/StudentAcademic GrievanceProcedures.pdf
Disruption of the Academic Process: In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It's the responsibility of the student to monitor Canvas for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.
Make-Up Assignments: A missed assignment may be replaced with an alternative assignment at the discretion of the instructor.
Academic Integrity of Students:“Students attending USF are awarded degrees in recognition of successful completion of seminar work in their chosen fields of study. Each individual is expected to earn his/her degree on the basis of personal effort. Consequently, any form of cheating on examinations or plagiarism on assigned papers constitutes unacceptable deceit and dishonesty. Disruption of the classroom or teaching environment is also unacceptable.” (USF Graduate Catalog). Plagiarism is defined as literary theft and consists of the unattributed quotation of the exact words of a published text, or the unattributed borrowing of original ideas by paraphrase from a published text (a segment or its entirety). On written papers for which the student employs information gathered from books, articles, or oral sources, each direct quotation, as well as ideas and facts that are not generally known to the public at large must be attributed to its author by means of the appropriate citation procedure. Citations may be made in footnotes or in the body of the text.
Turnitin Privacy Policy In order to comply with privacy laws, students are not required to include personal identifying information, such as name, in the body of the document. Turnitin provides an originality report letting the instructor know how much of the assignment is original. Please follow your instructor's instructions carefully regarding what identifying information to include. How do I submit a Turnitin Assignment?
Web Portal Information: USF students receive an official USF e-mail account that ends with "mail.acomp.usf.edu." Every official USF correspondence to students will be sent to that account. Go to the Academic Computing website and select the link "Activating a Student E-mail Account" for detailed information. Information about the USF Web Portal can be found at: http://www.acomp.usf.edu/portal.htm.
ADA Statement: Students with disabilities are responsible for registering with Students with Disabilities Services (SDS) in order to receive academic accommodations. SDS encourages students to notify instructors of accommodation needs at least 5 business days prior to needing the accommodation. A letter from SDS must accompany this request. See student responsibilities: http://www.sds.usf.edu
USF Policy on Religious Observances: Students who anticipate the necessity of being absent from class due to the observation of a major religious observance must provide notice of the date(s) to the instructor, in writing, by the second meeting of the class or semester (if online or hybrid).
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