Common Course Assessment: Research Project
Common Course Standards:
Council for the Social Foundations of Education (CSFE) Standards:
Principle #1: The educator understands and can apply disciplinary knowledge from the humanities and social sciences to interpreting the meanings of education and schooling in diverse cultural contexts.
The educator: Has developed habits of using this knowledge base in evaluating and formulating educational practice. (1.4)
Principle #2: The educator understands and can apply normative perspectives on education and schooling.
The educator: Has developed habits of examining the normative and ethical assumptions of schooling practice and educational ideas. (2.5)
Principle #3: The educator understands and can apply critical perspectives on education and schooling.
The educator: Can identify and appraise educational assumptions/arrangements in order to lead to changes in conceptions and values. (3.3)
Principle #4: The educator understands how moral principles related to democratic institutions can inform and direct schooling practice, leadership, and governance.
The educator: Can evaluate the moral, social, and political dimensions of classrooms, teaching, and schools as they relate to life in a democratic society. (4.4)
Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Standards:
Standard #9: The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner
o 9(b) The teacher engages in meaningful and appropriate professional learning experiences aligned with his/her own needs and the needs of the learners, school, and system.
o 9(n) The teacher sees him/herself as a learner, continuously seeking opportunities to draw upon current education policy and research as sources of analysis and reflection to improve practice.
Standard #10: The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.
o 10(h) The teacher uses and generates meaningful research on education issues and policies.
Directions to the Student:
The EDF 485 Research project includes two parts:
Analytical Paper – This is the culmination of your research on a selected topic. This should demonstrate a thorough understanding of the issue, present multiple perspectives on the issue, and reach a singular conclusion about the issue. Adequate details, including at least ten references (in APA format) are required. The length should be at least 5 pages (double-spaced; not including references), but may well be longer, depending upon the style and specificity.
Final presentation to class – A formal presentation for the class on your issue presented in outline format. A brief outline to share with the class is required.
Rubric for Research Project:
Elements / Distinguished (3) / Proficient(2) / Progressing
(1) / Unsatisfactory (0)
CSFE
Principle 1.4: Has developed habits of using this knowledge base (disciplinary knowledge from the humanities and social sciences) in evaluating and formulating educational practice.
InTASC
Standard 9(n)
/ Paper includes thorough evaluation of the educational issues under investigation; explicitly refers to disciplinary knowledge in constructing the argument or evaluating the practice. / Paper includes some evaluation of the educational issues under investigation; some reference make to disciplinary knowledge in constructing the argument or evaluating the practice. / Paper includes weak evaluation of the educational issues under investigation; very few references to disciplinary knowledge in constructing the argument or evaluating the practice. / Paper does not evaluate the educational issues under investigation; does not refer to disciplinary knowledge in constructing the argument or evaluating the practice.CSFE
Principle 2.5: Has developed habits of examining the normative and ethical assumptions of schooling practice and educational ideas. / Paper or presentation clearly indicates the values and ethical assumptions that underlie the educational practice or issue under investigation. / Paper or presentation indicates some of the values and ethical assumptions that underlie the educational practice or issue under investigation. / Paper or presentation indicates a few of the values and ethical assumptions that underlie the educational practice or issue under investigation. / Paper or presentation does not indicate the values and ethical assumptions that underlie the educational practice or issue under investigation.
CSFE
Principle 3.3: Can identify and appraise educational assumptions/ arrangements in order to lead to changes in conceptions and values.
InTASC
Standard 9(b); 10(h) / Paper identifies educational assumptions implicit in the issue under investigation; clearly demonstrates a critical perspective toward the issue, and leads to a reconceptuali-zation of the issue or the values that underlie the issue. / Paper identifies some educational assumptions implicit in the issue under investigation; demonstrates a critical perspective toward the issue, and leads to some reconceptuali-zation of the issue or the values that underlie the issue. / Paper identifies few educational assumptions implicit in the issue under investigation; demonstrates some critical perspectives toward the issue, and leads to minor reconceptuali-zation of the issue or the values that underlie the issue. / Paper does not identify educational assumptions implicit in the issue under investigation; does not demonstrate any critical perspectives toward the issue, and does not lead to any reconceptuali-zation of the issue or the values that underlie the issue.
CSFE
Principle 4.4: Can evaluate the moral, social, and political dimensions of classrooms, teaching, and schools as they relate to life in a democratic society / Paper and/or presentation clearly evaluates the moral, social, and political dimensions of the issues under investigation and clearly describes and explains the relationship between the issue and our democratic society. / Paper and/or presentation evaluates some of the moral, social, and political dimensions of the issues under investigation and describes the relationship between the issue and our democratic society. / Paper and/or presentation evaluates a few of the moral, social, and political dimensions of the issues under investigation and provides only a weak description of the relationship between the issue and our democratic society. / Paper and/or presentation does not evaluate the moral, social, and political dimensions of the issues under investigation, and neither describes nor explains the relationship between the issue and our democratic society.
Updated 7/10/14