EDL 600 Research Methods
for Administrators I
Course Description
Credit hours: 2
The primary focus of this course will be on the development of skills needed by future administrators to make research and data based decisions. The course includes a overview of the research process and an introduction to basic terminology and techniques leading to the ability to critically review existing research. This course will also require students to collect and analyze data relevant to school leaders and present the findings under faculty supervision.
College of Education and Human Development
Conceptual Framework
The COEHD’s Conceptual Framework provides direction for the development of effective professionals. It is a living document that continuously evolves as opportunities and challenges emerge. The four components of the Conceptual Framework are the institutional standards used for candidate assessment in undergraduate and graduate programs. They are Knowledge of Learner (KL), Strategies and Methods (SM), Content Knowledge (CK), and Professional Standards (PS). Diversity (DV) and Technology (TY) are included in the assessment process as themes that are integrated throughout all programs in the educational unit.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Discuss the importance of data for school leaders. [CK, PS]
Identify multiple measures of data (demographics, student learning, perceptions, and school processes) [CK]
Collect primary and secondary data. [PP, TY]
Construct a questionnaire to collect relevant educational data. [CK, DV, TY]
Discuss and interpret multiple measures of student learning.[CK, KL, DV, TY]
Analyze
Communicate and report data results to promote educational improvement. [PP, TY, PS]
Recommended Texts
Bernhardt, V. L. (2004). Data analysis for continuous school improvement. Larchmont,
NY: Eye On Education.
McMillan, J. H., & Schumacker, S. (2006). Research in education: Edidence-based
inquiry. Boston: Pearson.
Knowledge Base
Bernhardt, V. L. (2004). Data analysis for continuous school improvement. Larchmont,
NY: Eye On Education.
Coleman, M., & Briggs, A. R. J. (2002). Research methods in educational leadership and
management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
English, F. W. (2004). The SAGE handbook of educational leadership: Advances in
theory, research, and practice.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Haller, E. J., & Kleine, P. F. (2000). Using educational research: A school
administrator’s guide. Allyn and Bacon.
Hoachlander, G., Alt, M., & Beltranena, R. (2001). Leading school improvement: What
research says. A review ofthe literature. Atlanta, GA: Southern Regional
Education Board.
Lambert, L. (2003). Leadership capacity for lasting school improvement. Alexandria,
VA: Association forSupervision and Curriculum Development.
Polnick, B., & Edmonson, S. L. (February, 2003). Developing data analysis skills in
principals. Paper presented atthe annual meeting of the Southwest Educational
Research Association, San Antonio, TX.
Wade, H. H. (2001). Data inquiry and analysis for educational reform. ERIC digest.
Eugene, OR: ERICClearinghouse on Educational Management. (ERIC Document
ReproductionService No. ED 461911)
Wallace, M., & Poulson, L. (2003). Learning to read critically in educational leadership
and management.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
West, R., & Macharia, J. (November, 2002). Principals’ and teacher-leaders’ beliefs
about what school leadersneed to know regarding data and its use in educational
decision-making. Paper presented at the annual meeting of theMid-South
Educational Research Association, Chattanooga, TN.