600

The primary goal of this course is for students to develop the proposal for their doctoral dissertations or equivalents. This will involve definition of a research problem, review of the related literature, and design of appropriate procedures and instruments for pursuing the problem, review of the related literature, and design of appropriate procedures and instruments for pursuing the problem. As part of the class activities, students are also exposed to the research problems, related literature reviews, and methodologies developed by students from each of the other doctoral programs. Prerequisites: ESR610, ESR612, ESR614, ESR616 or ESR618. The completion of comprehensive qualifying examinations is also recommended. 2 semester hours

In this course, students explore multiple theories of knowledge and research and the ways in which these theories are enacted in contemporary educational and interdisciplinary contexts. Students investigate the nature and language of epistemological claims as they are created and legitimized through scientific, philosophical, historical, cultural, and personal renditions of knowledge. Students examine the implications of specific paradigms of knowledge for critiquing, conceptualizing, conducting, interpreting, and using research within a variety of settings. Critical reflections on the intersections of knowledge, power, identity and context are emphasized throughout the course. Prerequisite(s): Doctoral standing or approval of doctoral program. 2 semester hours

Students explore assumptions and techniques of empirical-quantitative research in the context of schools and education with a focus on practitioner research. Approaches and methods for data collection, analysis, and interpretation are introduced. Topics to be covered include basic and intermediate level descriptive and inferential statistics, ethical consideration in conducting and presenting research, and issues of reliability and validity in assessment. Students are expected to conduct and report on a small-scale research project in their own setting by collecting and interpreting numerical data. Statistical software (e.g. SPSS) is introduced and used by students to analyze their research project data. The course includes a minimum of 15 hours of fieldwork. Prerequisite(s): Doctoral standing; ESR610 3 semester hours

This course introduces conceptual and practical assumptions, contributions, limitations, and controversies of interpretive and critical research. Viewed as paradigms, interpretive and critical research engages ontological and epistemological positioning. Drawing from various traditions and processes, students will become aware of the complexities of research contexts and relationships and how they are embedded in community, culture, language, history and power structures. Through field research and theoretical dialogue, students will begin to understand and grapple with inherent tensions in the interplay among purpose, methodology and ethics, while cultivating a personal understanding of their relationship to the research, contexts, and participants. Prerequisite(s): Doctoral standing; ESR610 or consent of instructors 3 semester hours

Students explore assumptions and techniques of empirical/analytic research in the context of schools and the larger context of education. The course builds on the knowledge gained in ESR612 by focusing on the approaches and methods for data collection, analysis, and interpretation assumptions, and limitations of empirical/analytic studies that use multiple measures. Students are expected to conduct and report on a small-scale research project in their own setting by collecting and interpreting quantitative data. Statistical software (e.g., SPSS) is used by students to analyze their research project data. The course includes a minimum of 15 hours of fieldwork. Prerequisite(s): Doctoral Standing; ESR610 and ESR612. 3 semester hours

This course extends the understanding and skills developed in ESR614. It will focus on specialized strategies and design; advanced methods of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data; ethics and policies of research; and current uses and issues associated with educational research. By completing a self-designed project that will advance some phase of their work, students will focus on the "doing" of interpretive/critical research as a practical, ethically regulated engagement in "knowing, doing and being." Prerequisite(s): Doctoral standing; ESR610 & ESR614 or consent of instructors 3 semester hours

In this course students analyze and critique theories, paradigms, and methods of practitioner-focused research that impact district educational policy and decision-making. This includes evaluation, experimental, and various forms of both quantitative and qualitative research. Students also study research that informs and influences product development (e.g., achievement tests, software, textbooks, training programs), policy decisions, and evaluation techniques utilized in the field by principals, superintendents, and state-level educational administrators. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

In this course students study the methodologies, assumptions, and the techniques for various types of data collection and analysis used by educational leaders. The course begins with an overview of student data as a form of organizational performance (e.g., test scores, graduate rates, attendance, etc.) then moves to the broader issues of evaluation, experimentation, quantitative analysis, and interpretivist analyses. The course ends with a review of current research and trends in data-driven decision making. Throughout the course students analyze cases to develop a practitioner's knowledge of research, evaluation, and data use for school improvement. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours