COUN 6301.60 Syllabus THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE College of Education

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THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT BROWNSVILLE
College of Education
COUN 6301.60 Syllabus
Conceptual Framework & Knowledge
Base
The conceptual framework contains four core
concepts that are themes through which we
organize and deliver our programs; hence they are
central to our vision of professional educators and
scholars. These include:
Interculturalism
Interrelatedness
Inquiry
Pedagogical Leadership
College of Education (COE) Mission Statement
To prepare highly skilled professionals to assume roles and positions in
teaching, research, educational leadership, and human development.
To provide undergraduate and graduate programs based on proven best
practice, knowledge acquisition, reflective inquiry, critical thinking, and
respect for the cultural and linguistically diverse learner.
To continuously develop a dynamic local, state, national, and international,
dimension that promotes innovations and contributes to scientific
educational, economic, and social change.
College of Education (COE) Vision Statement
The vision of the College of Education is to be consistently recognized as fullyaccredited and as a nationally and internationally respected college in the areas
of science, mathematics, educational technology and intercultural dimension
(language, literacy, culture and interdisciplinary studies in regard to preparing
teachers, counselors, administrators, educational researchers, and professionals
at all levels, not only for the school system but for other economical and service
areas which require training, human resources, development and life-long
learning.
Teacher preparation programs of the College of Education will be central to the
mission of the University and will have national prominence. It will be at the
forefront in programs for English Language Learners and, through teacher
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preparation, P-16 and life-long education initiatives will be a model for helping
to close the student achievement gap.
All of these will require the COE to be noted for the quality of its graduates, the
scholarship of its faculty, and the leadership and service they provide to the
local, regional, and national educational communities in the previously
mentioned areas.
Note: Be advised that the College of Education conducts ongoing research
regarding the effectiveness of the programs. You will receive one survey in
the final semester prior to graduation regarding your program during your
time here. A second survey will occur within one year following graduation
from or completion of a program, and will be sent to your employer. This
survey will focus on the preparation received at UTB. Please remember that
your response to these surveys is critical to UTB excellence.
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Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies
College of Education
The University of Texas at Brownsville
Course:
COUN 6301.60, Tuesday 7:15pm-10:00PM (MRCN 228)
Instructor:
Javier Cavazos Vela, PhD
Office Hours:
Monday (University Center, Harlingen): 3:20pm-4:20pm
Tuesday (UTB): 3:00pm-4:30pm; 6:00pm-7:00pm
Thursday (UTB): 10:30am-12:00pm and by appointment
Office Phone/
Location:
Email:
Textbook:
(956) 882-5709
1.108
[email protected]
Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2012). Educational research:
Competencies for analysis and applications (10th ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson.
Required Resource for Program:
TK20 account is required. TK20 is an electronic toolkit used by candidates to provide
evidence that they have mastered state and professional standards for the profession.
Additional information can be found at www.tk20.com
Recommended Texts:
American Psychological Association (2009). Publication manual (6th ed.). Washington, DC:
Author.
Note: Make sure you buy the Second Printing, which is the corrected version. Check the copyright page, opposite the Table
of Contents. If it is a second printing, the second paragraph will read "Second printing: August 2009."
Course Description: The course is an introduction to research methodology in education for
master’s graduate students. It includes qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods.
Action research is designed as a unique module for practitioners who want to do their own
research studies in education. Research report preparation and evaluation are included for
graduate student to integrate the knowledge and skills they mastered in the course into a
comprehensive work. In addition, literature review, AERA and IRB standards are also included.
It is required that graduate students should know ethic issues and all researchers must be aware
to the ethical considerations related to their studies.
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PURPOSE:
All educators are either practitioners or consumers of research. It is important that students of
education know and understand the elements of research in order to be able to evaluate critically
and/or conduct research to enhance one's skills, and advance the knowledge of the field. This
course will provide the student with a basic framework for understanding and evaluating
education research studies. It will also provide knowledge of the various types of research
designs used in educational research and the procedures for conducting research studies.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The overall goal of this course is to introduce you to the fundamental procedures and issues
related to quantitative and qualitative research. Specific objectives for the course include to:
Describe the role of philosophy, epistemology, and theory in education research;
Explain the nature of the different types of research paradigms/methods in education;
Demonstrate understanding of research design: how research methodology is selected given a
problem, how the data are analyzed and interpreted; how research is reported; and the
implications of the findings to theory, research and practice;
Compare and contrast quantitative and qualitative research methods;
Describe and interpret various statistical techniques, such as descriptive (mean, median,
mode) and inferential (e.g. t-test, correlation) statistics;
Describe data collection and analysis techniques in qualitative research;
Demonstrate skills in using the library and internet resources to identify peer-reviewed
empirical research articles;
Analyze and evaluate reports/articles of empirical research in education;
Demonstrate the ability to synthesize research literature by writing a review of literature;
Communicate knowledge and ideas through writing well-developed academic papers.
CACREP Core Standards Addressed
K.1.g Advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that impede
access, equity, and success for clients (Interculturalism, inquiry).
K.2.a Multicultural and pluralistic trends including characteristics and concerns between
and within diverse groups nationally and internationally (Interculturalism).
K.7.c Statistical concepts, including scales of measurement, measures of central tendency,
indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and correlations (Inquiry)
K.7.f Age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, disability, culture, spirituality,
and other factors (Interculturalism).
K.7.g Strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation
instruments and techniques in counseling (Inquiry).
K.8
Studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis,
needs assessment, and program evaluation (Inquiry).
K.8.a The importance of research and opportunities and difficulties in conducting
research in the counseling profession (Inquiry).
K.8.b Research methods such as qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action
research, and outcome-based research (Inquiry).
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K.8.c Use of technology and statistical methods in conducting research and program
evaluation, assuming basic computer literacy (Inquiry).
K.8.d Principles, models, and applications of needs assessment, program evaluation, and
use of findings to effect program modifications (Pedagogical leadership).
K.8.e Use of research to improve counseling effectiveness (Pedagogical leadership).
K.8.f Ethical and legal considerations. (Inquiry).
CACREP School Counseling Standards Addressed
B.6
Methods of planning, developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating
comprehensiveness developmental counseling programs (Inquiry).
C.1.a Use, management, analysis, and presentation of data from school-based information
(e.g., standardized testing, grades, enrollment, attendance, retention, placement), surveys,
interviews, focus groups, and needs assessments to improve student outcomes (Inquiry).
C.1.b Design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of comprehensive
developmental school counseling programs (e.g., the ASCA National Standards for School
Counseling Programs) (Inquiry).
C.1.g Use of technology in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of a
comprehensive school counseling program (Inquiry).
CACREP Community Counseling Standards Addressed
B.3
Strategies for community needs assessment to design, implement, and evaluate
community counseling interventions, programs, and systems (Inquiry).
COURSE MODULES
Module 1 Introduction: to basic concepts in research studies
Module 2 Research Fundamentals:
a. Research problems
b. Literature review
c. APA style
d. Ethical considerations
i.
ACA standards
ii. IRB Standard
b. Planning a research proposal
Module 3 Quantitative Research Dimension
d. Research Design
 Experimental research design
 Single-subject experimental research (one of quasi-experimental research
design)
 Non-experimental research design
e. Instrumentation and basic data analyses
• Instrumentation and sampling
• Descriptive statistics
• Inferential statistics
f. Survey research
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2. Correlation research
3. Causal comparative research and analysis
Module 4 Qualitative research dimension
g. Fundamentals of qualitative research, reliability, and validity
h. Phenomenology and ethnographical studies
i. Case study
j. Narrative and content analyses
k. Qualitative data collection
l. Qualitative data analysis and interpretation
Module 5 Mixed research methds
Module 6 Action research methds
Module 7 Preparing and evaluating a research report
Dispositions: Students' professional commitments and dispositions are continually observed by program
faculty. Faculty members observe student behaviors in the classroom, in field-based experiences, when
meeting privately, and in interactions with other students. As a group, the COE faculty complete a
summary evaluation of the professional commitments and dispositions for each student each semester. If
faculty determine that a student's evaluation in the area of professional commitments and dispositions
requires remediation, this student will receive a written remediation plan specifying required remediation
activities and responsibilities. If a student fails to successfully complete the remediation plan, s/he may be
dismissed from the Program. See the rubric for the evaluation of dispositions posted on the course
website.
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
1. Research Proposal (Statement of the problem, literature synthesis, and methods; 25%)
The Research Proposal Project should include the following three elements: the statement of research
problem, research literature synthesis, and methods.
Students will choose a topic of interest and use this topic as an anchor for the research project.
The research topic chosen will be narrowed down (or expanded) to reformulate into a problem
for research. The research problem will include the context and need for studying the topic, the
participants to be studied, and the potential research design that would address the problem.
As part of the course students will read peer-reviewed research articles and will analyze articles
applying the knowledge gained from class lectures, discussions, and textbook reading. The analyses
will consist of investigating similarities and differences in ways researchers carried out and reported
the research studies on a topic of interest to the student. The research literature synthesis will consist
of the synthesis of literature based on analyses carried out throughout the course. The articles must be
from peer-reviewed journal articles and should include different kinds of research methodologies.
The body of the proposal must be at least 12 pages (title page, abstract, references do not count
toward this amount), 1 inch margins, double-spaced, and in APA format. Proposed research must
be plausible enough to conduct the study; however, please note that you will not actually
conduct the study for this class. The research project must include the following sections
denoted by APA headings: Title Page; Abstract; Introduction; Review of Literature; Statement of
the Problem; Methods (Sample, Research Design, Limitations, etc.); Recommendations for
Future Research; References. You have the option to work in a group of no more than 4
members or you can work individually.
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2. Article Analyses (5%)
Students will select two empirical research articles and will analyze articles focusing on the
research design and the relationships among theory, methods, and claims. Analysis will be
conducted to identify research questions, theoretical framing, research design and methods for
participant selection, data collection, and data analysis. By analyzing research methodology as
reported in the article, students will evaluate strengths and weaknesses of the research report
and the claims the author(s) make.
3. Interview with Professor (10%): You will interview a professor in counselor education,
school counseling, or other educational field (skype, telephone, face-to-face) from a different
university. The professional educator must have a terminal degree. If you have any concerns
about the training of the individual you plan to interview, please ask them about their training
PRIOR to your interview or contact me to verify that they are appropriate for this assignment.
Sample interview questions and consent forms will be provided at a later time.
You are to write a reaction paper to the interview and indicate issues that raised salience for you
about research related to counseling and/or education. Please do not offer a summary of the
interview as I am looking for your reflection on the interview. This paper should be typed,
double-spaced, and the body of the paper should be a minimum of 3 pages in length.
4. Examinations (45%)
You will demonstrate understanding through two examinations. These examinations will
not be comprehensive and will include approximately 50 multiple choice questions. Please
bring a scantron to each examination.
5. You will co-lead a discussion on a particular methodology and/or chapter. This
discussion should expand on the chapter and must include relevant research and
application in the field. For example, if you are assigned experimental research, you will colead a 30 minute discussion on three journal articles related to this research design. The
purpose of this activity is to extend the conversation about research designs beyond the
textbook. Please do not summarize the chapter in this presentation.
6. You will be responsible to complete the CITI training requirement (5%) through the
University of Texas at Brownsville. Instructions will be provided at a later time.
7. Participation (5%): You are expected to come to class prepared and participate in
appropriate ways. Contributions and participation will be in the form of discussions as well as
through writing responses. Appropriate participation and contributions include, for example,
sharing your knowledge and insights on topics being discussed, posing questions, providing
constructive critiques and feedback to classmates and the professor, posting comments on the
course blackboard, and taking responsibility for your learning.
8. If you are a counseling and guidance student, you must attend one seminar from the
Counseling and Guidance Faculty Seminar Series (5%) offerings this semester. You may
attend more than one seminar; however, only one is required per semester regardless of
the number of hours you are enrolled in. You must submit a 1-page reflection paper based
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on your seminar experience. Seminar dates are Thursday, February 21st, and Thursday,
March 7th.
9. You must read one book from the UTB Counseling and Guidance program approved
reading list. You can read more than one book on the list each semester; however, only one
is required per semester regardless of the number of hours you are enrolled in. You must
submit a 1-page reflection paper based on the book you read.
Methods:
1. Discussions
2. Group work
3. Readings from textbook
4. Readings from professional journals
5. Writing assignments
6. Examinations
7. Presentations
8. Seminars
9. Interview with Professional
Evaluation and Grading
Activity
Research Proposal Project
Mid-Term Examination
Final Examination
Class Participation
Reading List/Seminar
CITI Training
Article Analyses
Interview with Educator
Weighted Total
25%
20%
25%
5%
5%
5%
5%
10%
Students will be provided with a final letter grade based on above criteria. The instructor
reserves the right to penalize any additional facets of unprofessional and irresponsible
work dispositions or conduct, if the need arises.
GRADING SYSTEM
Partial evaluations will be made with numbers on exams, tests, papers, presentations and
so on. Letter grades of “A+” through “F” (course final grade) will be awarded based on the
following scale:
A+
A
AB+
98-100
93-97.9
90-92.9
87-89.9
4 grade points
4 grade points
3.67 grade points
3.33 grade points
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B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F
83-86.9
80-82.9
77-79.9
73-76.9
70-72.9
67-69.9
63-66.9
Below 60
3 grade points
2.67 grade points
2.33 grade points
2 grade points
1.67 grade points
1.33 grade points
1 grade point
0 grade points
Incomplete Grades: A grade of Incomplete (I) may be given at the discretion of the
instructor to a student who has been unable to complete the course requirements due to a
serious interruption not caused by the student’s own negligence.
Attendance Policy: All students are expected to complete the assigned readings prior to class
discussion. Attendance at all class sessions is required to do well in this course. Also, students
are expected to participate in in-class assignments, group discussions, and group exercises.
Participation is also measured in attendance and punctuality to class. It should be noted that
attendance and punctuality is expected and will be excused only under special circumstances as
determined by the instructor. You may be asked to drop the class after the second absence, and
more than two absences may result in the lowering of half a letter grade. More than 3 lapses in
punctuality will be equivalent to an absence.
RESOURCES INCLUDING BOOKS FOR THE COURSE AND RESEARCH PAPERS
Item 1: Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. (2012). Educational research: Competencies
for analysis and applications (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Item 2: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2010). 6th ed.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Course Policies
1. Attendance is mandatory. Arriving late or leaving early is unprofessional and
causes a distraction to others.
2. You are allowed one absence without penalty. This absence includes excused and
unexcused. Absence from a second class meeting might constitute a deduction of
points. Due to the nature of the course, should you be allowed to remain in the class
after the second absence because of extenuating circumstances, points will be taken
off the participation and/or final grade for each additional absence.
3. You should complete all assignments by the due date in the course calendar. Late
work will be accepted with a half letter grade deduction per each day that the
assignment is late.
4. Type all assignments, unless otherwise specified, and use the 6th edition of APA
format for all assignments.
5. The instructor reserves the right to make changes in the syllabus as deemed
necessary. Students will be notified of any and all changes. Please note that this is a
preliminary syllabus and assignments and other details might change.
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6. It is your responsibility to become aware of important university deadlines
including the last day to withdraw from the course. The last day to withdraw from
this course TBA.
Course Calendar
Date
Topics
January
15th
January
22nd
January
29th
February
5th
February
12th
Introduction to Basic
Concepts; Research
Topics
Literature review; APA
format; Planning a
research proposal
Sample selection;
Instruments
Descriptive Statistics
Processes and
Assignments
Syllabus; Course
Introduction; and
Dispositions
Chapters 1 and 2
Chapters 3 and 4;
ACA Code of Ethics
Chapters 5 and 6
Chapter 12 and
Counseling
Research
February
19th
February
26th
CITI Training/Online
Assignment; Article
Analysis 1
Inferential Statistics
Chapter 13 and
Counseling
Research;
Examination Review
March 5th
March 12th
March 19th
March 26th
Mid-Term
Examination
Spring Break
Survey and Correlation
Research
Narrative and
Ethnographic Research
Chapters 7 and 8
Chapters 9, 10, and
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April 2nd
Conference with
Professor and
Online Assignment
Interview with
Educator Due;
Presentations
April 9th
April 16th
April 23rd
April 30th
May 7th
Evaluation Method
Case study, Qualitative
and Narrative
Mixed methods and action
research
Preparing and evaluating
report
Chapters 14, 15, and
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Chapters 16, 19, and
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Chapters 21 and 22
Research Project
Due
Book Report and
Seminar
Final Examination
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INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
UTB/TSC monitors academic progress every fall and spring semesters to identify
those students who are experiencing difficulty with their courses. Satisfactory
Academic Progress (Sap) is based upon two components: GPA of 2.0 or higher and
successful course completion of at least 70% of couse work attempted. Students
remain in good standing with the university and Financial Aid when both criteria
are met. Students who do not maintain these required minimum standards will be
placed on probation or suspension as appropriate. The complete Satisfactory
Academic Progress policy and the Undergraduate Satisfactory Academic Progress
for Financial Aid policy can be found in the current Undergraduate catalog. For
more information, please visit http://blue.utb.edu/vpaa/sap
SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY
Students who engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties,
including the possibility of failure in the course and expulsion from the University.
Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion,
submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in
part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed
to be unfair advantage to a student, or the attempt to commit such acts. Since
scholastic dishonesty harms the individual, all students and the integrity of the
University, Policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. (Board of
Regents Rules and Regulations)
STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC RESPONSIBLILITIES
Students are expected to be diligent in their studies and attend class regularly and
on time. Students are responsible for all class work and assignments. On
recommendation of the instructor concerned and with the approval of the Dean,
students may, at anytime, be dropped from course. This may result in a “w” or “F”
on the student’s permanent record.
EMERGENCY POLICY STATEMENT
In compliance with the Emergency UTB/TSC Academic continuity Program,
academic course, partially or entirely, will be made available on the MyUTBTSC
Blackboard course management system. This allows faculty members and students
to continue their teaching and learning via MyUTBTSC Blackboard
http://myutbtscblacboard.com, in case the university shuts down as a result of a
hurricane or any other natural disaster.
The university will use MyUTBTSC Blackboard to post announcements notifying
faculty members and students of their responsibilities as a hurricane approaches
our region. If the university is forced to shut down, faculty will notify their
course(s). To receive credit for a course, it is the student’s responsibility to
complete all requirements for that course. Failure to access course materials once
reasonably possible can result in a reduction of your overall grade in the class.
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To facilitate the completion of class, most or all of the communication between
students and the institution, the instructor, and fellow classmates will take place
using the features in your MyUTBTSC Blackboard and UTB email system. Therefore,
all students must use Scorpion Online to provide a current email address. Students
may update their email address by following the like titled “Validate your e-Mail
Account” in MyUTBTSC Blackboard Portal. In the event of a disaster, that disrupts
normal operations, all students and faculty must make every effort to access an
internet-enabled computer as often as possible to continue the learning process.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
Students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, who wish to request
accommodations in this class should notify the Disability Services Office early in the
semester so that the appropriate arrangements may be made. In accordance with
federal law, a student requesting accommodations must provide documentation of
his/her disability to the Disability Services counselor. For more information, visit
Disability Services in the Lightner Center, call 956-882-7374, or e-mail
[email protected].