The University of Houston-Clear Lake EDLS 8530 Research Seminar
EDLS 8530 Research Seminar (3 SCHs)
Prerequisite: EDLS 7031. Focuses on challenging topics of leadership in educational settings. The main focus is on creating and maintaining effective schools. Educational leaders would be invited to address current real-world problems that doctoral students would analyze in order to develop workable alternative solutions. The process would work toward doctoral students developing viable research projects that could serve as relevant dissertation topics. Each student would be responsible for her/his own project, and for contributing to the intellectual development of all projects. Field experience is required.
I. The Purpose of the Course:
This course helps students master the creative and critical thinking skills necessary in the development of a dissertation proposal and in conducting independent research. The product of this course is a dissertation proposal that addresses a challenging problem of educational leadership using quantitative and/or qualitative research methods. Emphasis is on projects
II. Objectives of the Course:
To increase student understanding of problem solving as it applies to the development of knowledge and practice in educational leadership.
To provide the student with experience in using quantitative and qualitative analysis in addressing meaningful problems in educational leadership and organization.
To enhance the ability of students to engage in thoughtful criticism and creativity as it applies to inquiry in educational leadership.
To develop a dissertation proposal that includes a focused review of the literature, problem definition, hypotheses or research questions, and a research design.
III. Textbook, Reading Resources and Review of the Literature.
Cresswell, John W. (2003). Research design, qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
Students should be a regular readers of the key journals focusing on theory, research and practice in educational leadership. Academic and professional journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Educational Administration Quarterly, Journal of Educational Administration, Planning and Changing, Journal of School Finance, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Journal of School Leadership, Review of Educational Research. In addition, resources available from the Internet and other sources may be just as important. This course requires independent student reading that is focused on the literature pertaining to a specific topic or problem. The student's reading supports the conceptual grounds for problem definition, hypothesis construction, research questions and methodology as well as the production of a dissertation chapter concerned with a review of the literature.
This course should be taken near the completion of coursework in the doctoral program. At this point in the program, students should be able to draw on the body of knowledge obtained in prior courses and be familiar with a wide array of issues pertaining to challenging problems of practice and viable avenues of inquiry in educational leadership. Students should be well grounded in qualitative and quantitative research methods. In addition, students should be a regular reader of the key journals dealing with theory, research and practice in educational leadership.
V. Course Expectations
Assignments (Description):
There are three assignments that reflect the major components of a dissertation proposal. Students are to produce (1) a focused review of the literature, (2) a narrative presenting the problem to be addressed by the research complete with research questions to be answered or propositions to be tested and (3) a narrative presenting the research methodology. A dissertation proposal is submitted during the last class meeting. Each dissertation proposal will require a quantitative and/or qualitative dimension. The final prospectus should follow the thesis format appropriate to a predominantly qualitative or quantitative research project.
Class Attendance and Participation:
Students are expected to attend, come prepared for each seminar meeting and participate. Absence without prior permission of the instructor will result in a deduction of 5% for the final grade earned by the student in the course. Permission for absences or late arrivals to class will only be granted for reasons beyond the control of the student.
Student Accommodations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act:
Disability Services Any individual with a disability who requires a special accommodation should inform the professor and contact the Disability Services office, Bayou Building, Room 1402, or call (281) 283-2627.
The Academic Honesty Policy at UHCL (found on pages 74-76 of the 2004-2005 catalogs) states:
"Academic honesty is the cornerstone of the academic integrity of the university. It is the foundation upon which the student builds personal integrity and establishes a standard of personal behavior."
The Honesty Code of UHCL states:
"I will be honest in all my academic activities and will not tolerate dishonesty."
Because honesty and integrity are such important factors, you should be aware that failure to perform within the bounds of these ethical standards is sufficient grounds to receive a grade of "F" in this course and be recommended for suspension from UHCL.
VI. Grading Criteria (Assignments and % of points)
Evaluation: Students may earn a total of 200 points. Each student's grade will be based on the instructor's evaluation of (1) the literature review (40 points), (2) the instructor's evaluation of a paper on problem, conceptual framework, research questions or hypotheses (40 points), (3) the instructor's evaluation of a research design (40 points), and (4) the instructor's evaluation of the student's integration of the above products into a dissertation proposal (80 points). The final grade will be calculated as a percentage of total points possible. Grades are produced according to these criteria: A=93-100%; A-=90-92%; B+=87-89%; B=83-86%; B-=80-82%; C+=77-79%; C=73-76%; C-=70-72%; D+=67-69%; D=63-66%; D-=60-62%; F<60.
VII. Week-to-Week Schedule
This is not a course best taught in a lock step schedule with a topic for each week. Instead, the course is organized into two phases of instruction consisting of approximately 5 to 8 weeks each depending on the progress of the class. The number of weeks specified below for each instructional component is an estimate and may vary based on the professor's appraisal of student needs.
Weeks One through Eight: The Fabric of Literature, Problem and Theoretical Framework. Students learn how to overcome simply reporting literature, study by study. Instead, they are involved in integrating that same literature to state a research problem and a theoretical or conceptual basis for their study. Students overcome the vexing process of constructing a logically consistent conceptual framework for their research proposal. That is, the use of the research literature to argue how and why certain constructs are related, leading from problem statement to conceptual framework to research questions or hypotheses.
Weeks Nine through Sixteen: The research methods text noted above provides a solid background for students to weave into their research proposal an appraisal of research methods useful in gathering and examining evidence relevant to the research problem, theoretical framework and hypotheses/research questions. With emphasis on this examination of research methods, students engaged in writing, reporting and discussing problem statements, research questions/hypotheses in light of methodology. The focus of this phase of instruction is integrating appropriate research methods as an essential part of the overall fabric of the research proposal.
The instructor may alter this syllabus as conditions warrant.
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If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Academic Advising at 281/283-3600 or email at Education@uhcl.edu
