Schedule
Homepage Announcements Assignments Resources Schedule Syllabus WebCT

Required Readings

The dynamic nature of a website allows readings from current events to be added as the semester progresses, so you are expected to check the website each week. If you print it out at the beginning of the semester and never look at the live website again, you are bound to miss something. Many texts are excerpted and available on WebCT. Please bring readings to class on the day for which they are assigned.

Books and Course Packets

Maxwell, J. A. (2005). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN 0-7619-2608-9.

Mertler, C. A. (2006). Action research: Teachers as researchers in the classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN 0761928448.

There are also two course packets available from the ISU bookstore. One is of related course readings (referred to as CP) for $47.50. The other is the official Data-Driven Leadership manual from the Iowa Department of Education (referred to as DDL) for $21.50. If you have taken DDL before, you may already have those materials and don't need to buy them again. Readings from these packets are available on WebCT.

Articles and excerpts

Adams, M. (1990). The dead grandmother/exam syndrome and the potential downfall of American society. The Connecticut Review(Summer), 70-74.

Ames Community School District. (2004). Conducting research.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development .Research evaluation tools: Protections from bias and Potential Sources of Bias. (PDFs)

Biddle, B. J., & Saha, L. J. (2006). How principals use research. Educational Leadership, 63(6), 72-77.

Carnegie Learning. (2001). Guide to interpreting evaluations. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Learning. (PDF)

Carnegie Learning. (2002). Results from Moore, OK (Cognitive Tutor Research Report No. OK-01-01). Pittsburgh: Carnegie Learning. (PDF)

Creswell, J. W. (2003). The purpose statement. In Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed., pp. 87-104). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.

Crotty, M. (1998). Introduction: The research process. In The foundations of social research : Meaning and perspective in the research process (pp. 1-17). Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.

Eckman, E. W. (2004). Similarities and differences in role conflict, role commitment, and job satisfaction for female and male high school principals. Educational Administration Quarterly, 40(3), 366-387.

Fashola, O. S. (2004). Becoming an informed consumer of quantitative educational research. Phi Delta Kappan, 85(7), 532-538.

Iowa Department of Education Content Network. (2004, November 5). Definitions.

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2006). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Pp. 31-32, 40-41, 148-177, 292-294, 300, 308-310.

Moynihan, D. P. (1992, February 3). North Dakota, math country. New York Times, p. 15.

Office of Research Compliance. (2002, May 12, 2003). Informed consent document template.

Paradi, D. (2003). Survey shows how to stop annoying audiences with bad powerpoint.Tufte, E. R. (1983). The visual display of quantitative information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press. pp, 40-41.

Tufte, E. R. (1990). Envisioning information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press. Pp. 43-44.

U. S. Department of Education. (2003). Identifying and implementing educational practices supported by rigorous evidence: A user friendly guide. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Education Sciences.

U. S. Department of Education. (2004). Intervention reports: Cognitive tutor.

Young, M. D., & McLeod, S. (2001). Flukes, opportunities, and planned interventions: Factors affecting women’s decisions to become school administrators. Educational Administration Quarterly, 37(4), 462-502.

Calendar

Class Session
Topic
Assignments
8/23

Introduction

  • Course, expectations, calendar, assignments, texts, WebCT, each other, etc.
  • Existential Questions
  • Epistemology
  • Key terms
  • Research Examples
  • Data Driven Leadership Overview

Start thinking seriously about your School Improvement study topic.

Please bring your DDL "overview" section and have read O-27, "The Origins of QIC-Decide."

Handy-dandy research proposal outline in CP

Please have read Biddle & Saha from CP.

8/26

On ISU campus, Lagomarcino N221

Developing Research Questions: Workshop

  • Data Driven Leadership Overview
  • Q of QIC-Decide
  • I of QIC-Decide
  • Practice with your own RQs
  • Epistemology
  • Problem / Purpose statements
  • Concept maps

Also: E-portfolio hands-on practice with Ryan Janssen in the Lago computer lab

Crotty

Creswell

Mertler chapter 1 (skim), 35-40, chapter 4

Maxwell chapters 2-5, example 5.2, table 5.1

Bring in Maxwell exercises 3.2, 4.1, and 5.2 -- we'll do in class.

For e-portfolio practice, have available electronic copies of your POS, first ISSL Assessment, resume, platform paper from 541, and anything else you want to try uploading. Also know your ISU NetID and password.
8/30

Literature Review, Validity

  • I of QIC-Decide
  • Reading research quickly
  • Annotated bibliographies
  • What's good research?

Turn in assignment 3a.

Excerpt from U.S. Dept. of Ed's Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices (CP) (optional: whole report in PDF)

Iowa Department of Education Content Network: Definitions (CP)

Mertler chapter 3, 100-102, 112-114.

Sample annotated bib in CP

Maxwell chapter 6. Bring Maxwell 6.1

Bring Eckman (CP) and Young and McLeod (CP) -- skim their literature reviews.
9/6

Ethics and Research Policies

  • Harm, Ethics, Human Subjects/IRB
  • District research policies

ISU Informed Consent Template (from ISU Human Subjects website) in CP

ISU Policy on Course-Related Subjects (not in CP)

Ames Research Policy in CP. Check to see if your school or district has a research policy. If so, please bring it in.

Bring Maxwell 6.1, 2.1 (2005), and 5.1 -- we'll do in class.

Review Mertler 78-81.
9/13

Quantitative Studies

  • C of QIC-Decide
  • Workshop: designing questionnaires and items
  • Checking in: individual appointments

If you have a laptop with Excel on it, please bring it to class.

Turn in assignment 3b. Be ready to discuss.

Macmillan & Schumacher (CP)

Mertler 102-119, 130-144

Adams (CP), Moynihan (CP)

Bring Eckman (CP)

Bring copy of assignment 3a to workshop a sample questionnaire. You must design a questionnaire for your study and attach it to your final paper, even if you do not use it.
9/20

Quantitative Studies, part 2

Qualitative Studies, Checking in

  • Workshop: designing interview and observation protocols
  • Document collection
  • Continue individual appointments

Finishing up quantitative studies:
Bring back Eckman, Eckman handout/questions from last week, Adams, and Moynihan. If you have a chance, look at the normal distribution demo.

If you did not read McMillan & Schumacher before because you couldn't find it on WebCT, look at the files howtoread, nyllhypothesis, descriptivestats, guidelines, indepsampttest, ancova0, and ancova.

Mertler 92-102, 124-130

Sample observation and interviews and protocols in CP

Bring copy of assignment 3a to workshop sample protocols. You must design an interview protocol for your study and attach it to your final paper, even if you do not use it.

Bring Young & McLeod (CP)

9/23

Finishing up DDL, Data Analysis, Presenting Data

  • DDL-C exercises (presenting data)
  • Decide of QIC-Decide
  • Site Protocols
  • Developing action plans

Tufte (CP)

Mertler 143-160, chapter 8, skim chapter 9

Paradi (2003) on using Power Point (CP)

Mertler chapter 7
9/27

Evaluation studies

  • Designing evaluations
  • Evaluating others' research

Turn in assignment 2 and be ready to report briefly in class on what you wrote.

Fashola (CP).

Carnegie's Guide to interpreting evaluations (CP)

ASCD research evaluation tools: potential sources of bias and protections from bias (CP)

Carnegie's Results from Moore, OK (CP)

U.S. Dept of Ed's intervention report on Cognitive Tutor (CP)
10/4

Keeping up with current research

  • Using research in leadership
  • What's good research?

Some presentations

Please bring your Word Wall cards.

Carnegie's Guide to interpreting evaluations (CP)

ASCD research evaluation tools: potential sources of bias and protections from bias (CP)

Carnegie's Results from Moore, OK (CP)

U.S. Dept of Ed's intervention report on Cognitive Tutor (CP)

"Change or Die"

"Mixed Methods Research Examined" (not in CP)

 

 

 
10/11

Closing

  • Final project presentations
  • Course evaluations

Assignment 3d due.

Look at the model final papers on WebCT. Last minute questions about final paper?

Please bring a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want your final paper mailed back to you.

Assignment 3c due 10/18.

 

Res Ev 550

Readings

Calendar

 

 
updated 10/2/06
Dr. Joanne M. Marshall