S

?

.

Education 429-4

Research for the Classroom Teacher

SPRING,

198

1

4 ?

INSTRUCTOR: ?

Dr. Philip H. Winne

Office: MPX

9611

Telephone:

291-4858

Wednesdays,

4:30 - 8:30 ?

LOCATION: on campus

PREREQUISITE: Education

401/402,

or equivalent; or permission of the Instructor.

This course introduces prospective and practicing teachers to research methods

that can be applied in classrooms. There are three main objectives of the course:

(1) knowledge and skills regarding selected research methods;

(2)

ability to

comprehend and synthesize published educational research; and,

(3)

application

of research methods in everyday teaching. The theme of the course is that good

teaching is a problem-solving activity which can be guided by treating instructional

difficulties and questions as topics to be researched.

OUTLINE OF TOPICS:

1. What is research and what is it for?

2.

Variables and constructs

a.

Operational definitions

b. Measurement: ?

scales, reliability, and validity

3. Types of research and research designs

a.

Description: observation, ethnography, correlation, content

analysis, interviews, tests

b.

Manipulation: experiments with individuals and with groups

4.

Statistics (without numbers and formulas)

5.

Reviewing a body of research

a.

Locating research

b.

Rules for evaluating a research report

c.

Rules for synthesizing research findings

6. Doing research

a.

Ethics

b. Writing a proposal

C.

How research really gets done

d. Writing a report about research

REQUIREMENTS:

1. approximately

50

pages of reading per week

2.

written in-class and homework assignments (30?)

3.

bi-weekly quizzes (50)

14. ?

research proposal

(200')

TEXTBOOKS:

Readings will consist of zeroxed materials purchased from the Faculty and items

placed on reserve in the library.