600

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the role of statistics in educational research. Participants in the course learn the foundations of statistical analysis and how to apply statistical methods to educational research questions. During the course, the students use statistical software to answer research questions using data related to topic of interest.

This course is designed to develop students’ knowledge of the nature of multiple interpretive and critical research methodologies and their underpinning paradigms. Students explore and compare various qualitative research methods, their corresponding data collection and analysis procedures and strategies, and ways of representing research findings. Particular consideration is given to the role of the researcher positionality within the research process, the ethics, aesthetics, and analytic rigor of conducting research as a highly deliberative, nuanced, and creative endeavor. Students demonstrate their research skills in developing and implementing a small-scale research project.

This advanced doctoral research course engages students in understanding and applying mixed-methods research approaches. Students will learn the purposes, components of mixed-methods research design, and the questions appropriate for such a design. The course begins with a review of the quantitative and qualitative methods learned from previous courses, discusses the paradigm associated with mixed-methods designs, and develops an understanding of what constitutes high quality mixed methods approaches. Within the course students will collect pilot data associate with their research interests and preliminarily analyze the data using a mixed-methods approach. The outcome is that students will be able to write a draft methods chapter applying mixed-methods approach. Pre-requisite(s): ESR 608, ESR 612 and ESR 614. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

In this course students will investigate various research designs as they investigate the components and processes involved in conceptualizing, proposing and carrying out research. They will delve deeply into the particular methodologies, theoretical frameworks, and types of data that might be of use in answering their own dissertation research questions. Students explore the interrelationship between questions, methods, forms of analysis, interpretation, context and the impact of their own standpoint on design and findings. Students also consider high quality examples of research, as well as ethical guidelines and principles, as they draft a cohesive research plan. Pre-requisite(s): ESR 608, ESR 612 and ESR 614. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours