This document provides information about the MED 5305 Classroom Teacher as Researcher course taught by Dr. Lucy Lambert-Guesnard. The course will be held on Wednesdays from 5-9pm at Frisco High School. It is designed to help classroom teachers become reflective practitioners by learning research methodology and statistical techniques. Students will complete a research proposal on an approved topic. The course will cover various research approaches and designing, conducting, analyzing, and reporting on educational research projects. Assessment will include presentations, a literature review, and a final research proposal.

1. MED 5305 Classroom Teacher as Researcher
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Name: Lucy Lambert-Guesnard, Ed.D
Phone: 469 4469113 (c)
Email: lucy.lambert-guesnard@concordia.edu
CLASS DATES, TIMES, LOCATION
Wednesday, 5:00-9:00, Frisco HS
COURSE NUMBER, TITLE, CATALOG DESCRIPTION
MED 5305 Classroom Teacher as Researcher.
Study of research methodology which explores various research modules, analyzes examples of
research to identify models of acceptable and unacceptable research, and develops skills in using
statistical techniques which enable the classroom teacher to be a reflective practitioner.
Students will complete one of the following requirements:
• Advanced Literacy students will complete a proposal for the case study.
• Curriculum & Instruction students will complete a proposal for the thesis.
• Early Childhood students will complete an Implementation Plan for ECE 5346 The
Research Seminar in ECE.
• Educational Administration students will complete an Implementation Plan for the
Practicum.
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2. RATIONALE AND PURPOSE
Educational research has become more sophisticated and complex. Education generally
recognizes the goal of continual improvement in areas such as: effective teaching, efficient
learning, and curriculum delivery. This cannot be completed without successful classroom
management. The practicing teacher can and should contribute to ensuring the success of
learners, to improving the profession of teachers, to attaining the goals of education, and to
increasing the body of knowledge. Effective educators make use of knowledge, practical
application, and critical evaluation of research types as well as apply concepts of reliability,
validity, and practical statistical applications. Applied knowledge and skills of research and
statistics enable classroom teachers to contribute to the body of knowledge through action,
quantitative, or qualitative research application in the classroom.
In addition, the desire to contribute to the body of knowledge must be implanted in our
educational leaders. There is no profession that gathers more data than that of education but uses
it less. We need to look closely at what we know about teaching and abilities of humans to learn.
It is imperative we learn to read data correctly and be more research-based in our thinking,
behavior, instruction, and educational product.
CTX MISSION STATEMENT
To develop Christian Leaders
COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Student Outcomes Proficiency
The student will be able to:
• Model responsible values in decision-making, when designing, interpreting, 1.2
and evaluating educational research.
• Generate a personal philosophy of education and a belief system that integrates 4.7
skills, knowledge, and attitudes appropriate for the entire realm of educational
research concerning diversity in educational consumers.
• Identify and define research and evaluation paradigms, empirical and action 5.1
research and qualitative and quantitative research.
• Appreciate the contributions of others by developing skills necessary to critically 5.2
assess research literature and appropriately incorporate findings to selected
teaching, learning, or curricular settings in the educational workplace.
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3. • Add substantively to the body of knowledge in learning, teaching, and 5.3
curriculum development through a variety of theoretical constructs and research
methods.
• Utilize educational statistics in research. 5.6
• Demonstrate awareness of contemporary social and educational trends and 6.2
ensure the role of the leader in developing solutions.
PRINCIPAL UNITS OF THE COURSE
A. An Overview of Education Research
1. Improvement of education through research.
2. The nature of scientific inquiry
3. Scientific theories and methods
4. Types of educational research
B. Planning Educational Research
1. Developing a proposal
2. Ethics, legal constraints, and human relations.
3. Reviewing the literature
4. Critical evaluation of research
C. Sampling and Measurement
1. Populations and samples
2. Selection and administrations of tests
3. Issues of reliability and validity
D. Research Design and Methodology
1. Qualitative research
2. Quantitative research
3. Analysis of data
E. Basic Types of Educational Research
1. Qualitative research
2. Quantitative research
a. survey research
b. causal/comparative research
c. correlational research
d. experimental research
e. quasi-experimental research
f. evaluation research
3. Historical research
F. Data Processing and Reporting
1. Processing research data
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4. 2. Drawing conclusions based on the data gathered
3. Writing the research report or journal article
COURSE MANAGEMENT
Grading:
A=900-1000 points
B=800-899 points
C=700-799 points
F=Below 700 points
Designated summary presentations: (see letter assignments above A-F) (200 points)
Each student will be assigned a topic for research, presentation, and discussion. You will utilize
the texts given plus any other resources you find to complete this assignment. You will present to
the class with visual (ppt or other) as well as a handout to the students and references. ( in APA
format.) This activity will cross reference with the chapter presentation assignment, adding to the
knowledge of research.
Academic Journal Research/ Presentation (200 points)
You will choose a topic for research.
Each student, each class, will review an article from a professional journal relevant to your
chosen topic for research. The journal article is to be tied to the topic you are developing. The
article MUST have been published recently (i.e. 1998 or later). If you find an earlier dated
writing you are interested in, see the instructor to express reasons you feel this still would be
timely and appropriate. Suggested sources: Reading Teacher, Social Education, Research and
Education, American Education Research Journal, English Journal, Journal of Curriculum and
Supervision, The National Society for the Study of Education, Education Week, Educational
Leadership, Intervention, Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Problems, etc.) Your gathered
information of 6 articles will add to your body of knowledge toward the practicum.
Each student will submit a 1-2 page paper (in APA format) reviewing the article. The report is
to follow the usual format and contain the following:
A. Author, title of article, title of publication, volume, month, year and number of pages
in the article.
B. Summary discussion of the main ideas or points presented by the author:
methodology, experiment, survey, history, case study, etc., type of data and data
collection, analysis conclusions, primary or secondary sources, etc.
C. A discussion of your reaction (positive/negative) to the author’s point of view or
position and your reasons for your position.
D. Statement as to how this article did or did not influence your thinking in regard to the
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5. selected topic.
E. Attach a copy of the article with your review for the professor.
Each article is to be submitted after each class period.
Report/Chapter Presentation (200 points)
Each student will research and present a designated chapter from the Creswell text, Research
Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Feel free to add as much
outside research to enhance the chapter report as you desire. Material that collaborates or
disputes the chapter is worthy of addition for further discussion. It is worthwhile to see other
views concerning a given topic or process. In presenting, relate the information in your chapter
to your research process for your own topic.
Final Exam (400 points)
The student is to prepare a proposal beginning with an abstract.
You will find a topic of interest (approved by the professor) and research it thoroughly. Decide
whether you will approach it qualitatively or quantitatively. Gather material and data. Put this
into a study format, i.e., review of literature, proposal, hypothesis, findings, and anticipated
results. Identify whether this is historical, descriptive, or experimental research. Create tables
and make sure they stand alone. You cannot use humans in your research without permission
from the subjects and approved by the Institutional Research Board (IRB). This will be
submitted the last class period.
Questions for consideration:
1. What problem are you trying to solve, or what situation are you trying to improve?
2. How will you find whether this is your perception or needs to be done?
3. Is what you are doing measurable and how will you measure it?
4. What has been attempted in this area before?
5. What have similar schools done concerning this situation?
6. How will this improve student learning?
7. What is your timeline?
8. Will this project continue after you are gone?
Section 1: Why you want to do this? What educational benefit will be derived from this?
Section 2: What has been done before in schools concerning this topic?
Section 3: How do you propose doing this and how will you measure the results?
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6. TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS
Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods
Approaches, 3rd Edition. Sage Publications: ISBN 0-7619-2441-6 (pbk.)
Publication Manual: American Psychological Association (APA). 5th Edition, (2001).
Washington DC: ISBN# 1-55798-791-2. You can get this information on line.
Wilmore, Elaine L., Passing the Principal TExES Exam; Keys to certification and School
Leadership, (2003). ISBN0-7619-3986-5. (Required for Educational Administration students
only)
ATTENDANCE POLICY OF GRADUATE PROGRAM
Attendance and punctuality are important aspects of both personal and professional
responsibilities. Graduate students at Concordia University are expected to attend ALL class
sessions. If more than four clock hours of class time is missed (includes accumulated time for
late arrivals and early departures), for any reason, the student will be administratively dropped
from the course and will need to re-take it at a later time.
It is required by this professor that students be wholly present during class time. Use of cell
phones for calls or texting will compromise your attendance grade.
PORTFOLIO PRESENTATION
All graduate students, regardless of specialization, are required to present a
portfolio at the end of their studies, just prior to graduation.
• Students in the Curriculum & Instruction, Advanced Literacy
Instruction, and Early Childhood tracks will present a comprehensive
portfolio, covering the six proficiencies of the M.Ed. program.
• Students in the Educational Administration track will present a
portfolio covering only the principal internship (practicum) experience.
The portfolio development handbooks may be found online here:
http://www.concordia.edu/page.cfm?page_ID=1026
Save ALL your work from each course!
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