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Master of Education in Advanced Teaching (M.Ed.)
EDUC 5470 Research in Education
EDUC 5470: Research in Education
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Successful completion of nine (9) courses in the M.Ed. program.
Course Description:
Educational research is a cornerstone of effective pedagogy. In this course, students will explore the complexities of educational research to cultivate critical analysis skills and evaluate the strengths and limitations of research studies. Using real-world educational scenarios, students will examine the significance of applied research in creating effective lesson plans for diverse learner needs and crafting developmentally appropriate curricula aligned with learners' stages of development. Bridging theory and practice, students learn to use research findings to design effective instructional strategies while analyzing ethical. Special emphasis is placed on the ethics of educational research.
Required Textbook and Materials: UoPeople courses use open educational resources (OER) and other materials specifically donated to the University with free permissions for educational use. Therefore, students are not required to purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them. The main required textbooks for this course are listed below and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course's General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.
Software Requirements/Installation: No special requirements.
Learning Objectives and Outcomes:
By the end of this course students will be able to:
- Evaluate the importance of applied research to the classroom setting in order to create an effective learning environment based on the diversity of learners.
- Evaluate the importance of applied research to the classroom setting in order to create and analyze developmentally appropriate curricula
- Analyze the ethics of school-based research in relation to human subject rules and regulations.
- Examine and critique educational research to better understand its issues and complexities.
- Evaluate the importance of applied research to the classroom setting in order to create appropriate lesson plans.
Course Schedule and Topics: This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week.
Unit 1: Introduction to Ethics in School-Based Research
1.1: Summarize the ethical considerations in educational research.
1.2: Analyze ethical guidelines governing school-based research.
Unit 2: Critiquing Educational Research
2.1: Analyze an educational research.
2.2: Identify common issues and complexities in educational research
Unit 3: Applied Research and Lesson Planning
3.1: Assess the role of applied research in informing lesson planning.
3.2: Apply research findings to create effective and engaging lesson plans
Unit 4: Diversity in the Classroom
4.1: Evaluate the role of applied research in supporting diversity and inclusion in the classroom.
4.2: Apply research findings to foster an inclusive learning environment.
Unit 5: Developmentally Appropriate Curricula
5.1: Determine the significance of applied research in curriculum development.
5.2: Analyze and adapt curricula based on developmentally appropriate research.
Unit 6: Developing a research based instructional methodology
6.1: Evaluate the role of research in selecting appropriate teaching methodology.
6.2: Defend suitable methodology to facilitate student achievement.
Unit 7: Integrative Project
7.1: Evaluate the significance of applied research in shaping effective lesson plans for the classroom.
7.2: Create an inclusive and supportive learning environment by integrating strategies that address the diversity of learners.
7.3: Develop and analyze developmentally appropriate curricula that align with educational research principles.
Unit 8: Current Research topics in Educational Contexts
8.1. Identify meaningful research topics relevant to the participant’s educational context.
8. 2: Analyze current educational challenges
Course Requirements:
Discussion Assignments & Response Posts
Some units in this course require that you complete a Discussion Assignment. You are required to develop and post a substantive response to the Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. A substantive response is one that fully answers the question that has been posted by the instructor. In addition, you must extend the discussion by responding to at least two (2) of your peers’ postings in the Discussion Forum. Your discussion posts will be assessed by your instructor. Discussion Forums are only active for each current and relevant learning week, so it is not possible to contribute to the forum once the learning week has come to an end.
Assignment Activities
The assignment activities are graded by your instructor. The grading rubric is listed under the assignment instructions. The grading rubric is a document that outlines the criteria that your instructor will use to grade your work.
Course Forum
The Course Forum is the place to raise issues and questions relating to the course. It is regularly monitored by the instructors and is a good place to meet fellow students taking the same course. While it is not required to participate in the Course Forum, it is highly recommended.
Class Introductions
This section is your opportunity to introduce yourself to your classmates and create a vibrant learning community. By sharing your background, interests, and goals, you can create meaningful connections and discover commonalities with your peers.
Course Policies:
Grading Components and Weights
Each graded component of the course will contribute some percentage to the final grading scale, as indicated here:
| Discussion Assignments (2) | 20% |
| Portfolio Assignments (2) | 20% |
| Assignment Activities (6) | 60% |
| TOTAL |
100% |
Grading Scale
This course will follow the standard 100-point grading scale defined by the University of the People, as indicated here:
| Letter Grade |
Grade Scale | Grade Points |
| A+ | 98-100 | 4.00 |
| A | 93-97 | 4.00 |
| A- | 90-92 | 3.67 |
| B+ | 88-89 | 3.33 |
| B | 83-87 | 3.00 |
| B- | 80-82 | 2.67 |
| C+ | 78-79 | 2.33 |
| C | 73-77 | 2.00 |
| C- | 70-72 | 0.00 |
| D+ | 68-69 | 0.00 |
| D | 63-67 | 0.00 |
| D- | 60-62 | 0.00 |
| F | Under 60 | 0.00 |
| CR | N/A | N/A |
| NC | N/A | N/A |
| NF | N/A | N/A |
| W | N/A | N/A |
Grade Appeal
If you believe that the final grade you received for a course is erroneous, unjust, or unfair, please contact your course instructor. This must be done within seven days of the posted final grade. For more information on this topic, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure in the University Catalog.
Participation
Non-participation is characterized by lack of any assignment submissions, inadequate contributions to the Discussion Forums, and/or lack of peer feedback to Discussion/Written Assignments. Also, please note the following important points about course participation:
- Assignments must be submitted on or before the specified deadline. A course timeline is provided in the course schedule, and the instructor will specify deadlines for each assignment.
- Any student showing non-participation for two weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) is likely to automatically fail the course.
- Occasionally there may be a legitimate reason for submitting an assignment late. Most of the time, late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no make-up assignments.
- All students are obligated to inform their instructor in advance of any known absences which may result in their non-participation.
Academic Honesty and Integrity
When you submit any work that requires research and writing, it is essential to cite and reference all source material. Failure to properly acknowledge your sources is known as “plagiarism” – which is effectively passing off an individual’s words or ideas as your own. University of the People adheres to a strict policy of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in sanctions by the University, including dismissal from the University or course failure. For more information on this topic, please review the Academic Integrity Policy in the University Catalog.
Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several styles and citation formats required for publication in professional and academic journals. Refer to the UoPeople APA Tutorials in the LRC for help with APA citations. For help with using library, kindly refer to UoPeople Library.
Code of Conduct
University of the People expects that students conduct themselves in a respectful, collaborative, and honest manner at all times. Harassment, threatening behavior, or deliberate embarrassment of others will not be permitted. Any conduct that interferes with the quality of the educational experience is not allowed and may result in disciplinary action, such as course failure, probation, suspension, or dismissal. For more information on this topic, please review the Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog.