FIELD NOTE ACTIVITY	CONTENT ANALYSIS ACTIVITY	Participant Observation ACTIVITY	COUNTING ACTIVITY
ASSIGNMENTS # 1	ASSIGNMENT # 2		EXTRA CREDIT

Participant Observation Activity: In class explanation

Counting Activity (Extra-Credit):

Conduct a 1-2 page Content Analysis of THREE Newspapers/Broadcasts, preferably from the same time period (within the same week or two). Only one newspaper may be from the U.S. and/or Canada. The remaining newspapers may be any combination of the following:

English language foreign newspapers (Japan Times, Jerusalem Post etc.)

Foreign language foreign newspapers (i.e. not published in the U.S.)

International newspapers from the INTERNET

International news programs on TV

You may choose anything found within the newspapers upon which to focus your Content Analysis, i.e., format, lead story, content story, layout, advertisement. Your Content Analysis can be qualitative, quantitative or a combination of both. Come prepared to discuss your analysis. Your Content Analysis should discuss, in particular, the following:

Your Content Analysis should discuss, in particular, the following:

1) ANALYSIS EMPHASIS - Describe if content analysis is quantitative or qualitative and why

2) MICRO ANALYSIS: How do different sources portray data

3) MACRO ANALYSIS: Does that data reveal the way in which news is interpreted?

4) Use Critical Evaluation to support your answers

Choose something that you can code - i.e. something quantifiable. Conduct a Coding Analysis.

1) Count something at a chosen site

2) Frame and focus your coding - Comment on the role appropriate to the task

3) Define your codes (behavioral, physical, etc.)

4) Decide on time or event sampling - and explain why

5) State briefly what was coded and the results of the coding

6) Include field notes, graphs, diagrams etc.

The research proposal that you design in the ELPS 600 class contains two parts:

REVIEW OF LITERATURE (See: Research Plan parts 1, 2, 3) 50 Points

Your Review of Literature can be re-submitted for revision

PROPOSAL PLAN (See: Research Plan parts 4 and 5) 40 Points

ALL PROPOSED PROJECTS MUST

1) Relate to an Educational Problem or Challenge

2) Be conducted (during ELPS 688) at your school / district site but must go beyond 1 individual classroom to the level of the whole school or particular grade levels, departments, programs, or populations within the school or district

3) Demonstrates leadership capabilities: a) has potential to result in improved student

achievement and b) involves a variety of leadership skills/tasks

4) Include Action Research Cycles of Inquiry, Investigation, Action and Reflection

5) Involve original work based upon the various elements of research presented during

the course. This means must include collection of NEW data, not just analyzing pre-existing data.

6) The PLAN must support 10-15 hours of data collection/analysis that will be done during ELPS 688: Fieldwork

No late papers will be accepted. Students choose any theme (preferably one that is similar to your thesis or to your academic interests). This involves original work based upon the various elements of research presented during the course. This project is due in two parts.

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE:

REVIEW OF LITERATURE: 50 POINTS. 3-4 pages, including references. Due on OCT. 22. Details can be found in the Research Plan Guide Parts 1, 2, 3 of Research Plan. Review 10 articles (5 need to be scholarly/peer reviewed articles) to provide necessary support and foundation for your research design.

TASK Research Plan Section POINTS: 50

Define Terms that are unique to your topic and use Class Research Terms 1

Introduction. Includes 3 elements:

a) Define Problem/Theme/ Topic; b) Research Rationale & Need; c) Limitations Section 1

10

List your Research Questions OR Hypothesis Section 2 2

Do a Content Review of Articles & Relate Articles to your own Proposed Project Section 3 11

Do a Theory Review of Articles & Relate Articles to your own Proposed Project Section 3 11

Do a Methods Review of Article & Relate Articles to your own Proposed Project Section 3 11

Critical Analysis Throughout 4

A REVISED VERSION CAN BE SUBMITTED IN YOUR FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT

RESEARCH PROPOSAL PLAN: 3-5 pages

TASK Items found in Research Plan POINTS: 40

Introduction & Research Questions Update from Lit Review 2

Use of Class Research Terms Throughout Proposal 7

Desgn: Describe Setting & Population (participants) Section 4 8

Data Collection: Describe in detail what research method(s) that you plan to use to get your data; Section 5 5

Data Collection: Describe in detail how you will analyze your data Section 5 5

Describe how you will ensure Validity and Reliability Section 5 3

Describe your Role as a Researcher (Ethics) Section 5 4

Describe the Preliminary Findings from your Interviews, Observations and other class projects 2

Describe Implications for Action & Future Research Section 5 4

WRITE-UP: 2-4 pages: 50 points

TASK: Identify 4 people. At least one person should be someone that you do NOT KNOW! 1) Develop a set of 10 questions related to a specific educational theme. Use the same set of questions for EACH person. Conduct an in-person Interview with each person.

NOTE: The theme for the Interview Assignment should be similar to that of your Research Proposal.

A) The interview assignment should provide information to help you design your research proposal

B) The interview assignment IS NOT your Action Project, but can be a pilot for your eventual project.

NOTE: YOUR INTERVIEW IS NOT YOUR PROPOSAL. THIS IS A TOTALLY SEPARATE ASSIGNMENT

Define your research theme AND Define your hypothesis or research questions 8 points

Define your research design and provide rationale for all decisions - (the type of interview that you conducted). Be specific and use class terms 10 points

Define why you choose your questions, and indicate where, if any, revisions occurred 7 points

Describe why you choose the people you interviewed, how they came to participate in the project, and how they relate to your research hypothesis/question 7 points

Describe each interview (where were the interviews conducted, how long were the interviews, what was the environment like; etc.) 7 points

Describe the note-taking and review (coding) process 7 points

Analyze the data received from your interviews. Did the interviews answer you original or revised hypothesis/questions, cause to revise them, or refuted them? 4 points

RESEARCH PROPOSAL: 6-10 pages, including references

Students choose any theme to develop an action research project at your school/district. This is a project that spans 2 semesters:

1) During semester # 1 (the semester you take ELPS 600): you PLAN your own action research project and write up your plan as your Action Research Proposal

2) During semester # 2 (the semester you take ELPS 688): you do the actual data

collection and analysis that you outlined in your Action Research Proposal. This then becomes your Action Research Leadership Project with your findings and reflections included in your ELPS 688 Fieldwork Portfolio.

NOTE: In 600 you are PLANNING your MAJOR PROJECT that is required in ELPS 688: Fieldwork in Educational Administration.

I.E. : What you PLAN in ELPS 600 you COMPLETE in ELPS 688.

Common Categories of Action Research Proposals (planned during ELPS 600)

Assessing implementation/effectiveness/impact of a program, intervention, or PD

Analyzing impact of a policy or reform as part of organizational review

Systematic inquiry into perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, experiences of key stakeholders on a problem

Tracing/documenting steps in a complex process to find patterns/meaning, assess needs

Examining people's behavior, interactions, activities, roles in formal or informal settings in or around the school to better address a problem

Understanding root causes of a problem, challenging assumptions/conventional wisdom about education

MOST APPROPRIATE RESEARCH METHODS FOR NOVICE RESEARCHERS

QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION:

interviews, focus groups, open-ended observations, examination of student work, review of documents/records

QUANTITATIVE DATA COLLECTION:

surveys, observation rating sheets/checklists, examination of trends in assessment data

Note: Qualitative studies or mixed methods studies that combine qualitative methods with survey are encouraged. Due to insufficient training in statistics, most quantitative study designs are not appropriate for this course, including pretest-posttest designs, experimental/quasi-experimental designs, and correlational studies. All data collected for this project should be considered preliminary or exploratory, rather than conclusive. It is understood that students may end up collecting actual data somewhat differently during ELPS 688 (Fieldwork) than they originally planned in the research proposal (ELPS 600) due to changing circumstances.

Common Categories of Leadership Projects (aka Major Projects done during ELPS 688)

Assess need for/plan/implement intervention (new to site or target group) or new teaching methods

Assess need for/plan/implement improvements on existing school program

Assess need for/plan/implement PD (intensive or series) or professional conference

Assess need for/plan/implement structural change (scheduling, course placement, etc.)

Assess need for/plan/implement two-way communication with diverse stakeholder groups (e.g., family or community outreach/program) or other forms of local collaboration

Assess need for/plan/implement behavior management/discipline program

Creating report for program review/evaluation, writing major grant linked to student achievement, etc.

Possible Leadership Skills/Strategies Practiced in Project

Needs assessment

Visioning, goal setting, motivating others

Assembling committees, task forces, action teams

Facilitating planning process

Collaborative problem solving

Seeking input from and collaborating with key stakeholders

Seeking, allocating resources

Seeking, assigning, training, monitoring personnel

Creating/refining procedures and systems

Monitoring implementation

Data analysis and presentation

Evaluation

See Research Plan for details.

Choose one of the two options for your single occurrence observation. Turn in

a) Plan of what you will observe and how you plan to observe it (include how you will take your notes)

b) Raw Field Notes (include in-site analysis - if possible)

c) Description of what you observed

d) Analysis and Questions for further study.

e) Personal reactions to the observation experience

# 1 - Participate and observe (with permission) in a group activity that you have no prior associations with. This could be campus club or a community group, etc. Focus can be on anything pertaining to instruction and learning. What is your role as a researcher? How much do you share with those you are observing? How do you introduce yourself?

# 2 - Write notes about an intimate experience with family or friends in which you participate and observe. This could be a birthday party, an evening out with the family or close friends, etc. When is it best to write notes? How does one draw boundaries between what is observed and what is known and what is written and shared??? Is it easier to observe those you know well or not?