Description

EEC 600 is a course designed to prepare special education teachers to understand and use research to inform decision making in choosing curriculum and instructional interventions. Additionally, students will learn principles governing single-subject and action research in classroom or small group settings.

Required Materials

American Psychological Association. (2009). Concise rules of APA style. Author: Washington D.C.

Creswell, J. W. (2015). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Huff, D. (1954). How to lie with statistics. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Recommended Materials

American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th Ed.). Washington D.C.: Author.

Course Goals:

1. Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze research articles to determine their relative contribution to scientific and educational practice

2. Describe the importance of controlling threats to internal and external validity in research studies

3. Identify key elements in research studies that support high internal validity.

4. Describe the importance of external validity and the limits of poor external validity on generalization of findings

5. Explain the purpose and limitations of correlational research

6. Describe the difference between parametric and non-parametric tests of statistical significance

7. Recognize and describe elements of experimental group and single-subject research.

8. Explain what is meant by statistical significance and quickly determine whether a researcher reports statistical significance

9. Explain the difference between statistical and practical significance of research studies

10. Describe commonly used tests of statistical significance and match the test with the correct ways of reporting statistical significance

11. Describe the purpose and characteristics of experimental and applied research

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12. Use APA Style appropriately to communicate ideas in writing

13. Effectively use the specialized vocabulary of research

14. Interpret basic descriptive and inferential statistics

15. Identify major sections and purposes of a research report

16. Discuss substantive issues and methodological considerations for conducting and using research in special education