Design of Research in Agricultural and Extension education. Development of proposals for thesis research or competitive grants. Critical analyses of research in the field and proposed research.
The purpose of this course is to assist you in developing an understanding of and competence in conducting research. As a researcher (or graduate student ready to begin your thesis research) you should be able to: (1) differentiate well-designed research studies from those which are not; (2) critique research studies on a professional level by analyzing them and identifying strengths and weaknesses; (3) plan and organize your own research study employing acceptable procedures and techniques; (4) present your planned study to a group of colleagues; and (5) revise your proposed study on the basis of input provided by the group. A systematic study and mastery of the fundamental research procedures and a professional attitude toward research is required to achieve these purposes.
The objective of this course is to provide knowledge and skills necessary to conduct research studies in agricultural extension education.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Instructor: Dr. K. S. U. (Jay) Jayaratne
Office: 214 Ricks Hall
Office Phone: (919) 515-6079
Fax: (919) 513-1965
e-mail: jay_jayaratne@ncsu.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday: 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. By Appointment
Thursday: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Mailing Address: 214, Ricks Hall, Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, Box 7607, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7607
Course Web Site: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/agexed/aee579
Any basic textbook on the fundamentals of research in education could be used. However, one textbook has been ordered and stocked in the bookstores as “the textbook” for this course. You are not required to buy this book, but you may find it helpful as you complete the assignments for this course. The recommended text for this course is:
Gall, M. D., Gall, J.P., & Borg, W. R. (2007). Educational research: An introduction (8th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN#: 0-205-48849-8
Several manuals of style are used by graduate students in preparing theses and dissertations. I strongly recommend that you purchase a style manual to use in the preparation of your research proposal. The most commonly used manual in agricultural and extension education research is:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author.
Students are expected to read extensively from research journals and other publications in their area of interest in order to develop the conceptual/theoretical framework for their research proposals.
Exams: There will be one take-home exam:Final Exam will be posted on the course website on December 10. (Exam should be completed on or before December 13)
Students should e-mail each of the completed exams as an attached Word file to the instructor (jay_jayaratne@ncsu.edu) on or before due date. The final exam is designed to test students’ understanding of research methods and their application. The format of the exam will be short answer and essay. The final exam is based on the topics covered during the semester and counts 15% of the course grade.
Assignments: To provide opportunities for application of evaluation skills and methods, students will be completing the following two assignments during the semester.
Research problem description should be limited to double spaced one page and submitted as a Word file. Due on or before September 06, 2007
Final Research Proposal: Students are expected to present their detailed research (thesis/dissertation) proposals to the class and submit an electronic copy to the instructor as a Word file. Students will present research proposals on October 30 and December 06, 2007. The report is due on or before December 06, 2007. In addition to class discussions and assignments, each student will be responsible for providing each member of the class a copy of his/her research proposal at least one week prior to the date on which it will be presented. In addition, each student will be expected to read, analyze, and constructively critique all class proposals.
The following criteria will be used to grade the research proposal:
Total 250 points equal to 50% of the course grade
Class Participation: This is a graduate level course and students are expected to bring their wealth of knowledge into class discussions. All students are encouraged to participate in class discussion and are free to express their points of view. Students are encouraged to express insightful comments and recognize and respect the rights of others. In general, the participation in class discussion should serve to enrich the learning experience for everyone.
Graduate level work should be:
A. Neat - There is no excuse for sloppy work at the graduate level. You can have fantastic ideas and thoughts but if your work is sloppy, colleagues will think your thoughts and ideas are sloppy also. Hundreds of resumes are thrown into the trash every year because they aren't crisp and sharp.
B. Use Proper Grammar - words should be spelled correctly, sentences should be complete, paragraphs should be paragraphs, rules of correct English usage should be followed, etc.
This course is graded using the + and - system. The breakdown of the grading system is as follows:
A+ = 97-100%
A = 93-96%
A- = 90-92%
B+ = 87-89%
B = 84-86%
B- = 80-83%
C+ = 77-79%
C = 74-76%
C- = 70-73%
D+ = 67-69%
D = 64-66%
D- = 60-63%
F = 59%
Assignment of grades is NOT based on a normal (bell) curve.
Students are expected to attend and actively participate in classes. It is important to be present at all class sessions. There are times, however, when missing class is unavoidable. If a student misses class, it is his/her responsibility to get the materials, notes, handouts and assignments from a classmate. Students with excused absences will be allowed to make up assignments or examinations missed. Students should notify the instructor prior to the activity when they are absent due to university related trips, etc. .
You are expected to complete assignments in a reasonable period of time. This prevents students from getting too far behind in the course and allows the instructor to assign grades in a consistent manner. Late assignments will result in a 10% deduction in the grade for the assignment unless the student receives prior approval from the instructor. Exceptions to this policy are allowed only in unusual cases.
The students and faculty of NCSU believe that the willingness of students to affirm and adhere to the essential values of honesty and integrity in all their academic endeavors is exemplified in the Honor Pledge: I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this test or assignment. It is university policy that all students sign the Honor Pledge on tests and assignments for each course as specified by the instructor.
The NCSU faculty is authorized and encouraged to require all students to sign the honor pledge on all academic work. See the following website for a full explanation.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 mandate that the faculty provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. These accommodations are based on the premise that students with disabilities need an equal opportunity to acquire information and demonstrate what they have learned; not have an advantage over others in the class. This does not mean lowering class standards, but it may mean having students learn and express knowledge in a different mode.
All students registered with the NC State Office of Disability Services for Students (DSS) will provide the instructor with an accommodation letter. This letter verifies that appropriate medical documentation is on file and that the student has a substantiated disability requiring effective reasonable accommodations. Accommodations for which the student qualifies will also be included in the letter. If you have not registered with the DSS and have a learning disability, you should register in Suite 1900, Student Health Center.
There are no group field trips or field trip costs associated with this course.
You have complete access to the NCSU library. The URL that explains all the library resources available to you is http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/distance/
Assignment of an Incomplete Grade
Incomplete grades may be assigned if a student is incapable of completing the course requirements prior to the end of the semester due to no fault of their own, i.e. prolonged illness, personal hardship, etc. Students must request an IN grade in writing (e-mail is acceptable) prior to the last day of classes for the semester. The request must state the reason for the student not being able to complete the course requirements and must provide a date by which all assignments will be completed. The instructor will notify the student that the request has been approved or denied. Failure to complete all of the course assignments will not result in an IN grade unless this process is followed.
August 23 Class I
August 30 Class II
September 06 Class III – Research topic description is due
September 13 Class IV
September 20 Class V
September 27 Class VI – Research questions or hypothesis is due
October 04 Class VII
October 11 Fall break
October 18 Class VIII
October 25 Class IX - Thesis/dissertation critique is due
November 01 Class X
November 08 Class XI
November 15 Class XII
November 22 Thanksgiving Holiday
November 29 Class XIII
December 06 Class XIV Term project presentations and reports are due
December 10 Take home final fxam will be posted on the web
December 13 Final exam is due