Degree Offered
- Doctor of Philosophy
Nature of the Program
The Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice meets the interests and professional needs of individuals interested in researching and contributing solutions toward practical and theoretical problems in teaching and learning (across various subjects, in- and out-of-school contexts, and ages/grades); teacher education and development (across various subjects and professional levels); and societal, cultural, and critical studies in education. The program serves as a source of preparation for careers as university faculty, teacher educators, education researchers, policy analysts, and in public, private and non-profit educational organizations.
Program coursework provides opportunities to examine theoretical, philosophical, historical, and critical foundations of education research and practice. Students will also benefit from a core of courses focused on research methodologies and mentoring by graduate faculty around research and teaching activities. Coursework and programmatic experiences leverage the wide-ranging expertise of our program's faculty and intersect with our programmatic commitments to diversity, inclusion, and social justice in education and in communities. Through their work with program faculty, students can further specialize their experience in areas such as: teacher education, education policy, multicultural education, critical theories and pedagogies, mathematics education, science education, English education, social studies education, language/literacy studies, and early childhood education.
Admissions
Admission into the Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice program is based on the academic strength of the applicant as well as the fit of the applicant’s goals and interests with the program and its faculty. As such, applicants are strongly encouraged to research the nature of the program and the expertise of faculty within the program prior to submitting their applications and to clearly demonstrate in their application the opportunities for connections. Students are selected based on the overall strength of their application, with these considerations in mind.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until March 1 for Fall admission. Files received by December 15 will receive priority consideration for funding opportunities (i.e., graduate assistantships, University fellowships). Applicants to the Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice program must comply with the WVU requirements for admission to graduate studies and the requirements of the College of Applied Human Sciences. Admission is contingent on an assessment of complete official transcripts, including all higher education work attempted, and other evidence the faculty may deem necessary in order to judge students' prospective success within the graduate program.
In addition to the minimum required application materials from the University (e.g., transcripts, English proficiency scores for International applicants), applications to the Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice must consist of the following materials:
- Statement of Goals and Purpose: All applicants should submit a statement related to their professional and research goals and their interest in this specific program. The statement should be no more than three pages (single-spaced). This statement should be well written, should clearly specify the applicant’s goals and scholarly interests, and should articulate the connections between those interests and the ongoing work and expertise of the program's faculty. While this is not an expectation that applicants have their research or dissertation foci finalized, the statement should highlight general questions and issues in education that interest the applicant as well as the applicant's motivations for pursuing those questions and a doctoral program. Statements should also include the explicit identification of 2-3 faculty members who might serve as scholarly mentors. To support this, it is recommended that candidates reach out to faculty members whose interests seem to align and discuss their specific career and research goals with them before crafting this statement.
- Curriculum vita/resume: Applicants must provide a history of their academic and professional experience in a vita, serving as evidence that the applicant has appropriate experiences to be able to meet the goals and expectations of the program.
- Academic Writing Sample: Applicants must also provide a writing sample (e.g., thesis, submitted or published article, graduate course essay) demonstrating their academic writing abilities, their academic interests, as well as their ability to engage in research and/or scholarship.
- Three (3) letters of recommendation: Applicants must provide three letters of recommendation that explicitly address the applicant’s potential as a doctoral student. Letter writers should be familiar with the applicant’s academic performance and potential for success in the Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice program, therefore it is recommended that at least two of the writers be professors.
Note that, as of the start of the 2020-2021 academic year, the Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Practice is a "GRE optional" program, meaning that GRE scores are not required for application or admission, though applicants may still choose to submit GRE or other exam scores as part of the application.
Applications will be reviewed by a committee of program faculty. Applicants may be asked to also participate in an interview to seek additional information as part of the admissions decision. All individuals accepted into the program will receive information about their assigned adviser and guidance on the development of a personalized program of study. Admitted students will also receive information on funding opportunities and other support.
Major Code: 5538
Doctor of Philosophy
Major Requirements
| A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for all coursework applied toward the major requirements. | ||
| Educational Theory and Practice Program Core | ||
| SCFD 620 | Philosophy of Education | 3 |
| C&I 706 | Theories and Practices of Learning | 3 |
| SCFD 610 | Foundations of Education | 3 |
| C&I 707 | Theories, Models and Research of Teaching | 3 |
| Research Core | ||
| SCFD 781 | Nature of Inquiry 1 | 1 |
| SCFD 782 | Nature of Inquiry 2 | 1 |
| SCFD 783 | Nature of Inquiry 3 | 1 |
| SCFD 605 | Education Research Literacy | 3 |
| SCFD 615 | Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| SCFD 715 | Advanced Qualitative Research | 3 |
| Advanced Research Methods Electives * | 6 | |
| Research & Teaching Practicum | ||
| C&I 790 | Teaching Practicum | 3 |
| C&I 797 | Research | 15 |
| Specialization Track | 12 | |
| Individualized Plan and specific coursework to be developed with advisor and committee | ||
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- *
Advanced Research Methods Electives must be chosen and approved in consultation with the Graduate Advisor/Program Committee.
Satisfactory Progress Review: In addition to the program’s main benchmarks—program of study (including minimum GPA requirements), comprehensive exams, admission to candidacy, dissertation prospectus, and dissertation defense—students will be reviewed annually (each spring) by their adviser according to the program objectives. This review will confirm students’ maintenance of satisfactory academic progress as well as development toward the program objectives. If a student is not deemed to be making satisfactory academic progress and/or fails to meet programmatic benchmarks, the adviser and committee with generate an agreement that outlines the conditions of the student’s continued enrollment in the program. Failure to meet those expectations in the time specified in the agreement will result in the dismissal of the student from the program.
Program of Study: Students, guided by the faculty adviser, will construct a program committee and articulate and approve an initial program of study by the end of their first year. This program will be modified as needed based on student’s trajectory and available course offerings. Students may apply up to 18 hours of prior coursework at the graduate level; however the coursework needs to have been completed within 10 years prior to the program of study meeting. Acceptance of prior work toward program requirements will be based upon approval of the student’s advisor in consultation with the doctoral committee. The advisor and/or chair will approve other graduate work only if it is consistent in quality, rigor, and purpose with the coursework provided in the current program.
Residency Requirement: Students are expected to complete at least two consecutive terms (fall, spring, and/or summer) of full-time residency (nine or more credits per term).
Written Comprehensive Exam and Candidacy: At the completion of the program’s core courses, students will take a written comprehensive exam. Comprehensive exams will be administered by and evaluated by the student’s program committee. Students who do not pass their comprehensive exams will be given the opportunity to revise their responses and/or retake the exam in the following semester. Students who are unable to pass their comprehensive exams after a second attempt will be dismissed from the program. After a student passes their comprehensive exams and completes their program of study (excluding dissertation credits), the student completes and submits the CEHS Doctoral Admission to Candidacy form. Note that, once admitted to candidacy, the student has five years to defend their dissertation and graduate and must register for at least one credit in each fall and spring semester as a condition of their continued candidacy.
Dissertation Prospectus: After admission to candidacy, students need to finalize their doctoral committee, consisting of four members, selected according to university and college requirements and based upon the degree to which they help support the research focus and the line of inquiry of the student’s dissertation. The dissertation prospectus is the student’s proposal concerning a means of investigating a research problem. It is a major step toward completion of the dissertation, which is an original contribution to one’s field of study. The prospectus should clearly indicate why the study is of value in the student’s field of study and should defend the theoretical basis of the study as well as the analytic decisions and methods for successful completion of a high-quality dissertation. Upon completion, each committee member must receive a copy of the prospectus at least two weeks prior to a scheduled prospectus meeting. The prospectus defense is closed to the public. At the prospectus defense the doctoral committee can either approve or fail to approve the prospectus, or recommend revisions. Failure to approve the prospectus must be accompanied by a plan that outlines the conditions of the student’s continued enrollment in the program.
Dissertation and Dissertation Defense: Following the approval of the prospectus, the students must receive Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval before initiating their research activities. After completing the research and writing and finalizing all of the dissertation chapters, the student may schedule the final dissertation defense with their committee. At least three weeks prior to the scheduled defense date, a “request for shuttle sheet” must be received by Allen Hall 806F. Once approved, the dissertation defense will be advertised to the public. The committee must receive the final document at least three weeks prior to the defense date, and all members must be present for the final defense. The dissertation defense is open to the public. Students that successfully defend their dissertation will be recommended for graduation. The final approved dissertation document must be submitted electronically to WVU ETD by the semester deadline published by the university.
Major Learning Outcomes
Educational Theory and Practice
Objective 1: Students will understand and interpret scholarship on theory, policy, and practice in the fields of teaching and learning, teacher education and development, and/or critical studies in education as the basis for growth over a professional career.
Objective 2: Students will critically evaluate scholarship, policy, and practice in order to promote equity, access, and social justice in educational settings.
Objective 3: Students will plan for, conduct, and report on original research that advances the fields of teaching and learning, teacher education and development, and/or critical studies in education.
Objective 4: Students will demonstrate skills as educators—including designing, implementing, evaluating, and revising educational experiences—as part of preparation for academic careers.
Curriculum and Instruction Courses
C&I 501. Essential Topics for Teaching. 3 Hours.
This course provides an initial exposure for undergraduate and graduate students to themes in education to foster appreciation of the classroom experience by empowering teachers to be classroom leaders.
C&I 525. Middle School Number/Algebra Teaching 2. 1 Hour.
PR or CONC: MATH 525. Continuation of C&I 524. Issues involved with sets of numbers as examples of algebraic systems, properties of groups, rings, and fields. Properties of polynomials and polynomial rings. Mathematical modeling with finite differences and least squares.
C&I 528. Middle School Function/Change Teaching 1. 1 Hour.
PR or CONC: MATH 528. Teaching and Learning function concept operations on functions, limits, continuity, Intermediate Value Theorem, families of curves, optimization and area. Classroom applications, current research in learning. Applications in model curricula.
C&I 529. Middle School Functions/Change Teaching 2. 1 Hour.
PR or CONC: MATH 529. Continuation of C&I 528. Teaching and learning function concept, operations on functions, limits, continuity, Intermediate Value Theorem, families of curves, optimization, and area. Classroom applications, current research in learning. Applications in model curricula.
C&I 530. Mathematics in the Elementary School. 3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Addresses current issues and trends in elementary mathematics education. Designed for the practicing elementary teacher.
C&I 533. Corrective Techniques in Mathematics Education. 3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Materials and methods used in diagnosis and remediation of learning difficulties in mathematics.
C&I 581. Independent Research in Curriculum Studies. 1-6 Hours.
Faculty-supervised study of topics not available through regular course offerings.
C&I 584. Student Teaching: Elementary-Early Childhood. 2-12 Hours.
PR: For elementary and early childhood undergraduates who meet eligibility requirements and other guidelines. (Applicable to preschool, nursery, day care, child care, kindergarten, primary grade, or elementary school.).
C&I 585. Student Teaching: Secondary Education. 2-12 Hours.
PR: Students enrolled in secondary education undergraduate programs who meet eligibility requirements and other guidelines.
C&I 587. Advanced Clinical Experience. 1-6 Hours.
PR: Consent. Clinical experience in teaching-learning situations at any level.
C&I 588. Professional Field Experience. 2 Hours.
Students are placed in classroom settings where they are required to observe classroom teachers and engage in instructional and non-instructional programming.
C&I 591. Advanced Topics. 1-6 Hours.
PR: Consent. Investigation of advanced topics not covered in regularly scheduled courses.
C&I 592. Directed Study. 1-6 Hours.
Directed Study, reading, and/or research.
C&I 593. Special Topics. 1-6 Hours.
A study of contemporary topics selected from recent developments in the field.
C&I 594. Seminar. 1-6 Hours.
Special seminars arranged for advanced graduate students.
C&I 600. United States Education for International Students. 3 Hours.
PR: International students with graduate status and developing oral and written English skills. To assist international students in understanding the U.S. system of education. Included: dominant U.S. values related to education, structure of U.S. education at all levels, models and strategies, field trips, and international comparisons.
C&I 601. The Elementary-School Curriculum. 3 Hours.
PR: 20 hours of undergraduate credit in elementary education, or consent. Analysis of curriculum designs in elementary education with emphasis on methods and techniques of development.
C&I 602. Curriculum and Teaching Principles. 3 Hours.
This course will give the student a basic foundation in the principles, development, and design of curriculum and teaching models.
C&I 603. Counselors & Classrooms. 3 Hours.
Bridging theory and practice, this course helps P-12 school counselors create effective learning environments for all students specifically during their classroom-based lessons.
C&I 604. School Curriculum. 3 Hours.
PR: Teaching experience or consent. Emphasizes socioeconomic and cultural influences on curriculum; principles of curriculum development; curriculum building in various teaching fields; and techniques of experimentation and evaluation.
C&I 605. Twenty-First Century Teaching and Learning. 3 Hours.
Interdisciplinary content if a 3 credit hour course. This course examines new and emerging technologies as they relate to classroom integration and pedagogy.
C&I 606. Curriculum for Middle Childhood. 3 Hours.
Survey course which includes: historical, social, and cultural influences on the curriculum; the learner characteristics; curriculum and instructional organization and their relationship to facilities available; and evaluation and implementation of middle childhood curriculum.
C&I 608. Introduction to Alternative Learning Environments. 3 Hours.
This course will provide opportunities for educators to explore and analyze the trends and issues in alternative learning environments in public education.
C&I 609. Experiences in Alternative Learning Environments. 6 Hours.
PR: C&I 608 and SCFD 620 and consent. This course helps teachers to learn and practice skills that are needed to be an effective teacher in an alternative teaching environment. (Alternate years.).
C&I 612. Early Childhood Curriculum. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 410 and C&I 411 or consent. Curriculum development for early childhood education Pre-K to 4th grade, including social, creative, cognitive, physical, and academic goals. Societal, historical, and theoretical influences on early childhood curriculum are examined.
C&I 614. Early Childhood Instruction. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 410 and C&I 411 or consent. Design of instruction for continuous improvement toward mastery of curriculum goals for early childhood education Pre-K to 4th grade.
C&I 615. Issues in Holocaust Education. 3 Hours.
Course examines important issues related to the Holocaust, and their implications for inclusion in curriculum. It examines instructional procedures helpful to youth in trying to comprehend the Holocaust's meaning for living in the 21st century.
C&I 616. Early Childhood Program Development and Evaluation. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 410 and C&I 411 or consent. Development, administration, and evaluation of facilities, programs, and support systems for early childhood education Pre-K to 4th grade. Includes a focus on family connections and support systems related to early childhood classrooms.
C&I 617. Language Arts in Early Childhood. 3 Hours.
Designing instruction for an integrated development of writing, reading, speaking and listening with an emphasis on literacy acquisition in early childhood education pre-K to 4th grade.
C&I 618. Storytelling in Early Childhood. 3 Hours.
This course will assist students in telling, reading, and creating stories for children. Techniques, methods, and research effective in the art of storytelling will be examined and applied as they relate to total child development.
C&I 623. Contemporary Issues in English Education. 3 Hours.
PR: Graduate standing. Provides the student with a knowledge of several contemporary issues in English teaching which have immediate and long-range ramifications for secondary-school English instruction. (1 hr. lec., 2 hr. sem.).
C&I 624. Advanced Methods in English Education. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 602 and EDP 600 and Graduate standing. (For classroom teachers of English.) Analysis of recent trends and innovations in methodology. Readings and discussions will lead to the development of instructional strategies and units for secondary English classrooms. (1 hr. lec., 1 hr. lab., 1 hr. sem.).
C&I 625. Leadership Field Experiences and Clinical Practice. 3 Hours.
Students engage in a sequence of field experiences and clinical practice. Activities emphasize school-based leadership focused experiences. Participants interview educational stakeholders and develop a data focused understanding of school improvement foci and efforts. Participants also develop, implement, and report on an inquiry project focused on the planning, enactment, and analytical reflection of an implemented professional development experience.
C&I 630. Problem Solving in Math. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 602 and EDP 600. A capstone course designed to further develop student's conceptual understanding of mathematics.
C&I 631. Mathematics in the Elementary School. 3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Addresses current issues and trends in elementary mathematics education. Designed for the practicing elementary teacher.
C&I 632. Research in Math Curriculum and Technology. 3 Hours.
This graduate level course is designed to focus on research and trends associated with applications of technology and curriculum in mathematics settings. Class topics will span curriculum, technology, and assessment in math education.
C&I 633. Mathematics in the Junior High School and Middle School. 3 Hours.
A methods course designed to teach selected topics including lesson planning, developing appropriate teaching/learning methods, and evaluations from middle school mathematics.
C&I 634. Mathematics in the Secondary School. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 602 and EDP 600 and Consent. Patterns of mathematics curriculum in the secondary school; practices in teaching mathematics; preparation, selection and use of instructional materials. Designed for the practicing secondary mathematics teacher.
C&I 635. Selecting, Designing, and Using Mathematical Tasks in K-6. 2 Hours.
PR: Consent. This is the first of four mathematics pedagogy courses in the elementary mathematics specialist endorsement program. Topics include identifying the cognitive demand of tasks, identifying influences of cognitive demand on student learning, instructional moves that maintain cognitive demand of tasks, and strategies for adapting tasks to increase cognitive demand. Tasks examined will cover a range of K-6 mathematics.
C&I 636. Learning Trajectories in Elementary Mathematics. 2 Hours.
PR: C&I 635. This is the second of four mathematics pedagogy courses designed for students pursuing the elementary mathematics specialist endorsement. This course examines research-based descriptions of learning trajectories for how children's thinking and understanding develop for specific mathematical content. Learning trajectories studied include those for quantity, counting, computation, and shape. Students will examine effective use of learning trajectories in instruction.
C&I 637. Classroom Practices for Effective Learning Environments in Elementary Mathematics. 2 Hours.
PR: C&I 636. This is the third of four mathematics pedagogy courses designed for students pursuing the elementary mathematics specialist endorsement. Students will examine strategies for developing a classroom environment that supports all students in learning mathematics. Emphasis will be placed on understanding teaching practices and pedagogical strategies identified in mathematics education research literature as being effective in supporting student learning.
C&I 638. Planning, Implementing, and Assessing Mathematics Instruction. 2 Hours.
PR: C&I 637. This is the fourth of four mathematics pedagogy courses designed for students pursuing the elementary mathematics specialist endorsement. This course provides opportunities for students to plan, implement, assess, and reflect upon their own mathematics instruction, drawing upon knowledge, skills, and practices developed in the prerequisite courses of the elementary mathematics specialist endorsement sequence.
C&I 639. Science Research and Technology Ethics. 3 Hours.
PR: Graduate Standing. Students learn basic concepts of responsible research conduct, public communication and teaching research ethics by way of on-line discussions, and peer-review of case-solutions/reasoning and application projects.
C&I 640. Science in the Elementary School. 3 Hours.
PR: 20 hours of undergraduate credit in elementary education or consent. Analysis of methods, curriculum patterns, and trends in elementary school science. Understanding and development of scientific attitudes appropriate at the elementary-school level.
C&I 643. Brain-Based Teaching and Learning. 3 Hours.
This course provides an integrative, interactive, and collaborative introduction to the emerging interdisciplinary field of brain-based teaching and learning. Through synchronous and asynchronous classroom discussions and applied exercises, students will draw on knowledge from neuroscience, cognitive psychology, biology, and education to explore the theoretical foundations, methods, and applications of teaching and learning from a brain-based perspective.
C&I 644. Science in the Secondary School. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 602 and EDP 600 or appropriate professional experience. Nature and function of science in secondary schools supported by current research and development; includes analysis of structure and practice of science curriculum and instruction issues.
C&I 645. Global Climate Change. 3 Hours.
A graduate-level web-based course that presents the scientific evidence related to global climate change and the implications for science, technology and society.
C&I 646. Science: Native American Views. 3 Hours.
This course examines the science and non-scientific views in areas of health and healing, environment, and technological applications in traditional Native American and Western cultures.
C&I 647. Science and Mathematics Applications for Nutrition and Energy Content. 3 Hours.
This course is designed for teachers (4-12) of science or math. The course integrates nutrition and physical activity content applicable to students' lives.
C&I 648. Science/Technology: Society Perspectives. 3 Hours.
Course provides students with an understanding of the characteristic relationships between science, technology, and society. Course examines impacts of these relationships on social and natural communities.
C&I 649. History/Philosophy of Science. 3 Hours.
Examines the nature of science and how social forces have interacted with the process of science to promote the dynamic development of the current body of scientific knowledge.
C&I 650. Social Studies in the Elementary School. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 602 and EDP 600 or consent. Comprehensive consideration of objectives, content, methods, including unit procedures; materials including objects, models, exhibits, and museum items, as well as textbooks, collateral reading, maps, and graphs; means of evaluating social growth and development.
C&I 654. Social Studies in the Secondary School. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 602 and EDP 600 or consent. Nature and function of social studies in the secondary school; utilization of community, state, national, and world resources in teaching; selection of content for teaching purposes; curriculum construction with emphasis on resource and teaching units.
C&I 656. Challenges in Teaching History. 3 Hours.
This course will provide an initial exposure for pre-service social studies teachers to address the challenge of teaching controversial public issues of recent history.
C&I 657. Principles of Economic Education. 3 Hours.
Workshop for principals, teachers, and supervisors with emphasis on the economic structure of our society and methods of integrating economics into the school program. (Sponsored jointly by College of Human Resources and Education and College of Business and Economics.).
C&I 660. Games, Learning, & Design. 3 Hours.
Play, gaming, and design are explored as they relate to constructionist views of learning, common in makerspaces, formal and informal learning environments, and project-based learning environments. Students will engage in an iterative design process as part of a team, while considering the pedagogical implications of integrating play and design into K-12 learning environments.
C&I 661. Computational Literacy and Coding for Learning. 3 Hours.
Students will engage in research- and project-based learning activities as well as online discussions to learn about computer science in ways that supports meaningful learning in both formal (K-12 classrooms, professional development) and informal (DIY communities, afterschool, camp, Makerspaces) learning environments.
C&I 662. Principles and Practices for Connected Learning. 3 Hours.
This course is designed as a collaborative exploration of the changing nature of teaching and learning in the digital and connected world. Students will consider how to transform existing classrooms and curriculum to support Connected Learning.
C&I 663. Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship. 3 Hours.
Design K-12 curriculum materials to support media literacy and digital citizenship.
C&I 670. Practitioner Inquiry. 3 Hours.
PR: Departmental approval. Engaging in inquiry enables students to explore the underlying assumptions, biases, values, and ideologies inherent in their curricula and pedagogies and the policies and practices of their contexts. In this course, students design and conduct studies and cultivate the tools and habits of mind necessary for transforming the ways we do school and improving the life chances of all students.
C&I 671. Assessing the Impact of Computer-Based Learning. 3 Hours.
Survey of the current findings in computer-based learning; couples statistical features and design scenarios.
C&I 672. Professional Learning Communities: Creating Spaces for Collaboration, Coaching, and Praxis. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 670. This course introduces students to strategies for developing and engaging in professional learning communities and learning to teach through studying teaching. Students explore the philosophical/research-based foundations and practices of student-centered coaching; engage in analyzing children’s thinking and work/performances, explore connections between their current practice and student thinking/performance; and plan for and engage in a coaching cycle that addresses student needs.
C&I 673. Teacher Leadership: Transforming Identities, Contexts, and Practices. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 670 and C&I 672. This course focuses on understanding the current scholarship of the leadership roles teacher leaders pursue (e.g., teacher as exemplary practitioner, curriculum decision-maker, researcher, change agent, facilitator of job-embedded professional development) as they facilitate teacher learning and school renewal. Students also identify and create possible action plans for the reform and transformation of the sacred stories of their place(s).
C&I 677. Children's Television: Problems and Potentials. 4 Hours.
PR: Consent. Provides parents and teachers with strategies for monitoring, evaluating, and directing television viewing habits of youth; pertinent research studies, school and community action programs, and home and school education programs are discussed and practiced.
C&I 680. Technology Integration Through Capstone Experience. 3 Hours.
Capstone for elementary and secondary education programs.
C&I 681. Independent Research in Curriculum and Instruction. 1-6 Hours.
Faculty supervised study of topics not available through regular course offerings.
C&I 685. Supervision of Student Teachers. 3 Hours.
PR: Consent. For persons working or intending to work with education students in field experiences. Course focuses on the development and application of supervisory skills in effective guidance of student teachers and education students.
C&I 686. Teaching Strategies for Middle Childhood. 3 Hours.
Surveys instructional strategies appropriate for facilitating preadolescent learning. Includes the role of the teacher and how the teacher uses resources within and outside the classroom as they relate to instruction of the learner, age 10-14 years.
C&I 687. Advanced Teaching Strategies. 3 Hours.
PR: Graduate standing. Deals with methods as one critical variable in teaching. Examines ways and means to describe, plan the use of, implement, and evaluate teaching methods. Analysis and implementation of teaching methods and component skills of teaching.
C&I 688. Classroom Organization and Management. 3 Hours.
Discusses research identifying components of classroom organization and environment which influence learning; reviews teacher behaviors and learning activities which research indicates lead to more effective teaching. Stresses implementation strategies relevant to classroom settings.
C&I 689. Cultural Diversity in the Classroom. 3 Hours.
PR: Graduate standing or consent. Provides opportunities for educators to increase awareness of their own ethnic backgrounds, foster understandings of the inter-active effects of gender, race, ethnicity and socio-economic status, and develop appropriate teaching materials and methods.
C&I 691. Advanced Topics. 1-6 Hours.
PR: Consent. Investigation of advanced topics not covered in regularly scheduled courses.
C&I 692. Directed Study. 1-6 Hours.
Directed study, reading, and/or research.
C&I 693. Special Topics. 1-6 Hours.
A study of contemporary topics selected from recent developments in the field.
C&I 694. Seminar. 1-6 Hours.
Special seminars arranged for advanced graduate students.
C&I 695. Independent Study. 1-9 Hours.
Faculty supervised study of topics not available through regular course offerings.
C&I 696. Graduate Seminar. 1-3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Each graduate student will present at least one seminar to the assembled faculty and graduate student body of his or her program.
C&I 697. Research. 1-9 Hours.
PR: Consent. Research activities leading to thesis, problem report, research paper or equivalent scholarly project, or a dissertation. (Grading may be S/U.).
C&I 701. Curriculum Development. 3 Hours.
PR: Consent. The study of the concepts underlying school curriculum.
C&I 707. Theories, Models and Research of Teaching. 3 Hours.
PR: SCFD 620 or consent. The theories behind selected models of teaching as well as research in teaching and best practices.
C&I 708. Contemporary Determinants of Curriculum. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 701 and SCFD 640 or consent. Contemporary determinants of curriculum development.
C&I 709. Curriculum Theories. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 708 or consent. Theories underlying curriculum from the past to the present and projected to the future.
C&I 710. Advanced Supervision. 3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Exploring theories, research, and practices of pre-service and in-service instructional supervision in the classrooms of novice and mature teachers. (Also listed as EDLS 701).
C&I 738. Survey of Major Issues in Mathematics Education. 3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Individual and group research on selected topics in mathematics education.
C&I 757. Social Studies Curriculum Development, K-12. 3 Hours.
PR: C&I 601 or C&I 604 and C&I 650 or C&I 654. Stresses the application of principles and procedures pertinent to the development of social studies programs in elementary and secondary schools. Strong emphasis will be placed on the analysis of current social studies curriculum materials.
C&I 786. Curriculum Evaluation. 3 Hours.
This course enables students to develop skills and strategies necessary for curriculum evaluation and improvement of programs. Included will be a historical review of evaluation and analysis of approaches to curriculum evaluation.
C&I 787. Professional Development for Teaching Effectiveness. 3 Hours.
PR: Advanced graduate standing or consent. Explores professional learning tools that lead to effective teaching; investigates the conditions that facilitate professional learning and effective teaching by examining the teacher, learner, content and environment; examines how educators study and resolve problems.
C&I 788. Higher Education Curriculum. 3 Hours.
Analysis and evaluation of post-secondary curriculum with emphasis on organizing, translating, and applying findings. Topics include curriculum shaping forces; institutional patterns; policy, components and change; and principles and techniques of development, experimentation, and evaluation.
C&I 789. Teaching in Higher Education. 3 Hours.
PR: Graduate standing. A general methods course involving instructional concepts and strategies for present/prospective faculty in higher education. Comprehensive consideration of objectives, planning criteria and methods, teaching strategies, and evaluation in meeting the needs of adult learners.
C&I 790. Teaching Practicum. 1-3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Supervised practice in college teaching of curriculum and instruction. Note: This course is intended to insure that graduate assistants are adequately prepared and supervised when they are given college teaching responsibility. It will also present a mechanism for students not on assistantships to gain teaching experience. (Grading will be S/U.).
C&I 791. Advanced Topics. 1-6 Hours.
PR: Consent. Investigation of advanced topics not covered in regularly scheduled courses.
C&I 792. Directed Study. 1-6 Hours.
Directed study, reading, and/or research.
C&I 793. Special Topics. 1-6 Hours.
A study of contemporary topics selected from recent developments in the field.
C&I 795. Independent Study. 1-9 Hours.
Faculty supervised study of topics not available through regular course offerings.
C&I 796. Graduate Seminar. 1-3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Each graduate student will present at least one seminar to the assembled faculty and graduate student body of his or her program.
C&I 797. Research. 1-9 Hours.
PR: Consent. Research activities leading to thesis, problem report, research paper or equivalent scholarly project, or a dissertation. (Grading may be S/U.).
C&I 930. Professional Development. 1-6 Hours.
Professional development courses provide skill renewal or enhancement in a professional field or content area (e.g., education, community health, geology). These tuition-waived continuing education courses are graded on a pass or fail grading scale and do not apply as graduate credit toward a degree program.
C&I 931. Professional Development. 1-6 Hours.
Professional development courses provide skill renewal or enhancement in a professional field or content area (e.g., education, community health, geology). These tuition-waived continuing education courses are graded on a pass/fail grading scale and do not apply as graduate credit toward a degree program.
C&I 932. Profession Development. 1-6 Hours.
Professional development courses provide skill renewal or enhancement in a professional field or content area (e.g. education, community health, geology). These tuition-waived continuing education courses are graded on a pass/fail grading scale and do not apply as graduate credit toward a degree program.
Social & Cultural Foundations Courses
SCFD 593. Special Topics. 1-6 Hours.
A study of contemporary topics selected from recent developments in the field.
SCFD 600. Sociology of Education. 3 Hours.
Education as a social institution; cultural and class influences on education; social roles and career patterns in the school system; the school and problems of the community. (Also listed as SOCA 332.).
SCFD 615. Qualitative Research Methods. 3 Hours.
An introduction to the nature of qualitative research and to techniques of interviewing, observation, and the analysis of documents and other cultural artifacts. Includes guided experience in designing and implementing a qualitative research study.
SCFD 620. Philosophy of Education. 3 Hours.
Examines different systems of educational philosophies focusing on aims, values, and criteria of education. Stresses the application of philosophic thinking to educational language, issues, methods, and subject matter.
SCFD 640. History of American Education. 3 Hours.
Major forces affecting U.S. educational developments at all school levels are examined in political, social, economic, and cultural context. Major historical periods include colonial, early national, pre/post civil war, and late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century.
SCFD 650. Comparative Education. 3 Hours.
PR:Graduate standing. Compares educational systems in selected foreign countries with the United States. Examines formal and informal educational influences in historical and contemporary contexts and in socioeconomic, political, and philosophical perspectives.
SCFD 685. Practicum. 1-12 Hours.
PR: Consent.
SCFD 693. Special Topics. 1-6 Hours.
A study of contemporary topics selected from recent developments in the field.
SCFD 694. Seminar. 1-6 Hours.
Selected topics in historical, sociological, and philosophical foundations of education. (Titles to be announced each semester.).
SCFD 697. Research. 1-9 Hours.
PR: Consent. Research activities leading to thesis, problem report, research paper or equivalent scholarly project, or a dissertation. (Grading may be S/U.).
SCFD 700. John Dewey Studies. 3 Hours.
This seminar focuses on the work of John Dewey. Students examine secondary and primary works. The course traces the influence of Dewey's life and thought from 1859 to present.
SCFD 715. Advanced Qualitative Research. 3 Hours.
PR: SCFD 615. Advanced exploration of methodological issues related to qualitative research, including basic interpretive, case study, grounded theory, phenomenological, and mixed-methods dissertations and research projects. The course also provides a service course for doctoral students in other colleges.
SCFD 781. Nature of Inquiry 1. 1 Hour.
PR: HR&E Interdisciplinary PhD students or consent. First course in a sequence focusing on epistemological, ontological, cultural, and political contexts of educational inquiry. (Grading S/U.).
SCFD 782. Nature of Inquiry 2. 1 Hour.
PR: SCFD 781 or consent. Second course in a sequence focusing on epistemological, ontological, cultural, and political contexts of educational inquiry. (Grading S/U.).
SCFD 783. Nature of Inquiry 3. 1 Hour.
PR: SCFD 782 or consent. Third course in a sequence focusing on epistemological, ontological, cultural, and political contexts of educational inquiry. (Grading S/U.).
SCFD 790. Teaching Practicum. 1-3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Supervised practice in college teaching of SCFD. Note: This course is intended to insure that graduate assistants are adequately prepared and supervised when they are given college teaching responsibility. It will also present a mechanism for students not on assistantships to gain teaching experience. (Grading will be S/U.).
SCFD 791. Advanced Topics. 1-6 Hours.
PR: Consent. Investigation of advanced topics not covered in regularly scheduled courses.
SCFD 792. Directed Study. 1-6 Hours.
Directed study, reading, and/or research.
SCFD 793. Special Topics. 1-6 Hours.
A study of contemporary topics selected from recent developments in the field.
SCFD 795. Independent Study. 1-9 Hours.
Faculty supervised study of topics not available through regular course offerings.
SCFD 796. Graduate Seminar. 1-3 Hours.
PR: Consent. Each graduate student will present at least one seminar to the assembled faculty and graduate student body of his or her program.
SCFD 797. Research. 1-9 Hours.
PR: Consent. Research activities leading to thesis, problem report, research paper or equivalent scholarly project, or a dissertation. (Grading may be S/U.).