EDU 200C Research Methods

This course is an introduction to research methods with an emphasis on methods of reflective practitioner-directed inquiry. The course includes a focus on action research aimed at improvement of professional practice in leadership and teaching. The course also surveys quantitative methods and logic in the social sciences to prepare professionals to access and critically consume traditional research findings to support and extend their own inquiries. The political implications of traditional and practitioner driven research models are discussed. The course culminates in two capstone projects: 1) a research-supported explication of the student's personal pedagogy of practice, and 2) an action-research design project.