Educational Studies MA Courses

Description:

There are a number of important philosophical questions that lie behind the everyday practice of education research. The questions include: What does it mean to say that research in education is “scientific”? Is science (and, by extension, educational research) really value neutral and objective? What kinds of education research should count as legitimate? In the first part of the course, various definitions of science, for example, those of Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn, and some influential critiques of the scientific enterprise are examined. In the second part of the course, some of the ongoing debates about appropriate research methods in education are analyzed.

Component(s):

Lecture

Notes:

• Students who have received credit for ADIP 501 or ETEC 507 or ETEC 607 may not take this course for credit.

Description:

This course is a forum for common inquiry and reflection upon issues that have deep significance for our lives as human beings, students, and educators. Some emphasis is placed on gaining an understanding of historically significant philosophical positions and their application to problems of teaching and education. However, the primary focus is on cultivating a desire and commitment to engage in philosophical thinking as it applies to matters of concern to teachers and teaching. The course is premised on a number of questions. These include but are not limited to: What is education? How do we understand education in its moral, ethical and spiritual dimensions? What role does education play (or have the potential of playing) in personal and social transformation? What is effective teaching and how can we cultivate the courage to teach effectively?

Component(s):

Lecture

Description:

This course acquaints students with a broad historical approach to a variety of significant educational issues. The emphasis will be placed on the examination of a number of critical components of modern educational thought and practice (comprising e.g., alternative schools of educational thought, politics and education, the changing curriculum, or the organization of schooling) as seen and presented in historical perspective.

Component(s):

Lecture

Description:

The course introduces the students to qualitative methods in educational research. The first purpose is to review studies of education which utilize anthropological concepts and/or methods. The second purpose is to examine the three principal foci of qualitative research in the area: a. schools and their relations with the socio-cultural milieu in which they exist; b. the description and analysis of classroom processes; c. the study of individual pupils and educators. The third purpose is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of studies focusing on these areas. This includes describing and discussing some of the systematic methodological biases apparent in the literature and suggesting directions for future research.

Component(s):

Lecture

Description:

The course provides a basic understanding of the ways in which psychologists examine and analyze human behaviour, collect and interpret data, develop theories and form generalizations. It is not intended as a general survey course in the area of educational psychology. Several topics in an area will be studied in order to exemplify the methods and techniques employed in the psychological analysis of behaviour in educational settings.

Description:

By providing an overview of the commonly used research methods in education today, students gain the knowledge required to critique research that is reported in the education and social science literature. Topics include the nature of educational research, the different qualitative and quantitative research approaches, types of data collection, and knowledge of research ethics. Students gain experience in developing a research statement and writing a research proposal.

Description:

This course is concerned with the investigation and comparison of problems of education in the context of time and society. Concentrating on concrete “case studies” chosen from the 19th century and the contemporary period, it focuses on the principles on which systems of education are constructed, and their change or retention, in the broad socio-economic and ideological context.

Component(s):

Lecture

Description:

This course is concerned with the family, the educational system, the economy and the polity, and with the relations between them. The main concern is with social institutions and the socialization process with which they are involved. Particular emphasis will be placed on the social class differentials in the conditions of socialization and educational opportunity, and on social class differentials in educational achievement.

Component(s):

Lecture

Description:

This course is designed as a survey at an advanced level, of the theory and practice of adult education through an examination of the existing literature. Emphasis will be placed on helping the student gain knowledge, understanding, and a critical perspective of the following: aims; history and philosophy; needs and characteristics of adult learners; functions and skills of adult education practitioners; settings, agencies and program areas; and planning and evaluation in adult education. A Canadian and Quebec perspective will be emphasized.

Component(s):

Lecture