GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
SYLLABUS
EDSE 794: Research Methodology in Special Education
Professor Office Hours
Thomas E. Scruggs, Ph.D. Thursdays, 2:00 – 4:00, or by appointment
Time, Date & Room tscruggs@gmu.ed
Thurdays, 4:30 – 7:10p Robinson B441A
Thompson 117 (703) 993-4138
Purpose
The purpose of this seminar is for students to develop their understanding of methodology in special education research. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:
1. Describe the strengths and limitations of group-experimental research designs in special education research.
2. Describe basic procedures involving group-experimental research designs.
3. Evaluate previous research that has employed group-experimental research methodology.
4. Design future special education research using group-experimental methodology.
5. Describe the strengths and limitations of single subject research designs in special education research.
6. Describe basic procedures involving single subject research designs.
7. Evaluate previous research that has employed single subject research methodology.
8. Design future special education research using single subject methodology.
9. Describe the strengths and limitations of qualitative research designs in special education research.
10. Evaluate previous research that has employed qualitative research methodology.
11. Design future special education research using qualitative methodology.
10. Describe the strengths and limitations of survey research designs in special education research.
11. Evaluate previous research that has employed survey research methodology.
12. Design future special education research using survey methodology.
Requirements
1. Class attendance and participation in discussion and group activities.
2. Written research proposal, using group-experimental or quasi-experimental, single-subject, qualitative, or survey methodology, 20-page maximum (including title page and references), APA format. Subheadings include purpose, background, hypotheses, method, participants, procedures, significance.
3. Twenty-30-minute presentation of proposal.
4. Pre and post-test of methodological knowledge.
Evaluation
1. Attendance/participation: 25 points
2. Proposal: 50 points
3. Presentation 25 points
4. Posttest 25 points
100 points
Grading:
100-90 A
89-80 B
79-70 C
Course Schedule
Week |
Topic |
| Week 1, 9/2/99 | Introduction/Organization: Pretest; "How do you know?"; Common methodological concerns; causation; internal and external validity; dependent and independent variables; the problem of induction; number systems. |
| Week 2, 9/9/99 | Group-experimental research II: Threats to validity; random assignment, read Mastropieri & Scruggs (1994) Brigham, Scruggs, and Mastropieri, 1995. |
| Week 3, 9/16/99 | Group-experimental research II: Assumptions of ANOVA; Unit of analysis; crossover designs, read Brigham, Scruggs, and Mastropieri, 1992; Scruggs, Mastropieri, Bakken, and Brigham (1993). |
| Week 4, 9/23/99 | Group-experimental research III: Ceiling and floor effects; one within/one-between designs; multiple statistical tests. Read Rabren, Darsch, and Eaves (1999); Veit, Scruggs, and Mastropieri (1986). |
| Week 5, 9/30/99 | Group-experimental research IV: Quasi-experimental designs: comparative designs for pre-existing groups; "proving" the null hypothesis. Read Mastropieri, Scruggs, and Butcher (1997); Scott and Greenfield (1992); Page-Voth and Graham (1999). |
| Week 6, 10/7/99 | Single-subject research: Designs and methodological concerns. Read Lloyd, Tankersley, and Talbott (1994); Schloss, Misra, and Smith (1992). |
| Week 7, 10/14/99 | Single-subject research II: Applications. Read Moore, Cartledge, and Heckaman (1995); Scruggs (1992). |
| Week 8, 10/21/99 | Single-subject research III: Applications. Read Falk, Dunlap, and Kern (1996). |
| Week 9, 10/28/99 | Qualitative research designs. Internal and external validity. Read Bos and Richardson (1994); |
| Week 10, 11/4/99 | Qualitative research designs II: Applications. Scruggs and Mastropieri (1995a). |
| Week 11, 11/11/99 | Qualitative research designs III: Read Mamlin and Harris (1999); Scruggs and Mastropieri (1995b) |
| Week 12, 11/18/99 | Survey research procedures: survey construction, item statistics, reliability, response set, return rates. Read Dev and Scruggs (1997). |
| Week 13, 11/25/99 | Thanksgiving break; no class. J |
| Week 14, 11/29/99 | Survey research II: Applications. Read Bailey, Skinner, Rodriguez, Gut, and Correa (1999); class summary. |
| Week 15, 12/6/99 | Proposal presentations (proposals due) |
Finals Week |
Proposal presentations. Final Exams |
Required Readings (Available in Johnson Center Copy Shop).
Bailey, D.B., Skinner, D., Rodriguez, P., Gut, D., & Correa, V. (1999). Awareness, use, and satisfaction with services for Latino parents of young children with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 65, 367-382.
Bos, C.S., & Richardson, V. (1994). Qualitative research and learning disabilities. In S. Vaughn & C. Bos (Eds.), Research in learning disabilities: Theory, methodology, assessment, and ethics (pp. 178-201). New York: Springer Verlag.
Brigham, F.J., Scruggs, T.E., & Mastropieri, M.A. (1995). Teacher enthusiasm in learning disabilities classrooms: Effects on learning and behavior. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 7, 68-74.
Brigham, F.J., Scruggs, T.E., & Mastropieri, M.A. (1995). Elaborative maps for enhanced learning of historical information: Uniting spatial, verbal, and imaginal information. Journal of Special Education, 28, 440-460.
Dev, P.C., & Scruggs, T.E. (1997). Mainstreaming and inclusion of students with learning disabilities: Perspectives of general educators in elementary and secondary schools. In T.E. Scruggs & M.A. Mastropieri (Eds.), Advances in learning and behavioral disabliities (Vol. 11, pp. 135-178). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Falk, G.D., Dunlap, G., & Kern, L. (1996). An analysis of self-evaluation and videotape feedback for improving the peer interactions of students with externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems. Behavioral Disorders, 21, 261-276.
Lloyd, J.W., Tankersley, M., & Talbott, E. (1994). Using single-subject research methodology to study learning disabilities. In S. Vaughn & C. Bos (Eds.), Research in learning disabilities: Theory, methodology, assessment, and ethics (pp. 163-177). New York: Springer Verlag.
Mamlin, N., & Harris, K.R. (1998). Elementary teachers’ referral to special education in light of inclusion and prereferral: "Every child is here to learn…but some of these children are in real trouble." Journal of Educational Psychology, 90, 397-406.
Mastropieri, M.A., & Scruggs, T.E. (1994). Issues in intervention research: Secondary students. In S. Vaughn & C. Bos (Eds.), Research in learning disabilities: Theory, methodology, assessment, and ethics (pp. 130-145). New York: Springer Verlag.
Mastropieri, M.A., Scruggs, T.E., Bakken, J.P., & Brigham, F.J. (1992). A complex mnemonic strategy for teaching states and their capitals: Comparing forward and backward associations. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 7, 96-103.
Mastropieri, M.A., Scruggs, T.E., & Butcher, K. (1997). How effective is inquiry learning for students with mild disabilities? Journal of Special Education, 31, 199-211.
Mathes, P.G., Howard, J.K., Allen, S., & Fuchs, D. (1998). Peer-assited learning strategies for first-grade readers: Making early reading instruction more responsive to the needs of diverse learners. Reading Research Quarterly, 33, 62-95.
Moore, R.J., Cartledge, G., & Heckaman, K. (1995). The effects of social skill instruction and self-monitoring on game-related behaviors of adolescents with emotional or behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 20, 253-366.
Page-Voth, V., & Graham, S. (1999). Effects of goal setting and strategy use on the writing performance and self-efficacy of students with writing and learning problems. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 230-240.
Rabren, K, Darch, C., & Eaves, R. (1999). The differential effects of two systematic reading comprehension approaches with students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 32, 36-47.
Schloss, P.J., Misra, A., & Smith, M.R. (1992). The use of single subject designs in applied settings. In T.E. Scruggs & M.A. Mastropieri (Eds.), Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities (vol. 7, pp. 249-290). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Scott, M.S., & Greenfield, D.B. (1992). A comparison of normally achieving, learning disabled and mildly retarded students on a taxonomic information task. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 7, 59-67.
Scruggs, T.E. (1992). Single subject methodology in the study of learning and behavioral disorders: Design, analysis, and synthesis. In T.E. Scruggs & M.A. Mastropieri (Eds.), Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities (vol. 7, pp. 223-248). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Scruggs, T.E., & Mastropieri, M.A. (1995a). Qualitative research methods in the study of learning and behavioral disabilities: An analysis of recent research. In T.E. Scruggs & M.A. Mastropieri (Eds.), Advances in learning and behavioral disabilities (vol. 9, pp. 251-274). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Scruggs, T.E., & Mastropieri, M.A. (1995b). Science and mental retardation: An analysis of curriculum features and learner characteristics. Science Education, 79, 251-271.
Veit, D. T., Scruggs, T. E., & Mastropieri, M. A. (1986). Extended mnemonic instruction with learning disabled students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 78, 300-308.
Recommended Resources
American Psychological Association (1994). Publication manual (4th ed). Washington, DC: Author.
Tawney, J.W., & Gast, D.L. (1984) Single subject research in special education. Columbus, OH: Merrill.
LeCompte, M.D., & Preissle, J. (1993). Ethnography and qualitative design in educational research (2nd ed.). San Diego : Academic Press.
Fowler, F.J. (1993). Survey research methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Siegel, S. (1988). Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Cook, T.D., & Campbell, D.T. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design and analysis issues for field settings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Ferguson, G.A., & Takane, Y. (1989). Statistical analysis in psychology and education. New York: McGraw Hill.
Yin, R.K. (1993). Applications of case study research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.