APPLIED RESEARCH

COUN 527

Fall 2008

                                                                        1 Credit

Syllabus 

 

Dr. Diana Doumas

Email: dianadoumas@boisestate.edu

(208) 426-2646; E610

Office Hours: M 2-3; W 12-4

 

Course Description:

The course will provide a basic understanding of methods and evaluation of counseling and educational research with the emphasis on individual completion of a research project in cooperation with student’s advisor or director of the study. Students will revise their research proposal, conduct statistical analyses of their data, and complete a written research paper including literature review, hypotheses, methodology, results, discussion, and references. PREREQ: COUN 512 or equivalent graduate statistics course.

 

Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, the student will:

·        Demonstrate the ability to design, conduct, and write-up a research project

·        Develop the ability to critically evaluate research literature

·        Acquire a basic knowledge of the process or research and hypothesis testing

·        Be able to chose appropriate methodologies for specific research questions

·        Be able to choose instruments appropriate for measuring variables in a research project

·        Acquire a basic understanding of descriptive and inferential statistics sufficient to have the ability to choose appropriate forms of data analysis for specific research questions

·        Acquire a basic ability to use statistical software and interpret results from completed statistical analyses

·        Write a research report statistical reports and integrate the data with sound educational decision making

 

Course Methods of Instruction:

Research methodology, statistical procedures, and research report writing will be taught through individual and group meetings with students. Group work will be used to facilitate learning of methodology and statistical concepts. Demonstration of statistical analysis of data using SPSS software will be used to teach analytic procedures and students will use SPSS software to analyze data provided for practice. Students will also receive a detailed review of their research paper and be asked to revise the paper as part of the learning experience.

 

 

 

 

 

This course is designed to meet the following CACREP Research and Program Evaluation Standards:

1. The importance of research and opportunities and difficulties in conduction research in the counseling profession

2. Research methods such as qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research, and outcome-based research

3. Use of technology and statistical methods in conducting research and program evaluation, assuming basic computer literacy

4. Principles, models, and applications of needs assessment, program evaluation, and use of findings to effect program modifications

5. Use of research to improve counseling effectiveness

6. Ethical and legal considerations

 

Technology Skills Addressed in the Course:

 

Instructor Application

Student Application

Check computer system and preview CD-ROM software

 

X

Word process, including APA formatting

 

X

Use a spreadsheet and a statistical package

X

X

Acquire graphics from the web, digital camera, or scanner and insert them into a poster or presentation

 

 

Create and deliver a power point presentation

 

 

Find material on the Web and review Web sites

 

X

Be able to use e-mail, including document attachments

 

X

Be able to sign in and participate in listservs

 

 

Be familiar with computerized testing

 

 

Be able to use audio visual equipment and playback units

 

 

 

 

Required Text:

 

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC:

American Psychological Association.

 

 

Grading Criteria:

A = 100-90, B = 89-80, C = 79-70

Assignments not submitted when due or not in the assigned format will not earn full points.  Those submitted more than five days past the due date will not be accepted.  Plagiarism is sufficient grounds for failure for the course. See current Boise State Graduate Catalog for academic regulations and appeal procedures.

 

 

 

Deadlines (10 points): You will lose 2 point for each day an assignment is late up to 10 points.

 

Data analysis completed either with instructor or turned into instructor by Oct 15.

 

A GOOD and COMPLETE draft of the paper is due Monday Nov 3.

 

The FINAL paper is due Wednesday Dec 3.

 

Research Project (90 points):  The paper should be 12-15 double-spaced pages (not including references).

 

The paper is to include:

 

I. Introduction

Description of Chosen Topic

Literature Review (using Psych Info or other data bases)

Rational for Conducting the Study

Specific, Detailed Research Question/Hypotheses

 

II. Methods

Participants (age, gender, etc)

Procedure (informed consent, sampling, data collection methods)

Measures/Instrumentation (description of all variables relevant to your hypothesis(es), the

operationalization of your variable(s) including a description of at least one standardized measure including reliability and validity information)

 

III. Results

Descriptive statistics

Inferential statistics

 

IV. Discussion

Summary of Results

Integration of Results with Literature

Discussion of Limitations (sampling, internal and external validity problems etc.)

Clinical/counseling implications

Directions for Future Research