University of Colorado, Boulder School of Education Key Ideas

1. University of Colorado, BoulderSchool of EducationKey Ideas Margaret Eisenhart (Chair) Tracy Naber (Student) Lorrie Shepard (Dean) 7 Other Members of the Faculty

2. 3 Main Strands • Big Ideas • Quantitative Methods • Qualitative Methods 2 Support Strands • On-going Program Area Seminars • Informal gatherings New Approach: First-Year Core

3. Need for a First-Year Core • Develop a cohort with shared knowledge despite diverse background experiences; and • Better integrate substance and methods of inquiry in educational research

4. Need for a First-Year Core (cont.) Big Ideas • Cover topics, concepts, theories that - all students of educational research should be familiar with; and - can serve as a springboard for more advanced coursework in each program area

5. Need for a First-Year Core (cont.) Quantitative/Qualitative Methods • Better exemplify relationships among methods and the link between research question and method • Provide an understanding of theory and practice in both research traditions

6. Need for a First-Year Core (cont.) On-going Program Area Seminars • Let entering students pursue their area of specialization during the first year • Provide all students a regular and comfortable forum for discussion and presentation of important topics in their area of specialization

7. Need for a First-Year Core (cont.) Informal Gatherings • Build stronger collegial relationships and collective identity among students and faculty

8. “Back Story” of Committee • Much recent attention to teacher education program (undergrad/MA) but little to doctoral program • Faculty committee convened Summer 2002 to address doctoral program revisions • Consisted of program area representatives and dean

9. “Back Story” of Committee (cont.) • Expanded Fall 2002 to include one student and assistant dean • Meets monthly; two proposals taken to full faculty for debate and approval in 2002-2003

10. Fruitful Questions/Hard Issues • What should be included in a “doctoral core”? - How can we cover commonalities and breadth of educational research? - How can we combine general issue content with preparation for a specialization?

11. Fruitful Questions/Hard Issues (cont.) - How can we include traditions, cutting-edge issues, and time-sensitive topics of national or public interest? - How can we integrate theory, method, and practice? - How can we lay the groundwork for a community of scholars to become leaders in educational research?

12. Fruitful Questions/Hard Issues (cont.) • How can we ensure that issues of diversity and multicultural education are covered for all students? - Somehow integrated in the core? - In a separate required course? - Also addressed in workshops and seminars?

13. Fruitful Questions/Hard Issues (cont.) • What should the focus of our attention to diversity be? - Examination of students’ existing beliefs? - Consciousness-raising? - Community service? - Scholarship on the topic?

14. • The need for the core to stress foundations, national issues, and research methods • The intent to train students to be leaders in educational research • The need for continued attention to diversity • The idea that a core is unnecessary • The idea that our doctoral students are being trained for something other than educational research • The idea that we are “advanced enough” to integrate diversity into all our courses Ideas Affirmed Ideas Rejected