GED-624 Teachers As Change Agents & Educational Research
This course is designed to introduce the concepts of change and action research and their importance in the field of education. The experience will provide a theoretical and practical foundation for contemporary educators with emphasis on the relationship among leadership, action research, pedagogy, and the implications for student learning. Students will gain additional insight into the characteristics of effective instruction and further enhance their ability to serve as exemplary teacher leaders in the Information Age. The overall learning experience is organized around an authentic performance task that allows students to demonstrate the extent of their knowledge and skills relevant to applied research and complex change. This overarching task will require students to work both individually and collaboratively on a research prospectus that will address an issue and ultimately serve to improve the performance of the school community within a critical area. The action plan will be presented in a multimedia format and supported by a summary. This course is meant as an overview of the action research process and its components. It serves as a foundation for later courses in which students will write an individual action research proposal and carry it out.