Teacher Education and Learning Sciences

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The Ph.D. program in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences is primarily designed to prepare students for roles as researchers and educators in higher education and industry, or for instructional leadership at school district and state levels. Six program areas of study (focus) are offered by the department: Educational Equity; Educational Psychology; Elementary Learning Sciences; Learning, Design, & Technology; Literacy & English Language Arts; and Social Studies Education.

The NC Department of Public Instruction has conferred accreditation to the graduate programs in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences. The College of Education is approved by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Admission Requirements

Teacher Education and Learning Sciences: A 500-800 word statement describing professional goals and research interests is required, along with transcripts and reference letters. Some areas of study require that applicants be qualified to hold a baccalaureate-level teaching license or have teaching experience. A match to resources and faculty areas of interest and expertise is necessary since the program is competitive. The Graduate School requires a 3.0 in the undergraduate program. GRE scores not more than five years old are required for the doctoral program.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Teacher Education and Learning Sciences: A minimum of 72 course credit hours beyond a bachelor's degree is required. For students with a master’s degree, at least 60 new hours must be taken after the student matriculates into the doctoral program. The 60-hour program includes 12 hours of scholar leader courses (college and departmental levels), 15 hours of research, 24 hours of program area specialty courses, and 9 hours of dissertation credit.

Student Financial Support

Teaching and Research Assistantships are available on a limited basis.

  • Cathy L. Crossland
  • Jessica Theresa DeCuir-Gunby
  • John K. Lee
  • Patricia L. Marshall
  • John Nietfeld
  • Kevin M. Oliver
  • Edward J. Sabornie
  • Margareta M. Thomson
  • Candy M. Beal
  • Sarah J. Carrier
  • Dennis Scott Davis
  • Deniz Eseryel
  • DeLeon L. Gray
  • Jessica Heather Hunt
  • Meghan McGlinn Manfra
  • James Minogue
  • Angela Michelle Wiseman
  • Carl A. Young
  • Chandra Alston
  • Christy Michelle Byrd
  • Michelle Marie Falter
  • Jill Freiberg Grifenhagen
  • Shiyan Jiang
  • Crystal Lee
  • Paula McAvoy
  • Amato Nocera
  • Jamie Nicole Pearson
  • Jackie Eunjung Relyea
  • Jonee Wilson
  • Maria Coady
  • Drinda Elaine Benge
  • Vandna Gill Bindra
  • Sarah Cannon
  • Valerie Ness Faulkner
  • Ann D. Harrington
  • Kristin Hoffmann
  • Micha Jeffries
  • Jill Jones
  • Joanne Greer Koch
  • Jordan McNeill Lukins
  • Linda McCabe-Smith
  • Julia O'Neal McKeown
  • John F. Arnold
  • Barbara J. Fox
  • Edwin R. Gerler Jr.
  • Lawrence Keith Jones
  • Susan Sinclair Osborne
  • Carol A. Pope
  • Ruie J. Pritchard
  • Norman A. Sprinthall
  • Lois M. Thies-Sprinthall
  • Ellen S. Vasu

Courses

Adult & Higher Education

EAC 895  Doctoral Dissertation Research  (1-9 credit hours)  

Dissertation research.

Prerequisite: Doctoral student

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

cURRICULUM AND inSTRUCTION

ECI 709  Special Problems In Curriculum and Instruction  (1-6 credit hours)  

In-depth study of topical problems in curriculum and instruction selected from areas of current concern to practitioners in education.

Prerequisite: Six hrs. of ED or PSY

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

Education

ED 710  Applied Quantitative Methods in Education I  (3 credit hours)  

This course is designed for educational researchers and leaders to gain experience with designing and evaluating research using a quantitative approach to answer research questions in educational research and policy analysis. Students will examine design issues in research, create data sets, develop research questions from data provided, use a variety of descriptive and inferential procedures to answer formulated research questions, interpret the results and write the results in the language of educational research. Restricted to doctoral students in Education or by permission of instructor.

Prerequisite: ED 700, or ECI 510, or ELP 532, or ST 507

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ED 711  Applied Quantitative Methods in Education II  (3 credit hours)  

Students will apply and enhance their quantitative skills through analysis of existing datasets. Course goals include practicing and extending Multiple Regression knowledge and skills, generating and testing hypotheses in a multiple regression framework, and appropriately disseminating results. Restricted to doctoral students in Education Research only.

Prerequisite: ED 710

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ED 712  Survey Methods in Educational Research  (3 credit hours)  

Introduces students to the skills and resources needed to design and conduct a survey in educational settings. Students who take this course will be able to identify and develop specific survey objectives, design survey studies, sample respondents, develop reliable and valid self-administered questionnaires, administer surveys, and process data.

Prerequisite: ED 710

Typically offered in Fall only

ED 730  Introduction to Qualitative Research in Education  (3 credit hours)  

Design of qualitative studies, conduct of field work including open-ended interviews and participant observation, analysis of data and understanding of theoretical and philosophical background of this research approach.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ED 731  Advanced Qualitative Research and Data Analysis in Education  (3 credit hours)  

Intensive course in the use of field-based and general qualitative research data analysis methods in the social study of education. The course is to help participants acquire skills and gain experience in using various methodological and analytical research techniques. The course emphasis is on the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of qualitative data.

Prerequisite: ELP 736, EAC 785 or ED 730

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

ED 750/EDP 750  Mixed Methods Research in Education  (3 credit hours)  

Explores the theoretical and practical issues surrounding the combining of quantitative and qualitative methods in educational research studies. It addresses how to design, implement and write-up mixed methods research as well as how to critically review and interpret mixed methods research studies.

Prerequisite:ED 711,ED 730,ST 507, ELP736 or equivalent and/or permission of the instructor

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

ED 795  Special Topics in Education Research  (3-6 credit hours)  

This course provides in-depth instruction and applications in new or emerging areas of educational research, studies or venues. May be repeated for credit if topic changes. Doctoral students in education only.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer