Online EdD in Educational Leadership: Curriculum

This course provides an intensive study of seminal and current research in the fields of learning, and instruction in educational settings. Behavioral, cognitive and social learning theories will be discussed in light of current trends in PK-12 and Higher Education contexts. Students will reflect on learning and leadership theories that may form the theoretical framework for ongoing research.

This course will explore the current landscape of American Education with an emphasis on examining the institutions and other structural variables which pervade inequality. Students will explore interdisciplinary perspectives of our education system and its political, economic, social and cultural dimensions. Students will also gain valuable insight into the internal and external forces that shape the daily realities of students and families living in distressed communities. We will examine the notion of the “opportunity gap” through many lenses, including resource allocation, accountability, expectations, equality and socioeconomic status. Students will actively participate in activities and discussions aimed at deconstructing the variables affecting quality education.

Educators today are faced with meeting the needs of students in an increasingly complex and diverse society. Educational leaders are charged not only with promoting academic excellence for students within the context of standards-based reform initiatives, but also for making ethical decisions founded on moral principles. There are no easy solutions to the ethical problems that educational leaders face on a daily basis. The values and principles which guide ethical decision-making will be studied, with the objective of teaching students how to develop a process for examining those ethical issues. Students will explore how to combine and/or adapt ideas stemming from foundational ethical theories as they face dilemmas and difficult decisions. Students will analyze case studies through a multiple paradigm approach. Through this process incorporating self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-critique, students will acquire the ability to analyze, respond, and assess their responses to ethical dilemmas, such as making policy decisions, maintaining communication with community members and district administrators, as well as dealing with staff and student relations. Participants will gain an understanding of how to transfer their ethical self-awareness and knowledge to the educational leader’s job of dealing with personnel, students, and community members in a fair and equitable manner with professional integrity.

Students in this doctoral seminar course will learn to drive and sustain change in a collegial educational environment, culminating in students’ understanding of and ability to use a wide range of applicable leadership practices for classroom, schools, and district programs and initiatives.

In this course, students learn to utilize data to identify school improvement needs and make informed decisions in effecting change that will lead to the academic success of all students, including those with learning disabilities and those who come from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds. Students build the knowledge and skills to think and plan strategically, to create an organizational vision around personalized student success. An exploration of successfully demonstrated change models exposes students to the collection and analysis of multiple data sources to improve schools. Students learn to systemically collect and analyze multiple sources of data to identify improvement needs, determine an effective response, monitor and correct progress, and demonstrate success to stakeholders. Candidates also examine the components of an effective school improvement plan.

This course examines the relationship of curricula, instruction and assessment to current research in teaching, learning and knowledge construction. Complex pedagogical problems are identified and analyzed with the focus on the impact upon the teaching and learning environment. Participants explore processes to create a culture of teaching and learning with an emphasis on learning.

This course provides an intensive study of the needs of diverse students and families and effective and appropriate responses to these needs within educational settings. During this course students will examine the intersection of socioeconomic status, cultural and linguistic background, gender and sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity with responses to atypical student learning and disabilities within educational environments. Students conduct critical analyses of their own personal and professional beliefs concerning diverse student populations and critique their own professional contexts in terms of sensitivity and responsiveness to diversity. Students must provide and implement concrete recommendations for improved cultural responsiveness and sensitivity to marginalized groups within their professional contexts.

This course is designed to facilitate a more in-depth understanding of the efficient and effective use of finances, facilities, and other tangible and intangible resources at the school district level. Students explore the impact of emerging technologies on the learning environment known as “school,” along with related financial, resource, and facility issues unique to education that affect individual school buildings.

Students learn to infuse qualitative and quantitative methods in order to conduct research, evaluate programs, assess student progress, and design, implement, and monitor educational innovations in applied settings.

This course is designed as the second of two courses which provide an overview of educational research methods. The knowledge and skills acquired in this set of courses will help prepare students to develop sound, coherent research studies based on current theory, methodology, and need in the field of education. This course will focus primarily on the basic designs, principles, and procedures used with experimental and quasi-experimental research. As this is an introductory course, it is not expected that students will fully master the intricacies and nuances of research design and execution. Instead, emphasis will be given to creating opportunities that help students appreciate and internalize the enduring understandings which underlie quantitative research, in general, and intervention research, in particular.

Qualitative Research Methods is an advanced research methods course. It focuses on problem solving and integrating research methods with real-life issues faced by school personnel. Methodological content will include furthering knowledge of qualitative design methodology, research question development, data management and collection, analysis, and presentation begun in the Foundations of Educational Research course.

This course extends student knowledge and skills related to quantitative research through focus on the basic designs, principles, and procedures used with non-experimental research. Students will develop skills to critically interpret and utilize educational research to design and conduct the dissertation.

The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of mixed methods research. Mixed method research involves utilizing both qualitative and quantitative components to inform the research process. Discussions, readings, and assignments will require participants to understand the design, implementation and evaluation of mixed method studies. Students will identify purposes and characteristics of mixed methods research, and types of research problems addressed and examine the paradigmatic implications of mixed method design.

This course introduces students to varied components of a coherent and robust dissertation proposal, including contrast and comparisons between conceptual research frameworks and theoretical research frameworks. Students will create a simple prospectus that is clear, coherent, and scholarly to present to their future dissertation Chair. 

In this course, students will work collaboratively with their Dissertation Chair and other students to complete the dissertation proposal through approval and complete and submit an IRB application for approval. Assignments and deadlines will be individually determined in consideration with student progress to-date.

This course builds on previous courses in the Educational Leadership doctoral program to extend students’ knowledge and skills related to completion of the doctoral dissertation. The main course objective is to provide support and guidance in data collection, analysis, and implications and recommendations from your research. You will hone the requisite research skills to complete dissertation research and to be a critical user of research both in your professional work as well as in the implementation of your dissertation. You will gain direct experience in conducting data collection, managing, and analyzing data.

This doctoral course is structured with the dissertation chair to provide support for dissertation proposal development. Students enroll only once in this course unless there are extenuating circumstances. A grade of S or U is assigned to students for this course.

This course is designed for students who would like the opportunity to co-teach an undergraduate or master’s-level course with an Arcadia professor. Students will learn how to design a course, develop syllabi, design and deliver effective instruction, and assess students. Special permission of the student’s adviser is necessary to take this class.

This doctoral course is designed to support student work toward completion of their dissertation. Students must register for ED 902 on an ongoing basis, every semester after all other coursework is completed, until their dissertation is defended and approved. There is a flat fee for this course that is approximately equivalent to one credit of tuition. A grade of S or U is assigned to students each semester they are enrolled in this course.