Research in Music Education – MUSC 650

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with a variety of research that informs music education in preparation for the final capstone curriculum project, lecture recital, or thesis in music education. Students expand their understanding of various research methodologies as related to music education while developing their scholarly writing skills.

Rationale

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the elements necessary for composing a robust master’s thesis proposal. Students will be challenged to produce quality academic writing, demonstrate understanding of thesis elements, synthesize prior peer-reviewed research, make informed decisions pertaining to a research topic, select appropriate methodologies, and implement accurate protocols for conducting research. 

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will then complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (6)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 150 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 150 words. (CLO: B, C, E, I, J) 

Research Plan Assignments (7)

The student will write a 20 to 25-page research plan in current Turabian format that focuses on all elements of the research study. The paper must include at least 20 reference(s) in addition to the course textbooks and the Bible. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G) 

Thesis Statement, Research Questions, and Hypotheses Assignment 

The student will write a robust, comprehensive thesis statement with peer-reviewed sources as needed, operationalized research questions, and aligned hypotheses as the central focus of the research study for a total of approximately one page. (CLO: B, E) 

Problem, Purpose, and Significance Statements Assignment 

The student will submit a well-developed draft of his or her problem (1 page), purpose (approximately 1 page) , and significance statements (1 page) as three separate sections. These three sections should align to one another, the thesis statement, research questions, and hypotheses. (CLO: B, D) 

Annotated Bibliography of Literature Assignment 

The student will submit a well-developed annotated bibliography (with peer-reviewed sources) in two main sections – the theoretical or conceptual framework and the related literature. The annotated bibliography should include no less than twenty sources (at least five for theoretical/conceptual framework and at least 15 for the related literature) addressing historical, sociological, epistemological, philosophical, ontological, philosophical, practical, pedagogical, and aesthetic research and considerations related to the music education problem identified. At this juncture, you will not be required to present a full literature review; however, this assignment is designed to encourage the initial construction. (CLO: D, E) 

Deconstructed Chapter Three: Part 1 - Research Design, Data Collection Plan, and Data Analysis Assignment 

The student will submit well-developed responses to the research design, data collection, and data analysis sections of the Deconstructed Chapter Three Template. At this juncture, the student will not be required to present a complete rendering of these three sections; however, this assignment is designed to encourage the initial construction. (CLO: A, F) 

Deconstructed Chapter Three: Part 2 - Participants and Setting Assignment 

The student will submit well-developed responses to the participants and setting section of the Deconstructed Chapter Three Template. At this juncture, the student will not be required to present a definitive rendering of study participants; however, this assignment is designed to encourage one to consider who will be included in the study. (CLO: C, F) 

Deconstructed Chapter Three: Part 3 - Instrumentation and Intervention Assignment

The student will submit well-developed responses to the instrumentation section (if applicable) of the Deconstructed Chapter Three Template and/or develop the intervention (if writing a curriculum project) utilized to collect data for the study. If conducting a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods study, the most likely tool for collecting data will be an instrument of some sort. If conducting an applied study (curriculum project), the most likely format for collecting data will be an intervention (implementation of the curriculum) and researcher-generated assessment tools. An intervention (curriculum project) section should comprise the conceptual (graphic) rendering, scope and sequence, and curriculum map. (CLO: A, C, F) 

Final Draft Assignment

The student will submit a well-developed final draft including all previous, edited sections from all previous modules and the responses to the Deconstructed Chapter Three Template including the procedures. Additionally, the student will summarize his or her study to comprise the abstract. An abstract should comprise 150-250 words or less with an additional keywords section with seven or less keywords pertinent to the study. Adhere to all page number requirements for previous sections. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G) 

This assignment provides the foundation for planning the capstone project required for the student’s degree plan. It also helps to identify potential faculty members who may serve on your committee. The student will use a digital form to answer questions about their future capstone. Once submitted, the student will submit a screenshot of the confirmation page.

Quiz: CITI Certification

The Liberty University Institutional Review Board requires that the following individuals complete CITI training prior to conducting research:

• Faculty Researchers
• Student Researchers
• Research Assistants
• Faculty overseeing student projects

Therefore, the student will complete one Human Subjects Research (HSR) course provided through the CITI Program website. After completion, the student will upload a PDF copy of his/her online certification as his/her answer to the question in the Quiz: CITI Certification.

This quiz will cover the Read: CITI Certification Steps document in the assigned module: week. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 1 file upload question, and will have no time limit.