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ERIC Number: ED667454
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-4739-8103-4
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 2016-10-27
Community-Based Research as Graduate Practicum: Preparing Students for Roles in Program Evaluation and Academia. Sage Research Methods Cases Part 2
Rick Sperling
Sage Research Methods Cases
In this case study, I explain how community-based research can be an effective means of engaging graduate students in an applied practicum that challenges them to apply their knowledge of statistics, psychometrics, and research design in addressing important social problems. Students in our industrial/organizational psychology master's program use the practicum to satisfy their internship requirement. However, unlike traditional internships, students in the community-based research practicum work alongside a faculty mentor rather than being supervised by staff at a placement site. The practicum also places more emphasis on research and formal methods of evaluation than most internships do, which means that students and faculty not only learn how to function as evaluators, they are more likely to produce publishable work as well. I illustrate the community-based research practicum by presenting a case study of a project my research team conducted for AVANCE, a national non-profit organization that delivers parenting classes and early childhood education in low-income and predominately Latina(o) communities nationwide. Through these programs, AVANCE aims to foster the types of parenting strategies that lead to kindergarten readiness and improved health outcomes, and to help parents to become more agentic users of appropriate social services. We were tasked with revising a test of parenting knowledge--the AVANCE Parent Questionnaire--that is used to evaluate program effectiveness. In telling the story, I reflect on the pedagogical advantages that accrue to graduate students who work on projects like these, but I also call attention to the obstacles to building effective community-university partnerships. I conclude the case study with several "lessons learned" that can guide faculty and students who are at the beginning stages of implementing community-based research projects at their own college or university. Following these guidelines increases the likelihood that students and community organizations will experience the innumerable benefits these projects have to offer while avoiding many of the hardships along the way. [This content is provided in the format of an e-book.]
Sage Research Methods Cases. 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; Web site: https://methods-sagepub-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/Cases
Publication Type: Books; Non-Print Media; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Adult Education; Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A