Information
Program
The doctoral program in early childhood is characterized by engaged, diverse, and critical scholarship, focusing on the preparation of researchers and teacher educators for the 21st century.
a. Community Engagement
As part of a community-engaged university, interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration are important mechanisms for meeting the needs of children and families. Success in educating young children depends on building or strengthening existing social networks and support systems. As early childhood educators, it is a critical part of our scholarship to assume active roles in collaborative community-based partnerships that work toward the creation of safety and well being for all children and their families. In our early childhood doctoral program, the infusion of inclusive interaction through service learning and applied research promote a heightened awareness of depleted social, emotional, and financial resources; a commitment to overcome the barriers of rigid solutions in managing crises; and a determination to participate in the interaction of systems of care that will better inform the development and implementation of policy, planning, and service delivery. Ultimately, this exchange exposes students to diverse efforts to protect, defend, and promote the rights and welfare of children, and challenges teachers to take action on behalf of those in need.
Service learning is a valued part of the learning experience in the Early Childhood Program. Service learning assignments are infused into coursework to promote learning through active participation, provide structured time for students to reflect, create an opportunity to use skills and knowledge in real-life situations, extend learning beyond the classroom, and foster a sense of caring for others. At the doctoral level, our Ph.D. students are involved in the powerful pedagogy of service learning. We mentor them through the development of community relationships with practitioners and families to determine relevant and applied research initiatives and to form partnerships toward collaborative campus-community research initiatives. The reciprocity of the learning experience encourages students to translate theories into practice through an ongoing interactive process.
b. Global Literacy and Impact
Our work as early childhood educators is to nurture dispositions towards empathy, ecological consciousness, engaged inquiry, and collaboration. These dispositions undergird just and equitable communities; they are at the heart of activism and central to our pedagogy of social justice and advocacy. Quality early childhood education is inseparable from social justice teaching and ecological education. The Early Childhood Program Faculty have designed our doctoral program to promote global literacy and impact by focusing on four goals: (1) recruiting international students, (2) integrating reflective skills and contextualized understanding of global diversity, (3) embedding in coursework and student experiences work in collaborative partnerships on global issues and (4) increasing collaborations with international academics and academic institutions.
c. Integrated, Interdisciplinary Inquiry
The Early Childhood program’s rich interdisciplinary approach to the study of children is firmly rooted in cultural and relational approaches. Our program ensures that students understand their role as members of transdisciplinary teams, and they receive instruction and experiences necessary to implement successful early childhood programs. The students’ formal research preparation begins with a systematic study of the philosophy and epistemology of alternative research approaches germane to the study of education. In addition, each student is required to complete both qualitative and quantitative research training, with additional study and preparation in the methods most appropriate to their own investigations. The program also fosters interdisciplinary inquiry within the courses by opening them to doctoral students from other programs who are pursuing a cognate in early childhood.
d. Research and Innovation
Doctoral students in Early Childhood are expected to work both independently and in collaboration with faculty to pursue rigorous research agendas, publish in scholarly journals, and present at state, national and international conferences. Doctoral students are also expected to read widely and deeply, to become active members in learned societies, and to write academic texts effectively. Each course in the program promotes Carnegie’s notion that the purpose of doctoral education is to develop a set of habits of mind as “stewards of the field.” Our faculty engages in ongoing reflection on our “pedagogy of research.” Another area of focus is “Transformation,” dealing with teaching and communicating knowledge in a variety of contexts and for diverse audiences. Coursework and learning experiences also ensure that that students have knowledge of the historical foundations and key concepts/issues of the ECE field (i.e., Carnegie’ notion of “Conservation”).
e. Student Success
Each doctoral student is responsible for preparing a narrative statement of his/her activities in teaching, research, and service and for providing documentation of his/her professional activities and accomplishments in an annual review portfolio. The specific guidelines for this process are distributed to the students each year. The annual review encompasses the previous academic year. The Doctoral Program Coordinators from the Department of Childhood Education and Literacy Studies review the files of the doctoral students and provide written feedback regarding the student’s progress in the program.
Residency Requirement
The doctoral program in Early Childhood prepares individuals who aspire to become university professors, and this requires research training and theory exploration. Much of this training occurs during a residency in which the doctoral student takes a full load of courses and engages in the research culture of the department. The residency is not a living arrangement; rather, a residency is a sustained and full-time academic experience in which doctoral students are apprenticed into academia.
To accomplish this focus on research training, each Ph.D. student is required to spend at least two consecutive semesters (Fall and Spring) as a full-time student on the Tampa Campus. The student may work as a Graduate Assistant and teach two undergraduate courses. The student may also work as a Research Assistance on grants and other faculty research projects. Through the residency, students become immersed in the culture of academia and participate in research projects with faculty.
Program Length
Doctoral students may pursue both full-time and part-time study. Course work must be completed within four years of admission into the program. The dissertation must be completed within four years after admission to candidacy.
Ph.D. Program of Studies
The following categories represent the areas within which students take courses.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS (66 HOURS)
| COMMON CORE (3 hours) | ||
|---|---|---|
| EDE 7743 | Philosophies of Inquiry | (3) |
| RESEARCH METHODS AND TOOLS (20 HOURS minimum) | ||
| EDF 7408 | Statistical Analysis Education II | (4) |
| EDF 7410 | Design of Systematic Studies in Education | (4) |
| EDF 7437 | Advanced Measurement | (3) or Equivalent |
| EDF 7477 | Qualitative Research in Education I (4) or introductory equivalent selected in conjunction with program committee | (3-4) |
| EDF 7478 | Qualitative Research in Education II (4) or equivalent qualitative course selected with approval from program committee | (3-4) |
| Specialized Research Methods Course (3-4) determined in conjunction with program committee based on the student’s research agenda and prior preparation | ||
| CONCENTRATION COURSES (39 HOURS minimum) | ||
| IIIa. REQUIRED COURSES (18 HOURS minimum) | ||
| EEC 7057 | Critical Perspectives in Early Childhood Education | (3) |
| EEC 7056 | Leadership and Advocacy Concerning Issues Affecting Young Children | (3) |
| EEC 7306 | Teaching and Learning in Early Childhood | (3) |
| EEC 7416 | Socio-Cultural Approaches to Working with Children | (3) |
| EEC 7307 | ICT in the Early Years | (3) |
| EEC 7624 | Arts & Aesthetics in Early Childhood Education: Curriculum in Context | (3) |
| IIIb. CELS CORE COURSES (12 HOURS minimum) | ||
| EDG 7938 | Advanced Graduate Seminar: Introduction to Research in Childhood Education & Literacy Studies | (3) |
| EDG 7939 | Advanced Graduate Seminar: Research in Progress | (3) |
| EDG 7626 | Supervised Teaching in Childhood Education and Literacy Studies I | (3) |
| EDG 7627 | Supervised Teaching in Childhood Education and Literacy Studies II | (3) |
| IIIc. COGNATE (9 HOURS minimum) | ||
| The cognate can be described as a secondary concentration or sub-specialization area. Coursework must be taken at the advanced graduate level, and is developed in consultation with the major professor and the doctoral committee. The coursework in the cognate is developed in support of the student’s research objectives. | ||
| DISSERTATION (4 HOURS minimum) | ||
Qualifying Exam
The qualifying exam (QE) represents a shared responsibility between professors and their students. Professors are responsible for informing advisees about the format and general content of the QE. Students are responsible for being prepared to successfully complete the examination as well as for meeting administrative requirements and deadlines specified in the COE Advanced Graduate Handbook.
The QE is a summative evaluation. It represents a terminal performance where students demonstrate a level of scholastic mastery that allows them to begin the task of independent research. At the same time, successful completion of the QE is a rite of passage that heralds a new relationship between mentor and doctoral student.
The Early Childhood Program requires all doctoral students to complete a Summative Test in fulfillment of the qualifying exam. The Summative Test is 12 hours in length, is administered over a 3-day period in 4 hour segments, and integrates the work in the student’s specialization area, the cognate area, and measurement or foundations area.
Dissertation Process
Two options exist to satisfy dissertation requirements:
Option 1 is a traditional, single-volume dissertation that is defended before the committee and other members of the academic community and fulfills the research requirement for the Ph.D.
Candidacy
Following successful completion of the qualifying exam, the student becomes a doctoral candidate and the focus of study becomes his or her research agenda. The candidate develops a proposal for the dissertation research and defends the proposal to his or her committee. With committee approval of the design and research plan, the candidate begins data collection and analysis. When the research project is complete, the candidate prepares a dissertation document and conducts an oral defense of the research.
Proposal
During candidacy the doctoral candidate writes a proposal for the dissertation research. The proposal is an important document that outlines the doctoral candidate’s research plan. The proposal typically includes the first three chapters of the dissertation: 1. Introduction and Overview, 2. Theoretical Perspectives and Review of the Literature, 3. Methods: Participants, Data Sources, Data Collection Methods, Data Analyses Methods. Our program encourages candidates to select important research questions and to select the appropriate design and research methodology to answer the questions. Throughout the proposal development process, the candidate should actively consult the dissertation committee members for their expertise and feedback. Typically, the major professor reads and responds to drafts of the proposal as well. When the proposal is completely developed, the candidate first consults with the major professor, and then the other committee members, to set a date to defend the proposal. Additional paperwork must be filed with the Dean’s office and Graduate School.
Research
Following the proposal defense, the candidate conducts the research, analyzes the data, and develops a written document. The candidate should communicate with committee members regarding the status of the research.
Defense
The dissertation is a summary of the complete research process. A typical dissertation includes five chapters as well as references and appendices: 1. Introduction and Overview, 2. Theoretical Perspectives and Review of the Literature, 3. Methods: Participants, Data Sources, Data Collection Methods, Data Analyses Methods, 4. Results, 5. Conclusions and Significance of the Research. As the candidate writes the dissertation text, the major professor typically reads and responds to drafts of the dissertation. When the dissertation is completely developed, the candidate first consults with the major professor, and then the other committee members, to set a date to defend the dissertation. Additional paperwork must be filed with the Dean’s office and Graduate School.
Option 2 is based on newer practices in many scientific and education fields and is designed to promote early, significant research publication by doctoral candidates. In this option, the student provides an exhaustive review of literature and creates a substantial data base that is directly related to his or her research question(s). This data base is subject to scrutiny, evaluation, verification and audit by the student’s doctoral committee. Option 2 further requires that the student authors three substantial research manuscripts for submission to refereed journals selected by the program faculty. Two must be accepted for publication and the other under editorial review in order for degree requirements to be fulfilled.
Cognate
Each student selects a cognate—a series of courses representing an additional area of study from fields as broad as Literacy Studies, Measurement & Statistics, Special Education, Teacher Education, Second-Language Learning, Educational Psychology, and many others.