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Educational Foundations

Wist 113
1776 University Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-7913
Fax: (808) 956-9100
Email: edef@hawaii.edu
Web: coe.hawaii.edu/academics/educational-foundations

Faculty

*D. P. Ericson, PhD (Chair)—philosophy of education, educational policy, international education
*B. Cheng, EdD—comparative and international education, education policy
*X. Di, EdD—philosophy of education, history of education, sociology of education
*D. B. Edwards Jr., PhD—global education policy, global governance of education, international organizations, international development and education, quasi-market reforms, community empowerment, school-based management, education in Latin America and Southeast Asia
*L. H. Phan, PhD—international education, language-culture-pedagogy, identity studies, TESOL, critical theories of education and language
*D. Taira, PhD—history of American education and Hawaiian education, history of Territorial Hawai‘i, history of the Progressive Era, U.S. education policy, educational equity and access.
*C. S. Tanabe, PhD, JD—educational law and policy, philosophy of education
*H. Tavares, PhD—politics of education, educational policy studies, critical theories of education

Cooperating Graduate Faculty

Affiliate Graduate Faculty

D. L. Grossman, PhD—civic/citizenship education, comparative/international/cross-cultural education, teacher education
J. N. Hawkins, PhD—political economy of education, higher education, education and development in Asia
D. E. Neubauer, PhD—globalization, comparative higher education, education administration
A. Singh, PhD—comparative sociology of education, critical and reflective pedagogy, multicultural education
S. Sridharan, PhD—evaluating education interventions, systems reform, realist evaluation, quantitative and qualitative methods, impact evaluation

Degree Offered: MEd in educational foundations, PhD in education with track in educational foundations

The Academic Program

The Department of Educational Foundations takes an interdisciplinary approach to the critical examination of educational issues by focusing on explaining and interpreting education–asking and responding to the “why” questions. The department is committed to the professional and personal intellectual growth of educators and laypersons who wish to broaden and deepen their understanding of educational problems, questions, issues and controversies. The department adopts a multidisciplinary approach to educational inquiry by drawing on the disciplines of the humanities and social sciences. We value and affirm multiple perspectives, multiple voices, and collaboration in a program that is committed to engaging and deepening the prospect of democratic education. We seek to move our students toward greater appreciation of complexity, clarity, and compassion through our curriculum.

Related to the traditional disciplines are the department’s four areas of emphasis: history of education, philosophy of education, socio-cultural foundations, and international/comparative education. Related areas of study include educational policy studies, the politics of education, legal issues in education, and multicultural education.

Graduates with the MEd degree are expected to be able to analyze alternatives in educational thought, policy and practice related to the social and ethical problems faced by schools and other educational agencies at the state, national and international levels. Graduates with the PhD are expected to exert professional expertise in the field of education and deal with those aspects and problems in society that need to be taken into account in advancing educational thought, policy development and practice, especially where these concern the social role of the school and other educational agencies.

Graduate Study

Master of Education in Educational Foundations

The department offers programs of graduate study leading to a MEd in educational foundations, informed by history of education, philosophy of education, social/cultural foundations of education, and/or comparative/international education.

MEd Program Options

Option I: Plan A Thesis (30 credits)

• Department course (12 credits)
  
• One research course (3 credits)
  
• Three electives (including a seminar) in area of emphasis and/or cognate (9 credits)
  
• Thesis 700 (6 credits)
  
• Committee: chair (full graduate faculty), member (graduate faculty), outside member (full graduate faculty)
  
• Culminating experience: oral defense of thesis
  

Option II: Plan B Non-thesis (30 credits)

• For field based educators and others who choose to do a project based study
  
• Department course (12 credits)
  
• One research course (3 credits)
  
• Three electives, including a seminar (9 credits)
  
• Directed reading for developing and carrying out a project and writing related paper (6 credits)
  
• Committee: chair, plus one reader (who must have at least a master’s degree) who guide the student through the conceptualization and implementation of the project and the writing of the Plan B paper
  
• Culminating experience: A final paper that describes and evaluates the final project, and an oral presentation
  

Option III: Summers Only Masters in Education (30 credits)

• Focus on leadership in the Asia/Pacific Region (EdLeads)*
  
• Fixed sequence of courses (30 credits)
  
• Committee: chair (member of graduate faculty) and reader (who must have at least a master’s degree) who guide the student through the conceptualization and implementation of the project and the writing of the Plan B paper
  
• Culminating experience: A final paper that describes and evaluates the final project, and an oral presentation
  

Option IV: Summers Only Masters in Education (30 credits)

Focus on private school leadership in the Pacific Basin (PSL)*

• Fixed sequence of courses (30 credits)
  
• Committee: chair (member of graduate faculty) and reader (who must have at least a master’s degree) who guide the student through the conceptualization and implementation of the project and the writing of the Plan B paper
  
• Culminating experience: a final paper that describes and evaluates the final project, and an oral presentation.
  

Option V: Online Year-Round Master of Education (30 credits)

Focus on global issues in educational policy and practice (Global Perspectives)

• Fixed sequence of courses (30 credits)
  
• Committee chair (member of graduate faculty) and reader (who must have at least a relevant master’s degree) who guide the student through the conceptualization and implementation of the project and the writing of the Plan B.
  
• Culminating experience: a final paper that describes and evaluates the final project, and an oral presentation (may be video-taped).

For further information, contact the graduate chair, Department of Educational Foundations.

Doctoral Degree

The Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD) is a college-wide degree awarded for distinguished academic preparation for scholarly professional practice in the field of education.

The Department of Educational Foundations offers or contributes to three PhD tracks under the PhD program of the College of Education: (1) the traditional educational foundations track, (2) the global and international education track, and (3) the educational policy studies track (see the tracks cited under the PhD in Education program in this Catalog and the College of Education website for more information. In all three tracks, the department prepares educational professionals with an understanding of the historical, philosophical, cultural, social, and political contexts of education so that they can make informed and wise decisions about educational problems and policy issues. Graduates with the PhD are expected to exert leadership in the field of education and deal with those aspects and problems in society that need to be taken into account in advancing educational thought, policy development, and practice, especially where these concern the social role of the school and other educational agencies. The program of study varies in the number of credits, depending upon the candidate’s qualifications and will include the following: college courses required of all students enrolled in the PhD program of the College of Education; department courses required of all students with a specialization in educational foundations; area of emphasis course work focused in history, philosophy, comparative, or social/cultural foundations of education; cognate-field course work usually taken outside of the College of Education; a field project or an internship; qualifying and comprehensive examinations; and the dissertation.

For further information concerning the College of Education PhD program, see “Doctoral Degrees,” or write to the graduate chair, Department of Educational Foundations, 1776 University Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96822.

EDEF Courses