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Educational Psychology

Wist Hall 214
1776 University Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-7775
Fax: (808) 956-6615
Web: www.hawaii.edu/coe/departments/edep/

Faculty

*A. S. Bayer, PhD (Chair)—literacy, collaborative-apprenticeship learning, cultural psychology
*F. T. Bail, PhD—human learning and cognition, learning strategies
*P. R. Brandon, PhD—program evaluation, study of program implementation and research on professional development
*B. D. DeBaryshe, PhD—social development, parent-child relations, stress and resilience
*M. K. Iding, PhD—literacy, learning and cognition
*M. K. Lai, PhD— program evaluation, research methods
*K. Ratliffe, PhD— learning and development in exceptional students, culturally diverse educational environments, family influences on learning and development
*L. Yamauchi, PhD— cognitive development, cultural influences on learning, minority students and schooling
*Y. Yin, PhD— science assessment, research methodology, statistics
*S. Zhang, PhD—quantitative research methodology, statistics, second language acquisition

Cooperating Graduate Faculty

A. Maynard, PhD— children’s teaching abilities, sibling interactions, cultural change and socialization, and literacy

Affiliate Graduate Faculty

M. E. Brandt, PhD—cognitive development, culture and cognition, alternative assessment
S. A. Chin-Chance, PhD— program evaluation
P. G. LeMahieu, PhD— student assessment, program evaluation

Degrees Offered: MEd in educational psychology, PhD in educational psychology

The Academic Program

The Department of Educational Psychology promotes inquiry in human learning and development within the context of a diverse society. Specifically, the major areas of study include human learning, human development, research methodology, statistics, measurement, and assessment and evaluation.

The department’s MEd and PhD programs prepare individuals to perform career activities—basic and applied research, teaching and mentoring—in universities, school systems and other human service institutions and agencies, both public and private.

Graduate Study

Master’s Degree Concentrations

MEd (concentration in Studies in Educational Psychology)

Graduate study is primarily oriented toward students with specific professional educational objectives, but it is also applicable to students who find a major in educational psychology congruent with their personal objectives and who wish to engage in elective study to the greatest extent possible while fulfilling degree requirements. After admission, the student and his/her temporary advisor detail a coherent program of study that includes a minimum of 30 credit hours. This program of study is forwarded to the graduate chair for endorsement.

Application for Admission

In addition to the application form required by the Graduate Division, prospective students must also submit:

1. Department of Educational Psychology application form to the department.
2. Three recommendation forms attesting to academic and professional strengths. Academic recommendations are preferred.
3. Transcript(s) of all prior undergraduate and graduate course work.
4. For non-native speakers of English, a minimum TOEFL score of 600/250 unless waived in accordance with Graduate Division guidelines.

[NOTE: Applications for admission to the MEd program must be received by February 1 (applications from international students are due January 15) for the fall semester, and by September 1 (applications from international students are due August 1) for the spring semester.]

Degree Requirements

After admission, the student, with the assistance of at least one member of the graduate faculty, details a program of study which includes a minimum of 30 credits for Plan A (Thesis) and Plan B (Non-thesis) candidates. Courses at or above the 400 level may be applied to an individual’s program of study and a minimum of 18 credits must be earned in courses numbered 600-798. Up to 12 credits completed prior to admission to the program may be transferred for credit toward the degree. All students in the MEd program are required to take EDEP 408 (or 608), 416, 429, 611 and 661 and a graduate seminar (EDEP 768) as part of their 30 credits.

Relatively soon after entering the program, students are expected to choose between Plan A or Plan B options.

Plan A (Thesis)

Students whose objective is doctoral study are expected to define a Plan A program of study at the master’s level. The Graduate Division requires that a minimum of 12 credits, exclusive of research methods courses and thesis research (EDEP 700) must be earned in courses numbered 600-798. When the student program has been defined (including any transfer credits), Student Progress Form I is submitted to the Graduate Division. Plan A candidates must take at least 6 credits of thesis research (EDEP 700). At the discretion of the thesis chair, up to five credits of EDEP 699, previously completed, may be substituted for five of the six EDEP 700 credits.

The development of a thesis proposal is concurrent with the selection of a thesis advisor and committee. After the thesis proposal is defended and approved, Student Progress Form II is submitted to the Graduate Division and the student may enroll in thesis research (EDEP 700) at the beginning of the next academic semester. Students must register for at least one EDEP 700 credit during the semester in which they graduate and apply for graduation by the appropriate deadline.

It is the responsibility of the student to keep all members of the thesis committee informed of the scope, plan, and progress of thesis research. Copies of the completed thesis must be submitted to committee members at least two weeks prior to the date of the final oral examination by the committee. Upon successful defense of the thesis and subsequent completion of revisions, Student Progress Form III is submitted to the Graduate Division.

One unbound clean copy (two if publishing with ProQuest Information and Learning) of the completed thesis signed by all the members of the committee must be deposited with the Graduate Division by the specified deadline (see the “Calendar”). Bound copies must also be provided to the department and the thesis chair.

Plan B (Nonthesis)

Not more than 9 credits in directed reading/research (EDEP 699) may be applied to meet degree requirements. The culminating requirement is a Plan B Project, an original educational inquiry resulting in a product that informs educational practice. Students develop a 2-3 page proposal outlining their projects that are then approved by their advisors (Guidelines for Plan B proposals). The development of a Plan B project is concurrent with the selection of a Plan B advisor.

If candidates are not enrolled in other courses, they must be enrolled in Directed Studies 500 (a 1-credit course, evaluated on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis) during the semester in which the degree is awarded. The 500 course does not count toward credit hour requirements. Students must apply for graduation when registering for their final semester of study.

After the program of study has been endorsed by the graduate faculty, the student is advanced to candidacy for the master’s degree. A minimum residency of two semesters of full-time study or the equivalent in credits at UH Manoa is required. Students must apply for graduation when they register for their final semester of study.

Doctoral Degree

The PhD program in Educational Psychology is directed toward increasing the candidate’s competence in educational inquiry. In general, the domain of inquiry encompasses human learning and development in the context of education. Courses are offered in the areas of: statistics, measurement, and research methodology; and human learning, cognition, and development. The programs prepare individuals to conduct basic and applied research and evaluation in public and private educational settings and provide instruction and consultation appropriate for all educational levels. Graduates hold positions in educational program development and evaluation, research, policy development, and consulting; and, they teach in schools, colleges, and universities in the U.S., the Pacific Basin and Asia.

Application for Admission

In addition to the application form required by the Graduate Division, prospective students must also submit:

1. Department of Educational Psychology application form to the Department.
2. Three recommendation forms attesting to academic and professional strengths.
3. Transcript(s) of all prior undergraduate and graduate course work.
4. Official scores on the Graduate Record Exam Aptitude Text.
5. For non-native speakers of English, a minimum TOEFL score of 600/250 unless waived in accordance with Graduate Division guidelines.
6. Evidence of research competence (e.g., master’s research thesis, a published or publishable article, or a coherent research proposal).

[NOTE: Applications for admission to the PhD program are considered for the fall semester only and must be received by February 1 (applications from international students are due January 15).

Degree Requirements

Initial Faculty Advising

Upon entrance to the graduate program, each student is assigned a temporary advisor to facilitate the student’s progress through the program. The graduate chair will be the advisor for students if no one else is specified. Initial assignment or choice of a temporary advisor in no way obligates the student to select the temporary advisor as his/her program advisor or to include the temporary advisor as his/her dissertation (PhD) committee member. Likewise, the temporary advisor has no obligation to serve on his/her dissertation committee. The system of temporary advisors is merely a way of identifying a specific faculty member the student can call upon for advice. The temporary advisor can be changed at any time.

In order to maintain a close working relationship between the students and the faculty, students are required to undertake self-assessment activities every semester. After completing a written self-assessment, students meet with the EDEP faculty at the end of each semester to review and direct progress toward their degrees.
Students who have successfully defended their dissertation proposal are not required to attend these meetings.

Procedure for Completing the PhD Degree

Each student works closely with members of the graduate faculty to define an individual program of study. A typical program spans three to five years of concentrated study within the broadly defined discipline of educational psychology.
Program requirements include (a) completion of required core courses; (b) completion of required interdisciplinary specialization; (c) college teaching experience (EDEP 711) in conjunction with one or more faculty members; (d) documentation of directed research experiences; and (e) a minimum residency of three semesters of full-time work or the equivalent in credits at UH Manoa.

Advancement to Candidacy: Completion of Core Courses

Students must receive a grade of at least “B” in all core courses. The purposes of the core courses are (a) to determine whether to encourage students to proceed in the PhD program; (b) to develop an appropriate plan for study; and (c) to advance to candidacy. Students may submit Student Progress Form I upon completion of core courses.

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive exam is required. Its purpose is to ascertain the student’s comprehension of knowledge fundamental to educational psychology.

The format of the comprehensive examination will include questions relevant to but may be broader, than the student’s proposal. When students pass the comprehensive exam, they may submit Student Progress Form II. A student who fails the comprehensive examination may repeat it once at the discretion of the graduate faculty. However, students failing the comprehensive examination a second time are dropped from the program.

Dissertation Prospectus and Proposal

Completion of the comprehensive exam marks the beginning of greater concentration in developing expertise in the area of the student’s interest. The development of a dissertation prospectus is done in conjunction with the identification of the dissertation committee chair. The prospectus is a 5-10 page description of the proposed research that is circulated to the faculty. If there are no major objections to this prospectus from the graduate faculty as a whole, the student forms a doctoral committee based on mutual interest. Dissertation committee formation generally is intertwined with proposal development. A formal oral defense of the proposal is made by the student to the doctoral committee in order to confirm approval of the proposed research.

Completion of the Program

It is the responsibility of the student to keep all members of the dissertation committee informed of the scope, plan, and progress of the dissertation research. Copies of the completed dissertation must be submitted to the committee members at least two weeks prior to the date of the final oral examination by the committee. Upon successful defense of the dissertation and subsequent completion of revisions, Student Progress Form III is submitted to the Graduate Division.

Copies of the completed dissertation must be submitted to committee members at least four weeks prior to the date of the final oral examination. Two unbound, clean copies must be deposited with the Graduate Division by the deadline specified in the “Calendar.” Original signatures are required on the signature page. Bound copies must also be provided to the department and to the dissertation chair.

EDEP Courses