Coordinator: Dr. Sharon Ryan (732-932-7496; email: sr247@rci.rutgers.edu)
The master's program in early childhood/elementary education is intended for certified teachers who wish to continue their study of learning and teaching in early childhood/elementary settings. The program has five major goals: (1) to foster a vision of learning as an active process in which students construct their own knowledge and understandings; (2) to foster a vision of teaching that promotes depth of understanding and problem solving rather than mere curriculum coverage and that recognizes children's individual and cultural differences; (3) to extend teachers' knowledge of current research and theory on learning and teaching so they can make informed decisions about educational practice and can help to bring about change in schools; (4) to encourage teachers to be teacher-researchers who reflect on and systematically inquire into their own practice; and (5) to provide an opportunity for teachers to acquire depth in an area of early childhood/elementary education that is of particular interest to them.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
I. PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION (6 credits)
Two courses chosen from the following (or others, with advisement):
290:501 Educational Psychology I: Intro to Tests and Measurements
290:521 Psychosocial Development and Issues: Infancy, Early Childhood, and the Family
290:522 Cognition & Language from Birth to 5: Normal
Development & Implications of
Risk & Disability
290:524 Enhancing Learning and Development for Infants and Young Children in
Integrated Settings
293:522 Learning Disabilities
293:525 Psychology of the Exceptional Child
295:503 Cognitive Development
295:510 Cooperative and Collaborative Learning
295:512 Introduction to Child Development (or more advanced course)
295:575 The Psychology of Sex Differences
295:578 Developmental Theory of Jean Piaget
II. EARLY CHILDHOOD/ELEMENTARY EDUCATION (18 credits)
A. REQUIRED COURSES (6 credits)
251:570 Research and Practice in Elementary Classrooms
251:577 Constructs of Early Childhood Education or
251:578 Theories and Practices in Early Childhood Education
B. AREA OF SPECIALIZATION (12 credits)
Courses for the area of specialization must be selected with advisement.
(1) Content Area Study (in one or more of the following areas: creative arts education,
literacy, ESL and bilingual education,
instructional technology, mathematics education, science education)
(2) Early Childhood Education and Applied Child Development (focus on settings for children birth through seven; child care, family and parenting issues; developmentally appropriate practices)
III. ELECTIVES (6 credits)
With adviser's approval, may be taken anywhere in the university
IV.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OR EXAMINATION ALTERNATIVE
The comp exam consists of three take-home questions. One typically deals with problems in classroom organization
and management (e.g., use of time, motivation, behavior); one emphasizes early childhood education and psychology;
and one focuses on your area of specialization. Students who wish to do the alternative to the exam must develop a
proposal for a project that will be carried out under the guidance of a faculty member in the program. A second faculty
member, who will serve as a second reader of the final paper, must also sign off on the proposal. Beginning academic year 2002-2003 the comprehensive exam will be given only once a year. Students will pick up the exam questions in May and return them in September.
TOTAL MINIMUM CREDITS 30
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