Education: Teaching & Learning Concentration, M.A.

Required Courses (33 credit hours)

• ED 615 - Theories of Learning (3)
• ED 617 - Theories of Behavior (3)
• ED 630 - Advanced Curriculum & Instruction (3)
• ED 684 - Effective Instruction (3)
• ED 680 - Special Topics (1-3) 3 separate 1 credit hour courses
• ED 689 - Research Methods in Education (3)
• 15 credit hours of approved graduate electives

Education Academic Policy for Master’s Programs

Students must complete a minimum of 31 credit hours of coursework in one of the concentrations to receive a Master of Arts in Education degree. A maximum of nine credit hours of transfer work is allowed from other universities/colleges or up to 15 credit hours from Avila University. To maintain enrollment, the student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in all graduate coursework with no grade below a “C.” Only one grade of “C” is accepted toward the 31 credit hour program. Only one course may be repeated one time in the entire program. Students who are unable to maintain these academic standards will be dismissed from the program.

Outcomes

The educational outcomes are designed to prepare practicing professionals with the skills necessary to demonstrate professional practice, integrate educational theory with practice, and to assume leadership roles through knowledge of current educational research and practice. Graduate education outcomes assess skills in receptive and expressive communication, thinking strategies and skills, professional dispositions, and depth and breadth of knowledge. All course requirements are tied to the Avila Learning Outcomes, School of Education Conceptual Framework, Missouri Standards for Practicing Teachers, and InTASC Core Teaching Standards.

Students who complete the Master of Arts degree in Education with a concentration in Teaching & Learning will meet the following outcomes:

1.  Master of Arts candidates will demonstrate communication skills, including the ability to:

• Demonstrate effective teaching skills through integration of theory, professional practice, and applied research;
• Communicate in specific, concrete, general, and abstract terms as appropriate;
• Express written ideas in a clear, well-organized manner;
• Express oneself orally using correct verbal skills including grammar, intonation, and fluency; and
• Communicate within a culturally diverse milieu.

2.  Master of Arts candidates will demonstrate cognitive skills, including the ability to:

• Be a reflective teacher by analyzing individual teaching behaviors and integrating practical and theoretical concepts in an educational setting;
• Utilize creative and critical thinking skills to become an effective teacher;
• Evaluate and critique quantitative and qualitative research;
• Plan and conduct classroom investigations and implement a plan of change when appropriate.

3.  Master of Arts candidates will demonstrate professional dispositions, including the ability to:

• Demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning;
• Assume leadership responsibilities with colleagues and in their profession;
• Cultivate the ongoing exploration and acceptance of differing educational perspectives;
• Acceptance of individual differences. 

4.  Master of Arts candidates will demonstrate knowledge in each of the following areas:

• Depth and breadth of educational literature;
• The theoretical concepts describing human learning and motivations and their application to lesson design, instruction, evaluation, and assessment;
• Curriculum development, both the philosophical basis and current research in design and implementation of curricular plans.

Assessment

Outcomes for the Master of Arts degree in Education are assessed through key assessments, mastery assessments, and action research projects or field performance evaluations as indicated on course syllabi. 

Alignment matrices showing the assessment of outcomes in each graduate concentration are located in the School of Education Office. Concentrations require capstone courses in which the outcomes are assessed in clinical settings.