Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcomes for all three of the UCI School of Education's degree programs are detailed below.

B.A., Education Sciences

UCI School of Education faculty adopted the following program learning outcomes for the B.A., Education Sciences Program:

1. Application
Students will apply theories from Education Sciences to understand educational decisions, processes, and outcomes.

2. Methodological Practices and Research Design
Students will critically evaluate the quality of educational research.

3. Quantitative and Qualitative Data Literacy
Students will be proficient with principles of analyzing educational scientific data.

4. Public Skills and Citizenship
Students will use knowledge from Education Sciences to inform debates surrounding educational practice and policy, and promote public understanding and effective community engagement.

5. Communication
Students will effectively communicate theories, practices, policies and research from Education Sciences with a variety of audiences.

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MAT + Credential

As a graduate program within a research university, the School of Education is committed to implementing a rigorous curriculum to support the development of candidates who share core knowledge, can apply research methods and analysis to problems of practice, demonstrate effective pedagogical practices, engage in scholarly communication, and demonstrate professional behavior. 

1. Core Knowledge
Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate general knowledge of educational research and theory sufficient to critically analyze instructional practices in relation to student learning.
  
• Demonstrate the ability to collect and analyze data gathered from classrooms and other educational settings
  
• Demonstrate specialized pedagogical knowledge related to a subject specific discipline
  
• Demonstrate the ability to identify problems of practice and to locate innovations that can address problems

2. Research Methods and Analysis
Students will be able to:

• Design a sound action research study grounded in relevant peer-reviewed research
  
• Conduct a review of research on specific topics in education in order to inform instructional decision making
  
• Analyze and compare various theories of curriculum, learning and instruction
  
• Conduct field-based observations and collect ethnographic fieldnotes
  
• Develop case studies to inform pedagogical decision-making
  
• Draw on research-based knowledge to identify and understand school-based problems
  
• Evaluate their own teaching practices and subject matter knowledge in light of information about the state-adopted academic content standards and relevant research

3. Pedagogy
Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate competence in pedagogy as defined by the Teaching Performance Expectations established by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Those skills fall under following broad categories:
  
  • Making subject matter comprehensible to students  
    
  • Assessing student learning
    
  • Engaging and supporting students in learning  
    
  • Planning instruction and designing learning experiences for students  
    
  • Creating and maintaining effective environments for student learning
    
  • Developing as a professional educator

​4. Scholarly Communication
Students will be able to:

• Structure a coherent academic argument that presents and evaluates evidence to support claims
  
• Understand and properly use styles of citing and referencing found in educational research outlets
  
• Make clear and cogent oral presentations
  
• Work collaboratively with peers to develop a research question and design an action research study
  
• Develop language and practices for communicating with parents, school-based leaders, colleagues and teachers, and students

5. Professionalism
Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate professionalism as defined by the Teaching Performance Expectations established by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. 

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Ph.D. in Education

UCI School of Education faculty adopted the following program learning outcomes for the Ph.D. in Education Program:

1. ​Core Knowledge
Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate general knowledge of educational research and theory consistent with that of a faculty member at a research university
  
• Demonstrate specialized knowledge of a sub-field of educational research and theory sufficient to carry out substantive independent research in that sub-field

2. Research Methods and Analysis
Students should be able to:

• Understand the range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies typically used in educational research and their underlying epistemology and critically read research that uses this range of research
  
• Frame an empirical research study guided by theory and prior research
  
• Design and implement a sound study using appropriate methods, measures, and techniques
  
• Critically evaluate and systematically analyze data to come up with appropriate findings and interpretations
  
• Understand and follow research ethics

3. Pedagogy
Students will be able to:

• Design high-quality undergraduate and graduate courses in the field of education, including appropriate goals, reading or audiovisual materials, assignments, and sequencing
  
• Communicate effectively to large and small groups in pedagogical settings in both lecture and discussion formats
  
• Identify and effectively deploy suitable digital media for use in all aspects of instruction
  
• Assess students effectively, including developing and using appropriate measures and rubrics

4. Scholarly Communication
Students will be able to:

• Structure a coherent academic argument that rigorously presents and evaluates evidence to support claims
  
• Review and cogently synthesize relevant literature
  
• Adopt an authorial voice
  
• Write in a level and style of English consistent with that found in leading academic journals
  
• Understand and properly use styles of citing, referencing, and formatting found in educational research outlets
  
• Make clear and cogent oral presentations, including effective use of digital media
  
• Cogently summarize their research and its significance for non-specialist audiences

5. Professionalism
Students will be able to:

• Select appropriate conference venues for their educational research and produce competitive research proposals for them
  
• Prepare and discuss a poster suitable for presentation at a research conference
  
• Prepare manuscripts that meet the standards of specific educational research journals and respond appropriately to recommendations for revision
  
• Select appropriate fellowship or grant opportunities and prepare competitive proposals for them
  
• Make effective contributions to research teams and lab groups
  
• Make effective contributions to university, community, and professional service

6. Independent Research
Students should be able to:

• Develop their own research projects that meet high standards of theoretical and methodological rigor
  
• Produce scholarship that is comparable in scope and format to articles and books that appear in leading peer-reviewed journals and presses in the field of education
  
• Supervise research assistants effectively