Program Information
Program Requirements
1. Course Requirements
Please see the degree and course requirements on the Graduate School's Math Ed. D. site.
2. Comprehensives Experience
Guidelines for the comprehensive experience:
Candidates are eligible to commence the comprehensive experience after the completion of 75% of required coursework including MATH 825 and at least one of MATH 820 and MATH 821.
The comprehensive experience includes a written portion and a presentation.
I.) Written portion:
A.) Review of the research literature. Candidates prepare an extensive review of the literature related to a specific topic in mathematics education. The review should center on current and relevant literature and must connect theory to research and past research to current research in the field. It is recommended that candidates choose a topic related to their potential dissertation topic. The review of the literature should include a broad perspective on the topic by describing different strands of research and providing comparative analysis. Although the work prepared for the literature review may become the basis of the candidate’s dissertation, the comprehensive experience should focus on the literature and should be distinguished from the proposal stage, where the candidate presents his/her research questions. Candidates are encouraged to conclude their literature review by highlighting gaps in the extant literature and using the literature to propose future directions of research in the area. The literature review should be about 30 pages in length and must follow current APA guidelines. The literature review should explicitly address the following overarching questions:
1.) How has the theory underlying your topic evolved through the history of mathematics education? What are the seminal works?
2.) What are areas for further study?
B.) Integrative essay. The purpose of the integrative essay is to enable students to demonstrate their theoretical and practical understandings of the core competencies of the Ed.D. in Mathematics Education. Through the integrative essay, candidates consider the wide body of literature related to mathematics education and demonstrates an understanding of the literature in a cogent way. Candidates are given two written prompts chosen by the program director. Candidates have three weeks to prepare responses to the two prompts. Each response should be 8 pages (single spaced) in length. The integrative essay is sent to each member of the committee two weeks prior to the anticipated presentation date.
II.) Presentation
Candidates present their literature review (Part A of their written work) at a departmental seminar. The audience for the seminar will include faculty, undergraduate and graduate students and others from outside MSU who may be interested in applying to the doctoral program. The candidate presents his/her literature review for 30 minutes, followed by questions from the audience for an additional 15 minutes. Because this part of the comprehensive experience is intended to emulate conference presentations and because it is important to be able to present material in a succinct way, these time limits will be strictly enforced. Following the seminar, the committee remains to ask the candidate questions related to the integrative essay and any additional questions in regard to the literature review or the presentation. The candidate is not allowed any materials besides copies of the literature review and two integrative essays. After up to one hour of discussions, the candidate leaves the room and the committee members meet to discuss the presentation and the responses to questions about the integrative essay.
The quality of the comprehensive experience will be assessed with regard to understanding of the field, clarity of writing, ability to communicate effectively during the presentation, and ability to answer questions. Candidates are encouraged to take courses concurrent with their work on the comprehensive experience but may not begin work on the dissertation proposal until the comprehensive examination requirements have been fulfilled.
Timeline:
1.) Candidate prepares literature review in consultation with advisor and committee members.
2.) Candidate sends literature review to entire committee for initial approval. Each member of the committee has two weeks to review the literature review and will consult with one another to decide if the candidate has approval to move forward to the presentation stage. The committee advisor will notify the candidate of the committee’s approval of the literature review.
3.) Once the candidate receives initial approval from their committee, he/she notifies the program director for written prompts for the integrative essay.
4.) Candidate has three weeks to complete integrative essay.
5.) Candidate submits the integrative essay to his/her entire committee. Each member of the committee has two weeks to review the integrative essay and will consult with one another to decide if the candidate has approval to more forward to the presentation stage. The committee advisor will notify the candidate of the committee’s approval of the integrative essays.
6.) A presentation date is set, no earlier than two weeks upon submission of integrative essay.
7.) Candidate gives presentation, as described above.
8.) Committee members pass or fail the candidate, notifying them immediately of the decision. If the candidate passes, he/she can begin the dissertation process. The approval of dissertation committee form should be completed at this point. If the candidate fails the comprehensive experience, he/she may attempt it one additional time.
3. Dissertation
Practice-based dissertation:
This option is suitable for candidates who wish to become leaders in their profession. The dissertation focuses on the development of knowledge related to topics such as curricula, policy, and professional development. For example, under this option, candidates might choose to write a theme-based curriculum, write a policy manual for his/her school district, or create a professional development program. All work must be original and based on current research. To this end, candidates must justify the development of their work through a literature review. Though the development of the module, curriculum unit, policy manual, or program is the main focus of the dissertation under this option, candidates must include a process of formative and summative assessment on their work. This may take on the form of a pilot study, feedback from colleagues obtained through interviews, or some other small-scale review system. The dissertation under this option would inform professionals such as policy makers, classroom teachers, and administrators through publications in practitioner journals, classroom resource books, and conference proceedings. Additionally, candidates are strongly encouraged to present their findings at state, regional, and national conferences.
Research-based dissertation:
This option is recommended for all candidates intending to pursue a career in higher education. The dissertation under this option focuses on the development and execution of a sound research project grounded in the literature. The candidate works closely with the committee members to identify research questions and methods and to analyze results. The research may involve the collection of quantitative or qualitative data, or may employ mixed-methods. Dissertations written under this option should be publishable in research mathematics education journals. Additionally, candidates are strongly encouraged to present their findings at state, regional, and national conferences.
Course Projection
Program Progress
Dissertation Titles of Graduates
"Serving two masters: A study of Quantitative Requirements at small colleges and universities."
Jodie A. Miller
Advisor: Ken Wolff
"American Assocation of two-year colleges (AMATYC) Reform Policies in Practice: Implementing Standards in Classroom Instruction for Basic Skill Mathematics at one four-year college."
Patricia Garruto
Advisor: Ken Wolff
"Factors that Produce and Reduce Mathematics Anxiety as Perceived by Seventh Grade Females -
A Qualitative Study"
Martha Baklarz Croley
Advisor: Ken Wolff
"The Development of Seventh Graders' Conceptual Understanding of Geometry and Spatial Visualization Abilities Using Mathematical Representations with Dynamic Models"
Deborah L. Ives
Advisor: Evan Maletsky
"The Use Of The Graphing Calculator To Support The Learning Of The Function Concept By Students With Learning Disabilities In A Mathematics Classroom"
Diane Carluccio
Advisor: Ken Wolff
"A Mathematical Community of Inquiry in the High School Setting"
Ray Siegriest
Advisor: Gideon Weinstein
"The Role of Paradox in Argumentation and Concept Transformation in Community of Mathematical Inquiry: A Dialectical Analysis"
Nadia Stoyanova Kennedy
Advisor: Mark Weinstein
"Metacognition And Mathematical Problem Solving Case Studies Of Six Seventh Grade Students"
Michelle Elizabeth Sarver
Advisor: Ken Wolff (Gideon Weinstein)
"An Interdisciplinary Approach to Secondary Math Class Activities: The Influence of Multiple Intelligences Inspired Tasks On Student Learning of Geometric Concepts"
Janice-Lynn Nazziola Shuhan
Advisor: Anthony Piccolino
"The Effect of Visually Enhanced Instructional Units on High School Calculus Students’ Visualization Ability and their Understanding of the Limit Concept"
Arpi A. Lajinian
Advisor: Ken Wolff (Evan Maletsky)
"A Study of Students' Perceptions About Their Attitude Toward Mathematics (ATM), Achievement in Mathematics (AIM), Factors That Influence ATM, And Suggestions To Improve ATM In A 'Better Than Average' District"
Laura Ann Clinton Sullivan
Advisor: Eileen Fernandez
"The Evolution Of One Teacher’s Interactions With Students Working In Small Groups To Improve Their Communication, Self-Regulating, And Problem-Solving Skills
Sarah Quebec Fuentes
Advisor: Mika Munakata
"The Effect of Using a Problem/Project Based, Document Driven Unit of Instruction on High School Students’ Achievement in the Data Analysis Cluster of the HSPA and on their attitude towards Mathematics"
Joy Cunningham Brokes
Advisor: Ken Wolff
"The Effects Of Using Diagramming As A Representational Technique On High School Students’ Achievement In Solving Math Word Problems"
Banmali Banerjee
Advisor: Ken Wolff
"Reform in Mathematics Education—Teaching for Social Justice"
Marius Petric
Advisor: Mika Munakata
"The relationship between studying music and mathematics performance on the New Jersey high school proficiency assessment"
Kristi Prokop
Advisor: Ken Wolff
What can you do with an Ed.D. in Mathematics Education?
- Become a leader in your district
- Curriculum developer
- Evaluator
- Department Chair
- Professional development leader
- Mathematics specialist
- Teach at the college level
- Mathematics Education faculty member in mathematics department or school of education at a university/four-year college
- Teach undergraduate and graduate methods and research courses
- Mentor theses
- Teach undergraduate mathematics courses
- Mathematics faculty member in two-year colleges
- Mathematics Education faculty member in mathematics department or school of education at a university/four-year college
- Work for private companies or on grant-related projects
- Textbook writer (or develop other publisher materials)
- Editor of textbooks or other curriculum materials
- Evaluator
- Proposal writer
- Researcher
- Editor of mathematics and mathematics education curriculum materials
- Textbook consultant
- Work on policy
- Government positions in department of education
- Consultant
- Lobbysist for education reform
- Teach K—12 mathematics
- Research-based teacher
- Innovator of teaching methodologies
- Active participant in professional and research community