Professional Inquiry. The primary theme of the program is professional development. A focus on inquiry or research is expected and certainly appropriate for any graduate program. However, this intellectual focus is critical for practicing professionals who engage daily in complex work and are confronted with questions and problems of practice that cannot be solved easily, once and for all. This makes educators' work challenging, rewarding, and creative. The character of our work requires multiple approaches to inquiry that are responsive to an array of questions. Therefore, our program does not offer a single, traditional approach to inquiry, such as a research course which focuses primarily on quantitative measures or a master's thesis to be completed at the end of your program. Rather, we provide multiple opportunities for inquiry and require all students to develop a professional portfolio to document their inquiry and professional development over time.
We have designed a program that integrates inquiry into all of our courses, particularly the core courses, so that students can experience diverse forms and approaches to inquiry. Much of this inquiry is field-based, conducted by students in their classrooms and schools, and derived from students' own questions and professional goals. We view our primary task as introducing professionals to diverse approaches to educational inquiry and helping students to articulate, refine, and pursue their research questions in thoughtful, systematic ways.
A Spiraling Curriculum. The M.A.C.T. program's courses are organized into a spiraling curriculum that shifts in emphasis from one year to the next with integrated themes or curriculum strands running throughout the program (see framework). Most students complete their program of study in three years. Some pursue their courses at an accelerated rate, and others take up to five years (which is the university's limit) to complete their program.
Also see:
Years 1, 2, & 3
M.A.C.T. Portfolio
M.A.C.T. Synthesis Paper
