Conceptual Framework

The faculty in the College of Education at Mississippi State University are committed to assuring the success of students and graduates by providing superior learning opportunities that are continually improved as society, schools and technology change. Consequently, the faculty in the College of Education assist educational professionals in acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, behaviors and attitude to function competently and ethically; they also dedicate themselves to the continual improvement of all students’ educational experiences.

The organizing theme for the conceptual framework for the College of Education is educational professionals - dedicated to continual improvement of all students’ educational experiences.

The visual symbol is a shield depicting a burning torch, a metaphor for the necessary knowledge, skills, behaviors and attitudes of educational professionals and a globe, symbolizing the dedication of educational professionals to the improvement of all students’ educational experiences. On the outside edges of the shield are the areas of study which constitute the components of the educative process and are essential underpinnings for development of knowledge, skills, behaviors and attitudes of educational professionals: (1) General Studies which constitute the university core curriculum, assist educational professionals in understanding themselves and the world around them and allow them to gain both a more integrated view of knowledge and an authentic view of life;  (2) Professional/Pedagogical Studies encourage educational professionals to connect their knowledge of those areas of specialization to an understanding of how students or clients learn and think at various stages in their development; (3) Content/Specialty Studies enhance and build upon the general studies, allowing students opportunity to learn to think about how knowledge in their discipline can contribute to educating productive educational professionals: (4) Field/Clinical Experiences allow students the opportunity to participate in field/site-based experiences where they explore the issues involved in the setting and develop specific competencies through guided practice, both of which contribute to effective teaching/leadership and build reflective practice to help ensure that the necessary skills have been mastered. The Conceptual Framework delineates a set of proficiencies which include the desired outcomes for all students in the College of Education – see the Conceptual Framework Program Outcomes (CFPO’s) at the bottom of the page.

Contained within the shield are the words knowledge, practice, reflection and collaboration, identifying the essential characteristics of effective educational professionals. The beliefs that guide program development are as follows:

1. KNOWLEDGE - Educational professionals must have a deep understanding of the organizing concepts, processes, and attitudes that comprise their chosen disciplinary knowledge base, the pedagogical knowledge base, and the pedagogical content knowledge base. They must also know how to complement these knowledge bases with the appropriate use of technology.
2. COLLABORATION - Educational professionals must continually seek opportunities to work together, learn from one another, forge partnerships, and assume positions of responsibility.
3. REFLECTION - Educational professionals must be willing to assess their own strengths and weaknesses through reflection. They must also possess the skills, behaviors, and attitudes necessary to learn, change, and grow as life-long learners.
4. PRACTICE - Educational professionals must have a rich repertoire of research-based strategies for instruction, assessment, and the use of technologies. They must be able to focus that array of skills on promoting authentic learning by all students or clients, while exhibiting an appreciation and commitment to the value and role of diversity.