EPDM95 RESEARCH METHODS IN EDUCATION

ASSIGNMENT 2 GUIDANCE

Assignment 2: Thesis Proposal (2500 words, +/- 10%)

The sections below will become the starting point for chapters in your actual thesis. Please include the following:

·         A carefully crafted title or overarching question which sums up your topic very clearly and precisely in an unbiased way.

·         A rationale for your question (why have you chosen it?). This will be approximately 400 to 800 words and will outline the main reasons why this topic is an important one to study (e.g. professional or educational reasons). It will also provide some contextual information (background, setting, social/political considerations). This section aims to show the value of your study and to convince the reader of the reasons why it should be investigated. Although your rationale may include some personal reasons for your interest in the topic, you will need to use literature to support your assertions in order to remain objective and unbiased.

·         Key aims of your research and the contribution it will make to this area. (An extended version of this will become Chapter 1: Introduction to your actual thesis). Aim to provide 3 or 4 key aims, usually in bullet-points, that will act as a roadmap to your study. By the end of your study, you should have clearly addressed each of the aims outlined.

·         Review of key literature on your chosen question (approximately 800 to 1000 words). Aim to compare and contrast arguments from current/previous research on this topic (include definitions of any key concepts/words, any exclusions). You are aiming to provide the reader with an overview of the current literature that exists in this field. (An extended version of this will become Chapter 2: Literature Review in your thesis).

·         Methodology: (approximately 800 to 1000 words). As you have done in Assignment 1, you are now looking to justify your own decision-making around the methodological choices you have made for your study. Justify your chosen paradigm (or philosophical approach), as well as your methodological approach, data collection methods and ethics, making consistent references to methodological literature to support your decisions. You must be very clear – which methods have you chosen, how many participants are involved, how did you select them, and why, how long will interviews be, how many observations do you plan to conduct, etc.? Also include why you have not chosen a particular method, making constant links to your research aims to show why a decision to include or exclude a certain approach was appropriate – always using literature to support your arguments.

·         Analysis: (approximately 400 to 600 words). Justify how you will analyse your data. Discuss areas such as triangulation, validity, integrity, credibility – and refer to literature to support your discussion. An extended version of the two previous sections will become your Chapter 3: Methodology in your thesis.

The suggested word allocations above are merely a guide; you do not have to stick to them absolutely to gain a good mark in this assignment.

Reference List: Please provide a full reference list of the citations used within your assignment, according to Harvard Referencing conventions. Please be consistent in your referencing and try to provide a reference for every assertion that you present.