Thinking through initial ideas Research project Thinking through initial ideas

AIMS OF THE SESSION Review your initial research ideas Look at the format of the research report Examine the elements of the report Introduction

The Research Study can be…… Anything you want it to be but: It must be reportable in 4000 words It must have a link to school practice It must be interesting enough to sustain your focus

Elements of the Research Study Section A Research proposal form Development plan Presentation of ideas to the rest of the group Reflection on peer feedback comments Section B Research Report Section C Presentation of research findings to the rest of the group + accompanying notes + peer feedback

Project ideas ?? National issues or high profile topics in education Area of personal interest / area for development Review / development of an existing scheme School area of focus /concern Planned school development

The proposal form

Background & preparatory reading This is an essential stage of the research process as: It is essential to know what work has been done previously It will help to identify research possibilities and to slant your research on certain aspects of the chosen topic This in turn will help you to develop a research methodology It will help to justify your choice of research topic Select a few key books/articles initially – then use these as a base for identifying other relevant texts It saves time in the long run

YOUR PROJECT IDEAS

Gantt chart Helps to identify and plan milestones & deadlines: Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 Plan Project Research background theories & concepts Talk to school to check feasibility Complete draft planning proposal + success criteria Complete Development Plan

Starting your Development Plan Development Plans usually contain: Key Areas / Outcomes Details of activities to be undertaken Outcomes / targets Criteria for success ….in other words how do you know if it has succeeded? Priorities Responsibility…….by whom? Target dates, including any interim milestones Cost (if any)

Example of a Development Plan Key development areas / activities Details of the development/activities/ actions Outcomes/Targets By whom Priority (H/M/L) By when Cost

Getting started… Mark Twain “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into smaller manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” Mark Twain

Research project Report structure

Format of the project report Report sections   Title Executive Summary/Abstract Contents + page numbers Introduction Literature review Project Methodology Presentation and analysis of data/results Conclusions Recommendations Evaluation References & Bibliography Appendices

Approx wordage split Introduction 10% Literature review 25 - 30% Project Methodology 15% Presentation and analysis of data/results 25 - 30% Conclusions & Recommendations 10% Evaluation 10%

Numbering headings Give each section a heading to give a basic structure to your report Use subheadings to divide each section Number each section and subsection in a logical way Example: 1.Introduction 1.1 Aims, objectives and hypotheses 1.2 Rationale for the study 1.3 School context and background information 2. Literature Review..........

Levels of headings A Main headings in large print and bold type B Section headings: in slightly larger font than the text + bold type C Subheadings D Other lesser headings

introduction Briefly outlines what the project is about and the context of it 1.1 Aims, objectives and hypotheses Aim: A statement of the overall purpose of your study Hypothesis: A statement that you can prove or disprove Objectives: Breaks the aim down into statements to reflect the different aspect of your study

introduction 1.2 Rationale for the study .......your reasons for selecting the study School National requirements/initiatives Based on an aspect gained from wider reading Personal interest/ linked to your role in school 1.3 School context and background information ...including an outline of your role and how that links to your research choice/opportunities

LITERATURE REVIEW Why write a literature review? The literature review is a critical look at the existing research that is significant to your project. It helps you to decide the focus for your research as well as give you better background knowledge on the selected topic What approach should I take? You should evaluate what has already been done/written, show the relationships between different work, and show how it relates to your project. It is not supposed to be just a summary of other people's work.

LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction: Introduce your research question (what it is, why it is worth examining) Main body: Briefly outline the organisation of the chapter Outline readings under key themes / models/ time periods. Compare and evaluate studies Conclusion: Discuss the implications of the studies – what have you learned from reviewing literature and how you intend to build on it. Link to methodology chapter

Examples Look at the examples of Literature Reviews In small groups analyse each

Start work on: Review project proposal in light of last weeks discussions + produce ver 2. Include a short personal reflection of how you have used group feedback to amend your research proposal Completing a draft of your Introduction Continue to research wider reading for your Literature Review