Teacher Education

Matthew Lynch published in Higher Education, Teacher Education

How to Write a Research Proposal

As a professor of education, one of my favorite courses to teach was “Introduction to Education Research.” The primary purpose of this course is to introduce students to the concepts and methods of education research. The emphasis is placed on methods most frequently encountered in social science research, especially in the field of education. Students are expected complete a research proposal during this course, and in the follow-up course, “Applications of Education Research,” they use this proposal to conduct a research study.

Why did I love teaching this course? Because education research is not an easy skill to develop, but with hard work and dedication it can be mastered. When I was able to help someone who hated statistics learn to love statistics, it gave me a sense of accomplishment. In this piece, I plan to take you through the process of developing an education research proposal that you can be proud of.

Let’s start off by discussing research problems and questions and then moving on to the four main parts of a research proposal.

Research Problem and Question(s)

A research question is the core of a research project, study, or review of the literature. It centers the study, sets the methodology, and guides all stages of inquiry, analysis, and reporting.

A research question starts with a research problem, an issue that you would like to know more about or change. Research problems can be:

  • Areas of concern
  • Conditions that need to be changed
  • Difficulties that should be erased
  • Questions that need to be answered

A research problem leads to a research question that:

  • Is worth investigating
  • Contributes knowledge & value to the field
  • Improves educational practice
  • Improves humanity

The key features of a good research question:

  • The question is viable.
  • The question has clarity.
  • The question has gravitas.
  • The question is moral.

How to Get From Research Problem to Research Questions and Purpose

The following section was originally published on a site entitled Research Rundowns:

Step 1. Draft a research question/hypothesis.

Example: What effects did 9/11/01 have on the future plans of students who were high school seniors at the time of the terrorist attacks?

Example (measurable) Questions: Did seniors consider enlisting in the military as a result of the attacks? Did seniors consider colleges closer to home as a result?

Step 2. Draft a purpose statement.

Example: The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the 9/11/01 tragedy on the future plans of high school seniors.

Step 3. Revise and rewrite the research question/hypothesis.

Example: What is the association between 9/11/01 and future plans of high school seniors?

Step 4. Revise and rewrite the research question/hypothesis.

Example: Purpose Statement (Declarative): The purpose of this study is to explore the association between 9/11/01 and future plans of high school seniors.

Note: Both are neutral; they do not presume an association, either negative or positive.

Parts of a Research Proposal

A research proposal includes four sections, and they are as follows:

Section One: Introduction

Section Two: Review of the Literature

Section Three: Research Methodology

Section Four: References

The information that follows offers step by step instructions on how to complete each section of your proposal.

 

Section One: Introduction

Part #1: Write a paragraph that introduces your topic.  Mention your topic in the first sentence. What are you planning to study? What is the purpose of the study?

Part #2: Fully discuss your topic.  What specifically interests you? Think of a specific research question (or questions) and state it clearly and precisely.  You can also begin to formulate your ideas on how you might study your research question, though you need not be very specific in this section. For example, if you plan to study attitudes toward school vouchers, suggest what characteristics influence how individuals feel about school vouchers (e.g., income, location, etc.).

Part #3: Explain to the reader why it is important to study your topic and put it into a larger educational context. Here is where you answer the “So what?” question. That is, you plan to study XYZ. So what? Why is it important to study this topic?  What is the educational importance of this research?  Why is this study significant? This is your opportunity to be broad, general, and theoretical in your thinking.

This section should be at least 3-5 pages. Based on the outline provided above, you must utilize sub-headings within this section. You must cite articles within this section to support your topic and claim.

  

Section Two: Review of the Literature

The purpose of this section is to find and summarize qualitative or quantitative research studies that directly relate to your research question(s).  Use library databases to start searching for articles, but employ other resources when necessary.

When looking for articles, you need to adhere to the following guidelines:

  • Use scholarly journals rather than popular magazines, newspaper articles, or the internet.
  • Rely on the educational literature. If you are unsure whether an article or journal is included in the discipline, ask me.
  • In general, select recent articles (i.e., 1960 or later). However, if an article was written in 1952, for example, is extremely pertinent to your proposal, then use it.
  • Choose only research articles (qualitative or quantitative research) for the literature review. Do not include theoretical works, editorials, book reviews, program reports, etc.  If you are unsure about an article, I will gladly take a look at it. Your literature review should not be more than 15 pages.

Your task is to:

  • Briefly, restate your research topic in an opening paragraph. Provide a short introduction about what question(s) you are trying to answer, why this is educationally interesting, and why you chose it. Also, provide a brief overview of the topics you will cover in your literature review.
  • Divide the literature that you have into sections of like Then, for each section, write an essay summarizing the studies. Be sure to state the research purpose, method(s), and findings ONLY for the studies that are paramount to your study. [NOTE: Use transitions within your essay so that it flows and does not appear like disjointed blocks of information.]
  • Write a concluding paragraph that summarizes the articles. For example, how will these articles inform your research?
  • DO NOT PLAGIARIZE.

 

Section Three: Research Methodology

The purpose of this section is to allow you to explain your research methodology.  This can be the hardest part of the proposal for some students; therefore, do not wait until the last minute to write this section. Think about your design when you write your literature review.

Your task is to:

  • In a brief introduction, restate your research problem(s)/question(s).
  • Indicate the following parts of your research methodology:
  1. Describe your vehicle of observation. How do you plan to collect your data?  If you are creating a survey, what kinds of questions do you plan to ask? If you are going to do interviews, what will you ask of your interviewees?
  2. What population do you plan to use? How do you plan to sample this population?
  3. How will you select your sample? What kind of sampling method will you use?
  4. How will you analyze your data? What kind of analysis best fits your project, and why?
  • If you plan to conduct qualitative research, discuss the following issues (be as detailed and accurate as possible):
  1. Define the theoretical constructs will you be using.
  2. What is the main concept you are investigating? What other concepts will be examined (note the concepts’ potential structures, processes, causes, and consequences)?
  3. What type(s) of qualitative analysis will you conduct?
  • If you plan to conduct quantitative research, discuss the following issues (be as detailed and specific as possible):
  1. Clearly, state your hypotheses.
  2. Identify and operationalize your variables. List the independent variables and the dependent variable.
  • List the pros and cons of your methodology.
  • Write a concluding paragraph that summarizes the research design and proposal. When writing this section, imagine that have enough resources for your research design. Since you will not perform the research be creative, but appropriate, with your design.

 

Section Four: References

On the last section of your proposal, include an APA-formatted bibliography of the articles, books, websites, etc. that you refer to in the text.  This page should be titled “References.” The references should be listed alphabetically by the last name of the first author. As a rule of thumb, you need an average of 4 references per page. For instance, if your proposal is ten pages, then technically need 40 references. However, this does not necessarily to have four references on each page.

Please carefully note the following issues:

The entire proposal should be no more than 40 pages excluding the title page and the “References” section. Any page(s) over the 40th page will not be read.  All of the parts must be typed, double-spaced, in a 12-point font, with 1-inch margins on all four sides of each page.

If you followed the outline and instructions that we have provided, we are confident that you have completed a top-notch research proposal.

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, EdvocatePD, First Year Teachers, Teacher Education, Teachers

How to Write Your Philosophy of Classroom Management and Classroom Management Plan

Back when I was a professor of education, one of the most significant sources of anxiety for preservice teachers was classroom management. Most of them seemed unsure about their ability to manage a classroom full of 20 to 30 kids while responding to problem behaviors and facilitating the teaching and learning process. I always assuaged their concerns by letting them know that before they left my class, they would have a philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan, which could be adapted to any classroom environment.

In my course, they learned that if students are in a safe and supportive environment, learning can take place. It is critical to have an engaging educational environment that includes all students. The primary goal of any philosophy/plan of classroom management is to assist the teacher in creating an environment for all students that will allow them to be successful and ultimately reach their full potential. In this piece, I plan to walk you through the creation of your own philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan. Let’s get started.

Writing Your Philosophy of Classroom Management

I taught my students to divide their philosophy of classroom management into the three sections below. Completing a philosophy of classroom management is not an easy task, but I found a way to simplify the process. All you have to do is answer the questions from each section and use the resulting content to shape the body of your narrative. From there, simply add an introduction and conclusion and you are done. Revisions may be necessary, but at least you have a great first draft.

My Beliefs About Students:

  • Do I believe that students need to be “controlled and disciplined” or that they can be taught self-control?
  • Do I think that students are naturally disruptive and therefore need to be molded and conditioned to behave appropriately?
  • Do I view students as equals or as charges?
  • Do I believe that establishing a democratic classroom and giving students responsibility means letting them take over the class?

My Beliefs About Teachers’ Roles:

  • Do I see myself as a boss or facilitator? A brick wall, jellyfish, or backbone teacher? An assertive educator?
  • Do I think that I should create all of the rules and consequences, or do I think that students should offer their thoughts?
  • Do I want to discipline or manage my students?
  • Do I believe that teachers should spend time at the beginning of the year to teach rules and routines?

My Beliefs About Managing the Classroom:

  • Do I think rewarding students for good behavior?
  • Is the point of classroom management to manage the classroom or teach students to supervise and discipline themselves?
  • Would I be ok with using a school-adopted classroom management program, or do I want to have more freedom to choose my own classroom management practices?

Writing Your Classroom Management Plan

After completing your philosophy of classroom management, you are now ready to write your classroom management plan. The cool think about it is that you can use parts of your philosophy of classroom management. Write a narrative that includes, but is not limited to, the topics/issues found below. Make sure you back your narrative up with recent research (less than three years old).

  • Supportive, Effective, and Developmentally Appropriate Classroom Management Techniques
  • Classroom Climate: Class Structure, Rules, Routines, Procedures, and Policies
  • Classroom Design and Layout
  • Student’s Expectation of Teacher
  • Teacher’s Expectation of Students
  • Positive and Negative Consequences and Individualized Behavior Management Intervention Plans
  • Communication of Class and Behavioral Expectations to Students and Parents/Guardians
  • Responsibility of the Parents/Guardians, Students, Teacher and School in Classroom Management
  • Philosophy’s Connection to Theorist/Theory
  • Philosophy incorporates pertinent and appropriate information from course textbooks; Classroom Management: Models, Applications, and Cases; Teacher-and Tested Classroom Management Strategies

From there, simply add an introduction and conclusion and you are done. Revisions may be necessary about this, but at least you have a great first draft.

Reflection

Reflecting on your work is a vital part of being a professional and is essential to teacher development and the preparation of future teachers. Reflection allows you to examine your own beliefs, assumptions, and biases regarding teaching, learning, and classroom management and determine how those beliefs influence classroom practice and impact on the learning environment. If you are really want to impress your professor and receive an A, include a reflection along with your classroom management philosophy/plan.

Write a reflective 500 word paper about your philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan. Please write the reflection in narrative form. The reflection paper should highlight how your classroom management details how you plan to develop a safe and supportive learning environment for your students. This may include:

  • How do you believe your philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan will work to provide your students with a safe and supportive learning environment?
  • How do you plan on getting to know your students?
  • How you plan on introducing students to your classroom management plan in the first 21 days of school and then reinforcing it beyond that time period?
  • Communication of class and behavioral expectation to students and family
  • Substitute teacher materials?
  • Does the narrative reflect an understanding and thoughtful consideration of classroom management?

If you followed the directions in good faith, we are confident that you are now the owner of a world-class classroom philsophy of classroom management and classroom management plan. I would say good luck, but you won’t need it.

 

 

 

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