ASSIGNMENT

________________________________________________________________________
HBEC4503
ACTION RESEARCH IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
ASSIGNMENT 2
MAY 2019 SEMESTER
________________________________________________________________________

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION

1. This assignment contains only ONE question that is set English.

2. Answer in English or Malay.
3. Submit your assignment ONCE only in a SINGLE file.
4. Submit your assignment ONLINE.
5. Submission date: 12 August 2019 until 18 August 2019.
6. This assignment accounts for 35% of the total marks for the course.
 ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

ASSIGNMENT
Requirements:

You are writing a report of the action research project you have carried out. For this purpose
you are expected to follow the format in the Report Template. To help you in the process:-

1. Refer to subtopic 5.5 for guidance to come up with your report writing.
2. Refer to Topic 9 and 10 for some examples to guide you on:
(a) Developing an action plan;
(b) Sharing and communicating the results; and
(c) Reflecting on the process.
3. Develop your FINAL writing.
4. Refer to assignment rubrics.
5. Submit your report writing of maximum 15 PAGES. Include references and any
supporting documents, e.g. photos, images, graphs, etc.

(Total marks: 100)

GUIDELINES FOR REPORT WRITING

Format
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Please type (in the Report Template) for your report writing.

1. Abstract
The abstract is a short summary of your entire written report (rationale, research questions,
setting/participants, treatment, instruments, chronology, findings, conclusion). A reader should
get a general overview of your whole project from reading the abstract.
The abstract is about 300 words.

2. Topic Selection
In this section explain your interest in the topic you have selected for the research project.
Provide background information on the topic selected.

3. Research Problem
 Sets the context of the study and reasons for undertaking the study. Identify and
describe the problem/issues/trends in the topic of study in terms of local, national or
international development. Provide data for support.
 List your research questions or sub questions (limit to 2 research questions)

4. Literature Review
Present a comprehensive review of the literature relating to your topic of study. References are
made to recent and relevant literature- theory and research on your topic. The ideas you have
gathered from your reading should be analyzed not summarize. Try to connect different
perspectives of different authors by drawing on similarities and contrasts in their thinking. Your
Module or other class handouts may be used as additional resources.

5. Action Research Plan

This section is longer and should be typed with the following subsection headings:
 Setting: Describe the school (overall population, demographics) where the research took
place. Describe the course (content area, grade level).
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  Participants: Describe the participants targeted for the study (sample size,
demographics, how chosen); this includes information regarding any comparison group
if that is part of the study. Remember; do not identify the site or any individuals by
name.
 Instruments: Describe the measures used to collect your data. Specify if each
instrument was designed by you (the researcher) or by another person/company. If it
was researcher-designed, describe the process by which it was developed. Copies of the
actual instrument(s) must be included in the appendix.
 The Action Research Cycles: Describe the steps taken in the action research cycles in
details. Discuss the activities and treatment in the implementation in each cycle of
action.
 Chronology: This is where you present a delineation of the precise time frame for
implementing the project as well as collecting/analyzing all data.
 Analysis: This is where you describe the quantitative and/or qualitative procedures you
followed to analyze your data. This section must be organized by research question.
(Restate research question #1 and then describe how you analyzed the data for that
question. Then, do the same for each research question in your paper.)
 You are not allowed to use the first person pronoun "I" to refer to yourself.
6. Findings
 This is where you lay out the data. This section must be organized according to your
research questions. (Restate research question #1 and then discuss/present the data for
that question. Then do the same for each subsequent research question in your study.)
 When presenting your data for each research question, begin with a narrative which
describes the data table that is to follow. This narrative should be an objective
description of the data — what it is, how it was obtained, how it is organized for display,
etc.
 Include evidence to back up your claim. Extracts from interviews, observations and
personal logs/field notes, images and photos may be used. Documentary evidence can
also be presented. Each data, figure, evidence must be numbered and titled.
7. Conclusions
 This is where you discuss what the findings seem to indicate about the relationships
among the variables. In other words, what do you make of this data? As with the

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 previous section, this section must be organized according to the research questions.
 (Restate research question #1, make a concluding statement and then describe why you
came to this conclusion. Then, restate question #2, and so on.)
 Since this is action research, we can bend a bit about drawing fine lines between
conclusions and implications. You are not really attempting to make conclusions about
the world at large; you can only talk about what you have learned about the unique
variables in your setting.
 Also, since this is action research, there were likely numerous variables that may have
impacted your data — we will call these confounding factors. For each research
question, you will be expected to discuss possible confounding factors and how they
may have influenced the data.
 Just a note, the data is what it is. Sometimes it is not what we wanted it to be. You need
not have found that your treatment led to noticeable student improvement for the study
to be successful. We are looking only at your ability to analyse the findings honestly,
thoroughly, and appropriately.
 You are not allowed to use the first person pronoun "I" to refer to yourself.

8. Reflections
In this section, you may refer to yourself in the first person.
This is where you take a step back and reflect on the process of doing action research. You are
expected to consider:
 What you would do differently if you had the chance to redesign or re-implement the
project;
 Ideas for future research on this topic;
 How this action research experience and/or your findings from this particular project
may influence your future teaching practices.
9. Appendix
 You need not provide us with all of the raw data collected during the study. The
appendix should include copies of your data collection instruments.
 Each item in the appendix must be preceded by a cover page that assigns a letter to the
item (i.e.: Appendix A, Appendix B) and gives a title to the item (i.e.: Observation
checklist, Interview protocol, Field notes and Logs).

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6

Topic Selection
In this section explain your interest in the topic you have selected for the research project. Provide background information on the topic
selected.
Criteria
Abstract
Topic Selection
Research problem
Literature Review
Action Research Plan
Findings
Assignment Rubrics
Unsatisfactory Or
Excellent Good Fair Poor Max
Weight No response
Marks
4 3 2 1 0
2.5 The statement of The statement of The statement of The statement of There is no 10
purpose is very clear, purpose is clear. purpose is clear. purpose is not clear. statement of
concise and precise. This is followed by However, there are It does not mention purpose.
This is followed by good clarifications no further any purpose of doing
detailed clarifications of why the research clarifications of why the action research.
of why the research interest has been the research interest
interest has been chosen. has been chosen.
chosen.
1.25 Topic selection is very Topic selection is Topic selection is Topic selection is not There is no topic 5
suitable, clear and suitable and clear. clear. clear. selection.
concise.
2.5 The description is The description is The description is The description is No description of 10
excellent. very good. good. fair. the problem.
6.25 Literature review is Literature review is Literature review is Literature review is No literature 25
excellent. Very clear good. Clear and acceptable. very minimal. review exists.
and related to the related to the study.
study.
3.75 Excellent planning. Very good planning. Good planning. Acceptable No description. 15
description.
5.0 Data collection done is Data collection done Data collection done Data collection done There is no data 20
excellent. is good. is acceptable. is not clear. collection been
Student has been able Student has been Student has been Student has been done.
to excellently describe able to decently able to sufficiently able to describe their There is no data
their data collection describe their data describe their plan of plan of action fairly. analysis been
planning. collection planning. action. The language is fair. done.
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 Unsatisfactory Or
Excellent Good Fair Poor
No response Max
Criteria Weight
The language is simple The language is The language is The description is Marks
and clear. simple and clear. simple and clear. acceptable.
The description is The description is The description is Data analysis is not
deemed above very good. good. clear.
expectation. Data analysis is Data analysis is
Data analysis is good. acceptable.
excellent.
Conclusions 2.5 Excellent conclusion. Conclusions are very Conclusions are Fair conclusion but No conclusion. 10
good. good. vague.
Reflections 1.25 You reflected very well. You reflected well. You reflected fairly. Your reflections are No reflections. 5
You explained: not clear.
- What you would do
differently if you
had the chance to
redesign or re-
implement the
project;
- Ideas for future
research on this
topic;
- How this project
would influence
future teaching
practices.
TOTAL MARKS 100
* The total marks will be converted to 35 %.
* Weight of each part is depending on the importance of the information needed.

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 Report Template

HBEC4503 ACTION RESEARCH IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

MAY 2019 SEMESTER

ASSIGNMENT 2

TITLE OF STUDY:

Name:

Student ID:

Date of submission:

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(MAX 15 PAGES)

Format
Please type (in the following format) of your Action Research project idea).

1. Abstract
Please type here

2. Topic Selection
Please type here

3. Research Problem

Please type here

4. Literature Review
Please type here

5. Action Research Plan

Please type here

6. Findings
Please type here

7. Conclusion
Please type here

8. References
Please type here

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