EDUC7212

Guide to writing assignment 3:

The research proposal
To access the tips for writing the proposal view/print in notes
page mode.
You will need the booklet produced by Monash university and the model
proposal (UQ teaching fellowship) uploaded in blackboard assessment page.

Key principles underpinning impact

and dissemination strategies
Context
Research and
Purpose
researcher
Audience

Assignment 3
Write a research proposal on a topic of your interest. The assignment should
demonstrate your ability to develop a workable proposal that reflects your
understanding of the nature of 'good' research, in other words, what you have learned
during your study program in this subject.
The completed assignment should follow the format of a research proposal
similar to the models provided and discussed during class. It is not a review of
literature, although the initial part of the proposal should include some review
of the pertinent literature.
Your submission must include a minimum of 5 references from the required and
recommended readings and 5 readings beyond the course materials (published within
the last 5 years) that you have sourced for yourselves.
You are advised to choose your topic in the beginning of the course and keep working on
it throughout the semester. You will be required to get the topic approved by a
course lecturer. In Week 13, there will be an opportunity for one-to-one consultation
on this assignment with one of the lecturers. External students can discuss their topics
may email lecturers or ask for a skype meeting with one of the lecturers.
Length:3000 to 3500 words

The proposal is expected to:

show that you are engaging in genuine enquiry, finding
out about something worthwhile in a particular context
link your proposed work with the work of others, while
proving you are acquainted with major schools of
thought relevant to the topic
establish a particular theoretical orientation
establish your methodological approach, and
show you have thought about the ethical issues.
http://www.education.monash.edu/students/current/
study-resources

EDUC7212 Research proposal criteria

Criteria

Introduction

Understanding
& application of
relevant
contemporary
literature

Methodological
approach

Ethical issues
and limitations
Communication
and academic
conventions
including APA

7
Concise, unambiguous
articulation of the research
problem; research questions,
aims and objectives and
compelling rationale for the
study
Synthesised and extensive
use of relevant and high
quality literature; pertinent
and recent sources

4
Statement of the problem, the
rationale of the study and research
questions are generally linked

1
Purpose of study is unable to be
ascertained

Use of literature is sufficient to

provide adequate coverage of the
topic, sources are generally current
and of adequate quality

Use of literature does not meet

minimum requirements for recency,
relevance or quality

Conceptual framework,
questions, design, methods
and analyses are skillfully
developed and aligned to
demonstrate excellent
understanding of complex
issues and methodologies in
educational research
Insightful and synthesised
discussion of all relevant
limitations and ethical issues
Proposal is lucid, logical, well
written and error free;
proposal format exploits
academic conventions of

Main elements of conceptual

Proposal provides no sufficient or
framework, questions, design,
accurate information to justify the
methods and analyses are included
conduct the study
with enough alignment to
demonstrate adequate understanding
of complex issues and methodologies
in educational research
Some limitations and ethical issues
and limitations are identified and
considered
Proposal is generally coherent with
some problems in clarity and writing
errors. Proposal format reflects some
academic conventions but is not well

No consideration given to ethical

issues and/or limitations
Proposal does not demonstrate
appropriate written and
communication skills for this task.
Fails to use conventions of academic

Dissemination multiple pathways :

Getting started .
RAP(F)T
RoleWho are you??
Audiencewho will read your
writing?
Purposewhy are you writing
intended effect?
FormatReflection? Opinion?
Professional paper? Book
chapter? Research report?
Topicwhat, exactly are you
writing about?

Research proposal
RAP(F)T

Your proposal

Role

A research student, or teacher in a school wanting to

undertake a small research project

Audience

Your project supervisor ( aka EDUC7212 teaching team)

or school principal

Purpose

To persuade them to allow you to do the project. You

need to convinced the audience that:
1. You have identified a problem to explore
(background/rationale aims RQS, significance)
2. You have identified a suitable methodology to explore
the question
3. You understand how ethical research is conducted

Format

A research proposal (see Monash guide) and UQ

fellowship model using headings, subheadings and
tables

Topic

Two topics:
1. Your research project
2. Your understanding how researchers think about and
build research projects

Writing
expectations
Academic writing
An argument and a
plan
Not an essay so no
introduction or
conclusion
Use headings and
subheadings,
tables and
diagrams

Include in your submission (adapted

from Monash booklet)
Cover page
Background/Rationale
Purpose and aims (inc RQs)
Brief lit review
Research design and
methodology
Ethical issues and
limitations
Significance
References (APA 6)

Provide signposts

Use headings and subheadings

Use tables

Its not an essay .

Is this achievable in 3-3500 words?

UQ teaching proposal is
2286 words

Whats your question?

An opportunity to talk to teaching team and finalise questions for
proposal

Building an argument a starting

place* (Adapted from Murray 2002)
My research issue/problem is
It is important because
Researchers who have looked at this topic include
They have focused on
Most of the work has been undertaken in
They have found that
There is some consensus about
Debate centres on the issues of
There is still work to be done on
My contribution will be

Building an argument*
My research issue/problem is that first year international students need support for writing the literature review
It is important because there are increasing numbers of international RHD students enrolling in research higher degrees
in Australia and there is a higher attrition rate than for domestic students and they have less access to research culture
Theories that have informed this field are . Lea and Street and academic literacies, Christine Bruce
Researchers who have looked at this topic include Mitchener and Banda, Bruce, Wang, Larcombe and Cotterall
They have focused on the experiences of international students and the challenges in writing the thesis in general
Most of the work has been undertaken in Australia and New Zealand and by central teaching and learning centres
They have found that students have limited understandings of thesis writing in general and in particular about the
functions of literature reviews and how to write them,
There is some consensus about the challenges faced by international students and the importance of the
student/supervisor relationship
Debate centres on the issues of specific aspects of the thesis such as the literature review, the role of background
experience, and the role of supervisors
There is still work to be done on understanding both supervisors and students perspectives about specific issues
around writing the literature review
My contribution will be to build a discipline-based understanding of the challenges of teaching and learning critical
reading and writing the literature review and to develop an understanding of pedagogical strategies for assisting
supervisors, in teaching about how to write critically

Aligning the stars

Research
question

Data source
(who or what)

Methods (how) Data (e.g.

transcripts;
survey
responses)

What are Year 8

students and
their English
teachers
perceptions of
English in a low
SES urban high
school?

4 classes of year Survey of

8 students
students
(n=100)
Focus groups
4 English
with smaller
teachers
sample of
students
Individual
interviews with
teachers

Student survey
responses
Focus group
transcripts
Individual
interview
transcripts

Data analysis

Frequencies and
descriptive
statistics
Inductive
thematic coding

Key principles and questions underpinning

impact and dissemination strategies
What is being

Context
Research and
researcher Purpose

Audience

disseminated?
To whom?
By whom?
How?
When?
Why/for what purpose?
Implications for writing RAP(F)T
RoleWho are you??
Audiencewho will read your writing?
Purposewhy are you writing intended
effect?
FormatReflection? Opinion?
Professional