Introduction/Identifying Student Deficit: Due 10/8/15 (25 points)
The purpose for the introduction is to identify a skill deficit for selected students. Included in the introduction is a clear and precise definition of the skill deficit, any relevant background information regarding the skill deficit, and a strong rationale for selecting the deficit for improvement. In this assignment candidates will be required to develop a set of research questions that will be answered by conducting their project. Although there will be no page requirement for this assignment, it needs to be thorough enough for the reader to have a clear understanding of the problem and why it is a problem. All definitive statements need to be backed up with relevant references.
Comprehensive Literature Review: Due 10/29/15 (25 points)
The purpose of completing a review of relevant literature is twofold. First, it provides the candidate with the training to locate, select, read, and understand educational research related to student learning and outcomes. By becoming well versed in reviewing educational research, teacher candidates will be more likely to turn to this literature when faced with students having difficulties in their classroom. Second, it helps to guide the candidate’s research project by connecting it to the literature. Much of the existing research literature not only contains solutions to educational problems, but also suggestions for future research. By completing a well-developed research project that is rooted in the literature, current limitations can be addressed and additional solutions may be produced.
Research Methodology: Due 11/19/15 (25 points)
The purpose of the research plan or methods section is to systematically layout a planned intervention to directly address the student deficit. The action plan needs to consist of the following components and will be evaluated according to the how complete it is. It must be writing according to APA manual formatting guidelines (6th edition).
• Participants – describe the demographic and all other relevant information about the student(s) that are targeted for the intervention.
• Setting – describe in detail the setting in which the action plan will be carried out. This might include the classroom/school conditions, as well as the physical environment.
• Material – describe all of the intervention materials that will be used when implementing the intervention.
• Dependent Variable – describe all of the skills being targeted for improvement. These dependent variables are what data are collected on. Dependent variables need to be defined in sufficient detail.
• Independent Variable – describe the application of the action project. The independent variables are the procedures that will be implemented to bring about change in the targeted skill(s).
• Procedures – a complete description of how the candidate plans to carry out the project will be provided. This description should include the experimental design, data collection system, and all other information pertinent to implementing the project.
Final Thesis Proposal: Due 12/10/2015 (100 points)
Following the completion of the three class assignments, candidates will be required to incorporate all feedback, make corrections, and submit a final thesis proposal. This proposal will be used as a plan to be implemented in the second research course (EDLS 2900I). The final proposal must be completed using APA formatting (6th edition).
Thesis Proposal Presentations: (15 points)
All candidates will be required to complete a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation outlining their thesis proposal. This presentation will outline the selected problem, the rationale, the research questions, and methods (i.e., participants, setting, IV, DV).