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Liisa K
GUIDELINES ON WRITING
RESEARCH PROPOSALS
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OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
5/12/20112
� What is educational research?
� Types of Research Proposals
� Introduction of a research proposal
� Literature Review
� Methodology
� Research Ethics
� Budget
� References
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What is educational
research?
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y A systematic attempt to answer questions on education
y A systematic way of generating new knowledge with the purposeof enhancing educational theory, policy and practice
y A systematic way of responding to educational concerns
y A systematic way of assessing the impact of educational changes,reforms, activities and interventions
y A systematic way of resolving controversies and interrogatingproposals for change in education
y
Note the scientific approach that underlies educational research.
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Types of Research Proposals
5/12/20114
1. A proposal for a research grant
2. A donor solicited research proposal
3. A research proposal for aconsultancy
4. A research proposal for an academic
project/thesis/dissertation
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INTRODUCTION SECTION OF A
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
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y Research topic
y Orientation of the proposal
y Statement of the Problem
y Objectives and/or research questions of the study
y Hypotheses of the study (formulated when
applicable)
y
Significance of the studyy Limitations of the study
y Delimitations of the study
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Research topic
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y The research topic is a self-explanatory concise
expression of the subject of enquiry
y The expression is limited to the scope of the
study
y The research topic is not a research problem
y For instance: ´ An enquiry into the role of School
Principals in the Oshana Education Regionµ
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Orientation of the research
proposal
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� Based on key literature pieces in the area of interest and on
educational topical issues of the day, provide an overview of
research issues to be considered.
� In the overview, state research concerns, disagreements,
controversies, unanswered questions, gaps in knowledge that have
given rise to your research interest.
� State what perplexes you. State what you do not understand.
� For instance: In a study on the boy child in education, state why
you are intrigued by the fact that there are substantially morefemale learners than male learners in the Namibian schools and
tertiary institutions.
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EXAMPLE OF AN ORIENTATION STATEMENT
y It is held that education is an important deterrent to the spread of
HIV infection. It is assumed that the more people are aware of
how HIV and AIDS spreads, the more they will be able to guard
against the disease. For more than two decades, these assumptions
have guided HIV/AIDS prevention programmes in manycountries. We do not need high insight to arrive at the conclusion
that the majority of such programmes have yielded little impact in
the way of halting or even slowing down the disease·s devastating
onslaught on many communities, particularly those in Sub-SaharanAfrica. Instead of diminishing, HIV infection has been increasing
on an annual basis, almost unabated, in many communities of the
World.
5/12/20118
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An example of orientation
continued
y Voices have been heard pointing to the danger of
¶mis-education· and ¶mis-schooling· in the fight
against HIV infection (Kelly, 2000; Mwape and
Kathuria, 2000; Zimba and Nuujoma-Kalomo,2002).This danger is that contrary to received
wisdom, educated people and educational settings
can in fact promote HIV infection (Stremlau andNkosi, 2001).
5/12/20119
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Formulating a Statement of
the Research Problem
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y What is a research problem from the quantitative and
qualitative perspectives?
y Where do research problems come from?
yHow do we formulate research problems?
y What are qualities of good research problems?
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What is a research problem from the
quantitative research perspective?
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y From a quantitative research perspective, a research problem
is about relationships between and amongst variables. A
variable is a construct that changes in quantity and quality.
Examples of variables are academic achievement, teacher
effectiveness, school effectiveness, motivation, boredom,
literacy level, numeracy, teaching ability, etc.
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Examples of quantitative research
problems
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y Is there a relationship between teacher
qualification and academic achievement?
y
Does school readiness influence readingfluency at the grade 1 level?
yDoes Early Childhood Education influence
academic achievement in grade 10?
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What is a qualitative research
problem?
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y An expression of a concern,
y The need to understand a situation or a state of
being
y The need to dispel misconceptions or myths
y Examples of concerns- A high failure rate in a
subject, frustration emanating from teaching
without text books and other resources, the lowrepresentation of male students at the University
of Namibia, the low UNAM PGS graduation rate.
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Examples of qualitative
research problems
5/12/201114
yWhat are learners· experiences with alcohol
in a school hostel?
y
Why are some grade 8 learners from onecircuit in one education region unable to
read and write in English?
y
What should a school do to prevent learnersuicide?
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Where do research problems come from?
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y Curiosity
y Need for understanding
y Need for information on which to base decisions
y Need to assess interventions
y Need to learn
y Literature
y Discussions with others
y Experience
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How do we formulate
research problems?
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y Identify a research issue or idea of interest
y Discuss the idea with colleagues, friends, teachers, etc.
y Read around the research issue/idea- outline gaps in knowledge,
concerns, disagreements, controversies, myths, etc. requiring
investigation- understand what the gist and need of investigation
is. What requires evidence?
y Either ask several possible research questions or write down
several possible research statements
y Integrate questions or statements to come up with a research
problem
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What are qualities of good research
problems?
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Research problems should:
y Be clear as questions or statements
y Render themselves to empirical investigation
y Have critical mass-should be comprehensive and
useful enough to warrant an investigation.
y Be interesting
y Have practical value
y Have theoretical value
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Qualities of good research
problems Contd
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Research problems should:
yBe manageable
y
Focus on one main issuey Involve either a concern, a controversy, a
disagreement, a need for evidence, a need
for understanding, a need to dispel myths orshould focus on a question requiring an
answer
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Examples of good research
problems
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y What problems are associated with teaching and
learning in large classes at the University of
Namibia?
y What factors promote HIV infection in student
hostels at tertiary education institutions in
Namibia? What beliefs, values, traditions and the
perceived sexual relations amongst students mayunderlie the risky factors?
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Objectives and or research
questions of the study
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y Based on research problems, researchers should
state either objectives or research questions that
will guide their studies.These should be
formulated unambiguously.
y For instance, a research question pertaining to
preventing school suicide could be: ´what skills
do school X·s guidance teachers need to preventsuicide amongst learners?µ
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Stating hypotheses
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y In quantitative research, unequivocal and testable
hypotheses that are based on theory and on statements of
research problems could be derived from relationships
between and amongst dependent and independentvariables.
y For instance, a hypothesis could be: ́ Grade 12 learners·
performance in Mathematics influences their
performance in the subject at the end of UNAM·S firstsemester.µ
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Significance of the study
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y Practical and theoretical importance of the
intended study should be stated under this
heading. What will the study contribute to
educational practice and theory? Will the findings
of the study enhance the quality of teaching? Will
the study influence decisions made by policy
makers? Will the study, for instance, help schoolsprevent suicide amongst learners?
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An example of the significance of a study on
HIV/AIDS
y Although a number of studies on HIV/AIDS awareness, HIV
infection risks, attitudes and practices that may promote HIV
infection have been done at tertiary institutions in Namibia,
we are unaware of systematic and in depth studies on factors
that promote HIV infection in these institutions· hostels. We
are not well informed about beliefs, cultural values and
practices that facilitate HIV infection in the student hostels.
This investigation would provide findings on these and other
issues.These findings would form an important basis fordesigning and implementing specific strategies to mitigate
the impact of HIV/AIDS risk factors.
5/12/201123
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Limitations and delimitations
of the study
y Limitations of the study are conditions beyond the
control of the researcher that may negatively influence
the research findings. For instance, time and financial
constraints; inaccessibility of some research sites;unavailability of adequate numbers of respondents.
y Delimitations are boundaries of one·s research.The
researcher should state the coverage or scope of the
study. For example, do not talk about the whole of Namibia when the study is going to be conducted at one
school in one region.
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LITERATURE REVIEW
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y Literature review should:
Show gaps in knowledge;
Reveal the need for further research;
Point to unanswered questions, disagreements in literature;
Identify theoretical and methodological weaknesses andcontroversies that demand further research;
Demonstrate what has been researched and what remainsuninvestigated in one·s area of interest;
Be critical, analytical, synthesized and integrated;
Be current and demonstrate the researcher·s understanding of the area of interest.
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LITERATURE REVIEW continued
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y To be current, the literature review should:
Be based on the latest primary and secondary
sources of information in the form of published
research articles; well-researched review positionpapers; books, governmental policy documents;
UN conventions, goals, declarations, frameworks
of action; evidence-based newspaper articles;expert opinions; discussions with researchers in
the field; etc.
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METHODOLOGY
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yResearch design
yPopulation
y
SampleyResearch instruments
yProcedure and research ethics
yData analysisyBudget
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Research design
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yEither quantitative or qualitative
research designs should be provided
in this section. Research designs areresearch plans that researchers use
when conducting their studies.
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Research design contd
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y Descriptive, pre- experimental, quasi-experimental and
experimental designs are used in quantitative research.
y Whereas surveys, correlational studies, and some case studies are
descriptive studies, various comparison studies are in the
´experimental designµ genre. Very few studies in education applythe true experimental design.
y Different designs handle threats to internal and external
validity in varying degrees. Internal validity refers to whether or
not effects observed are due to treatment . External validityrefers to the extent to which research findings from a study can be
generalized to the population from which the sample was drawn.
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Research design contd
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yIn qualitative research, narrative,
phenomenological, grounded theory,
ethnographic and case study designs areused.
yIt is important for the qualitative
researcher to know and understandwhich design he or she is using
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Population
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yIn quantitative research, the
researcher must specify the
entire group to which he or shewishes to generalize findings of a
study.
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Sample
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y Using appropriate quantitative or qualitative sampling
techniques, researchers should explain how they would
draw samples from their defined research populations.
This should be done in concrete and meaningful ways.Merely stating what sampling is and why it is important
is inadequate.
y There is no population sample.
y Quantitative sampling techniques should not be used inqualitative studies and visa versa.
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Research instruments
5/12/201133
y Research instruments are tools that enable
researchers to collect data for answering research
questions.
y Examples of research instruments used inquantitative education research are
questionnaires, tests (standardized and non
standardized, e.g. achievement tests), a variety of scientific measuring equipments, sport
equipment, etc.
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Research Instruments continued
yExamples of qualitative research
instruments are structured and open-ended
interview schedules, observation guidelines,
electronic equipment such as video and
digital cameras, tape recorders, cell phones,
etc.
yResearch measures should be reliable and
valid
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Data analysis
5/12/201135
y Researchers should provide specific strategies for
analyzing either quantitative or qualitative data. In
quantitative research, researchers should justify
the use of particular non parametric andparametric statistics to analyze data.
y This is that the use of frequencies, cross
tabulations (including the 2), the t-test,ANOVA, regression analysis, correlation
coefficient, etc. should be justified.
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Data analysis contd
5/12/201136
yThe use of various types of strategies for
analyzing qualitative data such as content
analysis, coding and creating categories,
narrative data analysis, ethnographic data
analysis; computer assisted qualitative data
analysis, should be explained in this section
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Budget
5/12/201137
yThe researcher is required to prepare an
itemized budget if he or she would like to
apply for research funds. Such a budget
should specify expected financial costs that
may include fieldwork, instrument
preparation, translation (if needed) and
pretesting, data entry, transcription, coding
and analysis, thesis writing and processing.
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References
5/12/201138
yResearchers could use the Publication
Manual of the American
Psychological Association (A
P A)
format when citing sources of
information in text and when preparing
reference lists at the end of theirresearch proposals.
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References Continued
y There must be consistency between sources cited
in the text of the proposal and sources of
information indicated in reference lists.This
means that unused sources of information shouldnot be included in the list of references.
y Educational Researchers should not use the
Wikipedia as a valid academic source of information as the information presented in it is
not verifiable.
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