Written Assignment

`Project Proposal' 

You must identify a topic and develop a proposal to research it using qualitative or quantitative methodology. You will be required to make an oral presentation of your proposal on Date to the class. A written proposal is due on Date. Your proposal is to be based on a review of the relevant qualitative or quantitative research literature. The format for both the written proposal and the presentation will be discussed in class. Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to review and discuss qualitative or quantitative research reports. Once you have selected your topic of interest, it is recommended that you search for and select articles that you can use to develop the research proposal. The assignment must be submitted electronically, but must retain the required formatting. Save the document electronically using your last name in the “File name” box. Then click on the “Save as type” menu. Scroll down until you see Rich Text Format. Then “Save.” That will ensure that your document retains the required formatting. It must be submitted prior to the due date, and will be returned to you in the same way.

Your Proposal should include the following:

Introduction

What is the topic of your research? This is to serve as the Introduction to the entire proposal.  Provide a brief overview of the literature that you have reviewed regarding this topic/issue. You will discuss the literature in greater depth in a later section.

Purpose of the Project (Thesis/Project Guide)

State the problem or issue or concern that is to be addressed by the project.

Significance of the Project (Thesis/Project Guide)

Preparation of this section on problem/project significance includes discussion of the following

areas:

• • Why have I selected this problem/project?

  • Why is there a need for this study/project?

  • Will it revise, extend or create new knowledge in the field of educational leadership?

  • Will the research contribute to the field of education administration internationally, nationally, in Alabama, in Montgomery, in my school district, college, university or agency?

  • What theoretical and/or practical application(s) does my study or project have?

  • How will educational leaders change or improve their professional practices?

Proposed Methodology (Thesis/Project Guide,)

Describe in narrative form:

• • The setting in which the study or project is to be conducted requires specific description of the school or district demographics;

  • The population to which the study or project applies;

  • The sample of the population from which data will be collected and how it will be selected (how many, selection procedures);

  • What data will be collected (test scores, narrative interview data, etc.);

  • Precisely what steps will be taken to carry out the study.

Definition of Terms (Thesis/Project Guide)

Identify and define concepts, words and phrases that have unusual or restricted meaning.

Review of Related Literature

Introduction

In a brief paragraph, re-introduce the topic you intend to study, and then introduce at least three (3) subtopics around which you will organize your discussion of the topic of the proposed research.

• Subtopics

Choose one of the three subtopics you chosen to organize your review of the literature, and present a narrative discussion of it. This will be discussed and described in class.

• Summary

Summarize what the research has told you, and present the rationale for your area of study, based on the literature.

• References

Any articles that you discuss, refer to or quote from, must appear in the bibliography, following APA format.

Submit via email as a Rich Text Format (.rtf) document.

Proposal Project                                                                                                     Date

In-class Presentation                                                                                              Date

This assignment will be completed either in-class or Blackboard Wimba.

Significance of the Project and Methodology                                                        Date

In-class Presentation                                                                                              Date

This assignment will be completed either in-class or Blackboard Wimba.

Field Observation Project                                                                                       Date

Discuss qualitative or quantitative data collection strategies used to conduct your project.  It is suggested that you choose the setting and phenomena observed in the context of your proposed topic.

Preliminary Introduction and Purpose of the Project                                           Date

Annotated Bibliography Project                                                                             Date

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.  Include five (5) articles to be used in your project. 

Research Topic                                                                                                          Date

The topic should be directly related to your area of specialization.

During the first several class meetings, we will discuss qualitative or quantitative data collection strategies.  Among them will be observation strategies. You will be required to conduct a field observation, and keep a field journal in which you record your thoughts and observations. You will submit a written report on your observations, and your interpretations. It is suggested that you choose the setting and phenomena you will observe in the context of your proposed topic.

Journal                                                                                                                      Each Class

You are required to keep a reflective journal, making at least one entry after every class. The journal entries are to be typed and placed in Blackboard and/or Livetext every week. Please respond, not just react, in your journal to the following:

                   I.            Events at your school or site

                II.            Connections to the readings, class activities, and discussions

             III.            Implications and Reflections—professional and personal

Journal Reflections

Student Name

·        Regular journal entries

·        Documentation of your observations and thinking

·        Contains both anecdotal accounts of specific incidents or behavior patterns and your response to them.

·        There is evidence of reflection about and learning from these observations in connection to class work and readings.

·        The journal is full of “why” “how” and “what if” musings posed from multiple perspectives (teacher, student, administrator, parent, etc.).

·        Evidence of self investment and personalized meaning You are required to submit journal entries each week. Submit them via email to the instructor. Save the document electronically using your “lastname.docx”

Write a 2-3 page paper discussing the topic chosen, using the information in the article you found, as well as course materials sources. The paper should be formatted in APA style. One-fourth of the grade for this paper relates to your English skills. Please use the handouts linked below to assist you in writing your paper in a professional manner. The paper should include at least 2 footnotes.

Students will work in small groups to analyze a set of field notes collected by a participant observer. Groups will categorize similar ideas by marking them with colored highlighting pens. Like ideas will be counted and coded using identifying words or emergent themes.

The Teacher Leader candidates will write a Leadership Brief.  The purpose of this assignment is twofold.  First, it will allow the candidates to begin synthesizing extant research literature for a capstone action research project. Second, it will help the candidates practice communicating research to a broad audience of interested and involved stakeholders. In Teacher Leader Research I, the candidate chose a topic and prepared a proposal for research; this topic will be the topic for both the assignments in this class and the capstone action research project.  Teacher Leadership Briefs will conform to APA style, and will adhere to the following format:

Teacher Leadership Briefs are to be single-spaced; typed in 12-point, Times New Roman font; and exactly 4 pages in length. Keep in mind that the audiences for these Leadership Briefs are members of your educational community. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, teachers, administrators, students, parents, community business leaders, building staff, etc.

Action Research Project: The capstone project is an action research project. The action research capstone project must complete/accomplish the following:

·         Address an actual, significant problem of practice that is of concern to a set of stakeholders within a K-12 school setting and relevant to professional work. One of the purposes of the action research study is, therefore, to make a difference in the setting, that is, to be useful.

·         Involve collaboration with a set of stakeholders in the K-12 setting. The nature of the collaboration will depend on the context and the specific purposes of the study. For example, in some studies, the researcher (the candidate) may collaborate with a group to determine what information is needed about a problem; then, the researcher may collect data and report back to the group. In other studies, the researcher and collaborators may all be involved in collecting and analyzing data and developing action plans based on the data. In still other studies, the researcher and collaborators may actually implement action plans developed by the group, based on data collection.

·         Involve collecting and analyzing empirical (quantitative and/or qualitative) data in relation to the problem. The nature of this data collection depends on the context and purpose of the study. In addition, what data are collected and how they are collected may be determined through collaboration with the stakeholders; that is, it may not be known in advance of engaging in the initial stages of the project.

·         Be informed by a review of the research/literature related to the problem being addressed. In other words, the researcher (the candidate) must conduct a fairly thorough review of the literature relevant to the problem and must use the results of the review in at least two ways: a) to inform the initial plans for the action research study and b) to provide research information to the other stakeholders who participate in the project.

·         Result in a useful product, that is, a product that is useful to stakeholders in addressing the problem or issue in the K-12 setting. The nature of the product will depend on the context and the purpose of the study. Here are some examples: (a) researcher’s report of data collection and analysis which is provided to the stakeholders; (b) an action plan developed by the stakeholders, based on data collection; (c) a set of recommendations for policy, practice, program development, and d) so on, based on the results of data collection. The nature of the product will be determined through the action research process itself.

·         The final written report of the action research capstone project must use APA style.

Part 1: Introduction (approximately 2 pages)

·         This part provides the framing for the action research project, including the problem of practice addressed by the study, the rationale for studying it, and the setting in which it was conducted. Topics to include:

-   What problem of practice in the school setting is addressed by the study?

-   What is the rationale for studying this problem?

-   What is the setting or context for the study?

-   What is the specific purpose of the study?

-   What is your “positionality” in regard to the problem of practice and action research study; that is, what role do you play in the school setting and what role did you play in the study (e.g., “facilitator” of the work of a group of stakeholders in addressing the problem).

-   How does this problem of practice relate to broader concerns in the field of education, including those represented in the literature? (which will be elaborated in Part 2)

-   How is the project organized?

Part 2: Review of the Literature (approximately 3 pages)

·         Present the review of the literature related to the problem being addressed in the action research study. Your review should include how other researchers have addressed the same or similar problems, methodologically, and in terms of key findings that frame our understanding of the topic.

Part 3: Narrative Report of the Study (approximately 8 pages)

·         •This is a full, narrative account of how the study was conducted. Topics to include:

-   Narrative account of the process of the study: What was done, by whom, when

-   Collaboration with stakeholders: How did you involve your research partners in this study?

-   Role of the literature review: You should explain how the literature review informed the study (e.g., understanding of the problem being addressed, methodological approaches to studying such issues, information base provided to stakeholders, and so on).

-   Methods for data collection and analysis: What type of inquiry methods were used (e.g.,

quantitative, qualitative, mixed method) and why? What data were collected and analyzed? What were the results of the data analysis?-

Part 4: Outcomes, Recommendations, and Critical Reflections (approximately 3 pages)

·         Outcomes of the study:

-   What useful products resulted from the study to address the problem of practice in the school setting? Were decisions made or specific actions taken as a result of the study?-What broader recommendations can be made based on the study’s findings?

-   What are the implications for doing this type of action research in your situation and in other settings?

-   How does your study provide for a template or process that will allow for continued organizational learning?

-   Critical Reflection: What are your personal reflections on the process? What did you learn?

Part 5: Calendar of Tasks for Action Research Capstone Project

·         •Part 5is a comprehensive calendar that shows the deadlines and tasks that must be completed throughout the academic year in order to finish your action research capstone project.

Assignments

1.      Construct an exam identifying the standards from the ALCOS content area.

2.      Use higher order questioning techniques to engage students.

3.      From the four levels of practice (the continuum of Emerging, Applying, Integrating, and Innovating), which serve as the means for identifying your current practice.  Indicate why, how you can reach the next level.  Be descriptive using activities and strategies that you may implement.

4.      Use a current district curriculum to design an action research project

5.      Collective responsibility

6.      ePortfolio Livetext, embedded video, powerpoint