Below you will find instructions on completing each of the four parts of your final summative assignment.
Part 1 – Personal/professional area of interest in education (1000 – 1,500 words max)
For this part of the assignment, you will need to:
- Describe the area of interest that you have in the field of education.
- Explain how this is related to your own personal/professional interest.
- Define and describe the chosen topic for research in that area and explain how conducting a literature review will support you in developing a research study.
How to complete this part (Part 1):
1. Choose an educational topic that you are interested in studying and provide a clear description with key words clearly defined and a discussion of definitions from different authors. Then describe which definition(s) you are adopting and why.
2. Explain how research in this area will benefit you personally and/or professional and in terms of meeting your career goals.
3. Formulate an inquiry question that specifically describes what you would like to know about your educational topic.
- You have done this, to a lesser extent, in your first assignment already and although advisable, there is not commitment in writing assignment 2 on the same topic. If on the same topic, you can build on your assignment 1 but the description of the topic of interest needs to be clearer and more specific than in your assignment one. Here you also need to explain what the purpose of a literature review is on your chosen topic and the role it plays in developing a research study. Ensure your discussion here is specific to your focus on this assignment and its topic and not a general one on the role of literature.
Below is the learning objectives and rubric that depicts how you will be assessed for Part 1 of the assessment.
| Distinction 80%+ | Distinction 70%+ | Merit 60-69% | Pass 50-59% | Marginal Fail 40-49% | Fail <40% | |
| LO2 Explain the purpose and place of a literature review in relation to empirical research | Includes an exceptionally coherent and concise explanation of the purpose and place of a literature review in relation to empirical research | Includes a highly coherent and concise explanation of the purpose and place of a literature review in relation to empirical research | Includes a coherent and concise explanation of the purpose and place of a literature review in relation to empirical research | Includes an adequate explanation of the purpose and place of a literature review in relation to empirical research | An attempt is made to explain the purpose and place of a literature review in relation to empirical research | Does not fully explain the purpose and place of a literature review in relation to empirical research |
| Style (presentation, accuracy of referencing, clarity of language, ability to express ideas, spelling, punctuation and grammar) | Consistently clear structure adopted and referred to throughout the essay fully supporting the discussion. Exceptionally fluent; accurately written with flair and style. Outstanding use of standard written English. No errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Very comprehensive referencing, drawing from a range of different types of source, using appropriate conventions with no errors Word count is adhered to. | A very clear structure throughout enhances the clarity of the argument with outlined sections to address main issues. Excellent, well-crafted writing style. Excellent standard written English used consistently. No errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Very comprehensive referencing using appropriate conventions with no errors Word count is adhered to. | Clear structure and organisation with outlined sections to address main issues. Good, appropriate writing style using standard written English. All statements are clearly expressed and there is good flow from one point to the next. Very few errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Referencing clear and mostly accurate using appropriate conventions. Word count is adhered to. | Organisation and structure in place to aid the coherence of the discussion. Satisfactory use of written English with appropriate academic style. Some errors in grammar/ spelling or punctuation Referencing adequate. Word count is adhered to. | Some organisation in place with basic use of written English and an inappropriate academic style. Several grammatical/spelling or punctuation errors. Multiple errors in referencing but inaccuracies do not always mislead. Word count is nearly adhered to. | Lack of structure leading to a lack of clarity and purpose in the assignment. Major features are not always sufficiently defined. Work is repetitive. Poor standard of basic English and a non-academic style. Confused and incoherent arguments. Much more care needed with language construction and checking of the text. References nearly/wholly absent or inaccurate/misleading Word count is not adhered to. |
Part 2 – Locating and selecting academic texts (500 words max)
For this part of the assignment, you will need to:
- Locate and select academic texts (5 sources) related to your area of interest in education.
- Explain where you located each of the texts (e.g., the databases that you used and specific journals and justify your choice-why these databases and journals).
- Explain why you chose each academic text.
- Provide an overview of the study and how this is related to your area of interest in education.
- Reference each academic text using APA 7th edition guidelines.
How to Complete this part (Part 2):
For this and next part (part 2 and part 3) you can use a Literature Management Matrix which is a method to visually organise the work you read and your thoughts on academic sources. You can find a template below which is also available on the module site (see also the worked-out example) but you will need to submit narrative text to address this part (and the next one) instead of just copying the Literature Management Matrix (the matrix is there just to help you, should you decide to use this).
- Use the searching techniques explained in session 6 / week 6 with Mrs Tracey Newby, our subject librarian on how to search for literature to locate and select 5 academic texts.
- Here you need to explain what databases you searched in for sources and why- See the session 5 materials and also the Education Subject Guide from the library and ensure you search in more than one databases for sources and that you justify your decisions. For example, someone might argue that:
Elsevier’s Scopus was chosen as one of the databases for the searching of sources as it is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature covering a rather broad journal range (Vieira & Gomes, 2009) and, more importantly, having a comparatively more extensive coverage in the social sciences and education than other databases (Harzing & Alakangas, 2016).
Note in the above example how literature is used in support of the arguments that add to the justification of the choices. Similarly, someone might explain the advantages of choosing the library catalogue or Web of Science instead of other databases like Google Scholar. For the Journals you would select the sources from, do the same by explaining why these journals. Did you check the impact factors (see the seminar 5 materials and here) or citescores (CiteScore is essentially another metric which is the average citations per document that a title receives over a three-year period)? Are these journals in the broader area of your chosen topic?
- You should clearly explain how you considered currency, authenticity, and objectivity/criticality in choosing each of the five sources (see the materials from session 4 on academic integrity where we discuss the source criteria). You should also be discussing the quality and impact of each source by looking at how many times this source/journal article has been cited in other work. For this, see seminar 1 and the ‘cited by’ function on google scholar which is the number of times an article has been cited by other authors which is a popular metric for evaluating the research impact of an article (see also here and note that you can also search for times cited for an article using other databases like the Web of Science database by sorting the results by Citations: highest first)?
- Provide a summary of the paper (do not copy the abstract paper but summarise it in your own words) and explain the relevance of the paper to your chosen topic.
Below is the learning objectives and rubric that depicts how you will be assessed for Part 2 of the assessment.
| Distinction 80%+ | Distinction 70%+ | Merit 60-69% | Pass 50-59% | Marginal Fail 40-49% | Fail <40% | |
| LO1 Independently locate, select and critically evaluatemultiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Includes an exceptionally coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to independently locate and select multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Includes a highly coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to independently locate and select multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Includes a coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to independently locate and select multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Includes an adequate critical demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to independently locate and select multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | An attempt is made to independently locate and select multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Does not fully independently locate, select and critically evaluate multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education |
| Style (presentation, accuracy of referencing, clarity of language, ability to express ideas, spelling, punctuation and grammar) | Consistently clear structure adopted and referred to throughout the essay fully supporting the discussion. Exceptionally fluent; accurately written with flair and style. Outstanding use of standard written English. No errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Very comprehensive referencing, drawing from a range of different types of source, using appropriate conventions with no errors Word count is adhered to. | A very clear structure throughout enhances the clarity of the argument with outlined sections to address main issues. Excellent, well-crafted writing style. Excellent standard written English used consistently. No errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Very comprehensive referencing using appropriate conventions with no errors Word count is adhered to. | Clear structure and organisation with outlined sections to address main issues. Good, appropriate writing style using standard written English. All statements are clearly expressed and there is good flow from one point to the next. Very few errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Referencing clear and mostly accurate using appropriate conventions. Word count is adhered to. | Organisation and structure in place to aid the coherence of the discussion. Satisfactory use of written English with appropriate academic style. Some errors in grammar/ spelling or punctuation Referencing adequate. Word count is adhered to. | Some organisation in place with basic use of written English and an inappropriate academic style. Several grammatical/spelling or punctuation errors. Multiple errors in referencing but inaccuracies do not always mislead. Word count is nearly adhered to. | Lack of structure leading to a lack of clarity and purpose in the assignment. Major features are not always sufficiently defined. Work is repetitive. Poor standard of basic English and a non-academic style. Confused and incoherent arguments. Much more care needed with language construction and checking of the text. References nearly/wholly absent or inaccurate/misleading Word count is not adhered to. |
Part 3 – Critically analysing the methodological approaches of chosen articles (500 words max)
For this part of the assignment, you will need to:
- Critically discuss each study of the 5 studies in part 5, including the strengths and limitations of the methodology
- Accurately reference each article using the APA 7th edition referencing guidelines
How to Complete this part (Part 3):
Use the Literature Management Matrix to help you summarise the methodologies and methods of the chosen sources. See more on session 9 materials-in a nutshell, the methodology is the underlying overall strategy used in the research (it is usually qualitative, quantitative or a combination of the two) when methods are the specific tools and procedures used to collect and analyse data (for example, interviews, surveys, focus group, observations etc.). Summarise the overall methodology and methods for each paper and discuss the strengths and weaknesses by also making comparisons between those 5 sources you. Ensure you use literature in support of your discussion of the strengths and weaknesses selected (see the worked-out example of the Literature Management Matrix).
Below is the learning objectives and rubric that depicts how you will be assessed for Part 3 of the assessment.
| Distinction 80%+ | Distinction 70%+ | Merit 60-69% | Pass 50-59% | Marginal Fail 40-49% | Fail <40% | |
| LO3 Critically analyse academic and other relevant literature in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Includes an exceptionally coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Includes a highly coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Includes a coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Includes an adequate demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | An attempt is made to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Does not fully critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research |
| Style (presentation, accuracy of referencing, clarity of language, ability to express ideas, spelling, punctuation and grammar) | Consistently clear structure adopted and referred to throughout the essay fully supporting the discussion. Exceptionally fluent; accurately written with flair and style. Outstanding use of standard written English. No errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Very comprehensive referencing, drawing from a range of different types of source, using appropriate conventions with no errors Word count is adhered to. | A very clear structure throughout enhances the clarity of the argument with outlined sections to address main issues. Excellent, well-crafted writing style. Excellent standard written English used consistently. No errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Very comprehensive referencing using appropriate conventions with no errors Word count is adhered to. | Clear structure and organisation with outlined sections to address main issues. Good, appropriate writing style using standard written English. All statements are clearly expressed and there is good flow from one point to the next. Very few errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Referencing clear and mostly accurate using appropriate conventions. Word count is adhered to. | Organisation and structure in place to aid the coherence of the discussion. Satisfactory use of written English with appropriate academic style. Some errors in grammar/ spelling or punctuation Referencing adequate. Word count is adhered to. | Some organisation in place with basic use of written English and an inappropriate academic style. Several grammatical/spelling or punctuation errors. Multiple errors in referencing but inaccuracies do not always mislead. Word count is nearly adhered to. | Lack of structure leading to a lack of clarity and purpose in the assignment. Major features are not always sufficiently defined. Work is repetitive. Poor standard of basic English and a non-academic style. Confused and incoherent arguments. Much more care needed with language construction and checking of the text. References nearly/wholly absent or inaccurate/misleading Word count is not adhered to. |
Part 4 – Literature review (2,000-2,500 words max)
For this part of the assignment, you will need to:
- Produce a literature review that critically evaluates the literature that you have engaged with for your area of interest in education.
- Synthesize the literature into themes that demonstrate what the current literature is stating about your topic of interest.
- Identify and clearly state a gap in literature that you could study in this area of education.
How to complete this part (Part 4)
For your literature review part of this assignment, and as we discussed in our seminars in week 6 and 12, you should be organising your work thematically (in themes)– See also the examples from past students’ work on this. A suggested structure of a thematic style/approach (literature review presented by themes) would be:
- 1. Introduction
Write an introduction paragraph for your literature review. This should:
- a. Clearly state the area and research topic for this review;
- b. State a clear focus for the literature review;
- c. Present the structure of the literature review and outline the themes to be discussed.
-
2. Main Body
The body of your literature review will include,
a. Theme I: a paragraph/several paragraphs that describe the first theme that you identified and critical reflect on, compare, and discuss the articles selected for this theme.
b. Theme II: a paragraph/several paragraphs that describe the second theme that you identified and critical reflect on, compare, and discuss the articles selected for this theme.
…………….
…………….
d. Theme III: a paragraph/several paragraphs that describe the third theme that you identified and critical reflect on, compare, and discuss the articles selected for this them.
- Summary
This is the last part of your literature review. In this you should summarise the main findings from your literature review and the purpose of this review with pointing out how your research questions derive from that. In other words, what the gap is that you’ve identified in the literature and that your own research is thus designed to fill thus contributing to knowledge development in the field/area.
Note: In our discussion of what a good reference list should look like in seminar 5/ week 5, we talked about the focus in your sources being from peer-reviewed journals and the need for reliance on primary sources. Your identification of themes and their discussion should thus mostly be for those sources, but you need to ensure there is also some discussion of literature at a theoretical level as this was explained in the seminar in week 8.
Below is the learning objectives and rubric that depicts how you will be assessed for Part 4 of the assessment.
| Distinction 80%+ | Distinction 70%+ | Merit 60-69% | Pass 50-59% | Marginal Fail 40-49% | Fail <40% | |
| LO1 Independently locate, select and critically evaluate multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Includes an exceptionally coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to independently locate, select and critically evaluate multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Includes a highly coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to independently locate, select and critically evaluate multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Includes a coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to independently locate, select and critically evaluate multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Includes an adequate critical demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to independently locate, select and critically evaluate multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | An attempt is made to independently locate, select and critically evaluate multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education | Does not fully independently locate, select and critically evaluate multiple academic texts on a chosen issue or problem related to education |
| LO3 Critically analyse academic and other relevant literature in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Includes an exceptionally coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Includes a highly coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Includes a coherent and concise demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Includes an adequate demonstration of the knowledge and skills needed to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | An attempt is made to critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research | Does not fully critically analyse academic and other relevant literature, in order to determine the quality of the underlying research |
| LO4 Produce a literature review in a chosen area which provides a synthesis and critical analysis of a substantial body of knowledge in a chosen area related to education | Includes an exceptionally coherent and concise demonstration of a literature review in a chosen area, related to education, which provides a synthesis and critical analysis of a substantial body of knowledge | Includes a highly coherent and concise demonstration of a systematic understanding of a literature review in a chosen area, related to education, which provides a synthesis and critical analysis of a substantial body of knowledge | Includes a coherent and concise demonstration of a literature review in a chosen area, related to education, which provides a synthesis and critical analysis of a substantial body of knowledge | Includes an adequate demonstration of a systematic understanding of a literature review in a chosen area, related to education, which provides a synthesis and critical analysis of a substantial body of knowledge | An attempt is made to demonstrate a systematic understanding of a literature review in a chosen area, related to education, which provides a synthesis and critical analysis of a substantial body of knowledge | Does not fully demonstrate a systematic understanding of a literature review in a chosen area, related to education, which provides a synthesis and critical analysis of a substantial body of knowledge |
| Style (presentation, accuracy of referencing, clarity of language, ability to express ideas, spelling, punctuation and grammar) | Consistently clear structure adopted and referred to throughout the essay fully supporting the discussion. Exceptionally fluent; accurately written with flair and style. Outstanding use of standard written English. No errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Very comprehensive referencing, drawing from a range of different types of source, using appropriate conventions with no errors Word count is adhered to. | A very clear structure throughout enhances the clarity of the argument with outlined sections to address main issues. Excellent, well-crafted writing style. Excellent standard written English used consistently. No errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Very comprehensive referencing using appropriate conventions with no errors Word count is adhered to. | Clear structure and organisation with outlined sections to address main issues. Good, appropriate writing style using standard written English. All statements are clearly expressed and there is good flow from one point to the next. Very few errors in grammar/spelling or punctuation Referencing clear and mostly accurate using appropriate conventions. Word count is adhered to. | Organisation and structure in place to aid the coherence of the discussion. Satisfactory use of written English with appropriate academic style. Some errors in grammar/ spelling or punctuation Referencing adequate. Word count is adhered to. | Some organisation in place with basic use of written English and an inappropriate academic style. Several grammatical/spelling or punctuation errors. Multiple errors in referencing but inaccuracies do not always mislead. Word count is nearly adhered to. | Lack of structure leading to a lack of clarity and purpose in the assignment. Major features are not always sufficiently defined. Work is repetitive. Poor standard of basic English and a non-academic style. Confused and incoherent arguments. Much more care needed with language construction and checking of the text. References nearly/wholly absent or inaccurate/misleading Word count is not adhered to. |
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