Are you struggling with your dissertation? Have you started too late and now youre panicking?
Help is here! Your Dissertation in Education is a straight-forward, plain English guide to doing and writing your project. It will take you from start to finish, with practical and friendly advice on every page. This second edition includes:
- A new Foundations section with the concepts and tools you need to get started
- An expanded guide to methodology and writing about methods
- A new chapter on mixed methods
An essential companion on your dissertation journey, this book is ideal for students across education, including teacher training, early childhood and education studies.
The Student Success series are essential guides for students of all levels. From how to think critically and write great essays to planning your dream career, the Student Success series helps you study smarter and get the best from your time at university. Visit the SAGE Study Skills hub for tips and resources for study success!
Arvustused
From constructing a question to presenting the findings, this welcome second edition should be the first read for students undertaking a dissertation in education. It makes complex methodological and procedural issues accessible, while fostering students confidence and proficiency in undertaking an independent research project. -- Alan Thomson Aimed primarily at undergraduate students on teacher education degrees, this book deserves a much wider audience. Written in an engaging style, it provides clear explanations of complex ideas and is an excellent step-by-step guide to planning and writing a dissertation. Highly recommended.
-- Dr Nigel Skinner The great achievement of this book is the way in which it combines readability and rigour. Scott Buckler and Nicholas Wallman are to be congratulated on the very thorough yet accessible approach they have taken to the topic of dissertation writing, offering advice on each and every aspect of the process, clearly drawing on a wide range of experience and referring to some of the latest literature to support their advice. I am sure that many hard-pressed and potentially anxious colleagues undertaking writing of a sustained kind, perhaps for the first time, will gain enormous reassurance and support from this book. And they may even find some amusement, given the authors sense of humour! -- Ian Menter
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ix | |
| About the authors |
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xi | |
| Acknowledgements |
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xii | |
| Introduction to this edition |
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xiii | |
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SECTION 1 Introduction to the Dissertation Process |
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1 | (42) |
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1 What is a dissertation? |
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3 | (15) |
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2 What is educational research? |
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18 | (9) |
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3 What's all this about ethics? |
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27 | (16) |
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SECTION 2 Establishing a Focus |
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43 | (40) |
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45 | (9) |
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54 | (13) |
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6 How do I write a proposal? |
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67 | (8) |
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7 How do I write an introduction? |
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75 | (8) |
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SECTION 3 Exploring the Background to the Topic |
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83 | (60) |
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8 Where do I get hold of the background information? |
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85 | (8) |
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9 How can I manage all the notes? |
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93 | (8) |
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10 What about referencing? |
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101 | (8) |
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11 How do I argue my point effectively? |
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109 | (18) |
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12 How do I write a literature review? |
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127 | (16) |
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143 | (42) |
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13 What's all this about philosophy? |
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145 | (12) |
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14 Methodology and methods -- what is the difference? |
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157 | (6) |
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15 What is meant by mixing methodologies? |
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163 | (8) |
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16 What sorts of data will I find and how much do I need? |
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171 | (14) |
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SECTION 5 Conducting the Research |
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185 | (50) |
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17 How do I conduct effective interviews? |
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187 | (12) |
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18 How do I structure effective questionnaires? |
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199 | (11) |
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19 How do I undertake effective observations? |
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210 | (8) |
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20 Why are reliability and validity so important? |
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218 | (8) |
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21 How do I write a methodology chapter? |
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226 | (9) |
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SECTION 6 Analysing the Data and Identifying Conclusions |
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235 | (40) |
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22 How do I analyse quantitative data? |
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237 | (12) |
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23 How do I analyse qualitative data? |
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249 | (13) |
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24 How do I write a discussion chapter? |
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262 | (13) |
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SECTION 7 Practical Guidance on the Process |
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275 | (59) |
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25 How can I work effectively with my supervisor? |
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277 | (12) |
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26 What about working and planning my time? |
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289 | (9) |
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27 How can I manage a long piece of writing? |
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298 | (9) |
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28 How can I make my work look interesting and easy to read? |
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307 | (10) |
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29 How do I cope with the stress? |
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317 | (10) |
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30 Who else might be interested in my writing? |
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327 | (7) |
| References |
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334 | (4) |
| Index |
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338 | |
Scott Buckler has been involved in education since the 1990s, fluctuating between primary teaching, secondary teaching (science, computing, psychology), and universities (education, sport, psychology). From teaching research methods across the expanse of education (from the primary years through to doctorates), Scott has been an advocate of high quality research, through facilitating an open mind while maintaining academic integrity.
His research has encompassed many areas, often with the theme of personal and professional growth, through the lens of transpersonal psychology. His PhD thesis was interdisciplinary, combining anthropology and psychology to explore the way that the martial arts lead to personal transformation. Professionally, Scotts research is predominantly in applied educational psychology, inclusive education, and research methods.
Scott is a Chartered Teacher and Chartered Psychologist.
Dr Nicholas Walliman is a qualified architect and Associate Lecturer in the School of the Built Environment at Oxford Brookes University and is a former research associate in the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development. He has been engaged on a series of nationally and internationally funded research projects on aspects of building technology and has published many research papers. He has also supervised and examined numerous PhD, MPhil and Masters students. He has published a number of books on doing research and writing papers, dissertations and theses.
