Step-by-Step Guidance
- Choose Your Research Focus
- Identify a specific problem or question within education that interests you
- Ensure the topic is narrow enough to be manageable but significant enough to warrant investigation
- Consider issues you've observed in your professional practice or gaps identified in educational literature
- Align your research interest with current educational priorities and needs
- Structure Your Research Proposal Outline
Your proposal should include the following sections:
Section I: Title and Introduction (300-400 words)
- Research Title: Create a clear, concise title that reflects your research focus
- Problem Statement: Clearly articulate the educational problem or issue you plan to investigate
- Research Purpose: Explain why this research is important and what you hope to achieve
- Research Questions: Present 1 primary research question and 2-3 sub-questions that guide your investigation
Section II: Literature Review Summary (800-1000 words)
- Theoretical Framework: Identify the theoretical foundation that will guide your research
- Current State of Research: Summarize key findings from existing literature (minimum 8 peer-reviewed sources)
- Gaps in Literature: Identify what remains unknown or understudied in your area of interest
- Justification: Explain how your proposed research will address these gaps
Section III: Methodology (800-1000 words)
- Research Design: Specify whether your approach will be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods
- Participants/Sample: Describe your target population and sampling strategy
- Data Collection Methods: Detail how you will gather data (surveys, interviews, observations, etc.)
- Data Analysis Plan: Outline how you will analyze your data
- Ethical Considerations: Address potential ethical issues and how you will address them
Section IV: Significance and Implications (300-400 words)
- Theoretical Contributions: Explain how your research will contribute to educational theory
- Practical Applications: Describe how findings could inform educational practice
- Policy Implications: Discuss potential impacts on educational policy
- Limitations: Acknowledge potential limitations of your proposed study
Section V: Timeline and Feasibility (200-300 words)
- Research Timeline: Provide a realistic timeline for completing your research (assume a 12-month timeframe)
- Resource Requirements: Identify necessary resources (technology, materials, access to participants)
- Feasibility Assessment: Demonstrate that your research plan is realistic and achievable
Section VI: References (Not included in word count)
- Include a properly formatted reference list with minimum 12 peer-reviewed sources
- Use APA 7th edition formatting
- Ensure sources are current (within last 10 years unless historical context is necessary)