StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Structure of a Proposal - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper "Structure of a Research Proposal" focuses on the critical analysis of the issues in the structure of a research proposal. Research questions guide the overall project. They form the basis for the research that is being conducted and provide a framework…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.4% of users find it useful
Structure of a Research Proposal
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Structure of a Proposal"

? Research Proposal Research Proposal Research questions guide the overall project. They form the basis for the researchthat is being conducted and provide a framework by which the researcher sets out to discover his or findings and eventual conclusions (Mertler and Charles, 2011). A hypothesis is similar to this in that the researcher is making an educated assumption about the eventual findings that they will uncover related to the research question that forms the basis of the project. This hypothesis also guides the researcher as they strive to either prove or disprove their initial thoughts. For the topic that I proposed initially, I can propose the following research question and hypothesis. Research Question: What are the underlying factors why increasing numbers of youth in the inner cities of America are at risk of dropping out of school? In addition, the following two secondary research questions will form the foundation for this project: 1) What programs today are proving effective at keeping at-risk students interested and motivated enough to stay in school through to graduation? 2) What community initiatives need to be developed to help local educational institutions identify at-risk students and propose strategies aimed at providing intervention strategies aimed at keeping young people in school? Hypothesis: The at-risk population in America continues to grow because of changing family dynamics and a lack of effective programming options aimed at keeping young people in school. The problem is that high school students around the country are dropping out of school at alarming rates (Bracy, 2006). Society increasingly perceived that public schools are not living up to the expectations and needs of communities across the country. Recent years, therefore, have seen a dramatic increase in the number of intervention strategies and programs designed to keep young people in school. Programs such as charter schools, community programs, and family involvement have been explored, among others, as possible areas to focus on moving forward (Snell, 2005, p. 270). Many strategies being implemented today focus on the needs of students at-risk of dropping out of school prior to graduation. Community members and concerned stakeholders, namely the public at large, sincerely hope that these new initiatives will provide a much needed spark to the role that education plays in society and, in particular, to the at-risk student population. The purpose of this non-experimental, mixed qualitative and quantitative research study will be to identify the traits inherent in successful programs targeting at-risk students. The goal will be to specifically determine which areas are proving effective in terms of keep at-risk students in schools. Existing statistical data will be reviewed, along with personal interviews being conducted, to determine some effective strategies that are currently being employed. The effectiveness or ineffectiveness of such programs and initiatives will be determined through a combination of research and personal interviews. The interviews will be valuable because they will help to support the premise of which programs are succeeding and why. Interviews will also reflect the current climate of the at-risk student population and will help point out the various factors that either contributes to a program’s success or failure. An important item of note is that interviews and questionnaires will only be conducted with select educators and concerned adults. No student will be contact for participation in this study. It is important to focus on why programs designed for at-risk students are either effective or ineffective. This begins with an examination and understanding of they key characteristics of the at-risk student. That will form the basis for the study. The qualitative data gathered during this study will then be used to determine how programs and initiatives can be implemented more effectively in an attempt to help students succeed in high school. If a program is determined to be working for many students, then the research will examine the reasons contributing to this. In these cases, educational institutions will be able to use the results from this study in their own programs that are geared toward helping the at-risk student population in their community. At-risk students are typically referred to as being individuals in the 10th-12th grades that fall into a category that would cause members of society to consider them at-risk of not finishing high school. These factors vary, but some of the following would need to be present in order to receive the label of being at-risk: Living in an unstable school district, being a member of a low-income family, exhibiting signs of academic difficulty, coming form a household where both parents failed to finish high school themselves, coming from a second language or single-parent household, suffering from low self-esteem, or being a young person who is actively in pursuit of a full-time job or marriage (Pollard & Tomlin, 2005, p. 5). As this study is in its infancy stages, these factors will be weighted heavily to determine which programs are effective at reaching young people that fall into one of the aforementioned categories. This proposed study is important because it will examine avenues that local and state governments can explore to encourage young people to graduate high school. Because many areas of the country have historically encountered great difficulty in this area, various programs have been introduced and developed over time to help address the problem. Current data indicates, however, that these programs are not having much, if any, impact on graduation rates in many areas (Quach, 2005, p. 71). This study will then focus on discovering those initiatives that proving effective and can serve as models for future at-risk education in other localities across the country. Finally, this study will require the implementation of a qualitative research methodology to better understand how various programs directed towards at-risk students may work to decrease drop out rates nationwide. In so doing, a solution for this problem will be explored and offered. The first step of this study will be to do conduct thorough and relevant research about the issue of at-risk students. This is necessary in order to provide the researcher with the knowledge needed to look at specific programs being offered today in an effort to determine whether or not they are truly working. Reference Bracey, G. W. (2006). The 15th bracey report on the condition of public education. Phi Delta Kappan, 87(2), 138-153. Mertler, C. and Charles, C. (2011). Introduction to educational research (7th ed.). United States: Pearson Education, Inc. Pollard, R., & Tomlin, M. (2005). The use of expert teachers to improve education. Education, 116, 3-9. Quach, L. H. (2005). A paradox of care: Re-examining education for students with diverse needs. Education Foundation, 19(1), 67-85. Snell, L. (2005). Defining the education market: Reconsidering charter schools. Cato Journal, 25(2), 267-277. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Research Topic Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
Research Topic Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/education/1481479-research-topic
(Research Topic Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
Research Topic Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words. https://studentshare.org/education/1481479-research-topic.
“Research Topic Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/education/1481479-research-topic.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Structure of a Research Proposal

Capital Structure in the Cement Industry

Thus, the capital structure of cement companies, although there are differences between the companies, seems to have a common ground on its structure.... Lastly, I would endeavor to test if this hypothesis applies to the cement industry and if therefore they help to explain the capital structure of the cement industry.... The aim of this thesis is to understand the capital structure of cement companies in a comprehensive manner.... 200 words) Note on Content: • A statement of your research question, possibly including a central question and three or four aspects of sub-questions (approx....
6 Pages (1500 words) Dissertation

Identifying Operations Research Systems

Many factors come to play while deciding on a research proposal; only the general and more universal of those factors and criteria will be included in this proposal, while the more specific and technical requirements would be left to the discretion of the dissertation committee's sound judgment.... It is then, of the highest importance that a set of rules of established that will determine the guidelines based on which the dissertation committee would make decisions of either accepting or denying a candidate's dissertation proposal....
12 Pages (3000 words) Dissertation

Similarities between Formal Research & Business Proposal

On the other hand, a business proposal is also a research document that is usually completed for the principal rationale of suggesting a method for completing a particular task shortly.... The funding structure of formal research and a business proposal is completely different.... From the paper "Similarities between Formal Research & Business proposal" it is clear that although there are large differences between the two terms, there are some commonalities as well....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Proposal

Market Structure Research Proposal

A brief structure of the answer is given below: ... The research paper is prepared after a thorough search for materials about the subject matter.... research must be conducted for getting some knowledge.... But the most important thing is how well it is done to attain the objective or outcome of the research.... A detailed research plan has already been made so as to have blue print of what should and should not be done in the process of research....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Proposal

What Constitutes a Quality Research Proposal

Basically, a research proposal is the demonstration of a plan that individual aims to pursue.... The paper "What Constitutes a Quality research proposal" states that a good research proposal should follow a definite format.... A proposal writer is required to write a high-quality research proposal, one that is written in an appropriate style, free of terminology, and credible.... A quality research proposal should study an important problem, recommend a workable solution, and convey the author's trustworthiness....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Master Dissertation Proposal

his dissertation proposal is about implementation of a TQM structure through information technology.... The industry I have decided to choose for this particular proposal is customer service centers/call centers.... (Batt and Moynihan, 2002) A lot of research has been carried out on implementation of TQM in the service industry, however little emphasis has been on use of IT in implementation of TQM.... research has confirmed that implementation of TQM and effective use of IT is far from execution in the service delivery sector....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Social Deviance: Bullying

The current research "Social Deviance: Bullying" aims to present, summarize, and analyze bullying from the perspectives of social theories and determine the manner in which current policies and interventions are designed to control and punish this social deviant behavior.... n this regard, the current research aims to present, summarize, and analyze bullying from the perspectives of social theories and determine the manner which current policies and interventions are designed to control and punish this social deviant behavior....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Paper

The Needs and Satisfaction Levels of International Tourists Visiting Canberra

It is essential to state that the proposal provides a detailed research design for this study by providing the type of research to be undertaken, the type of information to be collected, the recommended method of data collection, sampling techniques and the plan of data analysis (Bramwell and Lane, 2011).... It is proposed that these objectives are to be realized by conducting quantitative research....
14 Pages (3500 words) Research Proposal
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us