OverviewYou will write a 1,500–1,750-word paper (not including the required title, abstract, and references page) that builds upon the research question or thesis statement, critique, and rough draft. You must synthesize all research into a well-blended paper that clearly addresses the research question or thesis statement and provides insight into best practices/strategies to address the issue, or improve the issue, with the intent of improving the overall institution. InstructionsUsing the provided Current Issue Project: Research Paper Template, compose your paper under the following guidelines:
Title – Assign a title that summarizes the paper and its focus. The title must be clear enough to give the reader an idea of what to expect in your paper. Avoid statements that sound vague or flippant.Abstract – Write a well-written paragraph (100–120 words) that is a synopsis of your paper’s main findings. Consider this paragraph an abridged version of your entire paper. Many people prefer to write the abstract of a paper last. Introduction – Although not labeled with a heading on your paper, this section will introduce your topic and provide your specific research question or thesis statement that will be developed throughout the paper (250 words).
Provide a brief history, including a historical context for the topic you will explore. Give a broad overview of the scope of the work (i.e., policy practices, curriculum, philosophy of education of the college) you are reviewing.A best practice is to place the research question or thesis statement at the end of the introduction. You are creating a transition for the rest of the paper that supports your topic.
Rationale – Why did you choose this topic? What interested you in this (i.e., policy, practice, curriculum, philosophy of the college) topic? What benefit or impact could occur as a result of this study? Do you have any history with this topic? Why is this topic significant or worthwhile to study? What, if anything, are the benefits of examining this topic, or what can be learned from this topic? Critical Analysis – What policy, practice, curriculum, or philosophy of education will be specifically addressed? How does this topic relate to current practices? What essential questions are answered/addressed/discussed at this present time based on your topic? How is this topic discussed in current literature? How do other institutions address this topic? Reflect on what has been learned from your study. Biblical Worldview – From a biblical worldview perspective, what are the issues this topic presents? Offer alternative ideas which incorporate a solid biblical-worldview perspective. The use of Scripture is appropriate and expected.Conclusion – Your conclusion must relate to the introduction in some way so that your paper displays coherence. The research question should be answered, or the thesis restated with arguments summarized. What best practices, solutions, or standards were discovered? A minimum of 250 words is expected.References – Include at least six scholarly references, with at least three of the references being scholarly journal articles published within the past five years. Other acceptable sources include this course’s textbooks, your methods and psychology textbooks, the Bible, or other books you have read that have influenced your worldview or educational philosophy. Do not use Wikipedia or other wiki-type pages as sources in an academic paper. Because Wikipedia is an open environment, registered users constantly change the information, which is not always reliable.
Pronouns must agree in number with their antecedents. It is incorrect to write, “Each teacher [singular] should manage their [plural] own classroom.”Avoid these problems by writing in plural as consistently as possible. For instance, use students, principals, teachers, parents, schools, etc., instead of their singular counterparts. Follow these antecedents up with “they” or “their.” This usage avoids the gender issue altogether.When you must use a singular, you may periodically use “he or she” or restructure the sentence to avoid the “he or she” if possible. Occasional use of this phrase is acceptable.
Direct Quotations: No more than 10 percent of your paper may be made up of direct quotations. Short quotations must be in quotation marks, and longer quotations must use a block indentation. If you do not set off direct quotations in this manner and cite them, you have plagiarized.Ideas and Facts: If the idea or fact is not your own, you must cite its source. When not directly quoting, you should summarize or analyze the idea in your own words.