Summative Assessment

---

For this assignment, you will analyse data for a qualitative research study and prepare a 3000-word study report. Each week, you will be guided through the steps you need to take to complete your report.

The assessment gives you the opportunity to explore an area of human development through the lifespan in detail, whilst gaining important qualitative research skills. 

The data for the qualitative study have already been collected and comprise essays written by school leavers living on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent in 1978. The 141 original essays were collected as part of a broader ethnographic study of life on the island, which cumulatively built a complex picture of island life at the time (Pahl, 2012). In terms of methodology, Pahl (1978) asked teachers at a comprehensive school on the Isle of Sheppey to set an essay for those students taking English lessons just before they left school. The young people were asked to imagine they were close to the end of their life, and to think back to the time when they left school, then write an essay describing their life over the next 30-40 years. Thus, the students’ essays offer a unique insight into the aspirations and hopes of young people living on the island during the late 70s. Students’ original essays were anonymised, and later transcribed into a digital format. The original, handwritten essays are confidentially stored at the University of Essex.

Reference:

• Pahl, R. E. (2012). School Leavers Study, 1978. [data collection]. 2nd Edition. UK Data Service. SN:   4867, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-4867-1Links to an external site.

---

The aim of the study is to explore the hopes and aspirations of younger people as they progress through the lifespan.

You may choose between two research questions:

1. “How do younger people envisage their biological, social and psychological futures?”
2. “What role does biological ageing play in younger peoples’ accounts of their future lives?”

For your assignment, you will analyse the essays using a common qualitative method known as thematic analysis. You must also prepare a report, which includes the following sections: 

    Title

Select a title that identifies the key topics and (when possible), provides indication of the findings.

    Abstract (250 words)

A concise summary of the report.

Support for this section can be found at 7.10: Activity – Writing Your Abstract and Using Correct Referencing 

    Introduction (850 words) 

• Description of research problem or question
• Short review of relevant literature
• Study aims and research question

In Week 4, you will have the opportunity to submit a draft of your introduction for formative feedback. You can then use this feedback to improve your introduction in the final report.

Support for this section can be found at 1.5: A Guide to Literature Searching and 4.8: Activity – Writing a Literature Review for a Qualitative Research Report 

    Method (400 words)

• Context, Theoretical Background & Ethics
• Participants
• Materials & Procedure
• Analytic Strategy

Support for this section can be found in 6.10: Activity – Methodology and Discussion Write up 

    Findings (1,000 words)

Write up a thematic analysis of the essay transcripts. 

Support for this section can be found in at 3.7: Activity – Learn How to Code and 5.9: Activity – Write up the Findings of Thematic Analysis 

    Discussion (500 words)

Draw together the key themes and refer to relevant literature. How do your findings relate to the current literature? Include any limitations of the study. 

Support for this section can be found in 6.10: Activity – Methodology and Discussion Write up 

    References

Include a list of references in APA format

Support for this section can be found at 7.10: Activity – Writing Your Abstract and Using Correct Referencing.

You may also wish to use the following resources:

Cite Them RightLinks to an external site. 

APA Style websiteLinks to an external site. 

    Appendices 

You must include ONE (hand-annotated) essay from your pack, a table that illustrates how you have coded the SAME essay, and a table that includes your final themes table and representative extracts.

Support for this section can be found at 7.10: Activity – Writing Your Abstract and Using Correct Referencing.

There is a pack of THREE essays for each Research Question. Choose only one Research Question, and its associated pack, for your assignment.

Download the materials for your chosen research question here:

RQ1

EssaysDownload Essays

RQ2

EssaysDownload Essays

Use the checklist Download checklistprovided to ensure you have covered all key areas of the assessment.

Rubric

7PS026 – Summative

7PS026 – Summative
Criteria	Ratings
This criterion is linked to a learning outcomeTitle & Abstract
This criterion is linked to a learning outcomeIntroduction
This criterion is linked to a learning outcomeMethod
This criterion is linked to a learning outcomeAnalysis/findings
This criterion is linked to a learning outcomeDiscussion
This criterion is linked to a learning outcomeAppendices and referencing

Previous