Module 6: Literature Review My Topic is Student Test Scores Not Due until March 29, 2025
Purpose
- Synthesize related literature and write a review of literature.
Overview
In this module, you are to write a literature review for the research topic of your choice. The topic of your choice should be aligned to a selected improvement project you would undertake as a leader to improve outcomes for students (research or evaluation project). Some examples may include: improving student test scores, department operational efficiency, financing and budget impacts, etc.
Imagine that you are proposing a research study. This Literature Review assignment serves as foundation for choosing your quantitative and qualitative research question for your proposed research study.
In the next Research Questions assignment, you will list the research questions that stem from your Research Purpose Statement from this Literature Review Assignment.
A literature review is a descriptive summary of research on a topic that has previously been studied. The purpose of a literature review is to inform readers of the significant knowledge and ideas that have been established on this research topic. The review needs to cover scholarship that is important to the issue you are writing about.
The paper should consist of 6 parts:
- Introduction to the Literature
- An introductory paragraph that explains your research topic (question).
- Introduce the reader to the topic and justify the need for your study.
- After reading your introduction, the problem should start to be apparent.
- Support your rationale with at least 5 references from peer-reviewed journal articles.
- Research Problem Statement
- States the specific problem proposed for your future research by presenting a clear declarative statement that begins with “It is not known if and to what degree/extent…” (quantitative) or “It is not known how/why and…” (qualitative). Be clear: “The problem is that …”
- Identifies the general population affected by the problem.
- Suggests how your research may contribute to solving the problem.
- Clearly describes the magnitude and importance of the problem.
- Identifies the need for the study and why it is of concern to the researcher.
- Note: Where do you find problems for research?
- Testing theory models
- Conflicting research findings
- Practical issue or demand
- Policy
- Gap in the literature
- Critical review Summary of Relevant Literature
- Addresses research on the variables and/or problem of your proposed study:
- Consistencies and gaps in the research relative to the proposed study
- Strengths and weaknesses of previous studies
- Critically appraises other works, not merely describe them.
- Supports your claims with at least 3 references from peer-reviewed journal articles.
- Identification of a gap in the reviewed literature
- Provide the rationale for your research purpose statement. Cite at least 5 credible sources. You need to identify deficiencies (a “hole”) in the existing literature. Your research purpose statement should stem from this gap.
- It is possible that:
- The findings from previous research could be controversial and that is why you want to address this research problem in your study; OR
- The phenomenon was studied in one setting, and you want to study it in a different setting; OR
- The phenomenon was studied with one population, and you want to study it with a different population, etc.
- Research Purpose Statement
- Think about the research purpose statement that has a potential to narrow the gaps in our knowledge about the research problem of your interest.
- After reading your research problem statement, the logical question is, so what should we do about it? The purpose statement is the logical answer. Be clear: “The purpose of this study is to…”
- The purpose statement tells your audience what the primary goal of the research is (was).
- The purpose statement should include (1) the objective of your study, (2) methodology of your research, (3) population under investigation, (4) the setting, and includes (5) the phenomena or variables to be studied.
Module 6: Research Questions
Purpose
- Write a focused, researchable, feasible, specific, complex, and relevant research questions.
Overview
Research questions include the key question(s) you want your research to answer. You should be able to tell your audience what you want to know with focused, concise question(s).
A good research question requires original data, synthesis of multiple sources, and original interpretation and argumentation prior to providing an answer.
In this assignment, you are to write 2 research questions (one qualitative and one quantitative) that stem from your Research Purpose Statement from this Literature Review Assignment.
Criteria for developing research questions
- Clear and focused. In other words, the question should clearly state what the writer needs to do.
- Not too broad and not too narrow
- The question should have an appropriate scope
- Not too easy to answer
- Not too difficult to answer
- Researchable
- Analytical rather than descriptive
For a quantitative question:
- Align research questions directly with the problem and purpose statements.
- List variables.
- For each variable, indicate whether it is an independent variable, a dependent variable, moderator or mediator variable.
- Describe how you strictly define variables into measurable factors.
For a qualitative question:
- Make sure that research questions and sub-questions make sense, are answerable, are few in number, are clearly stated and are open-ended.
- Describe aspects of the cases on which data collection and analysis will focus.
Action Items
- Read the Overview for this assignment.
- Study the resources below.
- Develop Research QuestionsLinks to an external site.
- How to Write a Research Question: Types, Steps, and ExamplesLinks to an external site.
- 10 Research Question Examples to Guide your Research ProjectLinks to an external site.
