ELSE 6183 Teaching Students with ASD     Final Project Research Paper Guidelines     Directions Writing up your research report and presentation is your final project for this course

Subject:SociologyPrice: Bought3

Share With

ELSE 6183 Teaching Students with ASD

 

 

Final Project Research Paper Guidelines

 

 

Directions

Writing up your research report and presentation is your final project for this course. This project involves you conducting your own research to help guide your instructional practices, particularly for learning how educators can expand their special education teaching repertoires. This experience will afford you with an opportunity to address a realistic academic problem and then provide help to implement or improve instruction. We teach from what we learn. Fortunately, there are numerous evidence-based research studies to support implementing models of teaching to benefit students with ASD.

Ask yourself: What aspects of learning theories (and/or strategies) best fit the context and purpose for effective teaching and learning available in the research literature for students diagnosed with ASD?

In this paper the Graduate Candidate will attempt to show how research informs recent teaching practices and strategies. The paper should be rich in content, and convey your understanding of how the topic relates to a coherent and unified perspective on learning or teaching in educational settings serving children diagnosed with ASD. This paper can serve as a foundation for generating a framework for looking at the various educational practices that many researchers purport as powerful models of teaching strategies. In most schools today, changes to instruction, curriculum, assessment, or management must be grounded in research. This project provides research experience and helps you become familiar with the ideas that influence learning today. In this paper, you will examine one research based method, curriculum, instructional approach or intervention currently being touted as “best practice” or “best strategy” for serving children in the school setting.. Your individual research paper should include various beliefs, methods, practices, issues, and models that apply to your topic. You should thoroughly cover the following aspects of teaching/learning/instruction using evidence-based practices and educational references to support your ideas.

You are required to identify a problem in educating students with ASD or a question of interest to you in this field. Topics might include the effect of a given teaching method or technique on student learning, the impact that Applied Behavior Analysis can have on student learning or motivation to learn, or methods of DIR/Floor Time Approach and impact on students’ developmental performance.

The final paper can range from 10-20 pages, and must be accompanied with a literature review of the issue(s) of research using at least 10-15 references from scholarly sources. Papers must adhere to APA style (6th Ed. or most recent). Each section should be clearly labeled with its section heading.

The seven sections include:

1. Abstract - Give a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of your paper.

An abstract is a short summary of your completed research. If done well, it makes the reader want to learn more about your research study. The abstract is not the place for detailed explanations of methodology or for details about the context of your research problem. An abstract word limit of 150-300 words is common. It is possible that you may make several revisions to the abstract before submitting your final paper. Serving as a “stand alone” overview of your paper, it must be as concise and informative as possible.

2. Introduction – Give a specific definition and/or description of the problem or the topic you have tried to address in your research. A well-developed/powerful introduction engages the readers. It contains detailed background information, develops a significant and compelling position, and a clear explanation or definition of the problem using evidence-centered research. Finally, it creates interest and establishes relevance. A clear, engaging thesis statement directs the reader toward the point of the paper.

3. Significance of the problem or the topic of the research – Explain why it is important to study this issue, be aware of this concept, or benefits of using this strategy. In what ways will this research promote equitable learning opportunities and student success? In particular, address how studying this topic adds to the understanding of the area covered in the research.

4. Summary of related literature - Summarize at least 10, but not more than 15, recent references related to the topic (last ten years). –unless using a seminal research study.

A literature review is a creative way of organizing what has been written about a topic by other scholars and researchers. In writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader what you have learned through a careful reading of a set of empirical articles related to your research. This literature review should emphasize the findings of previous research that informs your study most. In creating a literature review, you acquire and demonstrate your evolving expertise in your topic selected for investigation. Your literature review should not consist of an annotated list of summaries of research, but rather it should flow smoothly for the reader as a cohesive essay.

It is helpful to your readers to understand the context of your problem and the solutions that have been attempted to date. Is this a recent solution/strategy/technique? A tried and true technique? You need to summarize what existing literature has to say about your topic and the existing solutions: What has been tried, what has worked, what has not worked, why?

As you begin, you need to share your theory base with the readers so they understand how what you are presenting is influenced by the basis of learning theory. As you read articles on your topic look for what other authors have to say about a theoretical framework for understanding the problem and pointing to a direction for solutions. It is expected that your literature review will have a concluding paragraph that provides the reader with a brief overview of the existing research and how your study contributes to what others have written.

(These sources should have been included in the annotated bibliography created during Week 4 Assessment.)

5. Discuss the proposed solution(s) and the practical implications of the research topic

Discuss the proposed solution(s) or the practical implications of the information based on the research findings from the data collected and analyzed. Specifically, indicate how the findings could be used by teachers, parents, administrators, educational leaders, students, etc. to enhance the learning and development of the educational learning environment for students diagnosed with ASD.

6. Conclusion -

What do your findings seem to indicate in relation to your instructional problem? What conclusions can you make or what interesting ideas do you have based on your investigation of the literature? What are the suggested implications for practice to ensure that student needs inform all aspects of schooling within the educational context (this includes social justice, equity, confidentiality, acceptance, and respect)?

You should summarize your discussion and proposed action(s), solution(s), or steps to be taken, by teachers, administrators, parents, etc., in the future to promote student achievement. Based on your self-efficacy beliefs, provide an explanation of how this new knowledge is significant to educators and a plan for applying what you researched to improve students’ learning in the classroom/educational setting.

7. References - Cite all literature in the body of the paper (with parentheticals) and on the reference page using American Psychological Association (APA) format. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (most current edition) and the APA Style Guide to Electronic References.Video Presentation- Record yourself presenting research (as if to your professional body of colleagues). Researchers often attend conferences, workshops, professional development in order to share their findings and inform colleagues of the latest findings. This promotes professional growth and enables educators to put into practice proven research -based best practices.

Although there is no universally agreed-upon organizational structure for writing up the final research paper, most research papers contain all of these sections. Your paper for this course must contain these essential components; however, you may customize the format to fit your own needs. Your final written report should be clear and easy to comprehend.