Writing the MA Dissertation

In keeping with the nature of a higher degree, the dissertation should be written in clear, accurate language, give appropriate references to sources used whenever relevant and contain a full Reference Section of publications cited. All universities expect you to submit a work that has undergone thorough proof-reading; a dissertation with a significant number of surface errors would not be accepted and would be referred back to you for re-submission.

General features of presentation.

Here are the general requirements for an MA Dissertation:

●???? Word-length: Each university sets its limit. The range is from 12,000 to 20,000 words (not including appendices and references). You must stay within this word range, not less, not more.

●???? There must be double spacing between lines.

●???? Margins: each page should have a left-hand margin of at least 35mm and margins at head, foot and right-hand side, of at least 15mm.

●???? Pages must be numbered.

• Start new chapters on a new page.

●???? The title page should state: University of XXX; the name of the degree (MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL); the title of the assignment; the date of submission; and your name. Example:

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University of Leicester

MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL

Dissertation

Teacher journals: a critical analysis of the role of teacher journals in teacher education programmes for primary teachers of EFL in Spain

Year: 2012

Mary Best

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The Abstract? an abstract of not more than 500 words must be provided after the title page (see next section for further guidance).

·?Acknowledgements

·?Dedication

·?Abbreviations

·?Tables and Figures

Table of Contents This should include Chapter headings and numbered sections and sub-sections.? Example:

Table of Contents

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………??????? ??????????????? i

Acknowledgements………………………………………………………??? ???????????? ??? ii

Dedication……………………………………………………………………????????? ??????????????? iii

Abbreviations ………………………………………………………….....?????????????????????????? iv

Figures and Tables………………………………………………………??????????????????????????? v

Chapter 1: Introduction .......…………………………………………?????????????????????????? 1

1.1???????? Purpose of the Study………………………………………????????? ??????????????? 4

1.2???????? Guiding Questions…………………………………………??????????? ??????????????? 6

1.3???????? Hypothesis……………………………………………….....…??????????? ??????????????? 8

1.4???????? Definition of Terms…………………………………………?????????? ??????????????? 10

Chapter? 2: Literature Review……………………………………… ??????????????? 12????????

2.1 Introduction ............................................................................ 12

2.2. Immigrant Parents…………………………………………………?????????? ??????????????? 14

bla

bla

References…………………………………………………………………… ????????????????????????? 65

Appendix 1 ………………………………………………………………… 74

Appendix 2 ………………………………………………………………… 75

?bla

bla

References This section should contain ALL and ONLY the works cited in the main text (it’s not a bibliography). It should follow the system used by your university, likely to be the Harvard System or APA. The References list should start on a fresh page following the end of the main text and precede any appendices.

Each Appendix should begin on a new page.

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The Abstract

An abstract is obligatory in the dissertation. An abstract should not read like a statement of purpose nor like an introduction. An introduction sets out what the reader can expect. The abstract provides a synopsis of what has been done in the dissertation. An abstract could begin, continue and end, for example, with language of the following kind:

·???????? The focus of this research is in the area of……..??

·???????? The study addresses the question of…..??

·???????? Such a study is important in order to…..?

·???????? The research approach adopted in this dissertation is……

·???????? The findings from the study provide evidence that……

·???????? The main conclusions drawn from this study are…..??

·???????? This dissertation recommends that….

The abstract should usually be a maximum of 500 words, but consult your uni Handbook.

Here is an example of an abstract from an anonymous student in the MA. TESL programme at Leicester University:

Abstract?

L2 listening instruction has been dominated by the methodology of the comprehension approach that essentially provides listeners with listening practice and leaves them to their own devices. This amounts to what Mendelsohn (1994) called learning to listen by osmosis. Practitioners tend to comply with the approach because they often lack the necessary theoretical knowledge to intervene constructively.

This study explores an alternative methodology. It exposes 20 Arab Elementary level? students to a metacognitive pedagogical sequence and asks them to consider the way they tackle listening, specifically what they do before, during and after listening. The intervention seeks to bring tacit listening processes to the level of consciousness and is designed to make learners more aware of the armoury of potentially useful proactive (supportive) and reactive (compensatory) strategies that may be summoned to prepare for and resolve the challenges of comprehending L2 listening events. The approach is built on the premise that awareness is a necessary first step to meeting the challenges of a performance task (Flavell,1979). Gains in metacognitive awareness, listening ability and self-efficacy (confidence and motivation) were hypothesized and measured using a Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (Vandergrift et al., 2006) and pre- and post-tests.

Results from this study confirm the small but growing body of evidence which suggests that raising metacognitive awareness of the listening process can benefit learners by:

* developing a richer metacognitive knowledge about the nature and demands of listening and strategies for listening.

* improving listening performance.

* improving affect and confidence in listening.

Reflecting results elsewhere in the literature, the behaviour of less-skilled listeners was marked by a bottom-up dependency and in particular the use of online translation which impeded effective top-down processing and the use of executive order metacognitive strategies. In common with other studies, the weak listeners were among the biggest beneficiaries of a focus on process.

??????????????? Participants listened to graded authentic texts, containing many of the features of natural speech designed to replicate the difficulties of listening to real world communication. A post-listening phase dedicated to remedial perceptual training, and the use of listening as a means to acquire language, proved to be a popular cornerstone of the intervention.

The following recommendations ensue from the findings of this study:

1.?????? Raising awareness of listening through process-based listening activities should form an important strand of any listening programme, particularly in the early stages of learning an L2.

2.?????? Graded authentic texts that prepare listeners for the challenges of coping with natural spontaneous speech should be introduced to students irrespective of level of proficiency.

3.?????? Given the critical nature of linguistic knowledge in the comprehension process, there is much to be gained from using listening texts as a basis for work on perceptual training and language acquisition.?

Shape of the dissertation

Below is one way to shape your dissertation. It’s not the only way, and it’s quite possible that it doesn’t correspond exactly to the advice given to you in the study notes provided by your university. There is always an Introduction, followed by a literature review, followed by a chapter on research methods. After this, there are lots of variations. One example is where Chapter 4 combines the presentation of findings, and this might well be a good idea if you’re doing an ethnographic, qualitative study, where you are very much involved in the study, rather than trying to be an impartial organiser and observer. Furthermore, you should feel free to vary the lengths of chapters suggested below. There are no hard and fast rules, only general guidelines.

?Chapter 1: Introduction (there is no ‘Introduction’ before Chapter 1. Chapter 1 is the introduction!). ??

Length: 1,000 to 1,500 words.

This will say what the topic is, why you became interested in researching it, and discuss the nature of the issue or problem that the dissertation deals with. A brief description of the context of the study is usually appropriate. The research questions should also be introduced at this point. Finally, it is essential to give an overview: an outline the structure of the dissertation.

Chapter 2: Review of literature?

Length: 5,000 to 6,000 Words

The literature review should present, interpret and synthesise what has been researched and published in the area of interest. See the previous newsletter on the Literature Review for more. It’s really important not to write it in a way that suggests you are just listing things you have read about: you should write it from your own point of view, and you should write critically.? The review should lead up to your own study, such that it seems almost inevitable that your study needs to be done – because there is a gap in the literature, or a problem that is still unresolved, or you suspect that previous research may not necessarily apply to the context of your study. ?

Chapter 3: Research design, methods of data collection.

Length: up to 2,000 words.

Here you describe what data you will collect, what research tools you will use and how it will enable you to address the research question(s). There must be a match between the theory, problem or issue, research question and research design. This means you have to say why you chosen the research design you use, how it will allow you to get the data you need, how you analyse that data in order to answer the research questions, what steps you take to make sure the data is valid and reliable, or authentic and trustworthy, and how you have met ethical concerns.

Chapter 4:? Presentation of findings

Length: 5 to 7,000 words.

If your study uses quantitative research tools, a questionnaire, for example, then the results should be presented using tables and graphs whenever possible. Some initial comments can be made.? In qualitative research it is often preferable not to present results in a list form (for example, what the answers were to question 1,2,3.. of a questionnaire, or to questions 1,2,3. of interviews), but to synthesise the results in your own mind first, so that what you write is a presentation of themes or patterns that have emerged from the data.

Chapter 5:? Discussion of Findings ?

Length: 2 to 4,000 words.

The discussion of findings is the heart of the dissertation. It starts by revisiting the research questions and continues by discussing in detail how well you have been able to answer them. This amounts to your defence of the work you’ve done, and you will hopefully be able to sing its praises as you evaluate the achievements of the dissertation as a whole.?? ?

For the last time, you remind the reader of the objectives of the study, and of the research questions which guided it. You then consider the research questions in turn. To what extent did the data support or challenge previous studies and views? It’s very important to tie your discussion of findings to your discussion of the literature in Chapter 2. To what extent does the data give a satisfactory answer to the research question under discussion?? In order to answer these questions, you have to study your data very carefully and decide what parts of it you’ll discuss.

After a close discussion of the findings in terms of the research questions, you need to step back and see the big picture. In the case of our example, what has the study done to your thoughts and opinions about primary education teachers’ views of ELT? Has it confirmed your suspicions? Has it changed them? What it’s most likely done is make you appreciate that there’s no simple answer and that a number of factors emerge which you hadn’t appreciated before. Discuss these, and how the findings throw light on them.

And you also need to discuss what the data didn’t throw light on, what you were not able to establish, and even what you got wrong. First, there’s the question of the limits of generalisability of the findings. Then there’s the matter of the things you did wrong, or could have done better, and of what went wrong, even despite your best efforts. What were the weaknesses of the tools you used, and of the way you used them? What would you do and what wouldn’t you do if you had the chance to do the study again? Be honest: show you know what the shortcomings are. Finally, you should say what work could be or needs to be done next.

Chapter 6: Implications and Recommendations

Length: 1 to 2,000 words

?In our example, if the study supports your original hunches that teachers have reservations about implementing CLT, and that they see their bosses and parents as the main obstacles, then what are the implications, and what recommendations would you suggest to deal with those implications?? In this case, teacher training, better communication between teachers and management, and between teachers and parents seem obvious issues to discuss.

Chapter 7: Conclusion.

Length: 500 to 1,500 words.

Here you give a summary of main points, and no important new information should be introduced. ??

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Checklist

Before writing the dissertation

● consult your tutor and get a dissertation proposal accepted;

● send the pro-forma to your tutor by the due date at the latest;

As you write the dissertation

● use headings and sub-headings to sign-post your writing;

● be consistent with headings and any numbering system;

● check your referencing is consistent and accurate;

● check that all references are in the References section;

● avoid informal language, short forms (e.g. can't), colloquialisms (e.g. results were pretty much as expected), inappropriate style/register,

● avoid generalisations with insufficient support;

● avoid long quotations, unless absolutely essential;

● make sure any quotations are correctly transcribed from the original, with year and page reference indicated;

● use quotations sparingly to support your main point rather than present it;

● always attribute words and ideas that are not your own to their original source;

● eliminate all surface errors (spelling, punctuation, misuse of the apostrophe); wherever possible, use a spell-checker.

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When you've finished writing

● check that you have included an abstract, following the guidance given above; .

●?check that your list of contents is accurate and complete;

●?make sure that the introduction clearly identifies your focus and purpose;

●?check that you have constructed a progressive, coherent argument;

●?make sure that each section is appropriately linked both forwards and backwards;

●?check that you have conclusions.

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Final Tips

• Make sure that the abstract explains what you HAVE done (i.e. a synopsis of the work), not what you will do, which is the purpose of the introduction.?
• Check that your purpose is clearly stated in the Introduction.? Are your research questions or hypothesis/hypotheses clearly presented? Is the context of the work clearly described so the reader can understand your work as it progresses? ?Failures to deal with purpose, context and research questions often lead to a lack of clarity throughout the work and are one of the main reasons for markers failing a dissertation. ?
• Revise the text at regular intervals to make sure the purpose is clear throughout and the discussion is coherently managed with appropriate transitions.
• Avoid contractions and colloquial language.
• Avoid vagueness, unsubstantiated claims and careless generalisations.
• Opinions need to be expressed with an appropriate degree of caution and tentativeness.
• Choice of tenses and vocabulary cause a surprising number of negative observations by tutors.? Grammar and use of vocabulary should be carefully checked.
• Make sure you report what you did in your study, where appropriate, but with critical evaluation included in your discussion, so that your dissertation is not just a description.
• Proof-read thoroughly and regularly, including features of punctuation.? Spell-checkers help but they do not remove the need for your visual checks of the accuracy of your work.? This may seem obvious but we have been surprised at the number of final drafts which would benefit from fairly extensive proof-reading.
• At the editing stage, consider the reader-friendliness of your text.? Some questions may help with revisions:

a) ?are tables/figures clearly labelled?

b) ?are they easy to interpret (for the reader)?

c) ?are appendices labelled and clearly referred to?

d) ?is your text reader-friendly or does it require lots of flicking in and out of appendices?

e) ?are secondary references included in your bibliography?? (the alternative is footnotes)

f) ?are all references clear in your text?

g) ?is there a tendency to over-indulge in direct quotation? ?Paraphrase and interpretation are generally preferred unless there is a clear need for original words.

• Make sure your dissertation is well-structured, easy to follow, logical, and coherent.
• Break the task of writing the dissertation down into small, easily accomplished elements.
• Work on different parts of the dissertation at the same time. Once you have the main chapter headings in the order in which they will appear, you can work on any of the chapters any time you feel like it; don’t think that you have to finish Chapter 1 before you start Chapter 2.
• Remind yourself of the argument running through your dissertation. Keep checking that you’re focused and on track.
• Be assertive about what you are arguing; be open about where the gaps are in your research; be cautious about over-stating what you have found; be modest in relating your own research to the broader context.
• Once you have the dissertation in draft form, spend a lot of time looking for ways you can improve it. Make sure you use clear signposting at the beginning of chapters, and write links between sections to show how they relate to each other.
• Review your draft from the standpoint of a dissertation examiner. Look for the marking guide provided by your university and then apply it to your dissertation and see if there are aspects that you can improve.
• Don’t go under the minimum word count or over the maximum.?
• Know when to stop. If you feel that your dissertation will never be good enough, and that you need to revise it again and again, taker a break.
• Coming back afresh to look critically at the main text may then enable you to complete it to your satisfaction. Remember the dissertation needs to demonstrate your ability to undertake and report research rather than to answer every question on a topic.
• Allow yourself enough time for the final checking and proof reading of the finished document.
• No matter how many words are allowed for a piece of academic writing, you’ll probably struggle to keep within the word limit. If you find yourself in this situation, you have two options. Either you cut some of the material out, or you ‘condense’ the wording. If you need to cut something out which the reader might expect you to cover, you can tell the reader that you have done this e.g. by saying something like ‘due to limitations of space X will not be discussed’. It shows that you are aware of X, but that you have made a conscious choice not to include it. Sometimes you can avoid cutting things out by using fewer words to say the same thing. Also, make sure that you do not repeat information or ideas unnecessarily. Usually, it is better to cross-reference than to repeat.

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Suggested Reading

***** Biggam, J. (2011). Succeeding with your Masters Dissertation: A Step By Step Handbook.?Open University Press.?

***** Galvan, J. (2006). Writing literature reviews: a guide for students of the behavioral sciences. Pyrczak Publishing.

***** Guillet, A., Hammond, A., Marttala, A. (2009). Inside Track to Successful Academic Writing. Pearson.