EDF4100 Assessment Task 2: Review of Research
Assessment task link to unit learning outcomes:
This task is designed to align with the following intended learning outcomes, to ensure that students can:
1. demonstrate critical reading and critical writing approaches on research topics;
2. account for varied approaches to and findings from research that address complex problems relevant to professional practice;
3. appreciate the importance of educational inquiry for improving professional practice related to teaching and learning, including their own.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Not applicable.
Details of task:
As Kervin et al. argue in Chapter 4, the literature review is a key component of any research project. Amongst other things, it familiarises the researcher with current peer-reviewed knowledge in their area of interest, informs the methodology of their study, and provides ideas and a framework for analysis. Session materials and task will illustrate a wide range of ways for designing and conducting a literature review.
In reviewing the literature on your research topic, you will need to ensure you can demonstrate the following:
• you understand the purposes and the value of a literature review in relation to your topic area
• you can scope and conduct a critical review of a range of examples drawn from the scholarly literature (in a concise and clear manner)
• you can present the key question(s) that you will attempt to answer through your wider research project, and as the bulk of this assignment, carefully discuss what high quality studies from the Faculty List of Quality Journals discovered during the literature review process reveal about this in ways that demonstrate your critical and creative thinking (e.g. through presenting, applying, assessing, and critiquing what you read and write about).
• you can provide a synthesis and conclusion of the key arguments arising from your review, elaborating their implications for your professional practice and how you might revise or fine tune plans for your research project.
IMPORTANT: you need to analyse and evaluate the primary and secondary sources that you have read in terms of coverage, findings, perspectives gained and significance (e.g. time, scope, meta-analysis, any implications or impact claimed or discernible). Any analysis and evaluation should demonstrate that you are delving into the complexity of the research problem, synthesising complex information and different points of view about methodological and substantive positions and implications - and can communicate that coherently, clearly and convincingly.
To complete this task, you are expected to work closely with 8 studies sourced from the scholarly literature, from Faculty List of Quality Journals. Depending on your topic, these are likely to include:
examples of a meta-analysis or a study in a journal specialising in reviews that show how research on this topic has developed to the state of the art and current challenges;
seminal studies related to your topic (e.g. those highly cited);
and recent and relevant examples primarily drawn from research studies in teacher education and your specialisation that illustrate contemporary and new approaches to researching the topic that will help improve educational practice.
It is appropriate to write about your literature review in third person voice.
REMEMBER ideas, examples, techniques, recommended structures and reviewing models to help support completing this task will be provided in Moodle and in sessions.
Please note, as per the schedule, you are strongly encouraged to present a draft of your literature review before final submission, to ensure you can make use of opportunities for formative feedback from peers and staff.
NB references, visualisations (including tables, diagrams, charts etc.), and any appendices are not included in the word count for this assignment.
Word count/equivalent: 2400 words
Weighting/Value: 60%
Presentation requirements: Essay format. For support see: https://www.monash.edu/education/students/academic-skills
PDF file uploaded to Moodle.
We encourage the use of a clear title, an introduction and conclusion, subheadings, third person voice, citations that support arguments, a strong structure and tight argumentation that demonstrates your thinking and reading in relation to the unit themes and intended outcomes.
American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition is the standard referencing style used within the Faculty of Education. Please see the following Monash University Library Guide on APA 7th edition citing guidelines: https://guides.lib.monash.edu/citing-referencing/apa7th
On academic integrity, from the library website:
Sir John Monash, after whom Monash University is named, said "...equip yourself for life, not solely for your own benefit but for the benefit of the whole community." This is the principle behind academic integrity; the pursuit of quality scholarship and education in alignment with the policies and expectations of the University. This set of modules [on academic integrity] will teach you:
● The definition and ethical principles of academic integrity
● Practical and cognitive skills to ensure integrity in your academic work
● Types of plagiarism, how it occurs and how it can be avoided
● The definition of collusion and how it relates to academic integrity
● Consequences of academic misconduct and where to find help if needed.
Individual assessment in group tasks: Not applicable.
Additional information: Check Moodle for any additional information.
Criteria for marking: That the submission shows:
• An appropriate research topic and research question(s) (5 marks max)
• An engaging rationale for the area of interest (contextual and literature based reasons) (5 marks max)
• A relevant literature review (clear rationale, exposition, and discussion of carefully 8 selected studies from the scholarly literature— from the Faculty List of Quality Journals— on substantive and methodological aspects, including implications) (40 marks max)
• Clarity and precision of written expression and accurate use of referencing conventions (10 marks max).
As feedback, you will receive written comments in addition to an overall grade for the assessment.