The final product should be on a Microsoft Word document. APA 7th Edition formatting. Outline for paper below (must complete all parts of outline). These same directions are also on the attached Microsoft Word document.
In this assignment, you will select and synthesize 5-6 peer-reviewed articles for a literature review to obtain information and evidence on best-practice solutions and intervention strategies for the identified problem, issue, concern, or need. The literature review should also reveal information on research methodologies, the action research design, and data collection and action planning ideas.
Background for assignment:
Use the following three research questions to guide your exploration of the potential solutions and interventions.
-
Research Question One: How can monthly collaborative planning time be maximized to help teachers support students?
-
Research Question Two: What resources will enhance teacher effectiveness for improved math performance on assessments?
-
Research Question Three: Why is it essential to consistently hold teachers accountable to high expectations?
In the previous part of this assignment, I identified the following problem and purpose for this action research assignment.
-
The problem is the under-prioritization of mathematical instruction within the school culture at Journey Elementary School (JES), resulting in low student performance on district and state assessments in mathematics.
-
The purpose of this action research is to explore helpful resources and school-wide initiatives that will assist teachers in better supporting students in mathematics.
DIRECTIONS FOR ASSIGNMENT:
In this assignment, you will complete the literature review by selecting, evaluating, and synthesizing 5-6 peer-reviewed articles from the ACE library. Your goal in conducting the literature review is to identify the best-practice solution(s) or intervention(s) you may implement related to the identified problem (issue, concern, or need) and then decide on the solution or intervention you will implement in your action research proposal.
Step 1. Access and Review
Review all the directions. Complete this assignment following the outline format below.
Step 2. Locate
locate 5-6 current, peer-reviewed articles relevant to your topic. In your search, place a check in the box for peer-reviewed. “Current” means the article has a publication date within the past 5 years.
NOTE: To develop an effective literature review, you must (1) analyze (disassemble) the individual articles to obtain the main ideas and other key information and (2) synthesize (reassemble) the main ideas and other key information from the multiple sources under thematic headings to develop the paragraphs forming the body of your literature review. The analysis is preparatory work, and the synthesized paragraphs become part of your action research proposal.
Step 3. Read and Analyze
Read each article you selected carefully and analyze the article by identifying the main ideas and other key information related to your selected topic. Look specifically for potential best-practice solutions and interventions for your identified problem (issue, concern, or need). You should also look for information on research methodologies, the action research design, and data collection and action planning ideas. Follow this process for each of the 5-6 articles.
Step 4. Determine
From the article analyses, determine 7-8 themes or patterns in the information. Potential themes include the extent or prevalence of the problem (issue, concern, need); causes of the problem; methodologies; description of the action research design; best-practice solutions and interventions; and gaps in the literature or “unknowns” related to the problem, and action planning ideas. The selected themes will serve as headings in the literature review in Step 7.
Step 5. Synthesize
Using the themes and the main ideas/key information from the multiple sources, synthesize or combine the related ideas from the articles into paragraphs. Be sure to include best-practice solutions and interventions. These paragraphs become the body of your literature review in Step 7. See the resources provided in Step 2 for information on how to write a literature review and synthesize articles.
Step 6. Introduce
Write an introductory paragraph for the literature review. Start with an introductory sentence on the problem (issue, concern, or need) that hooks the readers. Include an explanation of your approach to the literature review, including the research questions from Module 1 used to guide the review and the best-practice solution and intervention strategies identified in the articles.
Step 7. Write
Write the body of the literature review. Introduce the section with a discussion of the articles as a group (1-2 paragraphs detailing the common themes you found in the articles). Then, insert the synthesis paragraphs (Step 5) with headings for each of the common themes/ideas.
Step 8. Conclude
Conclude the literature review with an explanation of how the literature review informs your action research proposal. Identify and explain the best-practice problem solution or intervention you have selected for implementation and information you may have gained on action research techniques.
Step 9. Cite and Reference
Use APA format for in-text citations and the reference page(s). Add to the reference page(s) as you progress through the module assignments.
OUTLINE FOR THE ASSIGNMENT:
Below is an outline of the assignment. All parts of the outline below are required for the assignment. Please write this assignment in this outline format.
V. Literature Review (bold and centered)
A. Introduction (No heading)
i. Start with an introductory sentence on the topic that hooks the readers.
ii. Restate the problem in the study verbatim.
iii. Restate the purpose of the study verbatim.
iv. Introduce the best-practice solution(s) and intervention(s) identified in the literature.
v. Introduce the major sections of the literature review.
B. Review of Current Literature (bold and centered)
i. Gather information from 5-6 peer-reviewed research articles published within the past 5 years.
1. Discuss the articles as a group (1-2 paragraphs).
ii. Synthesize the articles by combining ideas from multiple articles under themes. Use a heading to designate each theme (bold and flush left)
Include best-practice solution(s) and intervention(s) appropriate to the problem, issue, concern, or need as a theme.
C. Gaps in the Literature (bold and flush left)
i. Include information that is missing and could be included in your study.
D. Summary and Conclusions (bold and flush left)
i. Conclude the literature review with an explanation of how your action research proposal relates to the literature.
Include the best-practice or intervention strategy that will be included in the research proposal.
ii. Pull together ideas about what is known, what you still need to find out, and the need for your study.
iii. Recap the themes and major findings from the 5-6 articles.