I am sending you my tutor’s feedback:
Have you perhaps change the title of the study? The current title is too generic and does not clearly indicate the focus of the study.
For example, in the background (introduction), you try to make a case the family communication styles are important for school performance. However, in the title there is no indication that the study will look at this. so you may have to revise the study background.
You try to present the purpose of the study with some arguments, which are fine. However, here you need academic arguments to support the purpose. The same applies for the study significance, where you engage with one source only.
YOU have made a good attempt to reduce chapter number 2 and make it more relevant to the study. I think there is still room to reduce but if it is not required in order to add more in other sections, this should be fine.
There is a long introduction in chapter 3, which is not very helpful as it is not around the family life cycle and communication. This part could be reduced. is there any way you could include relevant to closed/open systems and communication. I like this section and I think it could benefit of a closer exploration of how each system requires and promotes different communication styles between its members.
I ca see your attempts to make chapter 4 more critical and synthesise the literature. I believe more work could be done to be more critical. For example, instead of presenting each theory separately you could contrast them and explain how one contradicts or compliments the other. Beyond that, the main issue that 4.1. and 4.3 is limited connection to communication and communication styles, something that 4.2. does well. So I suggest you follow a similar style with 4.2. when you write 4.1. and 4.3.
The focus of chapter 5 works well. However, 5.1 is based on one course only and a lot of personal opinion while 5.2 is based on two sources, The critical element is missing and this is not an effective synthesis of the literature. For example. marriage typology originally identified two types: despotic and democratic, scholars have developed since numerous types of marriage typologies For example a range of typologies have been developed examining: extramarital affairs in Taiwan (Chang 1999); divorcing couples (Cohen, Finzi, and Avi-Yonah 1999); dual earner couples (Crouter and Manke 1997; Rosenfeld, Bowen, and Richman 1995); marriages lasting 50 years or more (Dickson 1995); and alcohol consumption habits of marriage partners (Roberts and Leonard 1998). Though this proliferation of unique typologies helps scholars understand certain marriages, they cannot be used to classify all marriage relationships.
Therefore one could ask why you are looking only at marriage in terms of married couples or couples that are together e…Therefore one could ask why you are looking only at marriage in terms of married couples or couples that are together etc. rather than other relationships. I think here you have the opportunity to expand and make a very interesting chapter.
I am wondering if 6. should come earlier in the dissertation, mainly because it builds on the mother/father `human communication` which could be used as a first exploration before you look in depth into family systems. Just a thought though.
I am not convinced that 6.3 is about communication skills. To me this section is mainly about the development of the child with poor links to communication.
I really like 6.4. I think this is a section that you need to expand and, possibly became a chapter in itself. There is the issue of lack of resources, since you base all the arguments to two readings. But if you explore the topic further you will be able to find more sources. there are many sources that look into dysfunctional families and communication is one of the issues they explore: for example:
Identifying and working with dysfunctional families
NS Bilynsky, ER Vernaglia – Professional School Counseling, 1999
The Impact of Dysfunctional Families on the Mental Health of Children
LK Mphaphuli – 2023 – intechopen.com
Dysfunctional communication in Balzac`s family systems
AL Mashberg – 1991 – search.proquest.com
I would therefore recommend reducing 7, which I can see how it is relevant to your study but it is not very strongly presented (in terms of references and direct links to communication and family) in order to expand 6.4.
7.3 and 7.4 work well. I am wondering if these sections could be presented along the marriage typologies, as per my earlier comments.
You made a good attempt in chapter 8. The main issue remains the lack of references.
The conclusions should be based on what you found in the study. You present the argument that you build from the literature review (that is based on a source) and then you expand the discussion to illustrate what it means.
For example. the literature review has demonstrated the negative role that a divorce has to a child`s communication patterns (Kourti, 2024). This could be related with the negative feelings or rejection that, as Fotaki (2023) has explained. This means that attention should be paying in the process of getting divorce to ensure that the children are…. (your own opinion on what the findings mean)
The same with the recommendations. The literature review indicated this.. (kourti, 2024). This study therefore recommends that…
Overall, you are presenting well a very interesting topic. I think that engaging with more sources will make this even a more interesting and powerful dissertation.