Integrating research proposal writing into a postgraduate research method course: what does it tell us?

Due to the challenging nature of research method learning among postgraduates, the present study reports integration of research proposal writing into a master research method course. Specifically, the study explores the practices and views of 10 postgraduates joining applied linguistics in a Malays...

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Published inInternational journal of research & method in education Vol. 44; no. 3; pp. 303 - 318
Main Authors Saeed, Murad Abdu, Mohammed H. Al-Ahdal, Arif Ahmed, Al Qunayeer, Huda Suleiman
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Routledge 27.05.2021
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Applied Linguistics
Business writing
Foreign Countries
Graduate Students
instructional scaffolding
postgraduates
Proposal Writing
Research Methodology
Research methods
research proposal writing
Research Proposals
Revision (Written Composition)
Teaching Methods
Malaysia
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Summary:Due to the challenging nature of research method learning among postgraduates, the present study reports integration of research proposal writing into a master research method course. Specifically, the study explores the practices and views of 10 postgraduates joining applied linguistics in a Malaysian university over an academic semester. Qualitative analyses of (1) instructor-learner interactions in the seminars, (2) online interactions over their drafts of proposals and (3) follow-up interviews were used. The findings revealed that the students engaged in several practices in which they worked through the challenges in research proposal writing: topic selection, searching and reading about their topics, selecting research methods, writing the first drafts, seeking support from the instructor and revising their proposals. The follow-up interviews revealed students views on research proposal writing as a good experience, a means to reflect on research method learning and a way to become familiar and raise their interests and self-confidence about research. The pedagogical implication of the findings is that assigning research proposal writing to postgraduates is useful for teaching and learning of research method courses, especially when it is augmented with instructor's support and guidance.
ISSN:1743-727X
1743-7288
DOI:10.1080/1743727X.2020.1777963