m.ed dissertation sample

71 Best Education Dissertation Topic Ideas

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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It’s hard to choose and settle on a topic for your education dissertation. When I was choosing my topic, I was confused and uncertain. I wished I had a list like this that would help me out!

The topics below are best for undergraduate (B.A / B.Ed) or masters (M.A / M.Ed) students. Check out these 51 topic ideas, use them, and adapt them to create a topic that suits you.

The Lazy Man’s Top 10

before I dig in…

Here is a quick list of my top 9 favorite education dissertation topic ideas:

• What skill development strategies can be observed in children’s play?
• What evidence is there for the theory of multiple intelligences?
• What are parents’ attitudes toward play-based learning in schools?
• Is there a correlation between student stress levels and standardized exams?
• What are the differences in teaching strategies between experienced and novice teachers?
• What are the greatest challenges faced by teachers in their first 3 years in the profession?
• What does the literature say about the differences between phonics and whole language learning?
• What are the factors facilitating successful inclusion of students with behavioral disabilities?
• What do teachers believe has been the effect of technology on students’ learning?

Read this First: 9 Tips for Choosing a Dissertation Topic

Education Dissertation Topic Ideas (List

1. dissertation ideas for studying early childhood education.

• Structured and Unstructured Play: What are the perspectives of parents about the benefits of structured and unstructured play for children?
• Transitioning to School: What do educators identify as the key challenges of transitioning from early childhood to compulsory schooling settings?
• Children’s Book Representation: How do the 50 most popular children’s books of the 21 st Century promote gender norms? (For this one, consider also using the social graces concept to add a more analytical lens.)
• Montessori Settings: What do teachers in Montessori educational settings perceive to be the benefits and limitations of a Montessori-style education?
• Parents’ Anxieties: What are parents’ initial anxieties about sending their children to preschool?
• Studying Promotional Literature: A semiotic analysis of the representation of the stages of play in early childhood learning center promotional literature.
• Representation in News: How is the early childhood education and care (ECEC) profession represented in mainstream news?
• Benefits of ECE: What do parent perceive to be the developmental benefits of early childhood education for their children?
• Impact of Digital Technologies on Early Learning : Exploring how the use of tablets, educational apps, and digital storytelling influences cognitive and social development in preschool children.
• Parental Involvement and Its Effects on Early Childhood Education : Examining the role of parental engagement in the educational outcomes and social development of preschool children.
• Comparative Study of Outdoor Versus Indoor Play in Early Childhood Development : Assessing the impact of outdoor play environments versus traditional indoor classrooms on physical, emotional, and cognitive growth in young children.
• Nutrition and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood : Investigating the correlation between nutritional intake and cognitive development in preschool-aged children.
• Early Intervention Strategies for Children with Special Needs : Exploring effective early intervention techniques for children with developmental delays or disabilities in early childhood education settings.
• The Role of Storytelling in Language Development : Analyzing how storytelling and narrative play contribute to language acquisition and literacy skills in early childhood.
• Effects of Teacher-Child Ratio on Learning Outcomes : Evaluating the impact of teacher-to-child ratios in preschool settings on individual attention, learning outcomes, and overall classroom dynamics.
• Exploring Play-Based Learning Versus Structured Curriculum in Early Education : Comparing the outcomes of play-based learning approaches to more structured, curriculum-based methods in early childhood education.
• Social-Emotional Learning in Early Childhood Education : Investigating the integration and effectiveness of social-emotional learning programs in fostering emotional intelligence, empathy, and interpersonal skills in young children.
• Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Classrooms : Investigating how educators can integrate various cultural backgrounds and practices into their teaching to create an inclusive environment for children.

2. Dissertation Ideas for Studying Elementary Teaching

• Piaget’s Stages: Are Piaget’s stages of development an accurate reflection of the abilities of children in the concrete stage of development?
• Behavior Management Styles: What are teachers’ perspectives of authoritarian behavior management strategies ?
• Behavior Management Strategies: What do teachers perceive as the most effective behavior management strategy for children aged 5 – 7?
• Pros and Cons of Homework : What do parents perceive to be the benefits of no homework for children?
• Autism in Classrooms: What are parents’ perceptions and concerns about integration of children with autism into mainstream classrooms?
• Seating Arrangements: How do changes in seating arrangements from rows to table groups impact learning in a Grade 5 classroom?
• Benefits of Play Breaks: According to educators, what are the benefits and limitations of regular play breaks for learning?
• Phonics vs Whole Language Learning: What do teachers perceive to be the benefits and limitations of the phonics versus whole language learning approaches to literacy?
• Development through Play: What skill development strategies can be observed in children’s play during recess breaks in schools?
• Compulsory School Uniforms: What do educators in a school that has compulsory school uniforms see as the educational benefits or drawbacks of compulsory uniforms?
• Sense of Belonging: What are the barriers and opportunities for promoting a ‘sense of belonging’ in primary school classrooms?
• Technology Integration in Elementary Classrooms : Investigating the impact of integrating technology such as interactive whiteboards and educational software on student engagement and learning outcomes.
• Differentiated Instruction Strategies : Evaluating the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in meeting the diverse learning needs of students in elementary school settings.
• Parent-Teacher Communication : Analyzing the role of parent-teacher communication in student academic performance and behavioral development in elementary schools.
• Impact of Bilingual Education : Exploring the cognitive, linguistic, and academic outcomes of bilingual education programs in elementary schools.
• Teacher Perceptions of Standardized Testing : Investigating elementary school teachers’ views on the impact of standardized testing on teaching practices and student learning.
• Social Skills Development Through Cooperative Learning : Examining the effectiveness of cooperative learning strategies in promoting social skills and teamwork among elementary school students.
• Environmental Education in Elementary Curriculum : Analyzing the impact of incorporating environmental education into the elementary curriculum on students’ awareness and attitudes towards environmental issues.

Related: How to Write a Dissertation from Beginning to End

3. Dissertation Ideas for Studying Middle & High School Contexts

• Homework vs Extracurricular Activities: What are students’ perceptions of the impact of homework on their after school extracurricular activities?
• Nationalism in Curriculum Documents: How are nationalist ideologies reinforced and challenged in the current curriculum documents of [your jurisdiction]?
• Preparation for Life: What are students’ perceptions of how well school prepares them for university / trades / real life?
• Standardized Tests: What are students’ / teachers’/ parents’ perceptions of standardized tests in high school?
• Mentorship: What do high school teachers in leadership positions perceive to be the best approaches to mentoring early career teachers?
• Childhood Citizenship: Which models of childhood citizenship are evident in [your jurisdiction’s] curriculum?
• Traits of Quality Teachers: What do parents perceive to be the traits of quality teachers in primary school vs. high school?
• Students’ Perceptions of Teachers: What do adolescents see as the qualities of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ teachers?
• Moral Values in Education: What do educators see as their role versus parents’ roles in promoting the moral values of children?
• Migrant Challenges in the School System: What do parents of immigrant children see as the challenges their children face in schools in their new nation?

4. Educational Technology Dissertation Ideas

• Use of Electronic Whiteboards: How prepared do pre-service teachers feel about teaching using Electronic White Boards?
• Mobile Phones in the Classroom: What are parents’ perceptions of classroom mobile phone apps that are designed to increase parent-student interactions?
• Impact of Technology on Learning: What are teachers’ perspectives of the impact of technology on student learning?
• Gaming for Creative Writing: Can gaming help promote creative writing skills among boys aged 10-12?
• Best Age for Introducing Technology: What age do parents perceive to be the best age for introducing children to technology?
• Boys vs Girls Technology Usage: What are the differences between boys’ and girls’ technology usage habits during free time at school?
• Online Learning Benefits and Challenges: What social, pedagogical and cognitive benefits and limitations do students face when learning online ?
• Use of AI Large Language Models: How can Large Language Models like ChatGPT be beneficial for learning?

5. General Education and Teaching Dissertation Ideas

• The Value of University: What do experienced educators perceive is the value of their university education?
• Poverty and Education: What are teachers’ perceptions of the barriers and opportunities to learning for children in poverty?
• Challenges faced by [Gender] Teachers: What challenges do male educators face in their first 5 years of teaching?
• Anti-Bullying Policies: What are the main ways school leaders approach whole-school anti-bullying policy development?
• Behavior Management for Developmental Delays: How do teachers differentiate their behavior management strategies for children with developmental delays?
• Netiquette: What do teachers believe to be effective netiquette rules for online learning ?
• Motivations for Taking a Promotion: What are the factors that impact teachers’ motivations for promotion into leadership positions in schools?
• Reflective Practice: What do teachers perceive to be the role of reflection in their practice, and what are the most common reflective practice strategies among practitioners?
• Theory Testing: What evidence is there for the theory of multiple intelligences?
• Extroverts vs Introverts: How do Introverted and Extroverted Students Learn Differently?
• Purpose of Schooling: What do parents perceive to be the purpose of schooling?
• Experienced vs Novice Teachers: What differences are there in behavior management strategies for experienced versus novice teachers?
• Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation: What do teachers believe are the benefits and challenges of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation strategies ?

6. Ideas that Involve Interviewing your Classmates!

A lot of my students like to use this idea because they can use a snowball sampling method rather than having to seek out teachers or schools to interview and study:

• Concerns in Entering the Teaching Profession: What do pre-service teachers see as their biggest worries about entering the teaching profession?
• Feeling Unprepared: What do pre-service teachers perceive to be the major factors that their degree does not prepare them for, before entering the workforce?
• Benefits of a Dissertation Project: What do a cohort of teacher education students see as the benefits of conducting a final dissertation project prior to entering the profession? (see also: cohort effect )
• Differences in Perspectives (Freshman vs Senior): What are the differences between freshman (first year) and senior (final year) students’ perspectives of the role of the classroom teacher in the 21 st Century?

Read Also: 25 Sociology Dissertation Ideas

What to do once you Choose your Topic for an Education Dissertation

Hopefully by now you have highlighted or written down 3 topics that caught your eye.

I recommend for your next step that you organize a meeting with your dissertation supervisor. Your supervisor will talk with you about your three ideas and give you advice on which to choose and why.

Each university has different requirements, so you’ll need to get input from your supervisor. Your supervisor is the person who can help you to navigate the special requirements of your particular program of study.

You’ll find that you and your supervisor will be able to tailor your chosen topic to you and your needs.

Good luck, and please do leave a comment below if you found this post useful!

I’m also always looking for more ideas to add to this list so if you came up with another idea, share it below.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Number Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Word Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Outdoor Games for Kids
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 50 Incentives to Give to Students

1 thought on “71 Best Education Dissertation Topic Ideas”

Thank you for this! These open-ended examples helped me to broaden my topic some!

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• Education /

Dissertation Topics in Education

• Updated on  
• Jan 24, 2024

A dissertation is an academic piece of writing based on a student’s independent research. Being a student of M.Ed, you are supposed to submit a dissertation based on education. It takes a lot of time to complete a dissertation research project, so choosing a relevant dissertation topic is the first step you take for getting a Master’s Degree . This blog provides you with the best dissertation topics in education.

This Blog Includes:

Introduction, how to structure an education dissertation, how to choose a dissertation topic in education, where to find dissertation topics in education, how to choose the right title for an m.ed dissertation, best m.ed dissertation topics, research dissertation topics in education, dissertation topics in education for m.ed in india, covid-19 education topics research topics, impact of covid-19 on education dissertation topics for 2022, dissertation topics in higher education.

Education as a subject aids in the comprehension of various learning methods and forms of education. You will be required to gain critical knowledge of the issues surrounding education if you pick education as your main topic. You can look into topics like public school education, holistic education, the role of ethnicity, gender, and class on academic achievements, adult education, preschool and primary school education, college and university education, child development, distance learning, politics, and policy in education, teacher education, and curriculum when choosing an education dissertation topic.

Must Read Article: Dissertation Topics in Law for LLM Students

Before starting your dissertation on any topic in the Education sector, it is important to be familiar with the universal structure of writing a dissertation. Here is a basic structure for further reference. 

• Title – The title for your M.Ed Dissertation must focus on your research objective.
• Abstract – The abstract part must include a summary of the research problem or objective of the research, the research design and a summary of the results.
• Introduction – The introduction must be included in a precise manner. It should reflect your research in a way that the audience already gets to know what the research is going to include. 
• Review of Literature – The Review of Literature Section must include a theoretical rationale of the problem, the importance of the study, and the significance of the results.
• Methodology – The methodology section must include the description of the subjects, research methods used in the data collection and any limitations issues involved.
• Significance/Implications (Results of the Discussion)
• Overview of Chapter (Conclusion)
• Recommendation
• References – This section must include an alphabetical listing of all referenced text used in the M.Ed dissertation

Also Read: Dissertation vs Thesis

If you are confused about choosing a topic for your dissertation, here are some simple methods that might simplify what you can put your focus on while writing your dissertation.

Choose a Relevant Topic

It is extremely important to select a relevant topic for the dissertation as it contributes to your future. To obtain a masters degree in education, you need to find interesting topics for a dissertation. The topic must hold your interest and include the potential to provide you with a significant amount of content.

Don’t Be Vague

A dissertation is supposed to be a lengthy piece of research work. So the dissertation must be broad enough to explore the topic. It must follow a clear structure to contribute to the argumentation you are going to include in the dissertation.

Research Questions

Do not select narrow questions which are supposed to be answered with a Yes or No. Choose questions that provide you with relevant answers such as

• Can parent’s expectations affect a student’s life?
• Does giving students homework really contribute to their academic improvement?

Ask for advice

Students who are writing a dissertation are always provided with guidance. Teachers or supervisors are assigned to guide students throughout the duration of the dissertation. So remember to ask for feedback or a piece of advice. Your supervisor will have years of academic experience, so their recommendation will only add to your research.

Before choosing a topic, make sure you research thoroughly about the chosen topic. Be aware of the content provided by the topic. You may not get enough information to complete the dissertation, so make sure you find and get enough sources to expand and support your arguments.

Also Read: All you need to know about M.Ed 

Finding a dissertation topic can be very challenging. When you are looking for an M.Ed Topic, you must be clear with your thoughts. Mentioned below are some sources from where you can come up with a Dissertation Topic in Education:

• Try to study the most recent published piece of work to find out what kind of issues are open to further exploration and discussion
• Thoroughly check out the work examples done by other scholars.
• Research the recently published work regarding your subject that is education, and find out what is prevalent in today’s time.

Also Read: What do you need to know about a PhD?

A good title is very important while writing a dissertation. So when you are done with choosing the topic, you must look forward to its relevance. Make sure your title does justice to your research. The title itself should communicate the topic or objective of your dissertation

In these crucial times of the pandemic, education is one of the things that has suffered the most. Educational institutes have been shut for more than 2 years now. All we get to do is online now. Be it work or study. So the dissertation topic in education in the view of a pandemic can be relevant to choose from. Mentioned below are the best topics you may want to choose:

Topic 1: Maintaining social distancing in schools

Topic 2: Increased screen time or Online Education

Topic 3: Impact of COVID-19 on students

Topic 4: Impact of Covid-19 on teachers

Topic 5: How did the Coronavirus pandemic reshape education?

Topic 6: The impact of Coronavirus on international students

Topic 7: Classroom evaluation in the pandemic

Also Read: PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

To start your dissertation you can choose from a wide array of topics such as:

• Impact of the Internet on the social life of students.
• Educational assessment of students using virtual reality technologies
• Interaction between students of different ethnicities based on a differentiated approach
• Harassment prevention of younger students in school
• Illegal Behaviour of students in high school 
• Importance of self-studying for students
• Development of Time management for students
• Personal development of teachers in educational institutions
• The role of sustainability in educational institutions
• The rising cost of academic education

Also Read: MPhil in English Literature

In order to write an advanced dissertation on any topic related to Education here are some examples:

• How does the education system address the problem of teachers shortage in private schools?
• A case study of gender issues in Indian educational institutes
• A critical analysis of  the teaching method used in schools
• Analyze the depression phase of students for admission in the medical field
• How does the government address the problem of rising fees in private schools?

Also Read: How to get a Bachelor’s of Education degree?

Students who are pursuing an M.Ed degree must be very careful while writing a dissertation as it contributes a lot to their skills and it is the only way they’ll be able to obtain a Masters’s Degree. In choosing the right topic for the M.Ed dissertation submission on time, all the above-mentioned aspects must be given equal importance. This blog has included the best dissertation topic in education you can choose while writing a dissertation. 

Coronavirus’s Effects on Education

The goal of this study is to look at the effects of Coronavirus.

Online educational programs to educate students during COVID-19

Many students’ education has been disrupted as a result of the global Coronavirus epidemic and the lockdown, which has affected students at all levels of education, including school, college, and university. This research will look at the many platforms, schools, institutions, and universities that provide online programs. It will go through how students may get access to these courses and how they can profit from them.

Impact of COVID-19 on educational institutes

This research will look at the effects of COVID-19 on educational institutions. What efforts can be made to guarantee that kids and teachers are in a safe environment?

Role of teachers and professors during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The future of education in the aftermath of the Coronavirus epidemic.

This study will collect information on current educational practices in the event of a pandemic and estimate the future of education in the wake of the Coronavirus.

What is the impact of the Coronavirus epidemic on education?

Coronavirus has served as a sharp reminder of how human schools are. Students have embraced online learning but are eager to return to her classroom. I don’t think it’s possible to tell whether a student is truly interested and understands the material while they’re learning it online. The goal of this study is to determine how the coronavirus epidemic is affecting schooling.

What steps are institutions taking in reaction to Coronavirus?

Universities are increasingly deciding to utilise social distancing methods, such as switching to more online delivery of courses and allowing employees to work from home. There is currently no government advice to institutions on this subject. As a result, each operational choice made by different institutions must be based on their own local conditions, which differ for a variety of reasons. This study will look at some of the responses to the epidemic that we’ve seen across colleges.

Coronavirus’s influence on overseas students and colleges’ responses

This study will look into the effects of Coronavirus on overseas students and how colleges are responding.

The formal education provided to college, undergraduate, and postgraduate students is referred to as higher education or college/university education. The following are some intriguing higher education dissertation topics.

• The origins of traditional university education’s cultural roots
• Students from non-core subjects might use interactive strategies to create enthusiasm for learning foreign languages.
• In the university’s digital educational environment, conceptual underpinnings for building a customised educational path for students.
• Formation of the student’s civic role in the university’s instructional activities
• Students’ self-education motivation is developed through the university’s scientific library.
• Students at legal faculties might improve their self-education motivation by participating in social events.
• Using time management approaches, pupils can develop self-education motivation.

An M.Ed dissertation must include over  60,000 words and should not exceed the limit of 80,000 words.

You must have scored a minimum Percentage of 50% to 60% in B.Ed and the admission varies for different universities. You may be required to take an entrance exam.

It takes around 2 Years to complete an M.Ed Degree.

Related Articles

If you are planning to pursue further studies that include a dissertation (or not), our experts at Leverage Edu are just one click away to help you out through the entire application process to get to your dream college. You can take the help of our service at any time by calling us at 1800 572 000

Damanpreet Kaur Vohra

Daman is an author with profound expertise in writing engaging and informative content focused on EdTech and Study Abroad. With a keen understanding of these domains, Daman excels at creating complex concepts into accessible, reader-friendly material. With a proven track record of insightful articles, Daman stands as a reliable source for providing content for EdTech and Study Abroad.

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Education Dissertation Topics

Published by Grace Graffin at January 5th, 2023 , Revised On May 17, 2024

Introduction

Education as a subject helps in understanding the various learning approaches and different types of education. When you choose education as your major subject, you will be expected to develop a critical understanding of the issues surrounding education.

To choose an education dissertation topic, you can look into a wide array of topics, including public school education, holistic education, the role of ethnicity, gender and class on academic achievements, adult education, preschool and primary school education, college and university education, child development, distance learning, politics and policy in education, teacher education, and curriculum.

To help you get started with brainstorming for education topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your education dissertation.

These topics have been developed by PhD-qualified writers of our team , so you can trust them to use them when drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question ,  aim and objectives ,  literature review along the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of  dissertation topics here.

Topic 1: Investigating the impact of COVID-19 on the learning experience of the students

Research Aim: The research aims to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the learning experience of the students.

Objectives:

• To analyse the impact of Covid-19 on education delivery across schools.
• To evaluate the impact of the pandemic on teaching delivery and learning outcomes of the students.
• To investigate how the pandemic affected the learning experience of the students

Topic 2: An analysis of the impact of classroom interaction and participation on the personality development and confidence of the students.

Research Aim: The aim of the research is to analyse the impact of classroom interaction and participation on the personality development and confidence of the students.

• To analyse the importance of classroom interaction for the students and how it contributes to personal development.
• To investigate the impact of classroom participation on the confidence of the students.
• To evaluate how classroom interaction and participation impact the personality development and confidence of the students.

Topic 3: The potential use of virtual reality for educational assessment of the students.

Research Aim: The research aims to analyse the potential use of virtual reality for the educational assessment of students.

• To analyse the technologies available for student assessment across higher educational institutions.
• To evaluate the role of virtual reality in education delivery and assessment.
• To investigate how virtual reality influences the educational assessment of students to improvet their learning experience and knowledge.

Topic 4: An evaluation of the impact of the rising cost of academic education on students of lower-income backgrounds in the UK.

Research Aim: The aim of the research is to evaluate the impact of the rising cost of academic education on students of lower-income backgrounds in the UK.

• To analyse the factors impacting the affordability of higher education in the UK.
• To understand the challenges of lower-income background students in the UK.
• To investigate the impact of the rising cost of academic education on the lower-income background students in the UK and how the meritorious students can be supported.

Topic 5: An investigation into the impact of interactions among students of multiple ethnicities on the cross-cultural communication and behaviour of the pupils.

Research Aim: The aim of the research is to investigate the impact of interactions among students of multiple ethnicities on cross-cultural communication and pupil behaviourt .

• To analyse the impact of student interactions among different ethnicities.
• To determine the importance of cross-cultural communication and tolerance of the students.
• To examine the impact of interactions among students of multiple ethnicities on the cross-cultural communication and behaviour of the pupils.

Dissertation Topics in Education Dynamics

Topic 1: the need to use information and communication technology to study in public institutions in any country of your choice. a reflection on the impact of covid-19 on the education sector in the chosen country..

Research Aim: This research will focus on the lack of good information and communication technology equipment in public institutions of study and the need to find the education sector to meet the new standard of learning in work. It will also analyse the pandemic’s impact on students in public institutions at home throughout the pandemic without any academic activities.

Topic 2: The fear of maintaining social distancing in schools

Research Aim: This research aims to evaluate the fear of maintaining social distancing in schools. It will also suggest possible solutions to minimise the fear of parents, educators, and students.

Topic 3: Online Education- Increased screen time or quality education

Research Aim: This research aims to identify whether online education exposes students to increased screen time or quality education.

Topic 4: The emergence of coding courses for young children and their cognitive development and age. A comparative study.

Research Aim: This research aims to identify how far coding education is beneficial for children. What sort of positive and negative consequences are concerned with the future of young children with their access to such kind of advanced technology?

Topic 5: Data science and growing opportunities for data scientists

Research Aim: This research will focus on identifying the emergence of degrees and courses in data science, their importance, and growing opportunities for data scientists. Who can become a data scientist? What is its career scope?

Covid-19 Education Topics 

Impacts of coronavirus on education.

Research Aim: This study aims to review the impacts of Coronavirus on education.

Online educational programs to educate students during COVID-19

Research Aim: The widespread Coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown have disrupted the education of many students, including school, college, and university levels. This study will identify the online programs offered through various platforms, schools, colleges, and universities. It will discuss how students can have access to these courses and how it will benefit them.

Impact of COVID-19 on educational institutes

Research Aim: This study will focus on identifying the impacts of COVID-19 on educational institutes. What steps can be taken to ensure a safe environment for the students and teaching staff?

Role of teachers and professors during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Research Aim: This study will focus on the contribution of teachers, professors, and institutions in providing education. What challenges are they facing? What would be the possible ways to improve the current education system?

The future of education post Coronavirus pandemic.

Research Aim: This study will collect information about current education methods during the pandemic and predict the future of education after the coronavirus pandemic.

Topic C1: How the Coronavirus pandemic is reshaping education?

Research Aim: Coronavirus has offered a stark reminder of the very human nature of schools. Students have leapt into online learning but cannot wait to get back into her building. Being online, I don’t think you really get a true sense of whether a student is really engaged and has a proper understanding. This study will aim to understand the extent to which the coronavirus pandemic is reshaping education.

Topic C2: How Coronavirus could affect the well-being of people with intellectual disabilities

Research Aim: We are all feeling more anxious than usual. We may be worried about accessing food and services, going to work, enduring self-isolation, or catching COVID-19. While some anxiety is normal, some of us may be more resilient to changes in our routines and the general uncertainty the world is experiencing. But for the 1.5 million people in the UK with an intellectual disability, these effects may be much greater. This research will aim to establish how Coronavirus could affect the wellbeing of people with intellectual disabilities.

Topic C3: The impact of the 2019–20 Coronavirus pandemic on education

Research Aim: The 2019–20 Coronavirus pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to the widespread closures of schools and universities. As of 28 March 2020, over 1.7 billion learners were out of school due to school closures in response to COVID-19. According to UNESCO monitoring, over 100 countries have implemented nationwide closures, impacting nearly 90% of the world’s student population. This research will explore the impact of the 2019–20 Coronavirus pandemic on education.

Topic C4: What actions are being taken by universities in response to Coronavirus?

Research Aim: We have seen a growing number of decisions by universities to start implementing social distancing strategies, such as moving to more online teaching delivery and increasing homework by staff. At present, there is no government advice to universities about this. Therefore any operational decision by individual universities must be based on their local circumstances, which vary for various reasons. This research will examine some of the measures we see across the universities in response to the pandemic.

Topic C5: The impact of Coronavirus on international students and the response from universities

Research Aim: This research will explore the impact of Coronavirus on international students and the response from universities.

The Best Education Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: a comparison of wonderlic tests and standardised tests as means to assess academic performance..

Research Aim: Although there are many techniques and methods for assessing academic performance, this research will focus on the comparative analysis of Wonderlic and standardised tests. In the end, the research will conclude which approach would be better in different academic situations.

Topic 2: The theory and practice of educational games as a means to promote better learning.

Research Aim: In recent times, many pieces of research have focused on identifying different learning approaches to provide quality education. This research will analyse the concept of educational games for young children to promote and improve the learning mechanisms.

Topic 3: The impact of learning ability of a child: A case study of kindergarten students

Research Aim: With the emergence of technological advancements, many organisations, including education institutes, have started embracing innovative technologies. The main purpose of these advancements is to improvise the different ways of education. This research will focus on how the use of smart technology has improved the learning ability of kindergarten students.

Topic 4: Comparing and analysing the teaching approaches and mechanisms of privately owned schools and public school: Case of developing countries

Research Aim: Due to the rise of capitalist economies, many institutions have developed unique mechanisms to improve business operations and sales. The same is the case with educational institutes. However, the teaching mechanism and approach for private schools have been more effective than public schools. Therefore, this research will critically analyse the teaching approaches and mechanisms of privately owned schools and public schools and compare and analyse their teaching approaches.

Topic 5: Analysing the current curricular development of K12 students and how it can be linked with current economic issues

Research Aim: It has been found that the curriculum of the majority of educational institutes has become obsolete and monotonous. In other words, students are not being taught current affairs and the latest knowledge with respect to technology, etc. Therefore, the main aim of this research will be to analyse the current curricular development of K12 students and how it can be moulded to reflect the true economic conditions and issues of society.

Early Childhood Education Dissertation Topics

Early childhood education in the UK and many other countries refers to any form of education that children between 2 and 6 years obtain. Some early childhood education dissertation topics are listed below:

Topic 6: The effectiveness and implementation of early childhood education curriculum interventions

Research Aim: This research will discuss how effective curriculum interventions have been in early childhood education and how they can be effectively implemented.

Topic 7: Linking theory to practice and back again: The use of collaborative enquiry and video documentation to facilitate critical thinking in preservice teacher education

Research Aim: This research will provide theoretical and practical evidence to establish how collaboration inquiry and video documentation effectively affect critical thinking in preservice education.

Topic 8: Improving early childhood literacy development and English education through the use of multiple media tools

Research Aim: This research will analyse how effective medical tools are in early childhood education.

Topic 9: Supporting emergent literacy at the preschool level through the use of technology.

Research Aim: This research will present how supportive technology can be for emergent literacy at the preschool level.

Topic 10: Merging multimodality, technology, and literacy in the era of kindergarten digital storytelling

Research Aim: This research will explore the effectiveness of multimodality, literacy, and technology in today’s era of kindergarten storytelling.

Topic 11: Computer-based reading program with at-risk pre-kindergarten students

Research Aim: This research will discuss how computer-based reading programs are at risk with pre-kindergarten students.

Topic 12: Pre-school educational settings and the nature of children’s leadership

Research Aim: This research will analyse how educational settings in preschool help develop leadership skills in children.

Topic 13: How urban students’ academic accomplishments can be influenced by a school district’s preschool education policies

Research Aim: This research will discuss the academic accomplishments of children and how educational policies influence them.

Topic 14: Investigating the relationship between kindergarten achievement and classroom quality

Research Aim: This study will investigate the relationship between kindergarten students’ achievement and education quality.

Topic 15: Creating efficient learning environments to facilitate the process of early childhood education

Research Aim: This research will understand the learning environments that facilitate the process of childhood education.

Elementary Education Dissertation Topics

In the United Kingdom and other developed regions of the world, elementary education is the first level of compulsory education that children between the ages of 6 and 13 years obtain.

Primary or elementary education helps establish history, geography, mathematics, science, and other social sciences. In some countries, basic sexual education is also part of the elementary education curriculum. Some important primary education issues to explore are listed below:

Topic 16: Establishing the factors inhibiting and enhancing elementary school children’s creativity

Research Aim: This research will discuss the factors that help enhance children’s creativity in elementary school.

Topic 17: Developing life skills in elementary school pupils in the United Kingdom (or any other country of your choice)

Research Aim: This research will explore how life skills are developed in elementary school in the UK. (Country can be changed according to your choosing)

Topic 18: Monitoring and evaluating instruction in private elementary schools in China from the perspective of headteachers and teachers.

Topic 19: including children with special educational needs in a mainstream elementary educational institute – a case study of any elementary school.

Research Aim: This research will discuss inclusive education, i.e. including special needs students in elementary school. You are free to choose the school of your choice.

Topic 20: Implementing inclusive education in elementary/primary schools in Australia – The challenges and opportunities

Research Aim: This research will discuss the challenges and opportunities of implementing inclusive education in Australian elementary schools.

Topic 21: Classroom evaluation in England – Teachers’ practices and perceptions in Maths

Research Aim: This research will evaluate a typical classroom in England. It will assess the practices adopted by math teachers in elementary school.

Topic 22: Integrating outdoor learning activities with elementary curriculum in the United Kingdom

Research Aim: This research will analyse the results of integrating outdoor learning activities with curriculum activities.

Topic 23: Investigating the use of technology in elementary school physical education

Research Aim: This research will investigate and analyse the use of technology in elementary school physical education.

Topic 24: Investigating the impact of the age of information on current courses taught in primary school

Research Aim: This research will investigate the impact of information on courses taught in primary school.

Topic 25: Should primary schools allow their students to study more independently to achieve improved performance?

Research Aim: This research will assess whether elementary school students should be allowed to study independently and its impacts.

Read More About   Elementary Education / Primary Education

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Secondary Education Dissertation Topics

Secondary school education primarily covers formal education obtained by pupils between 13 and 18 years. Secondary education is compulsory in most countries, including the United Kingdom, and it may be taught in the form of Ordinary Levels, Advanced Levels, and SSC and HSC exams.

There is a wide array of research areas to be explored in this field of study, and any of the following research topics could be selected for your education dissertation.

Topic 26: Investigating the impact of teacher education on secondary education in the European Union

Research Aim: This research will investigate how secondary education in the EU is impacted by teacher education.

Topic 27: Investigating the impact of secondary school dual enrolment course participation on pupils’ academic accomplishments

Research Aim: This research will investigate the impact of dual course enrolment and its impact on academic accomplishments in secondary school.

Topic 28: The role of sustainability in learning and teaching in secondary schools to transform the soul of education

Research Aim: This study will explore the role of sustainable learning and teaching in secondary school, and it helps transform the soul of education.

Topic 29: Investigating secondary school teachers’ thinking in a professional development project

Research Aim: This research will analyse the teachers’ thinking with the help of a professional development project.

Topic 30: Betraying the college dream: How student aspirations are undermined by the disconnected post-secondary and K-12 education systems

Research Aim: The post-secondary schooling and K-12 education systems are misaligned. Thus, this research will investigate how this adversely impacts students, and as a result, more and more students are giving up on their college dreams.

Topic 31: Analysing supply & demand in light of the rising cost of secondary education

Research Aim: This research will assess and analyse the rising cost of education and its impact on the supply and demand for education.

Topic 32: To study the use of instructional and information technologies in teacher training in secondary schools and colleges in the United Kingdom

Research Aim: This research will study the use of technologies in teacher training and how they impact secondary education in the UK.

Topic 33: Should secondary school teachers emphasise today’s demanding issues such as energy conservation, sustainability, and environmental protection?

Research Aim: This research will study whether or not teachers should emphasise current issues like energy preservation, sustainability, and environmental protection.

Topic 34: How can religious and racial tolerance increase among pupils by reintroducing religious education in the secondary schooling system?

Research Aim: This research will explore whether introducing religious education in secondary education helps decrease religious and racial intolerance.

Topic 35: To investigate the benefits of teaching business management and entrepreneurship-related courses to secondary school students over social science courses.

Research Aim:  This research will study the uses and benefits of teaching business management and entrepreneurship at the secondary schooling level.  Read More About   Secondary Education

Higher Education Dissertation Topics

Higher education or college/university education covers the formal education available to college, undergraduate and postgraduate students. Some interesting higher education dissertation topics are listed below.

Topic 36: International mobility of graduate and undergraduate students of mathematics, engineering, technology and science; Push and Pull Factors

Research Aim: This research will study and analyse the push and pull factors that impact the graduate and undergraduate students’ choice of university.

Topic 37: International graduate students and their decisions to stay or leave the US; The decisive factors

Research Aim: This study will explore the factors that lead students to decide whether they should stay or leave their universities in the US.

Topic 38: Aligning higher education to labour market requirements in the UK

Research Aim: This research will assess whether higher education in the UK should be aligned with the labour  market requirements or not.

Topic 39: Internationalisation drivers, obstacles and rationales: A case study of any higher education institute in the UK

Research Aim: This research will analyse the internationalisation drivers, obstacles, and rationales of higher education institutes in the UK.

Topic 40: An investigation into the governance systems of academic planning in both private and public sector higher education institutes

Research Aim: This research will investigate the governance systems of academic planning in both, private and public higher education institutes.

Topic 41: Higher education system: Should all universities follow the same education pattern?

Research Aim: This research will explore whether every university should follow the same educational pattern.

Topic 42: Evaluating teaching quality in higher education schools from students’ perspective

Research Aim: This research will evaluate the performance of teachers based on students’ perspectives. Suggestions will be provided as to how it should be improved.

Topic 43: Identify the factors affecting student mobility in Europe – The quality aspect

Research Aim: This research will explore the factors that impact student mobility in Europe.

Topic 44: Assessing and Evaluating the Impact of Hiring, Firing and Retiring Professors in Higher Education System on Students

Research Aim: This research will evaluate the various impacts of hiring, firing and retiring professors in the higher education system on students.

Topic 45: Do university graduates perform better than those who do not obtain formal education but have practical work experience?

Research Aim: This research will evaluate and assess the performance of two sets of students. First, university graduates, second, will be those who have no formal education but have practical work experience.  Also Read:   Fashion and Culture Dissertation Topics

Teaching Method Dissertation Topics

The role of primary, secondary or higher education teachers is highly important, particularly considering the ever-increasing need to provide a growth-oriented academic environment to students. Some interesting teaching method dissertation research topics are listed below.

Topic 46: The influence of teaching methods on students’ academic success and achievements

Research Aim: This research will explore the influence of teaching methods on students’ academic success and achievements.

Topic 47: A Transactional Method to Learning and Teaching in an English Language Arts Methodologies Conference

Research Aim: This study will explore the transactional learning and teaching method in an English language arts methodologies conference.

Topic 48: How the effect of constructivist teaching methods can largely influence the algebraic understanding of primary and secondary school students

Research Aim: This research will understand how constructivist teaching methods affect primary and secondary school students.

Topic 49: Student learning of DNA and the effect of teaching methods

Research Aim: This research will study the impact of various teaching methods on students.

Topic 50: Teaching English through conventional and direct approaches – A qualitative study

Research Aim: This will be a qualitative study that will help assess the teaching of English as a subject through direct and conventional approaches.

Topic 51: Investigating the relationships of teachers’ pedagogical beliefs, knowledge and efficiency: A multimethod approach

Research Aim: This research will investigate the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical beliefs, efficiency, and knowledge.

Topic 52: Exploring the benefits of employing the Socratic methodology as an approach to learning

Research Aim: This research will investigate the benefits of the Socratic method of learning approach.

Topic 53: The benefits of introducing mathematics software to higher education mathematics teachers

Research Aim: This study will explore the benefits of introducing mathematics software to higher education math teachers.

Topic 54: The increasing importance of teachers training taking into consideration various threats to students such as weapons and drugs

Research Aim: This research will understand the importance of teachers’ training with respect to threats such as drugs and weapons.

Topic 55: Are the teachers more prone to violence at the hands of their students as compared to the past: How the profession of teaching has evolved over the last twenty years

Research Aim: Purpose: This research will compare the teaching profession in the past twenty years and will conclude on how it has changed.  Read More About:   Teaching Methods in the UK

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Education Leadership and Policy Studies Dissertation Topics

The role of leadership, politics, and policies cannot be overlooked. Education leadership and policy studies have two main roots, including organisational theory and political science. This may be an interesting area of research for your educational dissertation.

Topic 56: Implementing educational change in failing middle schools through examination of one’s fundamental leadership procedures and processes

Research Aim: This research will explore the impact of implementing educational change in failing middle schools by examining leadership procedures at the institutes.

Topic 57: Historical background and development of co-curricular transcripts

Research Aim: This research will date back to history and explore how co-curricular transcripts were developed, and will compare them to today’s processes.

Topic 58: Evaluating the self-efficiency of high-performing first-generation university students

Research Aim: This research will evaluate the self-efficiency of high performing university students.

Topic 59: The influence of spiritual growth on leadership development of college and university students

Research Aim: This research will explore the influence of spiritual growth on the leadership skills development of university students.

Topic 60: The peril and power of globalisation: The Higher education, the World Bank, and the Global Knowledge Economy

Research Aim: This research will focus on the globalisation aspect of education and will talk about how it has been impacted.

Topic 61: The self-reported impact of instructional coaching on middle school teachers’ practices

Research Aim: This research will investigate the impact of instructional coaching on middle school teachers’ practices.

Topic 62: An investigation into the policies designed to address bullying in schools of the UK: The beliefs, opinions and perceptions of teachers and principals

Research Aim: This research will explore in-depth the policies that are designed to address and eliminate bullying in UK schools.

Topic 63: Investigating the causes of under-representation of black students in advanced placement courses in the USA

Research Aim: This research will explore the racial issues in the educational system of the US, i.e. underrepresentation of black students.

Topic 64: Lecture note-taking skills of adolescents with and without learning disabilities

Research Aim: This research will understand the note-taking skills of adolescents and how they differ with respect to learning.

Topic 65: A qualitative study to evaluate the educational policies in the UK

Research Aim:  This study will assess and evaluate the various educational policies in the UK.  Read More About:  Courses About International Education Leadership And Policy

Adult Education Dissertation Topics

Vocation-based or professional adult education has gained tremendous popularity in the academic world over the last couple of decades. Here is a wide range of research topics within this field of study to base your dissertation on.

Topic 66: Investing social and personal benefits and costs of basic adult education from students’ perspective

Research Aim: This research will investigate the social and personal benefits and costs of basic adult education.

Topic 67: The perception of adult learners regarding their satisfaction with their educational experiences

Research Aim: This research will explore the perception of adult learners regarding their educational experiences.

Topic 68: Use of bounded agency approach to promoting participation in adult education programmes

Research Aim: This research will discuss the bounded agency approach to promote participation in adult education programs.

Topic 69: A psychoanalytic investigation to explore adult teaching and learning theory

Research Aim: This research will conduct a psychoanalytic investigation in order to explore adult teaching and learning.

Topic 70: Comparing the perception of adult learners in face-to-face and online courses

Research Aim: This research will compare the perception of adult learners in online and face to face courses.

Topic 71: Use of Hatcher-Assagioli Synthesis to analyse practices, principles, and goals for community-based adult education

Research Aim: This research will utilise Hatcher Assagioli Synthesis to analyse community-based education practices, principles, and goals.

Topic 72: A review of the UK government spending on adult education over the last two decades

Research Aim: This research will review the UK government’s spending on adult education for two decades.

Topic 73: The relationship between unemployment and government funding for adult education – A quantitative analysis

Research Aim: This research will explore the relationship between government funding and unemployment for adult education.

Topic 74: The impact of entrepreneurship, wealth building and personal finance-related courses in adult education

Research Aim: This study will study the impact of courses like entrepreneurship, personal finance et. For adult education.

Topic 75: Frequent career changes over working life and the increasing importance of adult education in today’s world

Research Aim: This research will assess the importance of adult education and how it influences students to change their career choices frequently.

Private School Education Dissertation Topics

Private schools have become a large profit-making industry in both the developed and developing world. More and more parents want to send their children to private schools even though the expenses associated with private education are constantly on the rise. Following are some suggestions for your education dissertation research:

Topic 76: Evaluating the effectiveness of management in private schools in the UAE

Research Aim: This research will evaluate the effectiveness of private school management in the UAE.

Topic 77: To study the level of cooperation between home schools, public schools and private schools in the United Kingdom

Research Aim: This research will explore the cooperation level in home schools, and private and public schools in the UK.

Topic 78: A qualitative analysis to determine the causes of why parents choose to send their children to private schools in South Asian countries

Research Aim: This research will conduct qualitative analysis to determine why parents send their children to private schools in Asia.

Topic 79: Investigating the policies concerning the fee structure of private schools in Shanghai

Research Aim: This research will investigate the various policies that concern the fee structure of private Shanghai schools.

Topic 80: An empirical analysis of the impacts of the universal primary education policies on educational performances in South Asia

Research Aim: This research will conduct an empirical analysis to understand the impact of universal primary education policies on educational performance in the South Asian region.

Topic 81: Use of information technology and teaching tools in private schools in the UK

Research Aim: This research will explore the use of technology in private schools and assess its effectiveness.

Topic 82: Schooling for money – The Impact of the Profit motive on Swiss Educational Reform

Research Aim: This research will study the Swiss educational reform and its impact on the system.

Topic 83: Challenges and experiences of children with disabilities in private schools in India

Research Aim: This research will evaluate the challenges and experiences of children with disabilities in Indian schools.

Topic 84: Why are private school students considered to have the edge over public schools – A qualitative study

Research Aim: This will be a qualitative study on why private school students are preferred over public school students.

Topic 85: Emphasis on personality formation and character in private schools – Are private school students more competitive than public school students?

Research Aim:  This research will study the personality formation and character building of private school students.  Read More About   Private School Fee Increase for First Time.

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Public School Education Dissertation Topics

Most schools in the developed world are publicly funded, offering elementary, secondary, and higher education. There is a wide array of topics of research under this field of study that can be explored. Some of them are suggested below:

Exploring the Funding of Public Schools – How they can be improved. This research will explore the ways through which public schools are funded and will study what can be done to improve them.

Topic 86: Investigating the impact of teacher leadership in public schools in the UK

Research Aim: This research will study the impact of teacher leadership in UK public schools.

Topic 87: Is it true that public schools are better able to prepare their students to face the challenges of the real world as compared to private schools

Research Aim: This research will explore a common misconception that public school students are better prepared to face real-world challenges than private school students.

Topic 88: Can publicly-funded religious schools help to counter radicalisation and terrorism?

Research Aim: This study will explore an important topic, i.e. can terrorism and radicalisation be countered with public funding of schools.

Topic 89: Encouraging values and morals in the younger generation by reintroducing religious education in public schools in the UK

Research Aim: This research will study how reintroducing religious education help encourage values and morals in the younger generation in the UK.

Topic 90: Healthy eating habits and the role of public schools offering courses such as meal choice, cooking and home economics

Research Aim: This research will explore the benefits of cooking and home economic courses and promote healthy eating.

Topic 91: How public school students can be encouraged to participate in sporting activities?

Research Aim: This research will assess how public school students can be encouraged to participate in sporting activities.

Topic 92: The perception of special education administrators on the use of paraprofessionals in the education of students with disabilities

Topic 93: the perception of special education administrators on the use of paraprofessionals in the education of students with disabilities.

Research Aim: This research will discuss special education administrators and how they help offer quality education to disabled students.

Topic 94: Educating students with disabilities and the beliefs of public school principals

Research Aim: This research will explore the beliefs of public school principals and how these beliefs help offer quality education to disabled students.

Topic 95: Advanced teaching tools in public school classrooms – How they Help Improve Quality Education

Research Aim:  This research will explore how quality education is provided by implementing innovative technology in classrooms.

Read More About   Public Schools in the UK

Home Schooling Dissertation Topics

Homeschooling is a highly growing educational phenomenon in developed countries. Any form of education that children obtain within their home setting under the supervision of their parents/adults is classified as homeschooling. Some interesting home school dissertation topics are suggested below:

Topic 96: A qualitative study to understand the significance of the role of information technology in homeschooling

Research Aim: This research will assess the importance of information technology for homeschooling through qualitative research.

Topic 97: The advantages and disadvantages of home schooling – Do home children perform with the top private and public school students?

Research Aim: This research will assess the pros and cons of home-schooling. It will also assess the performance of home schooled-students as compared to private and public school students.

Topic 98: A qualitative analysis of socialisation and academic accomplishments among home schooled university students

Research Aim: This research will be a qualitative analysis with respect to socialisation and academic accomplishments with respect to home schooled university students.

Topic 99: Factors motivating students to choose home schooling over conventional schooling systems

Research Aim: This study will explore the factors that motivate students to opt for homeschooling over the conventional schooling system.

Topic 100: A qualitative study to understand the parental motivation for home-schooling

Research Aim: This will be a qualitative study to assess the parental motivation to home-school their children.

Topic 101: Are partnerships available in homeschooling? Exploring their Effectiveness

Research Aim: This research will explore whether partnerships are available in homeschooling or not and how beneficial they prove to be.

Topic 102: A qualitative analysis to understand the educational beliefs of home schooled pupils and their parents

Research Aim: This research will conduct a qualitative analysis to assess the educational beliefs of homeschooled students and their parents.

Topic 103: A qualitative analysis of the relationship between financial literacy and homeschooling

Research Aim: This research will assess whether there is a relationship between homeschooling and financial literacy or not.

Topic 104: The duties and responsibilities of parents concerning the homeschooling of their children

Research Aim: This research will explore the duties and responsibilities of parents with respect to the homeschooling of their children.

Topic 105: Do Homeschool Children Develop Personalities and Characters Like Private and Public Schooled Children?

Research Aim: This research will explore whether homeschooled children build strong character and confident personalities just like private and public schooled students or not.

Latest Education Dissertation Topics

• A Comparative Study on the Impact of Technology Integration on Student Learning Outcomes
• The Role of Teacher Feedback in Student Academic Achievement
• Efficacy of Differentiated Instruction in Diverse Classroom Settings
• Influence of Socioeconomic Factors on Educational Attainment
• Investigating the Effectiveness of Inquiry-Based Learning in Science Education
• Promoting Critical Thinking Skills Through Literature-Based Instruction
• Examining the Relationship Between Parental Involvement and Student Success
• Implementing Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Urban Schools
• The Impact of Early Childhood Education Programs on Long-Term Academic Success
• The Effects of Gender Bias in Classroom Interactions on Student Achievement
• Impact of School Climate on Student Well-being and Academic Performance
• The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Teacher Effectiveness
• The Influence of Motivation on Student Engagement and Achievement
• The Impact of Peer Tutoring on Academic Achievement in Mathematics
• Exploring the Relationship Between Student-Teacher Rapport and Classroom Behaviour

Simple Ordering Process

A system that works for everyone, important notes:.

As a student of education looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing education theories – i.e., to add value and interest to your research topic.

The field of education is vast and interrelated with so many other academic disciplines. That is why creating an education dissertation topic that is particular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field is imperative.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic; it is the basis of your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in  writing your dissertation , as you may end up in a cycle of rejection at the very initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best education dissertation topics that fulfils your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Take a look at some of our sample education dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure Your Education Dissertation

A well-structured   dissertation can help students   to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review :  This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic in light of research questions to be addressed. The purpose is to highlight and discuss the relative weaknesses and strengths of the selected research area while identifying any research gaps. A breakdown of the topic and key terms can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology: The  data collection  and  analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes  research design, research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and  data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis: The findings  of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include  graphs ,  charts, and  tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and  Conclusion: The researcher presents his interpretation of the results in this chapter and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section is to establish the link between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regard to the implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References:  Make sure to complete this in accordance with your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices: Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation  but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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College of Education Dissertations and Theses

The College of Education Dissertations and Theses Series is comprised of dissertations authored by Marquette University's College of Education doctoral and master's students.

Theses/Dissertations from 2024 2024

Becoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): Disrupting Institutional Whiteness , Jacqueline Black

TOWARD A CONTINUUM FOR JESUIT EDUCATION FOUNDED UPON CURA PERSONALIS AND MAGIS , Jose Miguel Jaramillo

A CASE STUDY ON TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF THE WISCONSIN STATE EDUCATOR EFFECTIVENESS REQUIREMENT: MANDATES AND RESULTS , Daniel Unertl

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

A Public Policy Analysis of an Allied Health Career Pathway Model at a Local Technical College , Rebecca A. Garcia Sanchez

Trauma Exposure and Resident Assistants: A Study of Meaning Making , Sarah Ann Olejniczak

Those Who Came Before: Learning from Native American College Alumni About Walking the Path of Persistence , Jacqueline Schram

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Considering Constituencies Contributing to Lead-Water Discussions in Milwaukee: A Three Article Dissertation , Jennifer Gaul-Stout

AP Physics Course Enrollments: The Impact of Middle School Algebra and Physics First , Judi G. Luepke

Peacebuilding through Education: The Case of Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis , Thomas d Aquin Mbatna Taiwe

Relationship of Spirituality, Self-Awareness, and Effective Leadership Among Lay Catholic High School Leaders in Nigeria , Emmanuel I. Ugwejeh

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Inequalities of Intradistrict School Choice in a Mid-Sized Urban School District , Jacob Konrath

With Due Respect for Humanity: Engaging Affectivity Through Simulation in Catholic Seminary Formation , Marie Diane Pitt-Payne

Beyond Ramen: Students' Lived Experiences of Campus Food Insecurity at Two Catholic Universities , Noreen Margaret Siddiqui

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

An Exploration of Five Secondary-School Teachers’ Conceptions of Social Justice , Gabrielle M. Belknap

Excellence and Equity: Admission Merit and Diversity in Physical Therapist Education Programs , Matthew Nuciforo

A Professional Learning Partnership: Educator Perceptions About Program Effectiveness and Impact on Rural Educators , Tara Lynn Villalobos

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Teaching of United States History in the Elementary Schools , Mary Bartholomew Frederick

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Relationship between Teacher Retention and Original Career Goals, Teacher Efficacy and Empathy: A Study of Teach For America Alumni , Tyra Norbeck Hildebrand

Writing to Learn in a Mutt Course: How Writing Functions in a Social Justice Living Learning Program Seminar , Jennifer K. Reid

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Work-Family Balance: A Narrative Analysis of the Personal and Professional Histories of Female Superintendents , Nicole White

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Understanding Women's Experiences with Women-Only Leadership Development Programs in Higher Education: A Mixed Methods Approach , Danielle Marie Geary

In Plain Sight: Changing Representations of "Biracial" People in Film 1903-2015 , Charles Lawrence Gray

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Openness to the "Other" During a Summer Language Study Abroad in Madrid, Spain: Six Case Studies , Samuel Cox

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

The Importance Of Institutional Culture At A Technical College , Sarah Adams

Connecting Schools To Neighborhood Revitalization: , Lawrence Pesch

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

What Role Does Humor in the Higher Education Classroom Play in Student-Perceived Instructor Effectiveness? , Stephen Paul Halula

Textbooks, Teachers, and Middle School Mathematics Student Achievement , Susan R. Monaghan

Distributed Scaffolding: Wiki Collaboration Among Latino High School Chemistry Students , Edwin Duncan O'Sullivan

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Black Faculty Perceptions of Classroom Interactions With Students at a Predominantly White Institution , Robyn Clarke Ngwabi

Number Sense Mediated by Mathematics Self-Concept in Impacting Middle School Mathematics Achievement , Lara K. Geronime

Successful Schools for African American Children: A Case Study of Franklin Elementary School , Staci Lynn Kimmons

Online Education: The Impact of Economics and Politics on Teacher's Situationally Constrained Choice , Rhianan Elizabeth Smith

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

The Challenge and Promise of Catholic Higher Education: The Lay President and Catholic Identity , Kathy Ann Herrick

Becoming Culturally Competent: Clinical Service Learning in Physician Assistant Education , Pinna Rea Katz

An Exploration of Virtual Study Groups Used to Prepare Candidates for a Professional Certification Exam , Sharon Katherine Kayne Chaplock

Debating for Success: Academic Achievement, Self-Efficacy, Civic Empowerment and the Milwaukee Debate League , Thomas Noonan

Historical Implications of the Black Civil Rights Movement Prior to the Brown Decision on Legislation for the Disabled , Robert Michael Thomas

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Data-Driven Decision-Making: A Case Study of How A School District Uses Data to Inform Reading Instruction , Terese Ann Brecklin

Learning With and Because of Each Other: A High School Art Portfolio Class as a Community of Practice , Gregory Robert Frederick

Doctrina, Fides, Gubernatio: Messmer High School from 1926-2001 , Rebecca A. Lorentz

The Balkanization of the High School Reading Specialist: Searching for an Identity , Nancy Lynn Stevens

Submissions from 2009 2009

Womens' career pathways to the college presidency: A study of women in two-year technical colleges , Theresa Barry

Womens' Career Pathways to the College Presidency: A Study of Women in Two-Year Technical Colleges , Theresa Barry

Effects of Individual Secularity, Institutional Secularity and Campus Activity Involvement on College Student Suicidal Ideation and Attempts , Christopher Daood

The Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence Against Adolescents in Racine County and the Community Readiness Model , Theresa A. DeWalt

Pretreatment Client Characteristics and Treatment Retention in an Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Program , Shauna Elizabeth Fuller

The Neuropsychological Functioning of Men Residing in a Homeless Shelter , Sara Murray Hegerty

Examining the Effectiveness of a Multiple Antecedent Intervention for Increasing Secure Infant Attachment , Margaret J. Klopfer

Investigating Changes in Knowledge Frameworks Among High School Students Regarding the Central Dogma of Biology , Michele A. Korb

Effectiveness of a Treatment Program for Toddlers with Behavior Problems and Developmental Delays in Low-Income Families , April M. Schaack

Client Characteristics and Treatment Retention in an Outpatient Drug-Free Chemical Dependency Program , Jessica A. Thull

An exploration of the impact of an online MBA course on intercultural sensitivity development , Suzanne Scaffidi Warell

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Women's and Men's Language in Moderated Online Course Discussions , Carrianne H. Hayslett

A Nursing Educator's & Nursing Students' Perspectives of Critical Thinking in a Baccalaureate Nursing Program: A Case Study , Mary E. Hobus

Submissions from 2007 2007

The relationship between self-efficacy beliefs toward self-management of asthma and asthma self-management behaviors in urban African American children , Teresa Louise Kaul

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy Beliefs Toward Self-Management of Asthma and Asthma Self-Management Behaviors in Urban African American Children , Teresa Louise Kaul

Theses/Dissertations from 2006 2006

Parenting Young Children in Foster Care , Judith B. Byrnes

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

Walking side by side , Erin Denise Knepler

The Role of Technology in the Homes of Emergent Readers , Gail A. Zieman

Theses/Dissertations from 2004 2004

Beliefs about Diversity and the Relationships Between White Teachers-In-Training and Their African American and White Students , Michael Allen Boticki

The Role of Perfectionism in Anxiety, Depression, Self-Esteem and Internalized Shame , Diane K. Delegard

Making the Invisible Visible: Exploring Students' Mathematical Understanding , Debra M. Dosemagen

Theses/Dissertations from 2003 2003

An Investigation of the Extent of Arts Education and the Principals' Perceptions of Such Education in Selected Public Elementary Schools in Milwaukee County , Therese M. Meurer

The Effect of Training Subjects in Self-Explanation Strategies on Problem Solving Success in Computer Programming , Elizabeth S. Rezel

Antecedents of mental self-government : , Jodi L. Rusch

The relationship of students' domain specific self-concepts and self-efficacy to academic performance , Maija Strelnieks

Theses/Dissertations from 2002 2002

The Role of Parents in the Academic Achievements of Their Elementary School Children , Joseph M. Uko

Theses/Dissertations from 2001 2001

Administrators' Perceptions, Rationales, Roles and Leadership Concerning the Current Status of Foreign Language Requirements in Three Private Colleges and Universities in Wisconsin , Shaojie Jiang

Assessment of Parent and Child Behaviors in Preschool Children , Sheila Dunn Johnson

Theses/Dissertations from 2000 2000

Effects of Cooperative Learning on Achievement and Attitudes Toward Teamwork in Medical Technology Students , Linda J. Laatsch-Lybeck

Administrative actions that foster member commitment toward shared institutional vision: A study of one Catholic elementary school , Blane Kohler McCann

The influence of looping on reading comprehension , Patricia Holly Ptak

Theses/Dissertations from 1999 1999

Healing Imagery in Major Religious and Mystical Traditions , Loyola Amalraj

"Enlightened enough to exercise their control" : school culture and curriculum for an engaged citizenry , Dawn M. Crowley

Curriculum and Instruction for Nursing Preceptors: Correlation with Critical Thinking Disposition Traits , Candace L. Hennessy

Parental involvement and its perceived impact on children's achievement , Alexius Minj

The Effect of Video Games on Anxiety Level and Heart Rate in College Students , Rebecca R. Tews

Theses/Dissertations from 1998 1998

Mother and daughter attitudes toward mathematics in single-gender versus coeducational Catholic high schools , Gina M. Bechard

An investigation into the use of technology by secondary teachers in the teaching of algebra and geometry , Barbara A. Burns

Bonding and delinquency , Kristine Mary Dunlap

Effects of social competence factors on self-esteem and behavior in adolescents with cerebral palsy , Leigh Ann Kramer

Making faith accessible: The Catholic school as faithful, effective, inclusive community , Mary Camille Mortimore

Patterns of Change in Mental Health Status During the First Two Years of Spousal Bereavement , Carol Hunt Ott

Theses/Dissertations from 1997 1997

The Relationship between Moral Orientation, Gender, and Context when Reporting Honor Code Violations in Business School , Elizabeth D. Axelrod

Student perceptions of discrimination in a midwestern dental school , David M. Clark

The influence of John Dewey's educational philosophy on the curriculum of the University Laboratory School, 1905-1928 , Anthony J Dosen

The effects of interparental conflict on adolescent adjustment: A path analysis , Jeanne Marie Herzog

Nursing Perceptions of the Spiritual Dimension of Patient Care: The Neuman Systems Model in Curricular Formations , Grace A. Peterson

The Development of a School Based Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention Protocol for Young Children with Anxiety , Mary Wimmer

Submissions from 1996 1996

Trust and shared governance: A qualitative approach at the middle school level , Stephen Douglas King

Theses/Dissertations from 1995 1995

A history of five women philanthropists at Marquette University, 1881-1991 , Gail K. Anshus

Bringing Berne into conjoint family therapy , Emmanuel Arockiam

More-skilled readers' use of orthographic rimes in reading words in isolation and in context , Judith Anne Calhoon

Theses/Dissertations from 1994 1994

The Significance of Religious Messages in Sexual Addiction , William Nicholas Abraham

Emotions, stages and issues in career transitions of women in ministry in the Roman Catholic Church , Mary Jo Brenner

The relationship of wellness and job satisfaction for elementary school principals in the state of Wisconsin , John William Eickholt

Choice and action frame determinants of conflict and conflict management intent of hospital middle managers , John James Lynch

Implementation of total quality management in an academic unit of a higher education institution , Susan J. Michaelson

Dental school personnel's response to administrative alternatives dealing with students infected with the AIDS virus , Elise Sampson

Theses/Dissertations from 1993 1993

Influencing Factors in Choosing Counseling As a Career in Recovery from Chemical Dependence , Nancy Ellyn Cervenansky

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A Study Conducted on If Homeschooling Prepares Students With the Social, Emotional, and Academic Knowledge Needed to Enter a Public School Setting 

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An Investigation of the Factors that Motivate Students in Algebra II Math Class at a Selected High School in Tennessee. 

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M.Ed. Thesis & Abstract

 2021-22.

• Reynolds, Kimberly: The Effect of Video Recording and Self-Assessment on Students’ Oral Reading Fluency
• Pasket, Angela: The Effects of Increased Access to Special Education Student Data on Middle School
• Hernandez, Krisnet: An Investigation Into Student Engagement in Preschool Large Group Instruction

 2020-21

• SUU: Investigating the Impact of Parent Learning on Student Outcomes
• SUU: Reading Engagement in Language Arts
• SUU: A Study on How to Get Junior High Students to Consistently Submit Assignments Online

 2019-20

• Leavitt, Joy: Visual Literacy in an Elementary Science Classroom

 2018-19

• Gilbert, Lauren: The Effects of Memorization and Manipulatives on Learning Math Facts
• Hurley, Christina: How Teacher Clarity Impacts Formative Assessments, Student Expectations and Learning
• Loveless, Cherylee: An Investigation Into Whether Sight Word Activities or Games Impact In-Text Transference
• Jones, Jason: School dress code policies and the classroom environment, The effect of modesty on learning
• Meek, Courtney: Literacy in Language Arts
• Smith, Jedediah: Curriculum Mapping, Distributed Practice Enhances Learning
• Bergeson, Brooke: Kahoot!'s Effects on Test Scores, Student Engagement and Behavior
• Cutler, Debra: Self-Assessment as Motivation
• Knapp, Cari: Wasatch High School Attendance Policy, How Are We Measuring Up
• Gooch, Lauren: A Study, Gifted and Talented Males and Reading Fluency
• Knudsen, Elizabeth: Investigating the use of dialogue journals as a tool to assess introverted students' comprehension during guided reading
• Woodbury, Kimberly: Mindsets and Young Students
• Burt, Andrew: Charter Schools in Southern Utah, The Effects of Assessment on Charter School Perception
• Crosby, Karin: Information Processing Time and Performance of Fluent Third-Grade English Language Learners Receiving Different Presentations of Math Story Problems
• Payne, Kasie: Socratic Seminars - the Classroom to the Chat Room Impacting Quantity and Quality
• Darrington, Natalie: RTI Implementation Teachers Perspectives on Whole-School Response-to-Intervention Implementation Supported by Professional Development
• Maples, Jennifer: The Effect of Background Music on On-Task Behavior, Task Performance and Mood Levels 
• Rhoades, Ariel: Perceived Outcomes of "The Leader in Me" Program on Self-Efficacy & Social Competence - A Case Study

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Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples

Published on September 9, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

It can be difficult to know where to start when writing your thesis or dissertation . One way to come up with some ideas or maybe even combat writer’s block is to check out previous work done by other students on a similar thesis or dissertation topic to yours.

This article collects a list of undergraduate, master’s, and PhD theses and dissertations that have won prizes for their high-quality research.

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Award-winning undergraduate theses, award-winning master’s theses, award-winning ph.d. dissertations, other interesting articles.

University : University of Pennsylvania Faculty : History Author : Suchait Kahlon Award : 2021 Hilary Conroy Prize for Best Honors Thesis in World History Title : “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the “Noble Savage” on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807”

University : Columbia University Faculty : History Author : Julien Saint Reiman Award : 2018 Charles A. Beard Senior Thesis Prize Title : “A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man”: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947

University: University College London Faculty: Geography Author: Anna Knowles-Smith Award:  2017 Royal Geographical Society Undergraduate Dissertation Prize Title:  Refugees and theatre: an exploration of the basis of self-representation

University: University of Washington Faculty:  Computer Science & Engineering Author: Nick J. Martindell Award: 2014 Best Senior Thesis Award Title:  DCDN: Distributed content delivery for the modern web

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University:  University of Edinburgh Faculty:  Informatics Author:  Christopher Sipola Award:  2018 Social Responsibility & Sustainability Dissertation Prize Title:  Summarizing electricity usage with a neural network

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Education Author:  Matthew Brillinger Award:  2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Humanities Prize Title:  Educational Park Planning in Berkeley, California, 1965-1968

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty: Social Sciences Author:  Heather Martin Award:  2015 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  An Analysis of Sexual Assault Support Services for Women who have a Developmental Disability

University : University of Ottawa Faculty : Physics Author : Guillaume Thekkadath Award : 2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Sciences Prize Title : Joint measurements of complementary properties of quantum systems

University:  London School of Economics Faculty: International Development Author: Lajos Kossuth Award:  2016 Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Title:  Shiny Happy People: A study of the effects income relative to a reference group exerts on life satisfaction

University : Stanford University Faculty : English Author : Nathan Wainstein Award : 2021 Alden Prize Title : “Unformed Art: Bad Writing in the Modernist Novel”

University : University of Massachusetts at Amherst Faculty : Molecular and Cellular Biology Author : Nils Pilotte Award : 2021 Byron Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation Title : “Improved Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths”

University:  Utrecht University Faculty:  Linguistics Author:  Hans Rutger Bosker Award: 2014 AVT/Anéla Dissertation Prize Title:  The processing and evaluation of fluency in native and non-native speech

University: California Institute of Technology Faculty: Physics Author: Michael P. Mendenhall Award: 2015 Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics Title: Measurement of the neutron beta decay asymmetry using ultracold neutrons

University:  Stanford University Faculty: Management Science and Engineering Author:  Shayan O. Gharan Award:  Doctoral Dissertation Award 2013 Title:   New Rounding Techniques for the Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms

University: University of Minnesota Faculty: Chemical Engineering Author: Eric A. Vandre Award:  2014 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics Title: Onset of Dynamics Wetting Failure: The Mechanics of High-speed Fluid Displacement

University: Erasmus University Rotterdam Faculty: Marketing Author: Ezgi Akpinar Award: McKinsey Marketing Dissertation Award 2014 Title: Consumer Information Sharing: Understanding Psychological Drivers of Social Transmission

University: University of Washington Faculty: Computer Science & Engineering Author: Keith N. Snavely Award:  2009 Doctoral Dissertation Award Title: Scene Reconstruction and Visualization from Internet Photo Collections

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Social Work Author:  Susannah Taylor Award: 2018 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  Effacing and Obscuring Autonomy: the Effects of Structural Violence on the Transition to Adulthood of Street Involved Youth

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Home > FACULTIES > Education > EDU-ETD

Education Theses and Dissertations

This collection contains theses and dissertations from the Department of Education, collected from the Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Theses/Dissertations from 2024 2024

First Language Use in the Second Language Classroom in Public Secondary Schools in Jordan: Policy and Practice , Muath Algazo

Prediction of Teacher Well-Being through Beliefs: A Mixed-Methods Study of Educators , Annie Beatty

Monitoring the Quality of Children’s Community Mental Healthcare in Ontario: The Development of Pilot Quality Indicators , Boden D. Brock

Educators’ Perspectives on Teacher Mental Health and Professional Development. , Sybil HW Chan

Exploring the Experiences of Autistic Adults with ABA-Based Practices and Research , Grace Demerling

Beyond the portable classroom: investigating portable classrooms from secondary sources and reframing spatial needs in Canadian schools , Marzieh Forozantabar

Improving Student Engagement in Online Learning: A Case Study of a Graduate Program in Canada , Ying Alyssa Huang

Retrospective Pre-Post Evaluation of a Healthy Relationships and Mental Health Promotion Program for 2S/LGBTQIA+ Youth , Nikita Kalwani

Barriers To Working With Low Income Clients As Experienced By Counsellors , Riley Keast

Listening to Transgender and Autistic Voices: Reflecting on Affirming Research and Mental Health Practices , Kameron BM Kirbyson

Does movement during a cognitive task support performance among children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? , Matthew Lam

Anxiety in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Behavioural Phenotypes and Environmental Factors , Caitlin E. Leachman Miss

The experiences of lesbian and queer female teachers in Canadian schools , Chen Lin

A Snapshot of Peer Relationships in Children and Youth: Pre- Versus During COVID-19 , Jordyn Manis

Through Others' Eyes: Understanding Dating Violence Attitudes Through Perspective Taking , Aly M. Moscovitz

Exploring Counsellors’ Insights into Effective Support for Clients with Low Income , Skylar Rego

Exploring the Professional Development Needs of Teachers Regarding Trauma-and-Violence-Informed-Care , Lisa M. Reynolds

A Feasibility Study and Process Evaluation of a Parent-Led Anxiety Intervention Grounded in Modular Cognitive Behavioural Therapy , Amy R. Rzezniczek

Adverse Life Events and Trauma-Informed Care: An Examination of Outcomes and Treatment Considerations , Armush Salahadin

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Physical Activity of Families Managing Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder , Erica Seal

Strengthening service integration across the mental health care system: An exploration of service complexity and resource intensity among youth in Ontario , Valbona Semovski

Views of Multiculturalism in Canada: A Metaphor Study , Kayvan Shakoury

Evaluating a Daily Physical Activity (DPA) Toolkit for Elementary School Teachers , Shelby T. Singh

The Use and Integration of Web 2.0 and 3.0 Technologies by Adult Arabs Learning English: A Scoping Review Study and a Phenomenographic Case Study of Immigrants to Canada , Hisham Swesi

Fostering Friendship and Acceptance in an Inclusive Summer Day Camp , Emily Villani

Phonological development in Chinese–English bilingual children: A systematic literature review , Lihan Wu

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

The Coronavirus Pandemic and the Mental Health Presentations of Young Children , Sarah Adam

Latina Immigrant Women’s Experiences of Higher Education and Leadership: An Intersectional Perspective , Isabella Alencar Maroja Chaves

Exploring Translanguaging and Identity among Jordanian Graduate Students in Ontario , Mohamad Almashour

Hiring Criteria and Employability of ESL/EFL Instructors in the TESOL Job Market in Canada and the United Arab Emirates , Shaden S. Attia

Systemic, Institutional, and Teaching Factors in the Delivery of Interprofessional Education Curriculum in Canada , Mohammad B. Azzam

Championing Inclusive Education in Canada: Voices of Educators, Advocates, and Researchers , Sydney K. Bota

Science Attitudes of Students Enrolled in an Introductory Environmental Science Course , Rajan Brar

A Scoping Review of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Higher Education , Sarah Caimano

Single-Subject Writing Strategy Instruction: A Meta-Analysis , Madelyn A. Casola

Factors that contribute to Teachers' Self-Efficacy for Inclusive Teaching: :A Thematic Analysis , Evan Charles

Teacher Anxiety and Resilience as Socio-ecological Experience: A Critical Ethnography of Early-career English as an Additional Language Teachers in Post-pandemic Ontario, Canada , Aide Chen

Systematic Literature Review: Literacy Practices in Chinese Immigrant Families , Qingning Chen

Undressing Consent –Preliminary Evaluation of a Campus Sexual Violence Prevention Program , Angelina M. Cleroux

Disabling Consent: Discourses of Disability and Inclusion in Ontario's Early Childhood Education and Care in 1994 , Laura E. Coulman Ms.

Professionals' Application of Intersectionality with Marginalized Youth: Considerations for Teen Dating Violence Prevention Programming and Beyond , Bradley Kyle Daly

Culture and Identity in Relation to Mental Wellness for the Haudenosaunee Community , Rammiyaa Devanathan

About dying and death: Thanatology's place in medical curriculum , Jill Dombroski

Settlement Workers in Schools’ (SWIS) Support for K-12 Refugee Students: A Resilience and Compassion-Based Approach , Raghad Ebied

Using Virtual and Augmented Reality to Teach Children on the Autism Spectrum with Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review , Emily M. Erb

Uncovering the Myths of Shared Reading English Picture Books for Chinese Families: A Narrative Inquiry , Yijuan Ge

English Literacy Curricula in a Sino-Canadian Transnational Education Program: Teachers’ Implemented Curriculum , Rong Hai

Investigating the Language and Identity Negotiations of Second Generation Canadian-Born Muslim Students at the Post-Secondary Level , Yasmeen Arianna Hakooz

An Exploration of Experiences of Ontario Teachers with Animals and Their Perception of Animals in the Classroom , Avery M. Harte

Identifying Cognitive Profiles in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using Online Cognitive Testing , Abagail Hennessy

Great Hub of Activity: Social Network Analysis of Non-state Private Actors’ Financing Networks in Girls’ and Women’s Education in East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia , Yogesh Jadhav

Considerations when Developing an Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Outcomes Framework within Canada: A Collaboration between a White Settler and Ojibway/Oneida Knowledge Keeper , Bronwyn Johns

Interpersonal Victimization and Polyvictimization: An Examination of Mental Health Service Complexity , Gabrielle K.C. King Ms.

Learning Verb-Noun Collocations Through Multiple-Choice Exercises: Do Distractors Benefit or Hinder Later Recall? , Mengxue (Alyssa) Li

The Investigation of Non-STEM Undergraduate Students' Geometric Cognition Development within an Embodied Cognition Lens , Chen Lin

Parental gender-specific expectations of their children in Mainland China: An intersectional analysis , Xuan Liu

Being and becoming multilingual within Canadian FSL education , Katherine MacCormac

“Is that my agenda or is that serving the client?”: Perspectives of Social Justice-Oriented Counsellors on Working with Clients Who Express Oppressive Views , Lily G. MacKenzie

Higher education students and digital literacies: A systematic literature review , Filipe Malafaia Cerqueira

The Use of Digital Storytelling in Bilingual/Multilingual Students' Meaning-making: A Systematic Literature Review , Qianhui Ma

A Comparative Study of Cognitive Load and Test-Taking Strategy Use in Video-Based While-Listening Vs. Post-Listening Performance Tests , Yunzhu Ma

Exploring the Impact of the Khan Academy Digital Platform on Elementary Students' Anxiety and Problem-Solving Skills During the post Covid-19 Pandemic. , Roksana Mirzaei Ranjbar

Reimagining Climate Relations with Feminist Earth-Based Spirituality through Common Worlds Ethnography with Young Children , Meagan Montpetit

Counsellors' Beliefs on Social Justice and the Medicalization of Counselling , Christopher Mullin

Interventions based on Mindfulness for Socio-emotional Skill Building in Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Systematic Review , Nethnie Thilakna Nandadasa

Beyond Sport: Black Student Athletes Experiences with Race and Anti Racist Practices , Brianna Nicolas

My Embodied Transformative Educational Journey as an East Asian International Student Learner: A Self-Study Approach , Yixuan Pang

Learning to Teach for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice: A Mixed Methods Case Study of Initial Teacher Education in Ontario, Canada , Kate Paterson

The Effects of Song Use on Vocabulary Learning: Studies of Distribution of Practice, Modes of Input, Retrieval, and the Input-Output-Input Sequence of Exposure , Niousha Pavia

Investigating gender affirmative approaches to counselling: Learning from counsellors in the profession and reflecting on implications for Graduate Counselling Programs , Thomas L. Pigeau

Teaching Experiences of Elementary School Teachers: An Analysis in the Post-COVID Era , Ankita Rawat

A Search for Role Clarity: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the RN and RPN Entry-to-Practice Competencies That Shape Nursing Curriculum in Ontario, Canada , Elizabeth M. Seabrook

The Effects of Audiovisual Input on Second Language Learning: A Meta-Analysis , Dru M. Sutton

Global mindedness and its development across space and time: Illumination of lived experiences from study abroad students and global educational scholars , Haoming Tang

Exploring Parenting, Children’s Mental Health, and Service Complexity Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Abigail Withers

Exploring Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions about the Use of School Gardens in Education for Sustainability , Dona Ishara Madushani Yahampath

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

A Pilot Study of the Effectiveness and Feasibility of a Brief, Online, and Self-Guided Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention for Intellectual and Developmental Disability Support Staff , Kristina Axenova

The Implementation of TES: A case Study , Ahlam Ayoub

Making Mindfulness Matter with Arabic Speaking Families: A Process Evaluation Study , Amal M. Baobaid

An Exploration of Educators' Experiences Implementing the MindUP Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Emily A. Barry

Weaving Child-plastic Relations in the Ecuadorian Andes , Alexandra M. Berry

Motives for Caregivers of Children with FASD Who Connect with a Caregiver to Caregiver Mentor , Jocelyn J. Blake

Evaluating the Impact of a Mental Health Literacy Course on Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Efficacy, Attitudes Toward Trauma-Informed Care, Classroom Management, and Relationship Building , Samir Boulazreg

Acting Out Gender: Embodied criticality and performance-based pedagogies , Danielle K. Carr

A Case Study Exploring a Novice Kindergarten Teacher’s Perceptions and Practice of the Multiliteracies Pedagogy in his Virtual Kindergarten Classroom , Lian Chang

Exploring Factors That Affect English Language Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs in the English as a Second Language Context , Alexandra Charnina

Exploring the Effects of a Chinese Heritage Language School on the Identity Construction of its Adolescent Students , Angela Dong

Animalizing the Canon: Toward Multispecies Subjectivities and Ethical Engagement in English Literary Education , John Drew

Walking the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Talk: Promoting STEM Teacher Candidates’ Views, Understandings, and Implementation of Differentiated Instruction , Mohammed Estaiteyeh

Exploring the Underrepresentation of Women Coaches in Canadian University Sport , Hayley Finn

The Past, Present, and Future Direction of Computer Science Curriculum in K-12 Education , Steven Floyd

Opening a Crack to let the Light in: An Exploration of an Online Group Adolescent Compassion Focussed Therapy Intervention , Euan PB Fraser Tait

Reading Strategy Intervention and Reading Comprehension Success in Bilingual Readers , Bailey Frid

Identifying Instructional Design Strategies in Differentiated Instruction in China: A Systematic Review , Haizhi Fu

Identifying Intersectional Complex Practice Behaviours in IPV Services for Marginalized Women , Amrit Kaur Gill

Re-conceptualising How We Respond to Secondary Gifted Learners' Needs: A Critical Narrative and ANT Approach Investigating Programming and Placement Within Ontario's Current Public Education System , Melissa D. Gollan-Wills

Evaluating the Impact of a Compassion Focused Therapy Group on Parent and Caregiver Psychological Flexibility , Katarina M. Guillen

Creative Common Worlding with Research Creation in Early Childhood Education , Sarah M. Hennessy

Exploring the Use of Interactive Videos in an L2 Listening Test , Shanshan He

Screen time use and Children’s Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Amira Hmidan

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• Indian J Anaesth
• v.66(1); 2022 Jan

Dissertation writing in post graduate medical education

Department of Anaesthesiology, Dr. B R Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Mridul M Panditrao

1 Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR), Bathinda, Punjab, India

2 Department of Anaesthesiology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India

Sukhminder Jit Singh Bajwa

3 Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital, Patiala, Punjab, India

Nishant Sahay

4 Department of Anaesthesiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India

Thrivikrama Padur Tantry

5 Department of Anaesthesiology, A J Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kuntikana, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

Associated Data

A dissertation is a practical exercise that educates students about basics of research methodology, promotes scientific writing and encourages critical thinking. The National Medical Commission (India) regulations make assessment of a dissertation by a minimum of three examiners mandatory. The candidate can appear for the final examination only after acceptance of the dissertation. An important role in a dissertation is that of the guide who has to guide his protégés through the process. This manuscript aims to assist students and guides on the basics of conduct of a dissertation and writing the dissertation. For students who will ultimately become researchers, a dissertation serves as an early exercise. Even for people who may never do research after their degree, a dissertation will help them discern the merits of new treatment options available in literature for the benefit of their patients.

INTRODUCTION

The zenith of clinical residency is the completion of the Master's Dissertation, a document formulating the result of research conducted by the student under the guidance of a guide and presenting and publishing the research work. Writing a proper dissertation is most important to present the research findings in an acceptable format. It is also reviewed by the examiners to determine a part of the criteria for the candidate to pass the Masters’ Degree Examination.

The predominant role in a dissertation is that of the guide who has to mentor his protégés through the process by educating them on research methodology, by: (i) identifying a pertinent and topical research question, (ii) formulating the “type” of study and the study design, (iii) selecting the sample population, (iv) collecting and collating the research data accurately, (v) analysing the data, (vi) concluding the research by distilling the outcome, and last but not the least (vii) make the findings known by publication in an acceptable, peer-reviewed journal.[ 1 ] The co-guide could be a co-investigator from another department related to the study topic, and she/he will play an equivalent role in guiding the student.

Research is a creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge.[ 2 ] This work, known as a study may be broadly classified into two groups in a clinical setting:

• Trials: Here the researcher intervenes to either prevent a disease or to treat it.
• Observational studies: Wherein the investigator makes no active intervention and merely observes the patients or subjects allocated the treatment based on clinical decisions.[ 3 ]

The research which is described in a dissertation needs to be presented under the following headings: Introduction, Aim of the Study, Description of devices if any or pharmacology of drugs, Review of Literature, Material and Methods, Observations and Results, Discussion, Conclusions, Limitations of the study, Bibliography, Proforma, Master chart. Some necessary certificates from the guide and the institute are a requirement in certain universities. The students often add an acknowledgement page before the details of their dissertation proper. It is their expression of gratitude to all of those who they feel have been directly or indirectly helpful in conduct of the study, data analysis, and finally construction of the dissertation.

Framing the research question (RQ)

It is the duty of the teacher to suggest suitable research topics to the residents, based on resources available, feasibility and ease of conduct at the centre. Using the FINER criteria, the acronym for feasibility, topical interest, novelty, ethicality and relevance would be an excellent way to create a correct RQ.[ 4 ]

The PICOT method which describes the patient, intervention, comparison, outcome and time, would help us narrow down to a specific and well-formulated RQ.[ 5 , 6 ] A good RQ leads to the derivation of a research hypothesis, which is an assumption or prediction of the outcome that will be tested by the research. The research topic could be chosen from among the routine clinical work regarding clinical management, use of drugs e.g., vasopressors to prevent hypotension or equipment such as high flow nasal oxygen to avoid ventilation.

Review of literature

To gather this information may be a difficult task for a fresh trainee however, a good review of the available literature is a tool to identify and narrow down a good RQ and generate a hypothesis. Literature sources could be primary (clinical trials, case reports), secondary (reviews, meta-analyses) or tertiary (e.g., reference books, compilations). Methods of searching literature could be manual (journals) or electronic (online databases), by looking up references or listed citations in existing articles. Electronic database searches are made through the various search engines available online e.g., scholar.google.com, National Library of Medicine (NLM) website, clinical key app and many more. Advanced searches options may help narrow down the search results to those that are relevant for the student. This could be based on synthesising keywords from the RQ, or by searching for phrases, Boolean operators, or utilising filters.

After choosing the topic, an apt and accurate title has to be chosen. This should be guided by the use of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terminology from the NLM, which is used for indexing, cataloguing, and searching of biomedical and health-related information.[ 7 ] The dissertation requires a detailed title which may include the objective of the study, key words and even the PICOT components. One may add the study design in the title e.g. “a randomised cross over study” or “an observational analytical study” etc.

Aim and the objectives

The Aims and the Objectives of the research study have to be listed clearly, before initiating the study.[ 8 ] “Gaps” or deficiencies in existing knowledge should be clearly cited. The Aim by definition is a statement of the expected outcome, while the Objectives (which might be further classed into primary and secondary based on importance) should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic or relevant, time-bound and challenging; in short, “SMART!” To simplify, the aim is a statement of intent, in terms of what we hope to achieve at the end of the project. Objectives are specific, positive statements of measurable outcomes, and are a list of steps that will be taken to achieve the outcome.[ 9 ] Aim of a dissertation, for example, could be to know which of two nerve block techniques is better. To realise this aim, comparing the duration of postoperative analgesia after administration of the block by any measurable criteria, could be an objective, such as the time to use of first rescue analgesic drug. Similarly, total postoperative analgesic drug consumption may form a secondary outcome variable as it is also measurable. These will generate data that may be used for analysis to realise the main aim of the study.

Inclusion and exclusions

The important aspect to consider after detailing when and how the objectives will be measured is documenting the eligibility criteria for inclusion of participants. The exclusion criteria must be from among the included population/patients only. e.g., If only American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I and II are included, then ASA III and IV cannot be considered as exclusion criteria, since they were never a part of the study. The protocol must also delineate the setting of the study, locations where data would be collected, and specify duration of conduct of the dissertation. A written informed consent after explaining the aim, objectives and methodology of the study is legally mandatory before embarking upon any human study. The study should explicitly clarify whether it is a retrospective or a prospective study, where the study is conducted and the duration of the study.

Sample size: The sample subjects in the study should be representative of the population upon whom the inference has to be drawn. Sampling is the process of selecting a group of representative people from a larger population and subjecting them for the research.[ 10 ] The sample size represents a number, beyond which the addition of population is unlikely to change the conclusion of the study. The sample size is calculated taking into consideration the primary outcome criteria, confidence interval (CI), power of the study, and the effect size the researcher wishes to observe in the primary objective of the study. Hence a typical sample size statement can be - “Assuming a duration of analgesia of 150 min and standard deviation (SD) of 15 min in first group, keeping power at 80% and CIs at 95% (alpha error at 0.05), a sample of 26 patients would be required to detect a minimum difference (effect size) of 30% in the duration of analgesia between the two groups. Information regarding the different sampling methods and sample size calculations may be found in the Supplementary file 1 .

Any one research question may be answered using a number of research designs.[ 11 ] Research designs are often described as either observational or experimental. The various research designs may be depicted graphically as shown in Figure 1 .

Graphical description of available research designs

The observational studies lack “the three cornerstones of experimentation” – controls, randomisation, and replication. In an experimental study on the other hand, in order to assess the effect of treatment intervention on a participant, it is important to compare it with subjects similar to each other but who have not been given the studied treatment. This group, also called the control group, may help distinguish the effect of the chosen intervention on outcomes from effects caused by other factors, such as the natural history of disease, placebo effects, or observer or patient expectations.

All the proposed dissertations must be submitted to the scientific committee for any suggestion regarding the correct methodology to be followed, before seeking ethical committee approval.

Ethical considerations

Ethical concerns are an important part of the research project, right from selection of the topic to the dissertation writing. It must be remembered, that the purpose of a dissertation given to a post-graduate student is to guide him/her through the process by educating them on the very basics of research methodology. It is therefore not imperative that the protégés undertake a complicated or risky project. If research involves human or animal subjects, drugs or procedures, research ethics guidelines as well as drug control approvals have to be obtained before tabling the proposal to the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC). The roles, responsibilities and composition of the Ethics Committee has been specified by the Directorate General of Health Services, Government of India. Documented approval of the Ethics committee is mandatory before any subject can be enroled for any dissertation in India. Even retrospective studies require approval from the IEC. Details of this document is available at: https://cdsco.gov.in/opencms/resources/UploadCDSCOWeb/2018/UploadEthicsRegistration/Applmhrcrr.pdf .

The candidate and the guide are called to present their proposal before the committee. The ethical implications, risks and management, subjects’ rights and responsibilities, informed consent, monetary aspects, the research and analysis methods are all discussed. The patient safety is a topmost priority and any doubts of the ethical committee members should be explained in medically layman's terms. The dissertation topics should be listed as “Academic clinical trials” and must involve only those drugs which are already approved by the Drugs Controller General of India. More commonly, the Committee suggests rectifications, and then the researchers have to resubmit the modified proposal after incorporating the suggestions, at the next sitting of the committee or seek online approval, as required. At the conclusion of the research project, the ethics committee has to be updated with the findings and conclusions, as well as when it is submitted for publication. Any deviation from the approved timeline, as well as the research parameters has to be brought to the attention of the IEC immediately, and re-approval sought.

Clinical trial registration

Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI) is a free online searchable system for prospective registration of all clinical studies conducted in India. It is owned and managed by the National Institute of Medical Statistics, a division of Indian Council of Medical Research, Government of India. Registration of clinical trials will ensure transparency, accountability and accessibility of trials and their results to all potential beneficiaries.

After the dissertation proposal is passed by the scientific committee and IEC, it may be submitted for approval of trial registration to the CTRI. The student has to create a login at the CTRI website, and submit all the required data with the help of the guides. After submission, CTRI may ask for corrections, clarifications or changes. Subject enrolment and the actual trial should begin only after the CTRI approval.

Randomisation

In an experimental study design, the method of randomisation gives every subject an equal chance to get selected in any group by preventing bias. Primarily, three basic types employed in post-graduate medical dissertations are simple randomisation, block randomisation and stratified randomisation. Simple randomisation is based upon a single sequence of random assignments such as flipping a coin, rolling of dice (above 3 or below 3), shuffling of cards (odd or even) to allocate into two groups. Some students use a random number table found in books or use computer-generated random numbers. There are many random number generators, randomisation programs as well as randomisation services available online too. ( https://www-users.york.ac.uk/~mb55/guide/randsery.htm ).

There are many applications which generate random number sequences and a research student may use such computer-generated random numbers [ Figure 2 ]. Simple randomisation has higher chances of unequal distribution into the two groups, especially when sample sizes are low (<100) and thus block randomisation may be preferred. Details of how to do randomisation along with methods of allocation concealment may be found in Supplementary file 2 .

Figure depicting how to do block randomisation using online resources. (a) generation of a random list (b) transfer of the list to an MS excel file

Allocation concealment

If it is important in a study to generate a random sequence of intervention, it is also important for this sequence to be concealed from all stake-holders to prevent any scope of bias.[ 12 ] Allocation concealment refers to the technique used to implement a random sequence for allocation of intervention, and not to generate it.[ 13 ] In an Indian post-graduate dissertation, the sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes (SNOSE) technique is commonly used [ Supplementary file 2 ].

To minimise the chances of differential treatment allocation or assessments of outcomes, it is important to blind as many individuals as possible in the trial. Blinding is not an all-or-none phenomenon. Thus, it is very desirable to explicitly state in the dissertation, which individuals were blinded, how they achieved blinding and whether they tested the success of blinding.

Commonly used terms for blinding are

• Single blinding: Masks the participants from knowing which intervention has been given.
• Double blinding: Blinds both the participants as well as researchers to the treatment allocation.
• Triple blinding: By withholding allocation information from the subjects, researchers, as well as data analysts. The specific roles of researchers involved in randomisation, allocation concealment and blinding should be stated clearly in the dissertation.

Data which can be measured as numbers are called quantitative data [ Table 1 ]. Studies which emphasise objective measurements to generate numerical data and then apply statistical and mathematical analysis constitute quantitative research. Qualitative research on the other hand focuses on understanding people's beliefs, experiences, attitudes, behaviours and thus these generate non-numerical data called qualitative data, also known as categorical data, descriptive data or frequency counts. Importance of differentiating data into qualitative and quantitative lies in the fact that statistical analysis as well as the graphical representation may be very different.

Data collection types

In order to obtain data from the outcome variable for the purpose of analysis, we need to design a study which would give us the most valid information. A valid data or measurement tool, is the degree to which the tool measures what it claims to measure. For example, appearance of end tidal carbon dioxide waveform is a more valid measurement to assess correct endotracheal tube placement than auscultation of breath sounds on chest inflation.

The compilation of all data in a ‘Master Chart’ is a necessary step for planning, facilitating and appropriate preparation and processing of the data for analysis. It is a complete set of raw research data arranged in a systematic manner forming a well-structured and formatted, computable data matrix/database of the research to facilitate data analysis. The master chart is prepared as a Microsoft Excel sheet with the appropriate number of columns depicting the variable parameters for each individual subjects/respondents enlisted in the rows.

Statistical analysis

The detailed statistical methodology applied to analyse the data must be stated in the text under the subheading of statistical analysis in the Methods section. The statistician should be involved in the study during the initial planning stage itself. Following four steps have to be addressed while planning, performing and text writing of the statistical analysis part in this section.

Step 1. How many study groups are present? Whether analysis is for an unpaired or paired situation? Whether the recorded data contains repeated measurements? Unpaired or paired situations decide again on the choice of a test. The latter describes before and after situations for collected data (e.g. Heart rate data ‘before’ and ‘after’ spinal anaesthesia for a single group). Further, data should be checked to find out whether they are from repeated measurements (e.g., Mean blood pressure at 0, 1 st , 2 nd , 5 th , 10 th minutes and so on) for a group. Different types of data are commonly encountered in a dissertation [ Supplementary file 3A ].

Step 2. Does the data follow a normal distribution?[ 14 ]

Each study group as well as every parameter has to be checked for distribution analysis. This step will confirm whether the data of a particular group is normally distributed (parametric data) or does not follow the normal distribution (non-parametric data); subsequent statistical test selection mainly depends on the results of the distribution analysis. For example, one may choose the Student's’ test instead of the ‘Mann-Whitney U’ for non-parametric data, which may be incorrect. Each study group as well as every parameter has to be checked for distribution analysis [ Supplementary File 3B ].

Step 3. Calculation of measures of central tendency and measures of variability.

Measures of central tendency mainly include mean, median and mode whereas measures of variability include range, interquartile range (IQR), SD or variance not standard error of mean. Depending on Step 2 findings, one needs to make the appropriate choice. Mean and SD/variance are more often for normally distributed and median with IQR are the best measure for not normal (skewed) distribution. Proportions are used to describe the data whenever the sample size is ≥100. For a small sample size, especially when it is approximately 25-30, describe the data as 5/25 instead of 20%. Software used for statistical analysis automatically calculates the listed step 3 measures and thus makes the job easy.

Step 4. Which statistical test do I choose for necessary analysis?

Choosing a particular test [ Figure 3 ] is based on orderly placed questions which are addressed in the dissertation.[ 15 ]

Chosing a statistical test, (a). to find a difference between the groups of unpaired situations, (b). to find a difference between the groups of paired situations, (c). to find any association between the variables, (d). to find any agreement between the assessment techniques. ANOVA: Analysis of Variance. Reproduced with permission from Editor of Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, and the author, Dr Barun Nayak[ 15 ]

• Is there a difference between the groups of unpaired situations?
• Is there a difference between the groups of paired situations?
• Is there any association between the variables?
• Is there any agreement between the assessment techniques?

Perform necessary analysis using user-friendly software such as GraphPad Prism, Minitab or MedCalc,etc. Once the analysis is complete, appropriate writing in the text form is equally essential. Specific test names used to examine each part of the results have to be described. Simple listing of series of tests should not be done. A typical write-up can be seen in the subsequent sections of the supplementary files [Supplementary files 3C – E ]. One needs to state the level of significance and software details also.

Role of a statistician in dissertation and data analysis

Involving a statistician before planning a study design, prior to data collection, after data have been collected, and while data are analysed is desirable when conducting a dissertation. On the contrary, it is also true that self-learning of statistical analysis reduces the need for statisticians’ help and will improve the quality of research. A statistician is best compared to a mechanic of a car which we drive; he knows each element of the car, but it is we who have to drive it. Sometimes the statisticians may not be available for a student in an institute. Self-learning software tools, user-friendly statistical software for basic statistical analysis thus gain importance for students as well as guides. The statistician will design processes for data collection, gather numerical data, collect, analyse, and interpret data, identify the trends and relationships in data, perform statistical analysis and its interpretation, and finally assist in final conclusion writing.

Results are an important component of the dissertation and should follow clearly from the study objectives. Results (sometimes described as observations that are made by the researcher) should be presented after correct analysis of data, in an appropriate combination of text, charts, tables, graphs or diagrams. Decision has to be taken on each outcome; which outcome has to be presented in what format, at the beginning of writing itself. These should be statistically interpreted, but statistics should not surpass the dissertation results. The observations should always be described accurately and with factual or realistic values in results section, but should not be interpreted in the results section.

While writing, classification and reporting of the Results has to be done under five section paragraphs- population data, data distribution analysis, results of the primary outcome, results of secondary outcomes, any additional observations made such as a rare adverse event or a side effect (intended or unintended) or of any additional analysis that may have been done, such as subgroup analysis.

At each level, one may either encounter qualitative (n/N and %) or quantitative data (mean [SD], median [IQR] and so on.

In the first paragraph of Results while describing the population data, one has to write about included and excluded patients. One needs to cite the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) flow chart to the text, at this stage. Subsequently, highlighting of age, sex, height, body mass index (BMI) and other study characteristics referring to the first table of ‘patients data’ should be considered. It is not desirable to detail all values and their comparison P values in the text again in population data as long as they are presented in a cited table. An example of this pattern can be seen in Supplementary file 3D .

In the second paragraph, one needs to explain how the data is distributed. It should be noted that, this is not a comparison between the study groups but represents data distribution for the individual study groups (Group A or Group B, separately)[ Supplementary file 3E ].

In the subsequent paragraph of Results , focused writing on results of the primary outcomes is very important. It should be attempted to mention most of the data outputs related to the primary outcomes as the study is concluded based on the results of this outcome analysis. The measures of central tendency and dispersion (Mean or median and SD or IQR etc., respectively), alongside the CIs, sample number and P values need to be mentioned. It should be noted that the CIs can be for the mean as well as for the mean difference and should not be interchanged. An example of this pattern can be seen in Supplementary file 3F .

A large number of the dissertations are guided for single primary outcome analysis, and also the results of multiple secondary outcomes are needed to be written. The primary outcome should be presented in detail, and secondary outcomes can be presented in tables or graphs only. This will help in avoiding a possible evaluator's fatigue. An example of this pattern can be seen in Supplementary file 3G .

In the last paragraph of the Results, mention any additional observations, such as a rare adverse event or side effect or describe the unexpected results. The results of any additional analysis (subgroup analysis) then need to be described too. An example of this pattern can be seen in Supplementary file 3H .

The most common error observed in the Results text is duplication of the data and analytical outputs. While using the text for summarising the results, at each level, it should not be forgotten to cite the table or graph but the information presented in a table should not be repeated in the text. Further, results should not be given to a greater degree of accuracy than that of the measurement. For example, mean (SD) age need to be presented as 34.5 (11.3) years instead of 34.5634 (11.349). The latter does not carry any additional information and is unnecessary. The actual P values need to be mentioned. The P value should not be simply stated as ‘ P < 0.05’; P value should be written with the actual numbers, such as ‘ P = 0.021’. The symbol ‘<’ should be used only when actual P value is <0.001 or <0.0001. One should try avoiding % calculations for a small sample especially when n < 100. The sample size calculation is a part of the methodology and should not be mentioned in the Results section.

The use of tables will help present actual data values especially when in large numbers. The data and their relationships can be easily understood by an appropriate table and one should avoid overwriting of results in the text format. All values of sample size, central tendency, dispersions, CIs and P value are to be presented in appropriate columns and rows. Preparing a dummy table for all outcomes on a rough paper before proceeding to Microsoft Excel may be contemplated. Appropriate title heading (e.g., Table 1 . Study Characteristics), Column Headings (e.g., Parameter studied, P values) should be presented. A footnote should be added whenever necessary. For outputs, where statistically significant P values are recorded, the same should be highlighted using an asterisk (*) symbol and the same *symbol should be cited in the footnote describing its value (e.g., * P < 0.001) which is self-explanatory for statistically significance. One should not use abbreviations such as ‘NS’ or ‘Sig’ for describing (non-) significance. Abbreviations should be described for all presented tables. A typical example of a table can be seen in Figure 4 .

Example of presenting a table

Graphical images

Similar to tables, the graphs and diagrams give a bird's-eye view of the entire data and therefore may easily be understood. bar diagrams (simple, multiple or component), pie charts, line diagrams, pictograms and spot maps suit qualitative data more whereas the histograms, frequency polygons, cumulative frequency, polygon scatter diagram, box and whisker plots and correlation diagrams are used to depict quantitative data. Too much presentation of graphs and images, selection of inappropriate or interchanging of graphs, unnecessary representation of three-dimensional graph for one-dimensional graphs, disproportionate sizes of length and width and incorrect scale and labelling of an axis should be avoided. All graphs should contain legends, abbreviation descriptions and a footnote. Appropriate labelling of the x - and the y -axis is also essential. Priori decided scale for axis data should be considered. The ‘error bar’ represents SDs or IQRs in the graphs and should be used irrespective of whether they are bar charts or line graphs. Not showing error bars in a graphical image is a gross mistake. An error bar can be shown on only one side of the line graph to keep it simple. A typical example of a graphical image can be seen in Figure 5 . The number of subjects (sample) is to be mentioned for each time point on the x -axis. An asterisk (*) needs to be put for data comparisons having statistically significant P value in the graph itself and they are self-explanatory with a ‘stand-alone’ graph.

Example of an incorrect (a) and correct (b) image

Once the results have been adequately analysed and described, the next step is to draw conclusions from the data and study. The main goal is to defend the work by staging a constructive debate with the literature.[ 16 ] Generally, the length of the ‘ Discussion ’ section should not exceed the sum of other sections (introduction, material and methods, and results).[ 17 ] Here the interpretation, importance/implications, relevance, limitations of the results are elaborated and should end in recommendations.

It is advisable to start by mentioning the RQ precisely, summarising the main findings without repeating the entire data or results again. The emphasis should be on how the results correlate with the RQ and the implications of these results, with the relevant review of literature (ROL). Do the results coincide with and add anything to the prevalent knowledge? If not, why not? It should justify the differences with plausible explanation. Ultimately it should be made clear, if the study has been successful in making some contribution to the existing evidence. The new results should not be introduced and any exaggerated deductions which cannot be corroborated by the outcomes should not be made.

The discussion should terminate with limitations of the study,[ 17 ] mentioned magnanimously. Indicating limitations of the study reflects objectivity of the authors. It should not enlist any errors, but should acknowledge the constraints and choices in designing, planning methodology or unanticipated challenges that may have cropped up during the actual conduct of the study. However, after listing the limitations, the validity of results pertaining to the RQ may be emphasised again.

This section should convey the precise and concise message as the take home message. The work carried out should be summarised and the answer found to the RQ should be succinctly highlighted. One should not start dwelling on the specific results but mention the overall gain or insights from the observations, especially, whether it fills the gap in the existing knowledge if any. The impact, it may have on the existing knowledge and practices needs to be reiterated.

What to do when we get a negative result?

Sometimes, despite the best research framework, the results obtained are inconclusive or may even challenge a few accepted assumptions.[ 18 ] These are frequently, but inappropriately, termed as negative results and the data as negative data. Students must believe that if the study design is robust and valid, if the confounders have been carefully neutralised and the outcome parameters measure what they are intended to, then no result is a negative result. In fact, such results force us to critically re-evaluate our current understanding of concepts and knowledge thereby helping in better decision making. Studies showing lack of prolongation of the apnoea desaturation safety periods at lower oxygen flows strengthened belief in the difficult airway guidelines which recommend nasal insufflations with at least 15 L/min oxygen.[ 19 , 20 , 21 ]

Publishing the dissertation work

There are many reporting guidelines based upon the design of research. These are a checklist, flow diagram, or structured text to guide authors in reporting a specific type of research, developed using explicit methodology. The CONSORT[ 22 ] and Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) initiatives,[ 23 ] both included in the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) international network, have elaborated appropriate suggestions to improve the transparency, clarity and completeness of scientific literature [ Figure 6 ].

Equator publishing tree

All authors are advised to follow the CONSORT/STROBE checklist attached as Supplementary file 4 , when writing and reporting their dissertation.

For most dissertations in Anaesthesiology, the CONSORT, STROBE, Standards for Reporting Diagnostic accuracy studies (STARD) or REporting recommendations for tumour MARKer prognostic studies (REMARK) guidelines would suffice.

Abstract and Summary

These two are the essential sections of a dissertation.

It should be at the beginning of the manuscript, after the title page and acknowledgments, but before the table of contents. The preparation varies as per the University guidelines, but generally ranges between 150 to 300 words. Although it comes at the very beginning of the thesis, it is the last part one writes. It must not be a ‘copy-paste job’ from the main manuscript, but well thought out miniaturisation, giving the overview of the entire text. As a rule, there should be no citation of references here.

Logically, it would have four components starting with aims, methods, results, and conclusion. One should begin the abstract with the research question/objectives precisely, avoiding excessive background information. Adjectives like, evaluate, investigate, test, compare raise the curiosity quotient of the reader. This is followed by a brief methodology highlighting only the core steps used. There is no need of mentioning the challenges, corrections, or modifications, if any. Finally, important results, which may be restricted to fulfilment (or not), of the primary objective should be mentioned. Abstracts end with the main conclusion stating whether a specific answer to the RQ was found/not found. Then recommendations as a policy statement or utility may be made taking care that it is implementable.

Keywords may be included in the abstract, as per the recommendations of the concerned university. The keywords are primarily useful as markers for future searches. Lastly, the random reader using any search engine may use these, and the identifiability is increased.

The summary most often, is either the last part of the Discussion or commonly, associated with the conclusions (Summary and Conclusions). Repetition of introduction, whole methodology, and all the results should be avoided. Summary, if individually written, should not be more than 150 to 300 words. It highlights the research question, methods used to investigate it, the outcomes/fallouts of these, and then the conclusion part may start.

References/bibliography

Writing References serves mainly two purposes. It is the tacit acknowledgement of the fact that someone else's written words or their ideas or their intellectual property (IP) are used, in part or in toto , to avoid any blame of plagiarism. It is to emphasise the circumspective and thorough literature search that has been carried out in preparation of the work.

Vancouver style for referencing is commonly used in biomedical dissertation writing. A reference list contains details of the works cited in the text of the document. (e.g. book, journal article, pamphlet, government reports, conference material, internet site). These details must include sufficient details so that others may locate and access those references.[ 24 ]

How much older the references can be cited, depends upon the university protocol. Conventionally accepted rule is anywhere between 5-10 years. About 85% of references should be dispersed in this time range. Remaining 15%, which may include older ones if they deal with theories, historical aspects, and any other factual content. Rather than citing an entire book, it is prudent to concentrate on the chapter or subsection of the text. There are subjective variations between universities on this matter. But, by and large, these are quoted as and when deemed necessary and with correct citation.

Bibliography is a separate list from the reference list and should be arranged alphabetically by writing name of the ‘author or title’ (where no author name is given) in the Vancouver style.

There are different aspects of writing the references.[ 24 ]

Citing the reference in the form of a number in the text. The work of other authors referred in the manuscript should be given a unique number and quoted. This is done in the order of their appearance in the text in chronological order by using Arabic numerals. The multiple publications of same author shall be written individually. If a reference article has more than six authors, all six names should be written, followed by “ et al .” to be used in lieu of other author names. It is desirable to write the names of the journals in abbreviations as per the NLM catalogue. Examples of writing references from the various sources may be found in the Supplementary file 5 .

Both the guide and the student have to work closely while searching the topic initially and also while finalising the submission of the dissertation. But the role of the guide in perusing the document in detail, and guiding the candidate through the required corrections by periodic updates and discussions cannot be over-emphasised.

Assessment of dissertations

Rarely, examiners might reject a dissertation for failure to choose a contemporary topic, a poor review of literature, defective methodology, biased analysis or incorrect conclusions. If these cannot be corrected satisfactorily, it will then be back to the drawing board for the researchers, who would have to start from scratch to redesign the study, keeping the deficiencies in mind this time.

Before submission, dissertation has to be run through “plagiarism detector” software, such as Turnitin or Grammarly to ensure that plagiarism does not happen even unwittingly. Informal guidelines state that the percentage plagiarism picked up by these tools should be <10%.

No work of art is devoid of mistakes/errors. Logically, a dissertation, being no exception, may also have errors. Our aim, is to minimise them.

The dissertation is an integral part in the professional journey of any medical post-graduate student. It is also an important responsibility for a guide to educate his protégé, the basics of research methodology through the process. Searching for a gap in literature and identification of a pertinent research question is the initial step. Careful planning of the study design is a vitally important aspect. After the conduct of study, writing the dissertation is an art for which the student often needs guidance. A good dissertation is a good description of a meticulously conducted study under the different headings described, utilising the various reporting guidelines. By avoiding some common errors as discussed in this manuscript, a good dissertation can result in a very fruitful addition to medical literature.

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SUPPLEMENTARY FILES

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Microsoft Word for Dissertations

• Introduction, Template, & Resources
• Formatting for All Readers
• Applying a Style
• Modifying a Style
• Setting up a Heading 1 Example
• Images, Charts, Other Objects
• Footnotes, Endnotes, & Citations
• Cross-References
• Appendix Figures & Tables
• Table of Contents
• List of Figures/Tables
• Chapter and Section Numbering
• Page Numbers
• Landscape Pages
• Combining Chapter Files
• Commenting and Reviewing
• Tips & Tricks
• The Two-inch Top Margin
• Troubleshooting
• Finalizing Without Styles
• Preparing Your Final Document
• Take a break

Help with Microsoft Word

Members of the University of Michigan community can get dissertation & thesis formatting assistance from the experts at ScholarSpace:

Please  visit this link to make an appointment , or send an email to [email protected].

We're here to solve any formatting problems you've run into, and can give you guidance about captioning figures, solving numbering issues, creating a List of Tables/Figures/Appendices, and more.

Contact Information

Introduction to Word for Dissertations

Formatting your dissertation (or thesis) will likely take more time than you expect. But using the special features described in this Guide will save you a great deal of work , particularly if you use our template (available in the box below). The earlier you begin to use these tools, the more time you'll save and the less stress you'll have as your submission deadline approaches. Students at the University of Michigan are also encouraged to contact the experts at the Library's ScholarSpace anytime you run into a problem or have a question.

To meet  Rackham’s Dissertation Formatting Guidelines  you will need to modify the standard settings that Microsoft Word uses. This guide will show you how to use the tools to make the necessary modifications.  While we do follow the requirements from Rackham’s formatting guidelines to demonstrate the tools, in the end, you are responsible for verifying that your document meets the requirements that Rackham sets.

To save yourself time and effort , please consider using our Dissertation Template (link available in the box below). Many of the settings discussed in this Guide are already included in that document.

Please note that, as a University of Michigan student, you have free access to the Microsoft Office suite of tools -- including Microsoft Word. Visit this link to learn more and to download Office to your own computer.

Dissertation Template and other Resources

• ScholarSpace Template for Dissertations This Microsoft Word document comes with many of the Rackham formatting guidelines built in, and can be used for dissertations and theses. Please note that this template doesn't follow the formatting direction of any particular Style Guide. It is your responsibility to make sure you are following the Style Guide predominant in your field, and to make any relevant formatting changes to heading styles, numbering, captions, etc... How to make many of those changes is described throughout this Guide.
• Dissertation Formatting Workshops (online) We regularly offer free workshops throughout the school year to introduce you to the lesser-known features of Microsoft Word that will make formatting (and editing) your dissertation much easier.
• Rackham Dissertation Handbook Rackham's Dissertation Guidelines and Handbook
• Dissertation Formatting Checklist Rackham's list of formatting issues to watch out for in your dissertation.
• Using Microsoft Word for Large Documents (non-dissertation specific) Handout This document was written for an older -- much older -- version of Word, but nearly all of the information is still accurate and very useful.
• Guide to Copyright for Dissertations This guide addresses copyright questions specific to University of Michigan dissertation authors. It covers topics such as: Using Others' Content, Copyright in Your Dissertation, and Publishing Your Dissertation

A word about LaTeX

LaTeX is a markup language (sometimes accessed through the Overleaf editor) that is often used in science and engineering documents because it allows for great control in creating complex equations and formulas. ScholarSpace does not maintain a template for dissertations created with LaTeX, and we can only provide very limited support for it. That said, there is a community of U-M folks who actively maintain  this LaTeX template to keep it in line with Rackham's guidelines .

Here are some other very useful resources:

• Video recording of a  UM Library Workshop on Dissertation Formatting with LaTeX
• Documentation for LaTeX and Overleaf
• Bibiliography Management with LaTeX
• How to Write a Thesis in LaTeX
• A huge collection of LaTeX resources

Can I use Google Docs for my dissertation?

No. Google Docs can get you pretty far down the road to something that looks like what Rackham requires, however, it's going to take a lot more work to get that far, and as you approach the finish line you will collide with obstacles that Google Docs just won't be able to get around. The issue is that Google Docs was not designed for complicated documents like a thesis or dissertation. To get it to do many of the special things that Rackham requires, you'll have to do a great deal of work that Word will just do for you . A few examples:

• Rackham requires 1" margin on all pages, but a 2" margin at the top of each new section and chapter. You'll have to manually adjust every relevant page yourself in Docs to get this, but Word will just do it automatically.
• Docs gives you three choices for how your Table of Contents will look, none of which are suitable by Rackham's standards. While you can adjust the format, many aspects of it (such as spacing) will revert to the original every time you update it.  With Word, you're in charge of what your ToC looks like.
• In Docs, you'll have to manually type in your figure numbers ("Figure 3.6") and change them every time you add or move them. But Word will manage numbering and caption placement for you, it will renumber figures or tables as you add or move them, and then it will create your List of Figures/Tables automatically – correct page numbers and all. 
• With Word's figure/table numbering, you can also insert cross-references, so when you refer to "(see Figure 4.2)" but then you add some new figures before that, not only will Figure 4.2 renumber itself automatically, but anywhere you've referred to it will be updated, too. No more anxiety about whether you've updated everything accurately.
• Page numbers: Rackham wants the first two pages to have no page numbers, the rest of the frontmatter to have small roman numerals, and the body of the document to have arabic numerals.  Docs just plain can't do that.

If you're concerned about the learning curve of using Word, please know that this Guide goes over how to do everything, AND the Word template found here has nearly everything already set up for you. We also regularly offer a workshop that serves as an introduction to the most useful features, and you can set up a meeting with a ScholarSpace expert anytime you run into something that you can't figure out. 

Writing Assistance

This Guide is all about how to properly format your dissertation -- how to make it look the way Rackham wants it to look. But what if you need help with the actual composition  of your content? Our friends at the Sweetland Writing Center offer such assistance, through their Writing Workshop program. From their website:

These are just a few quick but especially important tips to help you get started. See our more expansive Tips & Troubleshooting section for suggestions that are a little more complex.

• Save early , save often, and create backup versions as you go along. Consider setting up Microsoft OneDrive (you have free access with your umich login credentials). With this, you can turn on "Autosave" in Word to automatically save your document at regular intervals, and have access to previous versions.

• Use our template (available above), it will save you lots of time. Nearly all of the difficult formatting stuff we discuss in this Guide is already built into the template. Consider doing all of your writing in it -- even if you're working in separate files for each chapter, you can use a copy of the template for each one of those chapters.
• Set the margins including the two-inch margin for chapters titles  ( Setting Margins ) .
• Define styles for Headings 1-3, Normal, Captions, and Quotes – these are most common; you may need others ( Working with Styles ).
• If headings need to be numbered (for example, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, etc.), define a multi-level list ( Automatic Numbering ).
• If captions need to include the chapter number, define a multi-level list ( Automatic Numbering ).
• Share your file(s) with your advisors using Track Changes ( Commenting and Reviewing ) .
• If you use EndNote to manage your citations and create your bibliography, use only one EndNote library for your entire dissertation (see our EndNote Basics guide).
• Did we mention that you really ought to try out our template (available above)?

• Study and research support
• Academic skills

Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

• Undergraduate examples
• Taught Masters examples

Edinburgh Research Archive

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Edinburgh Medical School thesis and dissertation collection

By Issue Date Authors Titles Subjects Publication Type Sponsor Supervisors

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Edinburgh Medical School is one of two schools at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Medical School integrates research and teaching across our three Deaneries: Biomedical Sciences, Clinical Sciences and Molecular,Genetic and Population Health Sciences.

Recent Submissions

Identifying translatable biomarkers for syngap1 haploinsufficiency with explainable machine learning , investigating the disease-causing mechanisms of a novel nrros-associated microgliopathy , role of cxcr4 as a mediator to the response to teriparatide , role of nsun2-mediated mrna 5-methylcytidine methylation in colorectal cancer initiation and progression , developing granzyme b activity as a novel biomarker of inflammatory bowel disease , context-dependent gene essentiality in glioblastoma , investigating the impact of eef1a2 missense mutations on protein synthesis in neurodevelopmental disorders , investigating pulmonary fibrosis using a single-cell transcriptomics approach , understanding the reproductive biology of giant pandas: predictive biomarkers for reproductive success , role of double-negative 2 b cells in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. , exploring bioorthogonal approaches to activate protacs , proteogenomic platforms establishing personalized and precision neoantigen therapeutics in cancer , epithelial regulation of macrophage function within the pulmonary micro-environment , mass spectrometry imaging of lung in pulmonary arterial hypertension , therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells for infected fracture non-union , using the head direction system of rats to model neuronal circuit alterations during development in fragile x syndrome , origin of acute neurovascular syndrome by means of ¹⁸f-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging , multimorbidity in sub-saharan africa: focusing on the national prevalence and the response of primary care in botswana , multimodal decoding of the human mesenchymal landscape during progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis , sexual dimorphism in hemocyte responses to staphylococcus aureus infection in drosophila melanogaster .

Need Help with Developing a Great Topic?

• A great topic is certainly the foundation of a successful research project. If you seek help with, say, a dissertation topic or guidance with developing a relevant & researchable topic , we got you.
• Do you have ideas on the topic you want to research? Maybe you are totally unsure and not even aware of where to start. Our services are comprehensive, and we will guide you through them.
• Our support desk will guide you and we shall develop sample topics for you, each with some background information, and then you choose the best from the same.

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M.Ed Thesis Topics – Most Appropriate Ideas & Samples

➫  Finding applicable and new topics for an M.Ed thesis paper is not an easy task; however, by using a professional research guide for education, you can be enabled to appropriately identify some gaps in the education field that need to be researched. But then, it might also be hard for you to find or identify those research gaps even after reading a research guide since there are several factors that have to be put into consideration. You should be in a position to ascertain whether the gaps you are identifying are not currently being researched or not already researched in other related fields. This now shows that finding unique Master of Education thesis topics & ideas is not an easy task. Do not worry if you feel that you do not know how to identify the best ideas for your thesis project. Whether you are specializing in M.Ed education psychology, M.Ed special education, M.Ed education counseling, or any other Master of Education field, Research Topic Help experts can assist you with the most appropriate ideas for M.Ed research projects. Our professionals will be ready to offer you professional help. Mark you; you will be given a comprehensive list of M.Ed thesis topics that will help you to develop a nice research project.

M.Ed Research Proposal Topics for a Final Thesis Project

Sometimes before writing the main project, you need to develop a research proposal and defend it. Below is a list of titles that can help develop interesting M.Ed research proposal topics and get easy approval.

• Adult education: How economic degradation leads to the acquisition of new living skills
• How the education system addresses the problem of teachers shortage in public schools
• Home-schooled kids have lesser challenges behaviorally
• The reality and dreams of Eco-Justice
• A critical analysis of university multilateral partnerships
• An assessment of the contribution of education to economic development
• Developing programs for resolving conflicts in the education system
• A study of portfolios and interviews as assessment methods
• A case study of the effects of gender issues on education
• Investigating the effects of physical activity on the social skills of children with health disorders

Best Help with Thesis Topic Ideas - Consult with us.

A strong foundation, will, and hard work in your Education course are what have finally led you to undertake your Master of Education (M.Ed). Truth be told, you might have encountered a lot of challenges in your master's course, especially in identifying the best ideas for M.Ed research. This should not scare you though, though every scholar faces difficulties when writing their master's project papers. This is because they have got a lot of commitments to deal with. Such commitments may include jobs, responsibilities, or a heap of other assignments whose deadlines are approaching very fast. Nonetheless, the difference between a scholar who performs poorly and that one that scores highly comes about from the actions that each scholar takes. Most scholars who perform highly seek professional M.Ed thesis topic ideas help whereby they receive help in the areas that they cannot understand. On the other side, scholars that perform poorly are skeptical about seeking expert help and they end up submitting shoddy projects. Over the years, we have continued to support those pursuing a Master of Education degree to generate good research ideas. We have developed sample ideas and thesis topic examples for researchers & scholars to get ideas and even provided links to resourceful books and materials.

M.Ed Dissertation Topics in Education & Research Topics in Education

Education is a constantly evolving field, with new research and developments happening all the time. There are a wide variety of topics in education, each with the potential to improve our understanding of how people learn and to inform the development of more effective educational practices. Some of the most important and promising research topics suitable for research various disciples of education include the following:

• The role of technology in education: With the rapid advancement of technology, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how technology can be used to enhance learning and teaching. This is one of the latest masters-level project topics for students exploring how different technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and big data, can be used to create more engaging and personalized learning experiences.
• Learning and the brain: Our understanding of how the brain processes information and how people learn continues to evolve. Researchers are studying the neural mechanisms of learning and memory, as well as the impact of different teaching methods on learning outcomes. This research topic in education has the potential to inform the development of more effective teaching strategies and educational materials.
• The impact of socio-economic status on education: Research has shown that socio-economic status is a major predictor of educational achievement. This is one of the dissertation topics for M.Ed students focusing on the ways in which poverty, income inequality, and other socio-economic factors impact students' academic performance, as well as the most effective ways to mitigate these effects.
• The impact of culture on education: Culture plays a significant role in shaping educational experiences and outcomes. Researchers are studying the ways in which different cultural backgrounds, languages, and values impact students' academic performance and engagement in the classroom. This is one of the popular topics focusing on the development of more culturally responsive teaching practices and materials.
• The impact of student diversity on education: The student body in schools and universities is becoming increasingly diverse, with students from different ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Definitely among the interesting topics for a Master of Education student on the ways in which this diversity impacts students' academic performance and engagement in the classroom, as well as the most effective ways to support and celebrate diversity in the classroom.
• The impact of school design on student learning: Research has shown that the physical design of schools can have a significant impact on student learning. Researchers are studying the ways in which different school designs, such as open classrooms, flexible spaces, and natural lighting, impact student engagement and learning outcomes.
• The impact of teacher quality on student learning: Teachers are one of the most important factors in determining student learning outcomes. This is one of the research topics in education that seeks to study the ways in which different teacher characteristics, such as subject matter expertise, classroom management skills, and cultural competence, impact student academic performance and engagement in the classroom.
• The impact of parental involvement on student learning: Parental involvement is a key factor in student academic success. This among other project topics in education addresses the ways in which different forms of parental involvement, such as volunteering in schools, communicating with teachers, and reading to children, impact student academic performance and engagement in the classroom.
• Professional development for teachers: Professional development is crucial for teachers to improve their skills and knowledge. Researchers are studying the most effective professional development programs for teachers, including mentoring, coaching, and online learning.
• Special Education: Research in special education is focused on understanding the unique characteristics of students with disabilities, their needs, and how to provide them with appropriate education. Researchers are studying the effectiveness of different teaching methods and interventions for students with disabilities, including inclusive classrooms and specialized educational programs.

Ideally, research in education is a vital process that helps to improve our understanding of how students learn and inform the development of effective teaching practices. The above-mentioned M.Ed dissertation topics in education are the most important and promising areas, with the potential to significantly impact the way we teach and learn in the future.

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Educational Research Topics for M.Ed -Synopsis for M.Ed. Research

• Curriculum development: This research topic idea is focused on the design and implementation of educational programs. M.Ed. scholars can research different curriculum models, such as the traditional model, the backward design model, or the integration model. They can also investigate how curriculum development can be tailored to meet the needs of different student populations, such as English language learners or students with special needs.
• Teaching methods:   This can serve as a synopsis topic for m.ed research by examining the various approaches and techniques used by teachers to instruct students. One can research the effectiveness of different teaching methods, such as direct instruction, inquiry-based learning, or project-based learning. They can also study the impact of technology on teaching and learning, such as the use of online resources or virtual classrooms.
• Assessment and evaluation: This topic focuses on the methods used to measure student learning and progress. One can research the strengths and weaknesses of different assessment methods, such as traditional tests and quizzes, performance assessments, or formative assessments. They can also investigate the use of data to inform instruction and evaluate the effectiveness of teaching methods.
• Educational technology: This topic examines the use of technology in education, including the development and implementation of online resources, virtual classrooms, and educational software. M.Ed. students can research the effectiveness of different technologies, such as online learning platforms, adaptive learning software, or educational games, in improving student learning outcomes.
• Professional development for teachers: This topic is focused on the training and support provided to teachers to help them improve their practice. M.Ed. students can research the most effective professional development programs and methods, such as mentoring, coaching, or workshops, and how these can be used to support the ongoing learning and development of teachers.
• Inclusive education: This can be a good educational  synopsis topic since it is focused on providing equal educational opportunities to all students, regardless of their abilities or background. One can research effective strategies for creating inclusive classrooms, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and how to support the unique needs of students with disabilities, English language learners, and other marginalized groups.
• Student engagement: This topic examines the ways in which students are actively involved in their own learning, and the factors that influence their engagement. Students can research different methods for promoting student engagement, such as student-centered instruction, group work, or cooperative learning, and how these can be used to increase student motivation and achievement.
• Parent and community engagement: This topic is focused on the role of parents and community members in supporting student learning and success. One can research effective strategies for building partnerships with families and community organizations, such as parent-teacher conferences, volunteer programs, or community-wide events, and how these can be used to support student learning and success.

These are just a few of the many educational research topics for M Ed students. By researching these topics, M.Ed. students can gain a deeper understanding of key issues in education and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to improve the learning experiences of students. They can also contribute to the development of new and effective educational practices and policies.

M.Ed Research Topics   - (Research Topics for M.Ed Students)

Research topics for M.Ed (Master of Education) students span a wide range of areas within the field of education, aiming to contribute new insights, methodologies, or interventions. These topics can fall under various categories such as curriculum development, educational technology, teacher education, educational psychology, school administration, and educational policy, among others. Some specific topics might include the impact of remote learning on student engagement, the role of emotional intelligence in teaching effectiveness, approaches to multicultural education, or the efficacy of different assessment tools. The research often blends theoretical inquiry with practical application, aiming to solve real-world educational challenges. The choice of research topic may depend on various factors including the student's interest, the relevance to current educational settings, and the scope for meaningful contribution to the field.

We have compiled some more of the latest & most suitable topic suggestions to consider for a Master’s in Education Research Project. 

• An Investigation into the Extent to which University School System Prepares Students for the Pending Labor Shortage
• The Role of Video Games in Early Childhood Development and Education.
• The Impact of Online Learning compared to In-person Classes on Student Performance
• The Benefits of Employing Alternative Learning Styles to Address Individual Child Needs.
• An Investigation into the Benefits of Increasing Payment for Special Education Teachers
• The Importance of Cross-Class Interactions between Younger and Older Students.
• The Study on the Benefits of Parental Involvement in Modern Education 
• An Investigation into the Effects the Life quality of students in Rural Areas has on Their Education.
• The benefits the Use of Computers and AI tools have in Special Education Classrooms.
• The Effectiveness of Relating Teacher Performance Evaluation to Student Achievement.
• A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of Education Systems in Africa and Europe.
• An Investigation into the Impact of Political Issues on the Public Education System.
• The Effectiveness of Promoting Educational Games as a Means of Promoting Better Learning.
• The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Education and Student Achievement.

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How to Write a Research Proposal: (with Examples & Templates)

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Before conducting a study, a research proposal should be created that outlines researchers’ plans and methodology and is submitted to the concerned evaluating organization or person. Creating a research proposal is an important step to ensure that researchers are on track and are moving forward as intended. A research proposal can be defined as a detailed plan or blueprint for the proposed research that you intend to undertake. It provides readers with a snapshot of your project by describing what you will investigate, why it is needed, and how you will conduct the research.  

Your research proposal should aim to explain to the readers why your research is relevant and original, that you understand the context and current scenario in the field, have the appropriate resources to conduct the research, and that the research is feasible given the usual constraints.  

This article will describe in detail the purpose and typical structure of a research proposal , along with examples and templates to help you ace this step in your research journey.  

What is a Research Proposal ?  

A research proposal¹ ,²  can be defined as a formal report that describes your proposed research, its objectives, methodology, implications, and other important details. Research proposals are the framework of your research and are used to obtain approvals or grants to conduct the study from various committees or organizations. Consequently, research proposals should convince readers of your study’s credibility, accuracy, achievability, practicality, and reproducibility.   

With research proposals , researchers usually aim to persuade the readers, funding agencies, educational institutions, and supervisors to approve the proposal. To achieve this, the report should be well structured with the objectives written in clear, understandable language devoid of jargon. A well-organized research proposal conveys to the readers or evaluators that the writer has thought out the research plan meticulously and has the resources to ensure timely completion.  

Purpose of Research Proposals  

A research proposal is a sales pitch and therefore should be detailed enough to convince your readers, who could be supervisors, ethics committees, universities, etc., that what you’re proposing has merit and is feasible . Research proposals can help students discuss their dissertation with their faculty or fulfill course requirements and also help researchers obtain funding. A well-structured proposal instills confidence among readers about your ability to conduct and complete the study as proposed.  

Research proposals can be written for several reasons:³  

• To describe the importance of research in the specific topic  
• Address any potential challenges you may encounter  
• Showcase knowledge in the field and your ability to conduct a study  
• Apply for a role at a research institute  
• Convince a research supervisor or university that your research can satisfy the requirements of a degree program  
• Highlight the importance of your research to organizations that may sponsor your project  
• Identify implications of your project and how it can benefit the audience  

What Goes in a Research Proposal?    

Research proposals should aim to answer the three basic questions—what, why, and how.  

The What question should be answered by describing the specific subject being researched. It should typically include the objectives, the cohort details, and the location or setting.  

The Why question should be answered by describing the existing scenario of the subject, listing unanswered questions, identifying gaps in the existing research, and describing how your study can address these gaps, along with the implications and significance.  

The How question should be answered by describing the proposed research methodology, data analysis tools expected to be used, and other details to describe your proposed methodology.   

Research Proposal Example  

Here is a research proposal sample template (with examples) from the University of Rochester Medical Center. 4 The sections in all research proposals are essentially the same although different terminology and other specific sections may be used depending on the subject.  

Structure of a Research Proposal  

If you want to know how to make a research proposal impactful, include the following components:¹  

1. Introduction  

This section provides a background of the study, including the research topic, what is already known about it and the gaps, and the significance of the proposed research.  

2. Literature review  

This section contains descriptions of all the previous relevant studies pertaining to the research topic. Every study cited should be described in a few sentences, starting with the general studies to the more specific ones. This section builds on the understanding gained by readers in the Introduction section and supports it by citing relevant prior literature, indicating to readers that you have thoroughly researched your subject.  

3. Objectives  

Once the background and gaps in the research topic have been established, authors must now state the aims of the research clearly. Hypotheses should be mentioned here. This section further helps readers understand what your study’s specific goals are.  

4. Research design and methodology  

Here, authors should clearly describe the methods they intend to use to achieve their proposed objectives. Important components of this section include the population and sample size, data collection and analysis methods and duration, statistical analysis software, measures to avoid bias (randomization, blinding), etc.  

5. Ethical considerations  

This refers to the protection of participants’ rights, such as the right to privacy, right to confidentiality, etc. Researchers need to obtain informed consent and institutional review approval by the required authorities and mention this clearly for transparency.  

6. Budget/funding  

Researchers should prepare their budget and include all expected expenditures. An additional allowance for contingencies such as delays should also be factored in.  

7. Appendices  

This section typically includes information that supports the research proposal and may include informed consent forms, questionnaires, participant information, measurement tools, etc.  

8. Citations  

Important Tips for Writing a Research Proposal  

Writing a research proposal begins much before the actual task of writing. Planning the research proposal structure and content is an important stage, which if done efficiently, can help you seamlessly transition into the writing stage. 3,5  

The Planning Stage  

• Manage your time efficiently. Plan to have the draft version ready at least two weeks before your deadline and the final version at least two to three days before the deadline.
• What is the primary objective of your research?  
• Will your research address any existing gap?  
• What is the impact of your proposed research?  
• Do people outside your field find your research applicable in other areas?  
• If your research is unsuccessful, would there still be other useful research outcomes?  

  The Writing Stage  

• Create an outline with main section headings that are typically used.  
• Focus only on writing and getting your points across without worrying about the format of the research proposal , grammar, punctuation, etc. These can be fixed during the subsequent passes. Add details to each section heading you created in the beginning.   
• Ensure your sentences are concise and use plain language. A research proposal usually contains about 2,000 to 4,000 words or four to seven pages.  
• Don’t use too many technical terms and abbreviations assuming that the readers would know them. Define the abbreviations and technical terms.  
• Ensure that the entire content is readable. Avoid using long paragraphs because they affect the continuity in reading. Break them into shorter paragraphs and introduce some white space for readability.  
• Focus on only the major research issues and cite sources accordingly. Don’t include generic information or their sources in the literature review.  
• Proofread your final document to ensure there are no grammatical errors so readers can enjoy a seamless, uninterrupted read.  
• Use academic, scholarly language because it brings formality into a document.  
• Ensure that your title is created using the keywords in the document and is neither too long and specific nor too short and general.  
• Cite all sources appropriately to avoid plagiarism.  
• Make sure that you follow guidelines, if provided. This includes rules as simple as using a specific font or a hyphen or en dash between numerical ranges.  
• Ensure that you’ve answered all questions requested by the evaluating authority.  

Key Takeaways   

Here’s a summary of the main points about research proposals discussed in the previous sections:  

• A research proposal is a document that outlines the details of a proposed study and is created by researchers to submit to evaluators who could be research institutions, universities, faculty, etc.  
• Research proposals are usually about 2,000-4,000 words long, but this depends on the evaluating authority’s guidelines.  
• A good research proposal ensures that you’ve done your background research and assessed the feasibility of the research.  
• Research proposals have the following main sections—introduction, literature review, objectives, methodology, ethical considerations, and budget.  

Frequently Asked Questions  

Q1. How is a research proposal evaluated?  

A1. In general, most evaluators, including universities, broadly use the following criteria to evaluate research proposals . 6  

• Significance —Does the research address any important subject or issue, which may or may not be specific to the evaluator or university?  
• Content and design —Is the proposed methodology appropriate to answer the research question? Are the objectives clear and well aligned with the proposed methodology?  
• Sample size and selection —Is the target population or cohort size clearly mentioned? Is the sampling process used to select participants randomized, appropriate, and free of bias?  
• Timing —Are the proposed data collection dates mentioned clearly? Is the project feasible given the specified resources and timeline?  
• Data management and dissemination —Who will have access to the data? What is the plan for data analysis?  

Q2. What is the difference between the Introduction and Literature Review sections in a research proposal ?  

A2. The Introduction or Background section in a research proposal sets the context of the study by describing the current scenario of the subject and identifying the gaps and need for the research. A Literature Review, on the other hand, provides references to all prior relevant literature to help corroborate the gaps identified and the research need.  

Q3. How long should a research proposal be?  

A3. Research proposal lengths vary with the evaluating authority like universities or committees and also the subject. Here’s a table that lists the typical research proposal lengths for a few universities.  

Q4. What are the common mistakes to avoid in a research proposal ?  

A4. Here are a few common mistakes that you must avoid while writing a research proposal . 7  

• No clear objectives: Objectives should be clear, specific, and measurable for the easy understanding among readers.  
• Incomplete or unconvincing background research: Background research usually includes a review of the current scenario of the particular industry and also a review of the previous literature on the subject. This helps readers understand your reasons for undertaking this research because you identified gaps in the existing research.  
• Overlooking project feasibility: The project scope and estimates should be realistic considering the resources and time available.   
• Neglecting the impact and significance of the study: In a research proposal , readers and evaluators look for the implications or significance of your research and how it contributes to the existing research. This information should always be included.  
• Unstructured format of a research proposal : A well-structured document gives confidence to evaluators that you have read the guidelines carefully and are well organized in your approach, consequently affirming that you will be able to undertake the research as mentioned in your proposal.  
• Ineffective writing style: The language used should be formal and grammatically correct. If required, editors could be consulted, including AI-based tools such as Paperpal , to refine the research proposal structure and language.  

Thus, a research proposal is an essential document that can help you promote your research and secure funds and grants for conducting your research. Consequently, it should be well written in clear language and include all essential details to convince the evaluators of your ability to conduct the research as proposed.  

This article has described all the important components of a research proposal and has also provided tips to improve your writing style. We hope all these tips will help you write a well-structured research proposal to ensure receipt of grants or any other purpose.  

References  

• Sudheesh K, Duggappa DR, Nethra SS. How to write a research proposal? Indian J Anaesth. 2016;60(9):631-634. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5037942/  
• Writing research proposals. Harvard College Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Harvard University. Accessed July 14, 2024. https://uraf.harvard.edu/apply-opportunities/app-components/essays/research-proposals  
• What is a research proposal? Plus how to write one. Indeed website. Accessed July 17, 2024. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/research-proposal  
• Research proposal template. University of Rochester Medical Center. Accessed July 16, 2024. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/MediaLibraries/URMCMedia/pediatrics/research/documents/Research-proposal-Template.pdf  
• Tips for successful proposal writing. Johns Hopkins University. Accessed July 17, 2024. https://research.jhu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tips-for-Successful-Proposal-Writing.pdf  
• Formal review of research proposals. Cornell University. Accessed July 18, 2024. https://irp.dpb.cornell.edu/surveys/survey-assessment-review-group/research-proposals  
• 7 Mistakes you must avoid in your research proposal. Aveksana (via LinkedIn). Accessed July 17, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-mistakes-you-must-avoid-your-research-proposal-aveksana-cmtwf/  

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FDA approves blood test to screen for colon cancer

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Guardant Health’s blood test, called Shield, to screen for colon cancer. The test isn't meant to replace colonoscopies, but is generating enthusiasm among doctors who say it has the potential to boost the dismal rate of screenings for the  second-highest cause of cancer death  in the United States.

Shield has previously been available to doctors as a screening tool, at an out-of-pocket cost of $895. With the FDA approval, Medicare and private insurance companies are much more likely to cover the cost of the blood test, making it more widely accessible for patients.

Dr. Arvind Dasari, an associate professor in the department of gastrointestinal and medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, called the approval a “welcome development.”

But, he cautioned, “we’ll have to wait and see what the impact will be in terms of improving screening and reducing the incidence of mortality.”

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 53,000 people will die of colorectal cancer this year.

Research published in March showed Shield was 83% effective in finding colorectal cancers. It works by detecting the DNA that cancerous tumors release into the bloodstream.

It’s most effective in finding later-stage cancers, when tumors release more of that DNA. The study found that Shield only detected 13% of earlier-stage polyps.

The test would need to be given at least every three years, starting at age 45 — the same age it's recommended to begin colorectal screening.

A positive test isn’t necessarily a diagnosis. If the results indicate cancer is present, patients would still need a colonoscopy so doctors can see where tumors are and how far they’ve progressed.

“People have to understand that a positive Shield test requires a colonoscopy to confirm that you have an advanced lesion or colorectal cancer, or that the results were false,” said Robert Smith, senior vice president of Early Cancer Detection Science at the American Cancer Society. “A test like this is not complete if it’s positive and you have not had a colonoscopy.”

This is the second blood test to screen for colon cancer; Epigenomics’ Epi proColon was approved in 2016. But it’s rarely used, Smith said, because of concerns about its accuracy. It's also not covered by Medicare or private insurance.

Since the mid-1990s there’s been a troubling rise in colon cancer in people younger than 55, with rates increase increasing by 1% to 2% per year among that age group. At the same time, cases and deaths among adults 60 and older have been declining, according to the American Cancer Society .

“What breaks my heart is that it’s preventable,” said Dr. William Grady, a gastroenterologist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. “One of my biggest joys is when I’m doing colonoscopy and I can take out polyps” that, if left alone, would have progressed to cancer.

Indeed, colorectal cancer is one of the only cancers that can be prevented with screening, and colonoscopy is, by far, the most accurate way to detect it. But screening rates are extraordinarily low. Fewer than 60%  of people who are eligible have had their recommended screening.

“The biggest problem with colon cancer right now is that there’s a significant part of the population that’s not getting screened,” said Dr. Sapna Syngal, director of strategic planning for prevention and early cancer detection at the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston. “If this test increases the number of people getting screened, it’s going to have a huge impact.” 

Grady, who led the March study of the Shield test, said it’s often adults in their 40s and 50s who are least likely to be compliant with screening.

“These are people who are employed, many have families, and so you have all of these other life responsibilities that get in the way of taking care of themselves, he said.

Colonoscopy is time-consuming, forcing people to take at least one day off work. There’s also a certain “ick” factor that many people find unpalatable. During the procedure, doctors insert a tiny camera into the rectum to look for tumors or spots that may become cancerous in the future.

That camera needs a clear view of the colon. The day before the colonoscopy, patients have to take a strong dose of laxatives. That is, they spend a lot of time in the bathroom.

“Many people don’t like the messiness of dealing with stool and many people really don’t like the colonoscopy — mostly the prep,” said Electra Paskett, deputy director for population sciences and community outreach at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. “I think a blood test would be ideal for many people.”

Another colon cancer screening method includes fecal occult blood tests that  detect blood  in the stool, which can be a warning sign of colon polyps or cancer. The FIT-DNA tests, such as Cologuard, are very effective at detecting cancer, but are less effective at detecting precancerous polyps. 

John Gormly, 77, of Newport Beach, California, had avoided colonoscopy screening for years. When his doctor gave him the option of the Shield blood test, he took it.

“He called me a day or so later and said, ‘I don’t like the results whatsoever. I’m going to send you off to get a colonoscopy,’” Gormly recalled. “Turns out I had stage 2 colon cancer.” Surgeons were able to remove the tumor completely.

“Thank God I had taken that blood test,” Gormly said. “I never felt anything, never knew anything was wrong. Short of that blood test, I don’t know how it would have turned out.”

Erika Edwards is a health and medical news writer and reporter for NBC News and "TODAY."