After the introduction, which gives background information for the study, researchers should provide a problem statement which summarizes the answer to the question of why the research needs to be done. The purpose statement gives the rationale for the research. It briefly describes the scope and area of study as well as any questions or hypotheses.
The literature review showcases the knowledge of the researcher on a particular subject and establishes what is already known about a subject. Based on what is already known, researchers can show how their study will fill a void in the knowledge base or expand upon what's already out there. The literature review tells how a researcher determined the need for the study.
Questions and hypotheses make up the basis for the direction of the research. After a thorough review of the literature, certain questions or hypotheses may arise. Researchers set about testing the hypotheses or trying to answer the questions in an attempt to further the knowledge base in the area of teaching they are studying.
The meat and potatoes of a proposal are the activities making up the methods and procedures. This section describes the steps taken to answer every question and test every hypothesis. Four key elements of this section include sampling, instruments, data collection, and data analysis. Sampling indicates what or whom is being studied and how many or how much was studied to represent a larger entity. An example is studying 500 teachers who represent the entire teaching population for purposes of the study. Instruments include things like surveys and interviews. Data collection and data analysis describe methods for collecting and analyzing data.
There may be weaknesses in the study that are unavoidable or hard to minimize. These should be explained in the proposal. Another area to explain is the scope of the study. There may be things that the readers of the research expect but are not done due to the limitations defined for the study. Researchers should also discuss the implications of their research and how it will change, refine, or be an extension of existing knowledge in the area of teaching being researched.
Education researchers tend to use the American Psychological Association (APA) format to list and cite references. Only references cited in the text are included on the reference list. If proposal instructions require evidence of a broader knowledge of literature than what is relevant to the research, then a bibliography is done instead of a reference list to include the added resources. Appendices vary but some items included may be interview protocols, questionnaires, consent forms, and official letters to conduct research.