Section 2: In Section 2, you will apply your content knowledge and philosophy of education to create an outline for a proposed study that you would like to conduct at some point in the future.
You will include the following elements:
Problem Statement
Provide a 1- to 2-paragraph statement that is the result of a review of research findings and current practice and that contains the following information:
A logical argument for the need to address an identified gap in practice. The problem must be clearly identified and supported by current literature.
Preliminary evidence that provides justification that this problem is meaningful to the field of SPED. Provide three to five key citations that highlight the relevance and currency of the problem.
Purpose
Present a concise, 1-paragraph statement on the overall purpose or intention of the study, which serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study.
Significance
Provide 1 or 2 paragraphs, informed by the topic in the problem statement, that describe the following:
How this study will contribute to filling the gap in practice identified in the problem statement: What original contribution will this study make in the local setting?
How this research will support professional education practice or allow practical application at the local site: Who benefits from your findings/project deliverable and how? How might the potential findings lead to positive social change?
Background Literature
Provide a representative list of scholarship and findings that support and clarify the main assertions in the problem statement, highlighting their relationship to the topic—for example, “this variable was studied with a similar sample by Smith (2013) and Johnson (2014)” or “Jones’s (2012) examination of campus leaders showed similar trends.” Some of these resources may have already been mentioned in the first sections of the prospectus and can be included here, also. Citations provided within the prospectus document should include approximately 15 recent (within the past 5 years) peer-reviewed journal sources, presented in APA 7th-edition format, as well as any evidence provided to support the existence of the local problem.
Research Question(s)
List the question or a series of related questions (i.e., 1–3 maximum) that are informed by the study problem and purpose, which will lead to the development of what needs to be done in this study and how it will be accomplished.
Possible Types and Sources of Information or Data
Provide a list of possible types and sources of data that could be used to address the proposed research question(s), such as test scores from college students, employee surveys, observations of a phenomenon, interviews with practitioners, historical documents from state records, deidentified school records, or information from a federal database.
Possible Analysis
Offer some possible ways to organize and analyze the results obtained by the research strategies detailed previously. Your analysis may be generated by using quantitative, qualitative, or other types of formal analysis process. Please use the information from your research courses to aid you in completing this section. The key to this section is to match your possible analysis to the research questions and the data that you may obtain.
Other Information (Optional)
Include any other relevant information, such as challenges or barriers that may need to be addressed when conducting this study. You may provide any concerns related to feasibility or potential risks and burdens placed on research participants under this heading.
