The project allows a very personal in-depth description and evaluation of an innovation and your thesis may well develop a very different structure from this:

Introduction

Describe the project then explain this is an action research project. However do not repeat LPE 1 in depth. Remind us what you said about action research in LPE1 and how your thinking has moved on since. Critically revisit the staged process of reconnaissance, design and planning, implementation and evaluation. If it works for you keep to the format below, come up with an alternative. Discuss the methodology of your project in more depth than in your LPE1 in particular in which tradition of educational research does it belong? The spine of your project is the research question (How can I / Can I..) you are asking.

One round of innovation or more?

A key question is whether to describe your project a single round of reconnaissance, design and planning, implementation and evaluation. Many projects will not work like this and you may want to write up the project as two or more stages of implementation. You may indeed find that you have been so flexible and adaptive within your project that you want a much looser, more story telling kind of structure instead.

Reconnaissance / Planning

As with your LPE 1 discuss the literature regarding your topic, find out what pupils / colleagues think and what would be a sensible way of proceeding. [It is always difficult to know whether to present a formal literature review or not but make sure you clarify and discuss key concepts].

Design and Planning

Put design and planning in the same section if you want but signal that design is the big idea (s) and planning the steps for carrying it out. Be explicit about alternative plans of action. If you don't use a SWOT analysis make your reflective thinking explicit.

As with your work in the second year you may well be working with another person or people so bring in your thoughts on collaboration and what you have learnt about CPD. Be stricter about including trial runs or 'testing the water' and include these in your reconnaissance.

Implementation

Again explain the what, how, why, when and where. Space is limited - you will have a lot of data but you need to be selective.

Evaluation

As with LPE2 explain the data you collected and the judgements you reached. Remember the different foci eg the innovation itself and working with others.

Further rounds

As above you may find you have more than one round to write up

Discussion and Implications

This is a major part of your assignment – it does not need to be long but it needs to be ‘clever’.This is the hardest section for which to offer guidance, but some key pointers are:

• Briefly recap the project ie at the beginning you said chapters 1 2 3 will cover a, b and c now you say 'look I have done this. Say what you did well but you may add what you would have done differently
  
• You had a clear question (s) at the start of your project and make sure you address that question (s) explicitly at the end
  
• In doing this avoid repeating in detail what you said earlier, rather remind the reader that in section A and B you found x and y (and point to the relevant sections). This may be a good point to bring together the different forms of data eg did the interviews match the classroom observations, how did round 2 support or unsettle the conclusions reached in round 1?
• Once you have your findings clear say how this supports or differs from the literature, don’t be afraid to bring in new sources. At this point stand back and offer an overview of the whole thing, for example: you may want to offer an analysis showing how different factors combined to make a successful / mixed / unsuccessful outcome; you may want to include a wider discussion of change in schools, collaboration or technology; you may have something burning to say about action research
  

• For your implications, spell out advice for pupils; for colleagues; for school leaders (in the widest sense); for policy makers and for the research community.
  

A template for the dissertation is attached

The dissertation should be submitted 30 August 2013.

You need to submit the dissertation by e-submission and one copy in soft binding (red) to:

Caroline Parker

Institute of Education

University of Warwick

Coventry CV4 7AL

Information on all printing and binding requests is here at this link:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/retail/warwickprint/bookbinding/