In this final module you will research and write your thesis on a subject related to education.

Education Thesis
In this final module you will research and write your thesis on a subject related to education. Your paper must be 5,000 to 10,000 words in length (this does not include the contents page and bibliography). You will find it helpful to follow the steps outlined below and consult the document Thesis Instructions and Check List which can be downloaded within this module.
Identify Your Theme
In the previous modules you have learnt much about the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and education. Think about which topics and theories you are particularly interested in and what you would like to know more about. Reviewing the course handbooks from previous modules will give you some ideas. You may prefer to research a topic connected to your profession and/or field of expertise. When you have identified a theme, you are ready to begin researching. If you find it hard to think of a theme for your thesis, you could research one of the following subjects:
The impact of physical exercise on the brain and learning
Effective strategies for accelerated language learning
The impact of music on the brain and learning
How to implement tactile learning in the classroom
Effective strategies for teaching children
Strategies for increasing infant cognition
Effective strategies for increasing working memory capacity
How motivation affects learning
How stress and emotion affect learning
How sleep affects learning
How aging affects learning
Effective strategies for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Effective strategies for teaching English online
Research
Once you have your theme, begin looking for information relevant to the topic. Read information from a variety of sources—academic research, information in the popular press, and the internet. The course handbooks from previous modules are an excellent place to start. The Suggested Reading section at the end of each chapter lists relevant publications that may help you in your research.
When you have found a publication that you wish to read as part of your research, you can obtain it by:
– purchasing it (often Amazon has second hand copies at a discounted rate)
– searching for a free digital copy online
– searching Google books (sometimes you will be able to access the relevant pages free)
– visiting a local library
When you have become well-informed about your topic, you are ready to begin preparing an outline for your thesis.
Preparing An Outline
Create a general outline which lists the main points and sub-points in the order that you will develop them. This will serve as the skeleton of your thesis—a crucial step that will help you crystalize your objectives and organize the information in a logical, coherent manner. You will likely find it helpful to organize the information in the following order:
Introduction: clearly state what the purpose of the study is and explain its significance to the field of education.
Review of Literature: explain and analyze academic research on the topic. Identify what is and is not known about the topic, and how this relates to your research question.
Discussion: discuss how the findings of the previous chapter can be applied practically in the field of education.
Conclusion: briefly summarize the main points of your study.
When you have your outline, review it, and rearrange the material as necessary to ensure it flows logically. You may also send a copy to your tutor who will be happy to provide you with suggestions for improvement.
Writing Your First Draft
When you have completed your outline, you are ready to begin writing. It is especially important that the introduction be well developed. Without a clearly defined purpose, the thesis is fundamentally flawed from the outset. Strive to express your thoughts in a concise and logical manner. Write in an academic style. Ensure that technical words are used accurately and in their proper context. Make sure that your statements are backed up by authoritative sources. You must include at least ten references in your thesis. For instructions on referencing please refer to Harvard Referencing System.
Bibliography
Prepare a reference list or bibliography. This should appear at the end of your thesis and consist of a detailed list of your references in alphabetical order. It is recommendable to divide the bibliography into sections according to category of source. For example: Books, Journals, Newspapers, Websites, etc. For more specific instructions and examples see Harvard Referencing System.
Contents Page
Prepare a contents page that lists the sections of your essay and the corresponding page numbers.
Spelling and Grammar
Correct spelling and grammar are an important aspect of your work that will have a bearing on your grade. Therefore, we recommend that you make an effort to correct all spelling errors with the help of spell-checker. American and British English are equally acceptable. However, you must choose one of them and conform to it throughout your entire thesis. Exceptions will be made in the case of direct quotes; the spelling for these need not be changed.
Before You Submit Your Thesis
When you have written and checked your first draught, you may send a copy to your tutor who will provide you with useful suggestions for improvement. When you have made the necessary adjustments and have proofed the paper, you are ready to submit your thesis for grading. Before doing so, we recommend you review the Thesis Instructions and Checklist document to ensure that all the requirements have been met. You can submit the thesis by using the “upload” function in this module. Please submit your thesis in PDF format.
Grading
Your thesis will be graded based on the following five parameters:
Attention to instructions.
Content acquaintance: understanding of subject and issues explored.
Quality of analysis: relevant issues explored, statements backed, level of insight, logical conclusions reached.
Logical development: ideas clearly presented in a concise and coherent manner.
Writing: mastery of English language, academic style, grammar and spelling.

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