Getting Started

1. Getting Started Dr AyazAfsar

2. AIM AND OBJECTIVES • Choosing a topic • Narrowing the topic • Deciding on content • Preparing an outline • Deciding on organisation

3. CHOOSING A TOPIC • Your course syllabus • Lectures or course notes • Books or articles you have read • Other dissertations • Discussions with colleagues • Your previous experience • Your sponsors or teaching institution • Topical issues in the media at home

4. CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING A TOPIC • Interest • Scope • Time • Availability of information • Cost • Technical skills • Value of research • Sensitivity of topic

5. ACTIVITY • The use of the blackboard in EFL lessons • Setting up an EFL resource centre • Professional misconduct by teachers at secondary school and its effect on EFL teaching • Statistical validation of the new secondary English exam • Developing an ESP syllabus and teaching/testing materials for undergraduates in the Faculty of Science • Plan for a three-week in-service course to familiarize teachers with the new primary English syllabus • Developing EFL video materials to supplement the secondary Form I coursebook

6. NARROWING THE TOPIC • The English language needs of trainees at ABC institute: proposals for a course design • The design and implementation of a language improvement programme for trainee EFL teachers at XYZ College. • To analyse the English language needs of trainee pilots at ABC air base, and put forward a proposed course design • To investigate how language improvement for trainee EFL teachers is currently dealt with at XYZ College, to design a syllabus for this course and to suggest ways of integrating it within the existing curriculum

7. ACTIVITY •  X I think I’d like to do something on mixed ability • Y That’s rather wide isn’t it? Are you interested in streaming and setting, or how mixed ability affects students’ learning, or what exactly? • X Well, I suppose really I’d like to find out what approaches teachers use when they’re dealing with, mixed ability classes, what their teaching techniques are. • Y You mean in EFL I suppose, not maths or history or something? • X Yes, EFL classes. • Y And what type of institution, primary, secondary….? • X Yes, secondary schools in my own country. • Y Well, how are you going to get the information about the teachers’ approaches? • X I’m planning to send out a questionnaire for the teachers, and maybe for the students as well. • Y But you can’t cover all the secondary schools in the country, surely? • X No, I’ll have to limit it of course. But I can get people in my own school to do the questionnaires, and probably one or two other schools in Islamabad – that’s the town where I live. • Y I see. But what’s the purpose of all this? What do you think will come out of your research? • X Well, about 5 years ago the Ministry put out some recommendations about mixed ability in English classes, but I don’t think people are really following them, I want to find out if this is true, and if so, what we ought to do about it.

8. DECIDING ON CONTENT • Approaches to teaching • Mixed ability • EFL classes • Secondary schools • Islamabad • Policy • Practice

9. Policy Aims Policy-making structure Curr Devt Wing Development New Curriculum Change of medium Ministry Post- independence Colonial Recommendations Implementation Remedial TCHG Guidelines Materials ? INSET ? Inspectors

10. PREPARING AN OUTLINE • Approaches to teaching mixed ability EFL classes in secondary schools in Islamabad: policy and practice • EFL Teaching in Pakistan • The role of English in the secondary school system • (outline of the school system, aims for English, length of course, brief description of syllabus and exams) • EFL classes • The physical environment • The students

11. Continued . . . • Approaches to mixed ability teaching • (general review of the literature) • Ministry policy on mixed ability teaching • Development of the policy • (general historical background, change of medium, reasons for increasing mixed classes) • Aims and recommendations • Implementation • (guidelines to schools, provision of materials, INSET courses)

12. . . . • Mixed ability teaching in secondary schools in Islamabad • Introduction • (aims of survey, brief description of Islamabad and the schools used, no. of q’naires distributed and returned) • Teachers’ perceptions of mixed ability teaching (what do they see as the problems/advantages? Do they agree with the policy? Did they have any INSET on this topic?) • Teaching techniques for dealing with mixed ability • Separate sub-section for each main technique, etc • Conclusion • (sum up main points from survey)

13. . . . • Recommendations • (Take points from 4.4 and make suggestions – link with ideas in chapter 2)

14. DECIDING ON ORGANISATION • in order of time • in order of importance • in order of frequency • cause – effect • problem – solution • general – specific • generalization – examples • theoretical - practical

15. ACTIVITY • Development of Ministry policy on mixed ability teaching • Teaching techniques for dealing with mixed ability teaching (from the results of the survey) • Discussion of how mixed ability classes can lead to poor results

16. TITLE • FIRST CHAPTER • First sub-topic • Second sub-topic • First aspect • Second aspect

17. . . . • SECOND CHAPTER • First sub-topic • First aspect • Second aspect • Third aspect • Fourth aspect • Second sub-topic • First aspect • Second aspect

18. SUMMARY • Think of a possible topic and check whether it meets the criteria of: • Interest • Scope • Time • Availability of information • Cost • Technical skills • Value of research • Sensitivity of topic

19. FURTHER READING Two books which you may find helpful in preparing your dissertation: • Bell J (1987) Doing your Research Project. Miltion Keynes: Open University Press • Kane E (1984) Doing Your Own Research. London: Marion Boyars