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Educational Studies Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Centering the Teacher: How an Autonomy-Supportive Environment Impacts Arts Educators’ Sense of Agency and the Collaborative Culture of Their Education Networks , Kyle Andrew Anderson

Effects of a Self-Monitoring Tracking System Combined With Blended Learning Intervention Time on Students’ Self-Regulated Learning Skills And Academic Performance , Jennifer E. Augustine

The Integration Of Simulation-enhanced Interprofessional Education Into Undergraduate Clinical Laboratory Science Curriculum , Dana Powell Baker

Reading Strategies: Impact on Fifth Grade African American Males’ Reading Comprehension and Motivation to Read , Patrice Antoinette Barrett

Tip of the Iceberg in Changing School Culture: Acknowledging and Addressing Microaggressions , Nicole Lauren Becker

The Impact of Ability Grouping on Academic Achievement in Elementary Reading , Kristi Bissell

Impacts of Technology-Enhanced Dual Enrollment Mathematics Course on Rural High School Students’ Intentions of Going to College , Nicolae Bordieanu

Educative Curricular Supports Used to Improve High Cognitive Demand Task Implementation in High-Dosage Mathematics Tutorial , Halley Bowman

Creating a Culturally Inclusive American Literature Classroom , Holly R. Bradshaw

The Impact of a Series of Professional Development Sessions on Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) on the Awareness Level of Seven Teachers at a Suburban High School , Charity Jo Brady

The Effects of Gamified Peer Feedback on Student Writing in High School English Language Arts , Kerise Amaris Broome

Evaluating the Impact of Personalized Professional Learning on Technology Integration in the Classroom , Angela Bishop Burgess

An Exploration of Perinatal Stress and Associated Mental Health of Transitioning First-Time Fathers , Timothy Reed Burkhalter

A Study of Computational Thinking Skills and Attitudes Towards Computer Science with Middle School Students , Lorien W. Cafarella

Using Critical Reflection to Mitigate Racial Implicit Bias and Enhance Cultural Humility: A Nursing Faculty Action Research Study , Teresa Stafford Cronell

Mitigating Student Anxiety in the Secondary Classroom: A Culturally Sustaining Approach , Erin Hawley Cronin

Daily Activities and Routines: A Comparative Case Study of the Home Language and Literacy Environment of Spanish-Speaking Toddlers With and Without Older Siblings , Eugenia Crosby-Quinatoa

Supporting Improvement In Academic Outcomes And Self-efficacy For Black Male Varsity Athletes , Katherine Currie

Online Professional Development’s Effect on Teachers’ Technology Self-Efficacy and Continuance Intention to Use Pear Deck , Katherine Shirley Degar

Empowering Teachers to Support MTSS Students: An Action Research Study , Sahalija Dentico

Multisensory Phonics Instruction in Struggling Readers , Amanda M. Dixon

Student Engagement Action Research a Focus on Culturally Relevant Instructional Methods , Amia Dixon

Instructional Coaching: A Support for Increasing Engagement in Middle School Mathematics , Christi Ritchie Edwards

A Holistic View of Integrated Care Within Counselor Education: A Multi-Manuscript Dissertation , Alexander McClain Fields

Faculty Perceptions of Readiness and Confidence for Teaching Online: An Evaluation of Online Professional Development , Kevin Brent Forman

The Effect Of Instructionally Embedded Cognitive Reframing On Students’ Self-beliefs Of Their Mathematical Competence , Kelly Eyre Frazee

An Examination of Physical Literacy: Learning Through A Technology Integrated, Flipped Classroom Approach. , Euan M. S. Frew

Increasing Phonemic Awareness in Intellectually Impaired Students by Using Wilson’s Fundations Phonics Program in a Self-Contained Classroom , Theresa Lynne Garcia

A Causal Comparative Study of the Effects of Physical Activity Course Enrollment on College Students’ Perceived Wellness, Mental Health, and Basic Psychological Needs , Genee’ Regina Glascoe

The Effect of Computer-Based Learning Modules on Pre-Algebra Student Proficiency and Self-Efficacy in Manipulating Math Expressions Involving Negative Signs , Brian Charles Grimm

Exploring Literary Responses to Culturally Relevant Texts Through an AsianCrit Lens: A Collective Case Study of Chinese American Students in a Community-Based Book Club , Wenyu Guo

Building Leadership Capacity to Support International Educators: A Professional Learning Series , Amanda Hajji Minnillo

Unveiling The Lifeworld Of Educators' Social Justice Journeys: A Phenomenological Investigation , Maria Rocas Halkias

The Influence and Impacts of Critical Literacy Intervention in Preservice Teachers Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy: A Mixed Methods Study , Heather Lynn Hall

Stories From North Carolina Teachers of Color: An Inquiry of Racialized Experiences in the Workplace. , Deborah Stephanie Harrison

Electronic Portfolios in a High School Community of Practice: Action Research Exploring Writing Experiences in an Advanced Placement Writing Course , Archibald Franklin Harrison IV

The Effects of Problem-Based Learning on Mathematics Motivation in a Flipped Classroom Instructional Environment , Joshua David Harrison

University, City, and Community: Athletics Urban Renewal Projects and the University of South Carolina’s Carolina Coliseum and Blatt Physical Education Center, 1964–1971 , Theresa M. Harrison

Stories from North Carolina Teachers of Color: An Inquiry of Racialized Experiences in the Workplace. , Deborah Stephanie Harrisson

Examining The Perceptions And Knowledge Of School Administrators In Special Education , Maranda Hayward

Supporting Black Students in Sixth-Grade Science Through a Social Constructivist Approach: A Mixed-Methods Action Research Study , Kirk Anthony Heath

Effects of Choice Reading on Intrinsic Motivation in Underperforming Sixth-Grade Students , Heather M. Henderson

Academic Success and Student Development in the Health Professions: An Action Research Study , Molly Ellen Higbie

Deficit Thinking in Teacher Course Level Recommendations , Andrew Hogan

Increasing English Progress Proficiency of Multilingual Learners Utilizing Improvement Science , Stephanie Corley Huckabee

The Impact of Cognitive Coaching on High School English Teachers’ Implementation of Metacognitve Reading Strategies , Charrai Hunter

Digital Literacy Integrated Into Academic Content Through the Collaboration of a Librarian and a Core Content Teacher , Jeri Leann Jeffcoat

The Effects of Hip-Hop and Rap Music Intervention to Improve the Wellbeing of Black and African American Men , Lanita Michelle Jefferson

The Effects of Learner-Centered Professional Development and Supporting Effective Teaching Practices in Elementary-Level Professional Learning Communities , Lisa Suther Johnson

Examining the Relationship Between Multicultural Training and Cultural Humility Development in CACREP-Accredited Counselor Education Programs , Sabrina Monique Johnson

Multimodal Digital Literacy Practices: Perspectives of L2 Academic Writing Instructors , Priscila Jovazino Bastos Medrado Costa

Using Yoga, Meditation, and Art Therapy to Combat Complex Trauma and Promote Social–Emotional Learning in the Art Room , Karen Emory Kelly

Perspectives, Motivations, and Resistance: Investigating Employee Responses to Employer-Sponsored Diversity Training , Robert Kerlin

STEM Educators’ Perceptions of Gender Bias and the Contributing Factors That Persist for Women in STEM Education , Haleigh Nicole Kirkland

A Qualitative Study Examining and Comparing Families’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of School Readiness , Shalonya Cerika Knotts

The Impact of Differentiated Affective Curriculum on the Asynchronous Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Elementary Students , Michelle Koehle

Supporting Self-efficacy Through Mindset: The Impact Of A Growth Mindset Innovation On The Self-efficacy Of Middle School Students In A Teen Leadership Course , Shannon J. Kojah

The Evolution of Contextualized, Discourse-based Professional Development to Support Elementary Teachers in the Implementation of Conceptual Mathematical Teaching Practices , Jennifer Aren Kueter

A Critical Examination Of An in Class Tabata Based Physical Fitness Protocol on Student Engagement Levels in a Sixth Grade Math Class , Justin R. Kulik

Mathematics Teachers’ Attitudes and Intentions Towards Instructional Videos as Part of a Flipped Learning Model , Jessica Lee Lambert

Reimagining Parent-teacher Relationships Through Human Centered Design , Andrea Lynn Lance

Increasing Math Knowledge in 3 rd Grade: Evaluating Student Use & Teacher Perceptions of Imagine Math , Paoze Lee

Utilizing Case Studies to Increase Critical Thinking in an Undergraduate Anatomy & Physiology Classroom , Sarah E. Lehman

Exploring Chinese International Students’ Motivational Factors in Non-Mandatory Event Participation , Aimin Liao

Preparing In-Service Elementary Teachers to Support English Language Learners: A Qualitative Case Study of a Job-Embedded Professional Development Using TPACK , Rachel Theresa Lopez

Impact of Virtual Models on Students’ Multilevel Understanding of an Organic Reaction , Eli Martin

Weathering the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study Examining How the Lived Experience Affected English Learners , Mary Kathryn Maxwell

Racial Orientations: A Phenomenological Approach , Nicholas Mazur

Measuring the Impact of Peer Coaching on Teacher Effectiveness at Friendship County High School , Whittney Michele McPherson

The Effects of Technology Integration on Academic Performance and Engagement of Third Grade Social Studies Students: A Mixed Methods Study , Ashley Megregian

Beyond The Acronym Of Stem: Experiential Learning Professional Development For Integrative Stem Education , Christine Mitchell

Counter-Stories From Former Foster Youth: College Graduates Disrupting the Dominant Narrative , Amanda May Moon

Supporting LGBTQ+ ELA Students Through Action Research , Nicole Mustaccio

What Are They Thinking?: A Qualitative Study of Secondary Students’ Critical Thinking in Online Classes , Scott Allan Nolt

Impact of the Engineering Design Process on Rural Female Students’ Achievement and Self-Efficacy , Whitney Lowery Oberndorf

Shakespeare in Virtual Reality: Social Presence of Students in a Virtual Reality Book Club , John Funchess Ott Jr.

Teacher Observations as Professional Development Opportunities , Ashton Carrie Padgett

Reading Motivation and Retrieval Practice of United States Undergraduates Aged 18 to 23 , Robyn M. Pernetti

A Descriptive Study of Factors That Support and Hinder Classroom Discourse With English Learners , Jillian Camille Plum

Implementing Meaningful Problem-Based Learning in a Middle School Science Classroom , Celestine Banks Pough

Coaching to Success: Moving From a Fixed Mindset to a Growth Mindset Through Positive Motivation , Shannon Dianna Ramirez

Critical Literacy and Student Engagement: Disrupting the Canon in the Secondary English Classroom , Katherine Burdick Ramp

Pursuing Culturally Responsive Math Teaching By Secondary Math Educators: A Professional Development Action Research Study , Emily Bell Redding

The Impact of a Literacy Program on Summer Reading Setback: Providing Access to Books and Project-Based Learning , Tiffany Gayle Robles

Decentering the White Gaze: The Effects of Involving African-American Students in Curricular Decision-Making in an Independent School Library , Michelle Efird Rosen

Critical Literacy And Self Efficacy Among Secondary Students Repeatedly Engaged In Literacy Intervention , Haley Rowles

Transforming Lessons And Those Who Write Them: Professional Development For Educational Content Writers To Integrate Technology Into Lessons Using The Tpack Framework , Rachael Patricia Santopietro

An Examination of Semester-Long Review of Behavior Referral Data at a High School in a Southeastern State , Shalanda L. Shuler

Instructional Hub: Bridging the Gap in Teacher Preparation for Online Instruction , Charity Beth Simmons

The Impact of the Flipped Classroom Model on Elementary Students’ Achievement and Motivation for Learning Geometry , Kimberly M. Smalls

If Not Me, Then Who? A Study of Racial and Cultural Competence in a High School English Department , DiAnna Sox

“So, the World Isn’t Just Old White Guys?”: Student and Teacher Experiences in a Culturally Relevant Advanced Placement Chemistry Class , James Thomas Sox

1, 2, 3: Counting on Problem Based Learning to Improve Mathematical Achievement in African American Students , Kelley P. Spahr

The Use of Project-Based Learning to Scaffold Student Social and Emotional Learning Skill Development, Science Identity, and Science Self-Efficacy , Michelle Sutton Spigner

How Do the Students Feel? Long-Term English Learners and Their Experience Under the ESL Label , Molly M. Staeheli

My Journey Toward A Culturally Relevant Music Pedagogy , Adam Michael Steele

Implementation of Digital Flashcards to Increase Content-Specific Vocabulary Knowledge and Perceptions of Motivation and Self-Efficacy in an Eleventh-Grade U.S. History Course: An Action Research Study , Jill Lee Steinmeyer

Family Therapy, K-12 Public Education, and Discipline Risk: A Scoping Review and Relationship Analysis Multiple Manuscript Dissertation , Cara Melinda Thompson

The Impact of Extended Professional Development in Project-Based Learning on Middle School Science Teachers , Margrett Caroline Upchurch-Ford

A Qualitative Study on Mental Health Resource Utilization of Enlisted Airmen During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Hassahn Khali Wade

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Education Thesis Statement

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Crafting a strong thesis statement is essential for any successful educational essay or research paper. This one or two-sentence assertion forms the backbone of your argument, providing a concise summary of the point you intend to make. Whether you’re exploring the impact of technology in classrooms or analyzing the effectiveness of early childhood education, a well-structured thesis statement serves as a roadmap, guiding both.

What is Education Thesis Statement – Definition

An education thesis statement is a concise, focused, and arguable statement that presents the main idea or argument of an essay, research paper, or academic work related to the field of education. It outlines the scope of the study and provides a roadmap for the reader to understand the purpose and direction of the paper.

What is a Good Thesis Statement about Education

A comprehensive integration of technology in classrooms enhances students’ engagement, knowledge retention, and critical thinking skills, ultimately transforming traditional educational paradigms.”

What is an Example of an Education Topic Thesis Statement

“Implementing inclusive education policies in primary schools leads to improved academic outcomes for students with disabilities, fostering a more diverse and supportive learning environment.”

Remember, a good thesis statement is specific, debatable, and gives a clear indication of the focus of your paper. It should also be supported by evidence and analysis throughout the essay.

100 Education Statement Examples

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Crafting effective education thesis statements is pivotal in academic writing. These succinct sentences encapsulate the core concepts of your research, guiding your paper’s trajectory. From dissecting teaching methodologies to examining education’s societal impacts, a well-structured thesis statement is a beacon that illuminates your scholarly journey.

• Technology in Education : Integrating personalized digital tools in classrooms enhances collaborative learning, preparing students for a tech-driven world.
• Early Childhood Education : High-quality preschool programs significantly improve children’s cognitive development, ensuring a strong foundation for future learning.
• Inclusive Education : Adapting curriculum and teaching methods to diverse learning styles fosters equitable and enriching classroom experiences for all students.
• Education Policy : Reforms in standardized testing systems promote a more holistic evaluation of students’ abilities and potential.
• Online Learning : The surge in online education democratizes access to knowledge, revolutionizing traditional notions of learning environments.
• Critical Pedagogy : Empowering students to think critically about societal issues cultivates active citizenship and social change.
• STEM Education : Prioritizing STEM subjects in curricula prepares students for the demands of a technology-driven workforce.
• Arts Integration : Infusing arts into education not only enhances creativity but also nurtures a deeper understanding of core subjects.
• Parental Involvement : Engaged parental participation positively correlates with students’ academic success and overall well-being.
• Higher Education Costs : Exploring alternative funding models is crucial to make higher education accessible and affordable for all.
• Global Education : Fostering cross-cultural awareness in schools cultivates tolerance, empathy, and a broader worldview among students.
• Special Education : Tailoring teaching strategies to the needs of students with disabilities empowers them to achieve their full potential.
• Motivation and Learning : Understanding motivational factors improves teaching methods and student engagement in the classroom.
• Physical Education : Incorporating regular physical activity into the curriculum promotes not only fitness but also cognitive and emotional development.
• Education and Employment : Analyzing the relationship between education levels and job prospects reveals the role of education in economic mobility.
• Bilingual Education : Studying the effects of bilingual instruction on cognitive development highlights the benefits of multilingualism in education.
• Gender Disparities in Education : Addressing gender biases in curricula and teaching practices contributes to more equitable educational experiences.
• Teacher Training : Enhancing teacher preparation programs leads to more effective classroom management and student engagement.
• Education and Social Media : Analyzing the impact of social media on students’ learning habits reveals new avenues for interactive and self-directed learning.
• Education and Mental Health : Integrating mental health education into the curriculum helps reduce stigma and promotes students’ psychological well-being.
• Education and Sustainability : Incorporating environmental education empowers students to become responsible stewards of the planet.
• Literacy Development : Investigating early literacy interventions highlights the importance of foundational reading skills in later academic success.
• Civic Education : Teaching civics fosters active participation in democratic processes and shapes informed and responsible citizens.
• Education for Special Needs Students : Creating individualized education plans (IEPs) enhances the learning experience for students with diverse abilities.
• Globalization and Education : Exploring how globalization affects educational policies and practices prepares students for a globalized world.
• Education and Poverty : Investigating the link between education and poverty reduction underscores the role of education in breaking the cycle of disadvantage.
• Character Education : Nurturing qualities like empathy, integrity, and resilience in students contributes to holistic personal and ethical development.
• Standardized Curriculum vs. Personalized Learning : Evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of standardized versus personalized learning approaches in classrooms.
• Education Technology Ethics : Examining the ethical implications of using student data in educational technology applications.
• Education and Immigration : Studying the educational challenges and opportunities faced by immigrant students in host countries.
• Critical Thinking Education : Integrating critical thinking skills into curricula prepares students to analyze and evaluate information independently.
• Education and Cultural Heritage : Incorporating cultural heritage education preserves traditions and fosters cultural pride among students.
• Education Funding Allocation : Investigating the impact of equitable distribution of funding on educational outcomes in different communities.
• Education and Neurodiversity : Creating inclusive classrooms that accommodate neurodiverse students promotes a more accepting society.
• Sexual Education : Implementing comprehensive sexual education equips students with vital knowledge for making informed decisions.
• Education and Democracy : Understanding the role of education in nurturing informed citizenship and active participation in democratic processes.
• Education and Indigenous Knowledge : Integrating indigenous knowledge systems into curricula honors diverse worldviews and promotes cultural understanding.
• Home Schooling vs. Public Schooling : Comparing the academic and social outcomes of students educated at home versus traditional schools.
• Peer-to-Peer Learning : Exploring the effectiveness of peer mentoring programs in enhancing students’ academic performance and social skills.
• Education and Artificial Intelligence : Analyzing the potential of AI to personalize learning experiences and address individual student needs.
• Vocational Education : Promoting vocational education as a viable pathway to skill development and successful career opportunities.
• Education and Ethical Dilemmas : Investigating ethical challenges faced by educators and students in modern educational settings.
• Education and LGBTQ+ Inclusivity : Creating safe and inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ students through policy changes and awareness programs.
• Education and Aging Population : Adapting educational strategies to meet the learning needs of an aging workforce.
• Assessment Methods : Exploring innovative assessment techniques that provide a more comprehensive understanding of student learning.
• Outdoor Education : Utilizing outdoor and experiential learning to enhance students’ practical skills and environmental awareness.
• Education and Artificial Reality : Harnessing the potential of virtual and augmented reality in creating immersive educational experiences.
• Emotional Intelligence in Education : Integrating emotional intelligence training in schools contributes to students’ interpersonal skills and emotional well-being.
• Education and Gifted Students : Tailoring instruction to meet the unique learning needs of gifted students supports their intellectual growth.
• Education and Nutrition : Recognizing the link between proper nutrition and cognitive development for optimal student learning.
• Education and Language Acquisition : Examining strategies for effective language acquisition among non-native speakers in educational settings.
• Education and Political Socialization : Investigating how education shapes students’ political beliefs and participation in civic activities.
• Education and Political Socialization : Investigating how education shapes students’ political beliefs and participation in civic activities
• Education and Digital Literacy : Evaluating the importance of teaching digital literacy skills to navigate the information-rich online world.
• Teacher-Student Relationships : Investigating the impact of positive teacher-student relationships on academic motivation and achievement.
• Education and Social Justice : Analyzing the role of education in addressing societal inequalities and promoting social justice.
• Education and Multilingualism : Exploring the benefits of a multilingual approach in education for cognitive development and cultural awareness.
• Education and Learning Disabilities : Implementing tailored strategies to support students with learning disabilities enhances their academic success.
• Education and Environmental Awareness : Integrating environmental education fosters a generation of environmentally conscious citizens.
• Education and Entrepreneurship : Promoting entrepreneurial education equips students with skills for innovation and economic contribution.
• Student Engagement Strategies : Investigating effective methods to enhance student engagement and participation in the learning process.
• Education and Artificial Intelligence Ethics : Examining ethical considerations when using AI in educational settings to ensure data privacy and equity.
• Education and Emotional Well-being : Creating emotionally supportive environments positively impacts students’ mental health and academic performance.
• Education and Cultural Assimilation : Analyzing how education can either preserve or dilute cultural heritage among immigrant communities.
• Distance Learning Challenges : Exploring the challenges and benefits of distance learning, especially in the context of global events.
• Education and Creativity : Fostering creative thinking skills in students through innovative teaching approaches and curricular design.
• Education and Student Autonomy : Investigating the benefits of allowing students more autonomy in their learning processes.
• Education and Gaming : Exploring the potential of educational games in enhancing learning outcomes and student engagement.
• Teacher Burnout : Examining the factors contributing to teacher burnout and strategies to promote educator well-being.
• Global Education Disparities : Analyzing the disparities in access to quality education across different regions of the world.
• Education and Learning Styles : Tailoring instruction to accommodate diverse learning styles enhances students’ comprehension and retention.
• Education and Brain Development : Studying the correlation between educational experiences and brain development in children and adolescents.
• Education and Ethics Education : Integrating ethics education cultivates morally responsible decision-making among students.
• Education and Socioeconomic Mobility : Examining how education can be a catalyst for upward social mobility in disadvantaged communities.
• Education and Peer Influence : Investigating how peer interactions shape students’ attitudes, behaviors, and academic choices.
• Education and Indigenous Language Revival : Promoting the revitalization of indigenous languages through education preserves cultural heritage.
• Teacher Evaluation Methods : Exploring effective methods for evaluating teacher performance and their impact on educational quality.
• Education and Critical Media Literacy : Developing media literacy skills equips students to critically analyze and navigate the digital information landscape.
• Education and Online Privacy : Raising awareness about online privacy and digital citizenship in educational settings.
• Education and Parental Expectations : Analyzing the effects of parental expectations on students’ academic motivation and achievements.
• Education and Gender Stereotypes : Exploring how education can challenge or reinforce traditional gender stereotypes and roles.
• Education and Mindfulness : Incorporating mindfulness practices in schools enhances students’ focus, emotional regulation, and well-being.
• Education and Aging Workforce : Adapting teaching methods to address the unique learning needs of mature students in continuing education.
• Education and Postcolonialism : Analyzing the influence of colonial history on education systems and curriculum development.
• Education and Lifelong Learning : Promoting the idea of education as a continuous process that extends beyond formal schooling.

Education Thesis Statement Examples for Argumentative Essay

Education is the cornerstone of societal progress, and an argumentative essay thesis statement can explore its multifaceted impact. A thesis statement could be: “Mandatory financial literacy education in schools should be implemented to empower students with essential life skills, promoting responsible financial decision-making.

• Mandatory Financial Literacy Education : “Mandatory financial literacy education in schools should be implemented to empower students with essential life skills, promoting responsible financial decision-making.”
• Comprehensive Sex Education : “The integration of comprehensive sex education into curricula is imperative to address the rising rates of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.”
• Bilingual Education : “Bilingual education programs positively contribute to cognitive development, cross-cultural understanding, and global communication skills among students.”
• Diverse Perspectives in History Education : “The inclusion of diverse perspectives in history education fosters critical thinking and promotes a more accurate understanding of past events.”
• Importance of Arts Education : “Arts education should remain a fundamental component of the curriculum, as it enhances creativity, cognitive abilities, and emotional intelligence.”
• Media Literacy Education : “Promoting media literacy education equips students to navigate the complexities of the digital age, fostering critical analysis of information sources.”
• Restorative Justice in Education : “Implementing restorative justice practices in schools nurtures conflict resolution skills, reduces disciplinary disparities, and creates a more inclusive learning environment.”
• Environmental Education : “Environmental education cultivates a sense of responsibility for ecological sustainability, preparing students to address pressing global environmental challenges.”
• Mental Health Education : “Education about mental health and emotional well-being should be integrated into curricula to reduce stigma, enhance self-awareness, and support student mental health.”
• Coding and Computer Science Education : “Teaching coding and computer science in primary education enhances problem-solving abilities, technological literacy, and prepares students for a technology-driven future.”

Importance of Education Thesis Statement Examples

Highlighting the significance of education, a thesis statement like, “Access to quality education equips individuals with the tools to break the cycle of poverty, fosters critical thinking, and cultivates informed citizens essential for a thriving democracy.”

• Access to Quality Education : “Access to quality education equips individuals with the tools to break the cycle of poverty, fosters critical thinking, and cultivates informed citizens essential for a thriving democracy.”
• Education and Innovation : “Education empowers individuals to challenge societal norms, fostering innovation and progress through the exploration of new ideas and perspectives.”
• Early Childhood Education : “Investing in early childhood education yields lifelong benefits, promoting cognitive development, emotional intelligence, and academic success.”
• Education for Social Cohesion : “Education plays a pivotal role in promoting social cohesion, bridging cultural divides, and fostering mutual respect and understanding among diverse communities.”
• Education and Economic Growth : “An educated workforce drives economic growth by fostering innovation, increasing productivity, and attracting investment in a knowledge-based economy.”
• Empowerment through Education : “Education is the foundation of personal empowerment, enabling individuals to make informed decisions about their health, finances, and overall well-being.”
• Education in a Technological Era : “Quality education equips individuals with the skills to adapt to rapid technological changes, ensuring they remain competitive in a dynamic job market.”
• Education and Social Mobility : “Education serves as a catalyst for social mobility, enabling individuals to transcend their socioeconomic backgrounds and achieve upward mobility.”
• Education and Public Health : “In societies with higher levels of education, there is a positive correlation with improved public health outcomes, lower crime rates, and overall well-being.”
• Right to Education : “Education is a fundamental human right that should be accessible to all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or geographical location.”

Lack of Education Thesis Statement Examples

Examining the consequences of inadequate education, a concise thesis statement might state: “The lack of accessible education perpetuates social inequality, limits economic mobility, and hinders personal and societal development, underscoring the urgent need for educational reforms.”

• Impact of Inaccessible Education : “The lack of accessible education perpetuates social inequality, limits economic mobility, and hinders personal and societal development, underscoring the urgent need for educational reforms.”
• Cycle of Poverty : “In regions with limited educational opportunities, there is a heightened risk of perpetuating cycles of poverty, resulting in diminished life prospects for generations.”
• Lack of Comprehensive Sex Education : “The absence of comprehensive sex education contributes to uninformed decisions, leading to higher rates of unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections.”
• Educational Inequality and Civic Engagement : “Communities with inadequate educational infrastructure experience reduced civic engagement, hampering their ability to advocate for their rights and interests.”
• Challenges in Special Needs Education : “Without inclusive education practices, students with disabilities are often marginalized, denying them opportunities for holistic development and societal contribution.”
• Environmental Ignorance : “The lack of emphasis on environmental education results in a lack of awareness about sustainable practices, exacerbating environmental degradation and climate change.”
• Mental Health Education Gap : “A dearth of education around mental health perpetuates stigma, preventing individuals from seeking help and contributing to a global mental health crisis.”
• Gender Disparities in Education : “In societies where gender equity in education is not prioritized, women and girls face limited opportunities, reinforcing gender disparities in various sectors.”
• Education and Ignorance : “Communities without access to quality education struggle to break free from cycles of ignorance and misinformation, hindering progress and social cohesion.”
• Digital Literacy Divide : “The absence of education tailored to the digital age leaves individuals vulnerable to misinformation, cyber threats, and challenges presented by rapid technological advancements.”

Education Thesis Statement Examples for College

For a college-focused context, a thesis could be: “Integrating practical skills training into higher education curricula prepares students for real-world challenges, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and employability.”

• Practical Skills in Higher Education : “Integrating practical skills training into higher education curricula prepares students for real-world challenges, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and employability.”
• Interdisciplinary Learning in College : “College education should prioritize interdisciplinary learning, fostering a holistic understanding of complex global issues and encouraging innovative solutions.”
• Experiential Learning in College : “Promoting student engagement through experiential learning opportunities in college enhances critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and prepares students for lifelong learning.”
• Soft Skills Development in College : “Colleges should emphasize the development of soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability, essential for success in diverse professional environments.”
• Entrepreneurship Education in College : “Incorporating entrepreneurship education in college equips students with the mindset and skills needed to create and navigate their own career paths.”
• Cultural Competence in College : “College education should encourage cultural competence, promoting empathy and understanding in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world.”
• Technology-Enhanced Learning in College : “Embracing technology-enhanced learning methods in college empowers students to become digitally literate, adaptable, and well-prepared for the modern workforce.”
• Research-Oriented College Education : “Fostering a research-oriented approach in college education cultivates critical inquiry, creativity, and advances our understanding of various academic disciplines.”
• Mental Health Support in College : “Colleges should prioritize mental health and well-being services to support students during a transformative period, ensuring their holistic success.”
• Flexible Learning in College : “Offering flexible learning options, including online and hybrid courses, accommodates diverse student needs and promotes lifelong learning beyond traditional campus settings.”

Education Thesis Statement Examples for Students

Directing attention to students, a thesis might read: “Implementing personalized learning approaches in schools caters to diverse learning styles, enhances student engagement, and fosters a lifelong love for learning.”

• Personalized Learning for Students : “Implementing personalized learning approaches in schools caters to diverse learning styles, enhances student engagement, and fosters a lifelong love for learning.”
• Student-Centered Education : “Student-centered education that encourages curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking nurtures independent thought and prepares students for active citizenship.”
• Project-Based Learning for Students : “Incorporating project-based learning in schools develops problem-solving skills and empowers students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.”
• Student Agency in Education : “Encouraging student agency in educational decisions fosters a sense of ownership, boosting motivation, and promoting self-directed learning.”
• Learning from Failure for Students : “Education that emphasizes the value of failure as a stepping stone to success helps students develop resilience, adaptability, and a growth mindset.”
• Collaborative Learning for Students : “Promoting collaborative learning experiences in classrooms cultivates teamwork skills, enhances communication, and exposes students to diverse perspectives.”
• Extracurricular Involvement for Students : “Student involvement in extracurricular activities and community service fosters character development, empathy, and a sense of responsibility to society.”
• Arts and Creative Expression for Students : “Integrating arts and creative expression into education sparks imagination, enhances emotional intelligence, and encourages students to think outside the box.”
• Digital Literacy for Students : “Cultivating digital literacy skills equips students to navigate the digital landscape responsibly, critically evaluate information, and contribute positively online.”
• Mindfulness in Education for Students : “Education that incorporates mindfulness and well-being practices helps students manage stress, build emotional resilience, and maintain overall mental wellness.”

Education Thesis Statement Examples for Essay

In the context of an essay, a case study thesis statement could be: “Exploring the evolution of educational technology reveals its role as a transformative force in modern classrooms, reshaping traditional teaching methods and enhancing student outcomes.”

• Effective Study Habits : “Exploring effective study habits and time management strategies equips students with the tools to optimize their learning experience and achieve academic success.”
• Role of Teachers in Student Motivation : “Analyzing the pivotal role of teachers in motivating students through innovative teaching methods and supportive mentorship enhances the learning journey.”
• Educational Technology Integration : “Examining the integration of educational technology in classrooms highlights its potential to enhance engagement, collaboration, and personalized learning.”
• Impact of Standardized Testing : “Investigating the impact of standardized testing on curriculum, instruction, and student stress provides insights into the complexities of assessment-driven education systems.”
• Importance of Early Literacy : “Highlighting the significance of early literacy development in shaping future academic achievements emphasizes the need for targeted interventions and support.”
• Holistic Assessment Approaches : “Exploring alternative assessment methods beyond exams, such as project-based assessments and portfolios, offers a comprehensive view of student learning.”
• Cultural Competence in Education : “Analyzing the importance of cultural competence in educators for creating inclusive classrooms and fostering diverse student perspectives.”
• Critical Thinking in Education : “Investigating the cultivation of critical thinking skills through interdisciplinary learning encourages students to question, analyze, and form independent viewpoints.”
• Ethics Education : “Examining the integration of ethics education across disciplines prepares students to navigate ethical dilemmas and make informed moral decisions.”
• Education and Sustainable Development : “Exploring the role of education in promoting sustainable development addresses its contribution to environmental awareness, social responsibility, and global citizenship.”

Education Thesis Statement Examples about Online Learning

Regarding online learning, a thesis might state: “The rapid expansion of online education presents opportunities for global access to quality learning, yet challenges persist in ensuring equitable access and maintaining educational rigor.”

Education Thesis Statement Examples about Online Learning:

• Rise of Online Education : “The rapid expansion of online education presents opportunities for global access to quality learning, yet challenges persist in ensuring equitable access and maintaining educational rigor.”
• Hybrid Learning Models : “Examining the effectiveness of hybrid learning models highlights the potential of combining online and in-person elements to enhance engagement and flexibility in education.”
• Synchronous and Asynchronous Online Interactions : “Investigating the role of synchronous and asynchronous online interactions in virtual classrooms reveals their impact on student engagement, peer collaboration, and instructor feedback.”
• Online Assessment Methods : “Analyzing the role of online assessments in measuring student performance raises questions about the fairness, security, and authenticity of remote evaluation methods.”
• Digital Divide in Online Learning : “Exploring the digital divide’s impact on online learning access emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to bridge technological disparities among students.”
• Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) : “The rise of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) challenges traditional education paradigms by offering large-scale, accessible learning experiences to diverse global audiences.”
• Artificial Intelligence in Online Education : “Examining the role of artificial intelligence in personalized online education sheds light on its potential to adapt content, pacing, and assessment to individual student needs.”
• Virtual Communities and Online Learning : “Investigating the social aspects of online learning environments explores the ways virtual communities, discussions, and collaborations contribute to a sense of belonging.”
• Online Simulations and Virtual Labs : “Analyzing the benefits of online simulations and virtual labs in science education showcases their role in providing experiential learning opportunities outside traditional labs.”
• Long-Term Effects of Online Learning : “The exploration of online learning’s long-term effects on students’ social skills, time management, and self-regulation offers insights into the broader impacts of digital education.”

Education Thesis Statement Examples for Parental Involvement

Focusing on parental involvement, a thesis could be: “Active parental engagement in a child’s education significantly impacts academic performance, creating a collaborative learning environment and fostering holistic development.”

• Active Parental Engagement : “Active parental engagement in a child’s education significantly impacts academic performance, creating a collaborative learning environment and fostering holistic development.”
• Early Childhood Parental Involvement : “Investigating the influence of parental involvement in early childhood education emphasizes its role in shaping cognitive, emotional, and social foundations for lifelong learning.”
• Parent-Teacher Partnerships : “Analyzing the impact of parent-teacher partnerships on student motivation and behavior management highlights the importance of consistent communication and shared goals.”
• Parental Involvement in Remote Learning : “Exploring strategies to involve parents in remote and online learning environments addresses the need for adaptable approaches to maintain strong home-school connections.”
• Parent-Led Initiatives in Schools : “Examining the impact of parent-led initiatives in schools reveals their potential to enhance school facilities, resources, and extracurricular opportunities for all students.”
• Challenges of Parental Involvement : “Investigating the challenges faced by parents from diverse backgrounds in engaging with school activities emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive communication and support.”
• Parent Education Workshops : “Analyzing the role of parent education workshops in enhancing parenting skills, communication, and support systems contributes to positive student outcomes.”
• Parental Involvement and Absenteeism : “Exploring the impact of parental involvement on reducing absenteeism, dropout rates, and disciplinary issues underscores its potential as a preventive measure.”
• Parental Involvement in Curriculum Decisions : “Investigating the effects of parent participation in curriculum decisions and policy-making highlights their valuable insights and contributions to shaping educational priorities.”
• Technology and Parental Involvement : “Exploring the intersection of technology and parental involvement unveils the potential of digital platforms to facilitate communication, updates, and collaboration between parents and educators.”

Education Thesis Statement Examples for Special Needs

Addressing special needs education, a thesis might read: “Inclusive education practices empower students with diverse abilities by providing tailored support, promoting social integration, and challenging stigmas surrounding disabilities.”

• Inclusive Education Practices : “Inclusive education practices empower students with diverse abilities by providing tailored support, promoting social integration, and challenging stigmas surrounding disabilities.”
• Assistive Technology in Special Education : “Examining the impact of assistive technology in special education classrooms showcases its role in enhancing communication, learning experiences, and independence for students.”
• Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) : “Analyzing the effectiveness of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) emphasizes their significance in providing personalized learning pathways for students with special needs.”
• Parental Experiences in Special Education : “Exploring the experiences of parents of children with disabilities within the education system sheds light on the challenges they face and the importance of collaborative partnerships.”
• Educator Training for Inclusive Classrooms : “Investigating the training and professional development needs of educators in inclusive classrooms addresses the necessity of equipping teachers with diverse teaching strategies.”
• Peer Support Programs : “Analyzing the benefits of peer support programs in fostering positive relationships between students with and without disabilities underscores their role in promoting empathy and understanding.”
• Accessible Learning Materials : “Examining the impact of accessible learning materials, such as Braille, a resources, and captioning, highlights their contribution to equitable educational experiences.”
• Sensory-Friendly Environments : “Investigating the role of sensory-friendly environments in schools demonstrates their ability to create inclusive spaces that accommodate the needs of students with sensory sensitivities.”
• Transition from School to Post-School Life : “Analyzing the transition process for students with special needs from school to post-school life underscores the importance of vocational training and community integration.”
• Mental Health Support in Special Education : “Exploring the intersection of mental health support and special education reveals the need for comprehensive strategies that address the unique emotional needs of students with disabilities.”

Education Thesis Statement Examples for Gender Equity

Exploring gender equity in education, a thesis statement could be: “Implementing gender-sensitive policies and curriculum reforms is essential to eliminate gender disparities in education, empowering all students to fulfill their potential regardless of gender.

• Gender-Sensitive Education : “Implementing gender-sensitive policies and curriculum reforms is essential to eliminate gender disparities in education, empowering all students to fulfill their potential regardless of gender.”
• Gender Bias in Educational Materials : “Examining the impact of gender bias in textbooks and educational materials underscores the importance of representation and accurate portrayals of diverse gender identities.”
• Gender-Responsive Pedagogy : “Analyzing the role of gender-responsive pedagogy in promoting equitable learning experiences challenges traditional teaching practices that perpetuate gender stereotypes.”
• Teacher Expectations and Gender : “Exploring the influence of teacher expectations on student performance highlights the need to address unconscious biases that can hinder gender-equitable educational outcomes.”
• Single-Sex Education vs. Coeducation : “Investigating the impact of single-sex education versus coeducation on academic achievement and personal development offers insights into the effects of different learning environments.”
• LGBTQ+ Students in Educational Settings : “Analyzing the experiences of LGBTQ+ students in educational settings emphasizes the importance of creating safe, inclusive spaces that respect and celebrate diverse identities.”
• Gender-Balanced Leadership : “Examining the impact of gender-balanced leadership and decision-making in schools addresses the need for role models and equitable representation at all levels of education.”
• Gender-Based Violence Prevention in Schools : “Investigating the effects of gender-based violence prevention programs in schools emphasizes their role in fostering respectful relationships and safe learning environments.”
• Parental Attitudes and Gender Roles : “Analyzing the influence of parental attitudes toward gender roles on children’s educational and career aspirations underscores the need for comprehensive family and community involvement.”
• Culture, Gender Equity, and Education : “Exploring the intersection of cultural norms, gender equity, and education in diverse societies reveals the complex factors that shape educational opportunities and challenges for different genders.”

What is a Good Thesis Statement about the Lack of Education?

A strong thesis statement about the lack of education should succinctly capture the essence of the issue while outlining its significance and potential consequences. Here’s a guide to crafting a powerful thesis statement on this topic:

Example Thesis Statement: “The pervasive lack of accessible education in underserved communities perpetuates cycles of poverty, limits economic mobility, and hampers societal progress, necessitating urgent reforms to ensure equitable learning opportunities for all.”

• Identify the Issue : Clearly state the problem you’re addressing – in this case, the lack of education.
• Highlight Significance : Express why the issue matters by emphasizing its impact on individuals and society as a whole.
• Show Consequences : Indicate the adverse effects of the lack of education, such as perpetuating poverty and hindering progress.
• Mention Urgency : Communicate the importance of addressing the issue promptly, as well as the need for reform.

What is an Example of a Thesis Statement in Inclusive Education?

A thesis statement on inclusive education should emphasize the importance of creating learning environments that cater to diverse learners’ needs. Here’s a guide to crafting such a thesis statement:

Example Thesis Statement: “Inclusive education, through its emphasis on diverse learning styles, individualized support, and community engagement, fosters a holistic and equitable learning experience that empowers all students to reach their fullest potential.”

• State Inclusion as a Goal : Clearly mention that the thesis is about inclusive education.
• Highlight Diverse Learning Styles : Emphasize the importance of accommodating various learning styles and needs.
• Emphasize Individualized Support : Stress the role of personalized assistance and adaptations in inclusive education.
• Mention Community Engagement : Indicate how involving the community contributes to a successful inclusive education environment.
• Discuss Empowerment : Express how inclusive education empowers all students to achieve their best outcomes.

How Do You Write a Thesis Statement for Education? – Step by Step Guide

• Identify Your Topic : Determine the specific aspect of education you want to address.
• Understand the Issue : Gain a deep understanding of the topic’s significance, challenges, and potential impact.
• Craft a Clear Idea : Develop a concise and focused main idea or argument related to education.
• Make It Debatable : Ensure your thesis statement presents an argument or perspective that can be debated or discussed.
• Address Significance : Highlight why the topic is important and relevant in the context of education.
• Consider Counterarguments : Acknowledge potential opposing viewpoints and consider incorporating counterarguments.
• Keep It Concise : Your thesis statement should be a single, clear, and well-structured sentence.
• Reflect Your Essay’s Scope : Make sure your thesis aligns with the scope of your essay or paper.
• Revise and Refine : Review and revise your thesis statement to ensure its clarity and accuracy.
• Seek Feedback : Share your thesis statement with peers or instructors for feedback and suggestions.

Tips for Writing a Thesis Statement on Education Topics

• Be Specific : Clearly state what your paper will address within the broad topic of education.
• Avoid Generalizations : Avoid overly broad or vague statements that lack focus.
• Express a Strong Position : Your thesis should convey a clear stance on the issue.
• Consider Your Audience : Tailor your thesis to resonate with your intended audience.
• Use Precise Language : Choose words that convey your message concisely and accurately.
• Make It Unique : Craft a thesis that sets your essay apart by presenting a unique perspective.
• Reflect Your Essay Structure : Your thesis should mirror the overall structure of your essay.
• Be Open to Revisions : Be willing to adjust your thesis as your research and writing progress.
• Proofread Carefully : Ensure your thesis statement is free of grammatical and typographical errors.
• Revise as Needed : It’s okay to revise your thesis as you refine your arguments and analysis.

Remember, a strong thesis statement sets the tone for your entire essay and guides your readers in understanding the focus and direction of your work. You may also be interested in our  thesis statement for informative essay .

Text prompt

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• Professional

Think of yourself as a member of a jury, listening to a lawyer who is presenting an opening argument. You'll want to know very soon whether the lawyer believes the accused to be guilty or not guilty, and how the lawyer plans to convince you. Readers of academic essays are like jury members: before they have read too far, they want to know what the essay argues as well as how the writer plans to make the argument. After reading your thesis statement, the reader should think, "This essay is going to try to convince me of something. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm interested to see how I might be."

An effective thesis cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." A thesis is not a topic; nor is it a fact; nor is it an opinion. "Reasons for the fall of communism" is a topic. "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" is a fact known by educated people. "The fall of communism is the best thing that ever happened in Europe" is an opinion. (Superlatives like "the best" almost always lead to trouble. It's impossible to weigh every "thing" that ever happened in Europe. And what about the fall of Hitler? Couldn't that be "the best thing"?)

A good thesis has two parts. It should tell what you plan to argue, and it should "telegraph" how you plan to argue—that is, what particular support for your claim is going where in your essay.

Steps in Constructing a Thesis

First, analyze your primary sources.  Look for tension, interest, ambiguity, controversy, and/or complication. Does the author contradict himself or herself? Is a point made and later reversed? What are the deeper implications of the author's argument? Figuring out the why to one or more of these questions, or to related questions, will put you on the path to developing a working thesis. (Without the why, you probably have only come up with an observation—that there are, for instance, many different metaphors in such-and-such a poem—which is not a thesis.)

Once you have a working thesis, write it down.  There is nothing as frustrating as hitting on a great idea for a thesis, then forgetting it when you lose concentration. And by writing down your thesis you will be forced to think of it clearly, logically, and concisely. You probably will not be able to write out a final-draft version of your thesis the first time you try, but you'll get yourself on the right track by writing down what you have.

Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction.  A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph, especially in shorter (5-15 page) essays. Readers are used to finding theses there, so they automatically pay more attention when they read the last sentence of your introduction. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

Anticipate the counterarguments.  Once you have a working thesis, you should think about what might be said against it. This will help you to refine your thesis, and it will also make you think of the arguments that you'll need to refute later on in your essay. (Every argument has a counterargument. If yours doesn't, then it's not an argument—it may be a fact, or an opinion, but it is not an argument.)

This statement is on its way to being a thesis. However, it is too easy to imagine possible counterarguments. For example, a political observer might believe that Dukakis lost because he suffered from a "soft-on-crime" image. If you complicate your thesis by anticipating the counterargument, you'll strengthen your argument, as shown in the sentence below.

Some Caveats and Some Examples

A thesis is never a question.  Readers of academic essays expect to have questions discussed, explored, or even answered. A question ("Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe?") is not an argument, and without an argument, a thesis is dead in the water.

A thesis is never a list.  "For political, economic, social and cultural reasons, communism collapsed in Eastern Europe" does a good job of "telegraphing" the reader what to expect in the essay—a section about political reasons, a section about economic reasons, a section about social reasons, and a section about cultural reasons. However, political, economic, social and cultural reasons are pretty much the only possible reasons why communism could collapse. This sentence lacks tension and doesn't advance an argument. Everyone knows that politics, economics, and culture are important.

A thesis should never be vague, combative or confrontational.  An ineffective thesis would be, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because communism is evil." This is hard to argue (evil from whose perspective? what does evil mean?) and it is likely to mark you as moralistic and judgmental rather than rational and thorough. It also may spark a defensive reaction from readers sympathetic to communism. If readers strongly disagree with you right off the bat, they may stop reading.

An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim.  "While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline" is an effective thesis sentence that "telegraphs," so that the reader expects the essay to have a section about cultural forces and another about the disintegration of economies. This thesis makes a definite, arguable claim: that the disintegration of economies played a more important role than cultural forces in defeating communism in Eastern Europe. The reader would react to this statement by thinking, "Perhaps what the author says is true, but I am not convinced. I want to read further to see how the author argues this claim."

A thesis should be as clear and specific as possible.  Avoid overused, general terms and abstractions. For example, "Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe because of the ruling elite's inability to address the economic concerns of the people" is more powerful than "Communism collapsed due to societal discontent."

Copyright 1999, Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University

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Writing a Paper: Thesis Statements

Basics of thesis statements.

The thesis statement is the brief articulation of your paper's central argument and purpose. You might hear it referred to as simply a "thesis." Every scholarly paper should have a thesis statement, and strong thesis statements are concise, specific, and arguable. Concise means the thesis is short: perhaps one or two sentences for a shorter paper. Specific means the thesis deals with a narrow and focused topic, appropriate to the paper's length. Arguable means that a scholar in your field could disagree (or perhaps already has!).

Strong thesis statements address specific intellectual questions, have clear positions, and use a structure that reflects the overall structure of the paper. Read on to learn more about constructing a strong thesis statement.

Being Specific

This thesis statement has no specific argument:

Needs Improvement: In this essay, I will examine two scholarly articles to find similarities and differences.

This statement is concise, but it is neither specific nor arguable—a reader might wonder, "Which scholarly articles? What is the topic of this paper? What field is the author writing in?" Additionally, the purpose of the paper—to "examine…to find similarities and differences" is not of a scholarly level. Identifying similarities and differences is a good first step, but strong academic argument goes further, analyzing what those similarities and differences might mean or imply.

Better: In this essay, I will argue that Bowler's (2003) autocratic management style, when coupled with Smith's (2007) theory of social cognition, can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover.

The new revision here is still concise, as well as specific and arguable.  We can see that it is specific because the writer is mentioning (a) concrete ideas and (b) exact authors.  We can also gather the field (business) and the topic (management and employee turnover). The statement is arguable because the student goes beyond merely comparing; he or she draws conclusions from that comparison ("can reduce the expenses associated with employee turnover").

Making a Unique Argument

This thesis draft repeats the language of the writing prompt without making a unique argument:

Needs Improvement: The purpose of this essay is to monitor, assess, and evaluate an educational program for its strengths and weaknesses. Then, I will provide suggestions for improvement.

You can see here that the student has simply stated the paper's assignment, without articulating specifically how he or she will address it. The student can correct this error simply by phrasing the thesis statement as a specific answer to the assignment prompt.

Better: Through a series of student interviews, I found that Kennedy High School's antibullying program was ineffective. In order to address issues of conflict between students, I argue that Kennedy High School should embrace policies outlined by the California Department of Education (2010).

Words like "ineffective" and "argue" show here that the student has clearly thought through the assignment and analyzed the material; he or she is putting forth a specific and debatable position. The concrete information ("student interviews," "antibullying") further prepares the reader for the body of the paper and demonstrates how the student has addressed the assignment prompt without just restating that language.

Creating a Debate

This thesis statement includes only obvious fact or plot summary instead of argument:

Needs Improvement: Leadership is an important quality in nurse educators.

A good strategy to determine if your thesis statement is too broad (and therefore, not arguable) is to ask yourself, "Would a scholar in my field disagree with this point?" Here, we can see easily that no scholar is likely to argue that leadership is an unimportant quality in nurse educators.  The student needs to come up with a more arguable claim, and probably a narrower one; remember that a short paper needs a more focused topic than a dissertation.

Better: Roderick's (2009) theory of participatory leadership  is particularly appropriate to nurse educators working within the emergency medicine field, where students benefit most from collegial and kinesthetic learning.

Here, the student has identified a particular type of leadership ("participatory leadership"), narrowing the topic, and has made an arguable claim (this type of leadership is "appropriate" to a specific type of nurse educator). Conceivably, a scholar in the nursing field might disagree with this approach. The student's paper can now proceed, providing specific pieces of evidence to support the arguable central claim.

Choosing the Right Words

This thesis statement uses large or scholarly-sounding words that have no real substance:

Needs Improvement: Scholars should work to seize metacognitive outcomes by harnessing discipline-based networks to empower collaborative infrastructures.

There are many words in this sentence that may be buzzwords in the student's field or key terms taken from other texts, but together they do not communicate a clear, specific meaning. Sometimes students think scholarly writing means constructing complex sentences using special language, but actually it's usually a stronger choice to write clear, simple sentences. When in doubt, remember that your ideas should be complex, not your sentence structure.

Better: Ecologists should work to educate the U.S. public on conservation methods by making use of local and national green organizations to create a widespread communication plan.

Notice in the revision that the field is now clear (ecology), and the language has been made much more field-specific ("conservation methods," "green organizations"), so the reader is able to see concretely the ideas the student is communicating.

Leaving Room for Discussion

This thesis statement is not capable of development or advancement in the paper:

Needs Improvement: There are always alternatives to illegal drug use.

This sample thesis statement makes a claim, but it is not a claim that will sustain extended discussion. This claim is the type of claim that might be appropriate for the conclusion of a paper, but in the beginning of the paper, the student is left with nowhere to go. What further points can be made? If there are "always alternatives" to the problem the student is identifying, then why bother developing a paper around that claim? Ideally, a thesis statement should be complex enough to explore over the length of the entire paper.

Better: The most effective treatment plan for methamphetamine addiction may be a combination of pharmacological and cognitive therapy, as argued by Baker (2008), Smith (2009), and Xavier (2011).

In the revised thesis, you can see the student make a specific, debatable claim that has the potential to generate several pages' worth of discussion. When drafting a thesis statement, think about the questions your thesis statement will generate: What follow-up inquiries might a reader have? In the first example, there are almost no additional questions implied, but the revised example allows for a good deal more exploration.

Thesis Mad Libs

If you are having trouble getting started, try using the models below to generate a rough model of a thesis statement! These models are intended for drafting purposes only and should not appear in your final work.

• In this essay, I argue ____, using ______ to assert _____.
• While scholars have often argued ______, I argue______, because_______.
• Through an analysis of ______, I argue ______, which is important because_______.

Words to Avoid and to Embrace

When drafting your thesis statement, avoid words like explore, investigate, learn, compile, summarize , and explain to describe the main purpose of your paper. These words imply a paper that summarizes or "reports," rather than synthesizing and analyzing.

Instead of the terms above, try words like argue, critique, question , and interrogate . These more analytical words may help you begin strongly, by articulating a specific, critical, scholarly position.

Read Kayla's blog post for tips on taking a stand in a well-crafted thesis statement.

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Thesis Statements

What this handout is about.

This handout describes what a thesis statement is, how thesis statements work in your writing, and how you can craft or refine one for your draft.

Introduction

Writing in college often takes the form of persuasion—convincing others that you have an interesting, logical point of view on the subject you are studying. Persuasion is a skill you practice regularly in your daily life. You persuade your roommate to clean up, your parents to let you borrow the car, your friend to vote for your favorite candidate or policy. In college, course assignments often ask you to make a persuasive case in writing. You are asked to convince your reader of your point of view. This form of persuasion, often called academic argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. After a brief introduction of your topic, you state your point of view on the topic directly and often in one sentence. This sentence is the thesis statement, and it serves as a summary of the argument you’ll make in the rest of your paper.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement:

• tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively. (Check out our handout on understanding assignments for more information.)

How do I create a thesis?

A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a “working thesis” that presents a basic or main idea and an argument that you think you can support with evidence. Both the argument and your thesis are likely to need adjustment along the way.

Writers use all kinds of techniques to stimulate their thinking and to help them clarify relationships or comprehend the broader significance of a topic and arrive at a thesis statement. For more ideas on how to get started, see our handout on brainstorming .

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there’s time, run it by your instructor or make an appointment at the Writing Center to get some feedback. Even if you do not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own. When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis, ask yourself the following :

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it. For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is likely to  be “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Suppose you are taking a course on contemporary communication, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: “Discuss the impact of social media on public awareness.” Looking back at your notes, you might start with this working thesis:

Social media impacts public awareness in both positive and negative ways.

You can use the questions above to help you revise this general statement into a stronger thesis.

• Do I answer the question? You can analyze this if you rephrase “discuss the impact” as “what is the impact?” This way, you can see that you’ve answered the question only very generally with the vague “positive and negative ways.”
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not likely. Only people who maintain that social media has a solely positive or solely negative impact could disagree.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? No. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? No. Why are they positive? How are they positive? What are their causes? Why are they negative? How are they negative? What are their causes?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? No. Why should anyone care about the positive and/or negative impact of social media?

After thinking about your answers to these questions, you decide to focus on the one impact you feel strongly about and have strong evidence for:

Because not every voice on social media is reliable, people have become much more critical consumers of information, and thus, more informed voters.

This version is a much stronger thesis! It answers the question, takes a specific position that others can challenge, and it gives a sense of why it matters.

Let’s try another. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

You begin to analyze your thesis:

• Do I answer the question? No. The prompt asks you to analyze some aspect of the novel. Your working thesis is a statement of general appreciation for the entire novel.

Think about aspects of the novel that are important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

• Do I answer the question? Yes!
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose? Not really. This contrast is well-known and accepted.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? It’s getting there–you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation. However, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? Not yet. Compare scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions and anything else that seems interesting.
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?”

After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Anson, Chris M., and Robert A. Schwegler. 2010. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers , 6th ed. New York: Longman.

Lunsford, Andrea A. 2015. The St. Martin’s Handbook , 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St Martin’s.

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 2018. The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing , 8th ed. New York: Pearson.

Ruszkiewicz, John J., Christy Friend, Daniel Seward, and Maxine Hairston. 2010. The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers , 9th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Home > PJW College of Education > Education ETDs

Education Theses, Dissertations, and Professional Papers

This collection includes theses, dissertations, and professional papers from the University of Montana Department of Counselor Education, Department of Educational Leadership, and Department of Teaching and Learning. Theses, dissertations, and professional papers from all University of Montana departments and programs may be searched here.

Theses/Dissertations from 2024 2024

ASSESSING DATA ANALYTICS READINESS: COMPARATIVE ANALYTICS OF The ISEC and non-ISEC FACULTY IN ISEC MEMBER UNIVERSITIES IN CHINA , Han Yu

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

The Effect of Graphic Organizers on Fifth Grade Creative Writing , Bailey D. Furr

“LUMINESCENT AS AN ANGLERFISH”: CREATIVE WRITING AS A STRATEGY FOR BUILDING FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE SKILLS IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN , Dana Fitz Gale

TEACHER TURNOVER AND RETENTION THE CHOICE TO LEAVE: LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS IN RURAL MONTANA , Brittany Elizabeth Julie Katzer

TO THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY: LEADERSHIP JOURNEYS OF PERSIAN IMMIGRANT WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES , Shaima Khinjani

PRINCIPALS’ PERCEPTION OF TEACHER PERFORMANCE GIVEN SELECTED BARRIERS TO ACCURATE EVALUATIONS , Thomas J. Korst

WEATHERING THE STORM: THE JOURNEY OF HEALING FROM SEXUAL TRAUMA , Hana Shewamoltot Meshesha

THE LONELY BATTLE: WOMEN’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE NICU , Molly Kay Murphy

PROMOTING WELL-BEING IN SCHOOLS: THE EFFECTS OF A HAPPINESS WORKSHOP ON EDUCATORS AND OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL , Robert J. Ryan

EXTENSION AND MISSIONARY ADULT EDUCATOR COMMITMENT CALLING, EXPERIENCES, AND ATTITUDES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON CAREER COMMITMENT OF EXTENSION AGENTS AND PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES , Steven Dale Siegelin

UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA AWARENESS AND COMMUNICATION COMPETENCY IN ATHLETIC TRAINING: A MIXED METHODS INQUIRY , Adrienne Anne Tauses

BUILDING BRIDGES: SUPERVISORS’ MANAGEMENT OF COMPETENCY QUESTIONING , Arianna Camille Vokos

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

HYFLEX: A LEADERSHIPS’ PERSPECTIVE OF SELF-EFFICACY POST-PANDEMIC , Sandra Marie Adams

THE MOLLY HOOTCH SCHOOLS AFTER 40 YEARS: SUCCESSES, FAILURES, AND OPPORTUNITIES , Jody Lynne Drew

INVESTIGATING TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF MONTANA KINDERGARTEN TO SECOND-GRADE PLAY-BASED LEARNING PRACTICES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC , Erin N. Ellis

PRE-SERVICE TO IN-SERVICE: AN INTERPRETIVE STUDY OF EMERGENT MULTILINGUAL-FOCUSED FIELD PLACEMENTS AND NEW TEACHERS’ BELIEFS AND PRACTICES , Anya Michelle Muggli

The Influence of the First-Year Seminar Participation on Student Retention , Sahar Sanavi

SERVICE-LEARNING IN COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS UNDERGRADUATES: OUTCOMES, AUTISM KNOWLEDGE, AND CAREER DECISIONS , Jennifer Katherine Schoffer Closson

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP UNDER APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA AS PORTRAYED IN THE APARTHEID ARCHIVE PROJECTAND INTERPRETED THROUGH FREIREAN EDUCATION , Kevin Bruce Deitle

I JUST WANT TO DO MY JOB: THE EXPERIENCE OF FEMALE FIGHTER PILOTS IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE , Alissa Christine Engel

SHARING THE “MAGIC”: EXPLORING THE PHENOMENON OF COMMUNITY AND NATURE CONNECTEDNESS IN ANCESTRAL SKILLS EDUCATION , Anne Barksdale Graham

TEACHER’S USE OF REFLECTIVE THINKING , Kathleen M. Hill

GoZen in the Kindergarten Co-Teach Classroom , Suzanne Johnstone

LEADERSHIP: SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH ASD AND THE SCHOOL WIDE COMMUNITY , CHELSAE JOY LARSON

PROMOTING WELL-BEING AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS: THE EFFECTS OF A POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY COURSE , Daniel JM Salois

Summit Learning and Rural Montana Teacher Efficacy, a Phenomenology , C. Roch Turner

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

PREDICTORS OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COMPOSITE SCORES AT CATHOLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES , Sarah Nicole Agostinelli

THE EFFECTS OF RESILIENCY TRAINING ON SELF-REPORTED COMPASSION FATIGUE AND COMPASSION SATISFACTION IN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND COUNSELORS-IN-TRAINING , Julie Kay Ballew

THE TREATMENT FEMALE ADMINISTRATORS RECEIVE FROM FEMALE FOLLOWERS AND THE RELATIONSHIP AND AFFECT IT HAS ON THEIR POSITIONS , Jennifer Rae Burnett

ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM WITH APPLIED USE OF TRAIL CAMERA PHOTOGRAPHS , Lucas Martin Coccoli

TEACHERS’ GROUP REFLECTION AND THEIR FACILITATIONS IN IMPLEMENTING COLLABORATIVE REASONING DISCUSSIONS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY , Emmanuella Swastika Datu

EFFECTS OF A SUICIDE ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION TRAINING ON PARTICIPANT PREPAREDNESS, COMFORT, AND COMPETENCE , Kelley Margaret Donisthorpe

DESCRIPTIVE STATISTIC CHARACTERISTICS STUDY FOR LEVEL 4 FRONTIER HIGH SCHOOLS IN MONTANA , Jacqueline May Gorshe

Mathematical Creativity and Problem Solving , Brooke Gruntowicz

EDUCATION IS YOUR MOST POWERFUL WEAPON: GAINING UNDERSTANDING FROM APSÁALOOKE KNOWLEDGE , Salena Ann Beaumont Hill

Teacher Support: A Study About Teacher Emotional Support and Engagement Among Middle School Boys , Melissa Johnson

Be Creative Now: Seeking Creativity , Sam Kulla

SCHOOL COUNSELOR SELF-ADVOCACY AND TRAIT EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AS PREDICTORS OF PROFESSIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE IN SCHOOL COUNSELORS , Kindle Dawn Lewis

The Effects of Training in Evidence-Based Relationships on Counselor Self-Efficacy and Client Outcomes in Practicum , Kimberly K. Parrow

Leadership in Higher Education and the Impact on Faculty Satisfaction and Retention , Theresa A. Petersen

Leadership in Higher Education and the Impact on Faculty Satisfaction and Retention , Theresa Petersen and Frances O'Reilly

Evaluation of the Watershed Education Network's Fish Week Program , Rennie Ann Winkelman

The Relationship between Public School Principals’ Authentic Leadership and Implicit Theory of Intelligence , Erica A. Zins

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

FROM DISTANCE EDUCATION TO ONLINE EDUCATION: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE , Michael Dean Agostinelli Jr.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LONGEVITY AND A LEADER’S EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND RESILIENCE , Erica L. Allen

EU-U.S. International Education Connections: U.S. Opportunities to Participate in Erasmus Programs and the Case for a Renewed Commitment to Transatlantic International Education Collaboration , Peter N. Baker

WESTERN FACULTY MEMBERS’ CROSS-BORDER LIVED EXPERIENCES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY , Xin Bu

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ONLINE VS. FACE-TO-FACE INSTRUCTION IN MANDARIN CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSES IN MONTANA HIGH SCHOOLS , SUHAN CHEN

SAVING FACE: THE EXPERIENCE AND PROCESS OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT IN CLINICAL SUPERVISION , Ariel Heather Goodman

THE EXPLORATION OF CLINICIANS’ LIVED EXPERIENCES IN CULTURALLY ADAPTING EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED TREATMENTS FOR AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE POPULATIONS , Maegan Rides At The Door

Meaning and Hope in Health Behavior Change: An Examination of Health Coaching for Individuals with Disabilities , Krys Standley

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

INSTRUCTIONAL DATA TEAMS AND DATA LITERACY: LEADERS SUPPORTING THE WORK OF SCHOOL INSTRUCTIONAL TEAMS , Vicki Sherril Begin

THE EFFECT OF ACADEMIC ADVISOR TYPE ON UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RETENTION , Brian Patrick French

THE EFFECT OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT ON STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, ACADEMIC SELF- EFFICACY, FUNCTIONAL INDEPENDENCE, AND ACHIEVEMENT OF ADULTHOOD CRITERIA , Grace Harris Gardner

INTELLIGENT PERSONAL ASSISTANTS IN THE CLASSROOM: IMPACT ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT , Jason Patrick Neiffer

Mediating Cultural Border Crossings Between American Indian Tribal College Students and Natural Resources Science Learning Using Culturally Congruent Education , Shandin Hashkeh Pete

SUPREME COURT CASES THAT IMPACTED PUBLIC EDUCATION , Rodny W. Schug

PORNOGRAPHY USE AND CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AS PREDICTORS OF RAPE MYTH ACCEPTANCE , Kathryn Aubrey Scott

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING IN ONLINE CREDIT RECOVERY: DO COURSE FEATURES IMPACT ACHIEVEMENT? , Robert I. Squires

EXPLORING RESEARCH-BASED YOGA INTERVENTIONS TARGETING UNDERSERVED WOMEN AND SEXUAL TRAUMA: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY , Shannon Steele

Metabolic Energy Requirements during Load Carriage: Implications for the Wildland Firefighter Arduous Pack Test , Jeffrey T. Strang, Christopher J. Alfiero, Charles Dumke, Brent Ruby, and Matthew Bundle

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENT RISK FACTORS AND COMPLETION FOR STUDENTS WITH DEBT AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES , Colleen Sweeney Unterreiner

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDHOOD SEXUAL KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION AND ADULT SEXUAL SELF-ESTEEM , Guy Ray Backlund

SUPERVISEE ROLE INDUCTION TRAINING TO ADDRESS RESISTANCE, ROLE AMBIGUITY, ROLE CONFLICT, AND THE QUALITY OF THE SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP , Michelle Orchard Backlund

A VISION TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY: A GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH EXAMINING EDUCATIONAL PERSISTENCE AMONG AMERICAN INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENTS , Karla D. Bird

Perceptions of Trustees and Faculty on the Required Leadership Competencies for a Community College President , Kevin C. Brockbank

SCHOOL CHANGE FOR SUSTAINABILITY , Ryder Delaloye

EXAMINING THE COACH-ATHLETE RELATIONSHIP AS A PREDICTOR OF NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETE SATISFACTION , Collin M. Fehr

BACCALAUREATE TIME-TO-DEGREE FOR MONTANA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM TWO-YEAR COLLEGE TRANSFER STUDENTS , Thomas Patrick Gallagher

THE USE OF EMAIL AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EDUCATION LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS , Reda Haddouch

The Relationship of Reading Self-Efficacy and Reading Achievement in Second Grade Students , Jennifer L. Hager

A QUANTITATIVE STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF PERSISTENCE FACTORS ON AMERICAN INDIAN GRADUATE STUDENTS , Aislinn Rae Heavy Runner-Rioux

THE EXPERIENCE AND PROCESS OF THE WORKING ALLIANCE IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC TRAINING , Jessica Lealand Moore

A COLLECTIVE CASE STUDY ON VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN FIFTH GRADE CLASSROOMS , Farrukh Nazir

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN QUALITY MANAGEMENT , Hanan Omar Omar

Student Satisfaction With a Student-Written Textbook in an Introductory College Biology Course , Greg Peters

THE EFFECT OF NURSING EDUCATION ON EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE SCORES , Sally McHugh Rappold

UNDERSTANDING THE CLIENT’S EXPERIENCE OF COUNSELING IN BHUTAN , Michaela Maureen Sacra

FOSTERING INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS IN INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE CLASSROOMS: A CASE STUDY OF TWO TEACHERS , Madiha Syeda

A Phenomenological inquiry of international service-learning experiences and their impacts on post-service educational experiences , C. Roch Turner

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

ISSUES OF ETHICS TRAINING IN TURKISH COUNSELOR EDUCATION AS ASSOCIATED WITH ACCREDITATION, CERTIFICATION, AND LICENSURE , Umut Arslan

PURPOSEFULLY PLANNING FOR MATHEMATICS DISCOURSE: A STUDY OF TEACHER LEARNING AND LESSON ENACTMENT , Andria Rae Disney

PRACTICES AND PERCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA AMONG LEADERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY , Melissa Elizabeth Holmes

POST-DISCHARGE OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH SERVED IN A RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER , Tara Lynne Smart

HYPERCONNECTED SCHOOL LEADERSHIP: SHARED EXPERIENCES , Elizabeth Sue Wargo

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

THE EFFECT OF COMMUNITY SERVICE PARTICIPATION ON TEAM COHESIVENESS IN NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAMS , Cara Jo Cocchiarella

The Effects of Heart Math Training on Work Engagement in a Multi-National Company , Chance Eaton

PREDICATIBLITY OF TEACHER RETENTION IN MONTANA'S RURAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS , Jilyn Oliveira

The Power of Critical Reflection: Exploring the Impact of Rhetorical Stories on Metacognition in First-Year Composition Courses , Amy Elizabeth Ratto Parks

Institutional Effectiveness in an Open System: A Case Study of Graduation Rates in the Montana University System , Anneliese A. Ripley

CLASSROOM MODIFICATIONS WITH IMPROVED ACOUSTICS MODELED FOR CEHIC, A SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, IN KELANIYA, SRI LANKA , Polwatte Krishantha Silva

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Evaluation of relationship between self-advocacy skills and college freshmen first semester grade point average for students with disabilities , Lee A. Barnett

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERGENERATIONAL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES, SCHOOL CULTURE/CLIMATE, AND RACIAL IDENTITY AMONG AMERICAN INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS , Sandra Lee Boham

Effect of an Intensive Intervention on the Early Literacy Skills of Kindergarten Students Identified as Most at Risk for Future Reading Difficulties , Craig S. Buscher

The identity of upholding indigenous lifeways , Sean Falcon Chandler

A Quantitative Study with Online Collaborative Learning in a Computer Literacy Course , Kevin Engellant

Importance of leadership competencies in college and university staff athletic trainers: Perceptions of head athletic trainers , Janelle Lynn Handlos

THE EFFECTS OF INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' ATTACHMENT SECURITY , Meredith Hood

The significance of administrative support for the state-wide innovation of Montana's Indian education for all , Chris Michael Olszewski

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How to write a PhD thesis: a step-by-step guide

A draft isn’t a perfect, finished product; it is your opportunity to start getting words down on paper, writes Kelly Louise Preece

Kelly Louise Preece

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Congratulations; you’ve finished your research! Time to write your PhD thesis. This resource will take you through an eight-step plan for drafting your chapters and your thesis as a whole. 

Organise your material

Before you start, it’s important to get organised. Take a step back and look at the data you have, then reorganise your research. Which parts of it are central to your thesis and which bits need putting to one side? Label and organise everything using logical folders – make it easy for yourself! Academic and blogger Pat Thomson calls this  “Clean up to get clearer” . Thomson suggests these questions to ask yourself before you start writing:

• What data do you have? You might find it useful to write out a list of types of data (your supervisor will find this list useful too.) This list is also an audit document that can go in your thesis. Do you have any for the “cutting room floor”? Take a deep breath and put it in a separate non-thesis file. You can easily retrieve it if it turns out you need it.
• What do you have already written? What chunks of material have you written so far that could form the basis of pieces of the thesis text? They will most likely need to be revised but they are useful starting points. Do you have any holding text? That is material you already know has to be rewritten but contains information that will be the basis of a new piece of text.
• What have you read and what do you still need to read? Are there new texts that you need to consult now after your analysis? What readings can you now put to one side, knowing that they aren’t useful for this thesis – although they might be useful at another time?
• What goes with what? Can you create chunks or themes of materials that are going to form the basis of some chunks of your text, perhaps even chapters?

Once you have assessed and sorted what you have collected and generated you will be in much better shape to approach the big task of composing the dissertation. 

Decide on a key message

A key message is a summary of new information communicated in your thesis. You should have started to map this out already in the section on argument and contribution – an overarching argument with building blocks that you will flesh out in individual chapters.

You have already mapped your argument visually, now you need to begin writing it in prose. Following another of Pat Thomson’s exercises, write a “tiny text” thesis abstract. This doesn’t have to be elegant, or indeed the finished product, but it will help you articulate the argument you want your thesis to make. You create a tiny text using a five-paragraph structure:

• The first sentence addresses the broad context. This locates the study in a policy, practice or research field.
• The second sentence establishes a problem related to the broad context you have set out. It often starts with “But”, “Yet” or “However”.
• The third sentence says what specific research has been done. This often starts with “This research” or “I report…”
• The fourth sentence reports the results. Don’t try to be too tricky here, just start with something like: “This study shows,” or “Analysis of the data suggests that…”
• The fifth and final sentence addresses the “So What?” question and makes clear the claim to contribution.

Here’s an example that Thomson provides:

Secondary school arts are in trouble, as the fall in enrolments in arts subjects dramatically attests. However, there is patchy evidence about the benefits of studying arts subjects at school and this makes it hard to argue why the drop in arts enrolments matters. This thesis reports on research which attempts to provide some answers to this problem – a longitudinal study which followed two groups of senior secondary students, one group enrolled in arts subjects and the other not, for three years. The results of the study demonstrate the benefits of young people’s engagement in arts activities, both in and out of school, as well as the connections between the two. The study not only adds to what is known about the benefits of both formal and informal arts education but also provides robust evidence for policymakers and practitioners arguing for the benefits of the arts. You can  find out more about tiny texts and thesis abstracts on Thomson’s blog.

• Writing tips for higher education professionals
• Resource collection on academic writing
• What is your academic writing temperament?

Write a plan

You might not be a planner when it comes to writing. You might prefer to sit, type and think through ideas as you go. That’s OK. Everybody works differently. But one of the benefits of planning your writing is that your plan can help you when you get stuck. It can help with writer’s block (more on this shortly!) but also maintain clarity of intention and purpose in your writing.

You can do this by creating a  thesis skeleton or storyboard , planning the order of your chapters, thinking of potential titles (which may change at a later stage), noting down what each chapter/section will cover and considering how many words you will dedicate to each chapter (make sure the total doesn’t exceed the maximum word limit allowed).

Use your plan to help prompt your writing when you get stuck and to develop clarity in your writing.

Some starting points include:

• This chapter will argue that…
• This section illustrates that…
• This paragraph provides evidence that…

Of course, we wish it werethat easy. But you need to approach your first draft as exactly that: a draft. It isn’t a perfect, finished product; it is your opportunity to start getting words down on paper. Start with whichever chapter you feel you want to write first; you don’t necessarily have to write the introduction first. Depending on your research, you may find it easier to begin with your empirical/data chapters.

Vitae advocates for the “three draft approach” to help with this and to stop you from focusing on finding exactly the right word or transition as part of your first draft.

This resource originally appeared on Researcher Development .

Kelly Louse Preece is head of educator development at the University of Exeter.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter .

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The Education Dissertation A Guide for Practitioner Scholars

• Dan W. Butin - Merrimack College, USA, Cambridge College
• Description

"With each turn of the page I found myself nodding 'exactly!' Whether as a class text assigned by faculty or as a self-study resource used by students, this book will resonate with readers." —Doug Leigh, Associate Professor of Education Pepperdine University

Use these focused guidelines to help you through every stage of the dissertation process!

Writing a dissertation requires focus and commitment. The Education Dissertation provides a step-by-step process for developing and completing an academically rigorous dissertation in a time-efficient manner.

Written for doctoral students in education who are also currently working in the field, this book provides specific and accessible guidance for the entire process, from finding a topic to conducting the literature review to writing and defending the dissertation. Grounded in adult learning theory, this volume:

• Offers a clear, easy-to-follow approach that highlights key milestones with concrete goals and workable methods at each step
• Discusses how practitioner scholars can apply their work experience to the dissertation
• Includes organizational templates complete with detailed charts, checklists, a timeline, student examples, and rubrics
• Provides tips throughout to help students think through situations
• Covers both quantitative and qualitative research

Perfect for practicing educators at any stage of the dissertation process, this resource provides the "big picture" framework as well as the nitty-gritty details.

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email [email protected] . Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html .

For assistance with your order: Please email us at [email protected] or connect with your SAGE representative.

SAGE 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 www.sagepub.com

"The book is rich with ideas and strategies for thinking about every phase of the dissertation and for undertaking each phase once it has been carefully thought out."

"The author does an excellent job of taking a serious, technical, overwhelming topic and making it fun and interesting to read."

"With each turn of the page I found myself nodding 'exactly!' Whether as a class text assigned by faculty or as a self-study resource used by students, this book will resonate with readers."

• Guides the student through the entire process of writing a rigorous dissertation from selecting the research topic to defending the dissertation
• Offers the student a road map complete with detailed charts, checklists, a timeline, many student examples and rubrics
• Provides numerous "hints" throughout the book to help students think through situations before proceeding
• Explores the various types of research and the implications of each for the particular research topic selected by the student
• Incorporates "Try This!" activities at each stage of the process to help students understand important concepts, e.g., how to start a literature review correctly, how to focus research questions, and how to operationalize their ideas

Preview this book

Sample materials & chapters.

Butin_Educational_Dissertation_Preface

Butin_Educational_Dissertation_Ch1

For instructors

Select a purchasing option.

Developing a Thesis Statement

Many papers you write require developing a thesis statement. In this section you’ll learn what a thesis statement is and how to write one.

Keep in mind that not all papers require thesis statements . If in doubt, please consult your instructor for assistance.

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement . . .

• Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic; it states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
• Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
• Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
• Is generally located near the end of the introduction ; sometimes, in a long paper, the thesis will be expressed in several sentences or in an entire paragraph.
• Identifies the relationships between the pieces of evidence that you are using to support your argument.

Not all papers require thesis statements! Ask your instructor if you’re in doubt whether you need one.

Identify a topic

Your topic is the subject about which you will write. Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic; or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper.

Consider what your assignment asks you to do

Inform yourself about your topic, focus on one aspect of your topic, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts, generate a topic from an assignment.

Below are some possible topics based on sample assignments.

Sample assignment 1

Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II.

Identified topic

Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis

This topic avoids generalities such as “Spain” and “World War II,” addressing instead on Franco’s role (a specific aspect of “Spain”) and the diplomatic relations between the Allies and Axis (a specific aspect of World War II).

Sample assignment 2

Analyze one of Homer’s epic similes in the Iliad.

The relationship between the portrayal of warfare and the epic simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64.

This topic focuses on a single simile and relates it to a single aspect of the Iliad ( warfare being a major theme in that work).

Developing a Thesis Statement–Additional information

Your assignment may suggest several ways of looking at a topic, or it may name a fairly general concept that you will explore or analyze in your paper. You’ll want to read your assignment carefully, looking for key terms that you can use to focus your topic.

Sample assignment: Analyze Spain’s neutrality in World War II Key terms: analyze, Spain’s neutrality, World War II

After you’ve identified the key words in your topic, the next step is to read about them in several sources, or generate as much information as possible through an analysis of your topic. Obviously, the more material or knowledge you have, the more possibilities will be available for a strong argument. For the sample assignment above, you’ll want to look at books and articles on World War II in general, and Spain’s neutrality in particular.

As you consider your options, you must decide to focus on one aspect of your topic. This means that you cannot include everything you’ve learned about your topic, nor should you go off in several directions. If you end up covering too many different aspects of a topic, your paper will sprawl and be unconvincing in its argument, and it most likely will not fulfull the assignment requirements.

For the sample assignment above, both Spain’s neutrality and World War II are topics far too broad to explore in a paper. You may instead decide to focus on Franco’s role in the diplomatic relationships between the Allies and the Axis , which narrows down what aspects of Spain’s neutrality and World War II you want to discuss, as well as establishes a specific link between those two aspects.

Before you go too far, however, ask yourself whether your topic is worthy of your efforts. Try to avoid topics that already have too much written about them (i.e., “eating disorders and body image among adolescent women”) or that simply are not important (i.e. “why I like ice cream”). These topics may lead to a thesis that is either dry fact or a weird claim that cannot be supported. A good thesis falls somewhere between the two extremes. To arrive at this point, ask yourself what is new, interesting, contestable, or controversial about your topic.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times . Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Derive a main point from topic

Once you have a topic, you will have to decide what the main point of your paper will be. This point, the “controlling idea,” becomes the core of your argument (thesis statement) and it is the unifying idea to which you will relate all your sub-theses. You can then turn this “controlling idea” into a purpose statement about what you intend to do in your paper.

Look for patterns in your evidence

Compose a purpose statement.

Consult the examples below for suggestions on how to look for patterns in your evidence and construct a purpose statement.

• Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis
• Franco turned to the Allies when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from the Axis

Possible conclusion:

Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: Franco’s desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power.

Purpose statement

This paper will analyze Franco’s diplomacy during World War II to see how it contributed to Spain’s neutrality.

• The simile compares Simoisius to a tree, which is a peaceful, natural image.
• The tree in the simile is chopped down to make wheels for a chariot, which is an object used in warfare.

At first, the simile seems to take the reader away from the world of warfare, but we end up back in that world by the end.

This paper will analyze the way the simile about Simoisius at 4.547-64 moves in and out of the world of warfare.

Derive purpose statement from topic

To find out what your “controlling idea” is, you have to examine and evaluate your evidence . As you consider your evidence, you may notice patterns emerging, data repeated in more than one source, or facts that favor one view more than another. These patterns or data may then lead you to some conclusions about your topic and suggest that you can successfully argue for one idea better than another.

For instance, you might find out that Franco first tried to negotiate with the Axis, but when he couldn’t get some concessions that he wanted from them, he turned to the Allies. As you read more about Franco’s decisions, you may conclude that Spain’s neutrality in WWII occurred for an entirely personal reason: his desire to preserve his own (and Spain’s) power. Based on this conclusion, you can then write a trial thesis statement to help you decide what material belongs in your paper.

Sometimes you won’t be able to find a focus or identify your “spin” or specific argument immediately. Like some writers, you might begin with a purpose statement just to get yourself going. A purpose statement is one or more sentences that announce your topic and indicate the structure of the paper but do not state the conclusions you have drawn . Thus, you might begin with something like this:

• This paper will look at modern language to see if it reflects male dominance or female oppression.
• I plan to analyze anger and derision in offensive language to see if they represent a challenge of society’s authority.

At some point, you can turn a purpose statement into a thesis statement. As you think and write about your topic, you can restrict, clarify, and refine your argument, crafting your thesis statement to reflect your thinking.

As you work on your thesis, remember to keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Sometimes your thesis needs to evolve as you develop new insights, find new evidence, or take a different approach to your topic.

Compose a draft thesis statement

If you are writing a paper that will have an argumentative thesis and are having trouble getting started, the techniques in the table below may help you develop a temporary or “working” thesis statement.

Begin with a purpose statement that you will later turn into a thesis statement.

Assignment: Discuss the history of the Reform Party and explain its influence on the 1990 presidential and Congressional election.

Purpose Statement: This paper briefly sketches the history of the grassroots, conservative, Perot-led Reform Party and analyzes how it influenced the economic and social ideologies of the two mainstream parties.

Question-to-Assertion

If your assignment asks a specific question(s), turn the question(s) into an assertion and give reasons why it is true or reasons for your opinion.

Assignment : What do Aylmer and Rappaccini have to be proud of? Why aren’t they satisfied with these things? How does pride, as demonstrated in “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” lead to unexpected problems?

Beginning thesis statement: Alymer and Rappaccinni are proud of their great knowledge; however, they are also very greedy and are driven to use their knowledge to alter some aspect of nature as a test of their ability. Evil results when they try to “play God.”

Write a sentence that summarizes the main idea of the essay you plan to write.

Main idea: The reason some toys succeed in the market is that they appeal to the consumers’ sense of the ridiculous and their basic desire to laugh at themselves.

Make a list of the ideas that you want to include; consider the ideas and try to group them.

• nature = peaceful
• war matériel = violent (competes with 1?)
• need for time and space to mourn the dead
• war is inescapable (competes with 3?)

Use a formula to arrive at a working thesis statement (you will revise this later).

• although most readers of _______ have argued that _______, closer examination shows that _______.
• _______ uses _______ and _____ to prove that ________.
• phenomenon x is a result of the combination of __________, __________, and _________.

What to keep in mind as you draft an initial thesis statement

Beginning statements obtained through the methods illustrated above can serve as a framework for planning or drafting your paper, but remember they’re not yet the specific, argumentative thesis you want for the final version of your paper. In fact, in its first stages, a thesis statement usually is ill-formed or rough and serves only as a planning tool.

As you write, you may discover evidence that does not fit your temporary or “working” thesis. Or you may reach deeper insights about your topic as you do more research, and you will find that your thesis statement has to be more complicated to match the evidence that you want to use.

You must be willing to reject or omit some evidence in order to keep your paper cohesive and your reader focused. Or you may have to revise your thesis to match the evidence and insights that you want to discuss. Read your draft carefully, noting the conclusions you have drawn and the major ideas which support or prove those conclusions. These will be the elements of your final thesis statement.

Sometimes you will not be able to identify these elements in your early drafts, but as you consider how your argument is developing and how your evidence supports your main idea, ask yourself, “ What is the main point that I want to prove/discuss? ” and “ How will I convince the reader that this is true? ” When you can answer these questions, then you can begin to refine the thesis statement.

Refine and polish the thesis statement

To get to your final thesis, you’ll need to refine your draft thesis so that it’s specific and arguable.

• Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment
• Question each part of your draft thesis
• Clarify vague phrases and assertions
• Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis

Consult the example below for suggestions on how to refine your draft thesis statement.

Sample Assignment

Choose an activity and define it as a symbol of American culture. Your essay should cause the reader to think critically about the society which produces and enjoys that activity.

• Ask The phenomenon of drive-in facilities is an interesting symbol of american culture, and these facilities demonstrate significant characteristics of our society.This statement does not fulfill the assignment because it does not require the reader to think critically about society.

Drive-ins are an interesting symbol of American culture because they represent Americans’ significant creativity and business ingenuity.

Among the types of drive-in facilities familiar during the twentieth century, drive-in movie theaters best represent American creativity, not merely because they were the forerunner of later drive-ins and drive-throughs, but because of their impact on our culture: they changed our relationship to the automobile, changed the way people experienced movies, and changed movie-going into a family activity.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast-food establishments, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize America’s economic ingenuity, they also have affected our personal standards.

While drive-in facilities such as those at fast- food restaurants, banks, pharmacies, and dry cleaners symbolize (1) Americans’ business ingenuity, they also have contributed (2) to an increasing homogenization of our culture, (3) a willingness to depersonalize relationships with others, and (4) a tendency to sacrifice quality for convenience.

This statement is now specific and fulfills all parts of the assignment. This version, like any good thesis, is not self-evident; its points, 1-4, will have to be proven with evidence in the body of the paper. The numbers in this statement indicate the order in which the points will be presented. Depending on the length of the paper, there could be one paragraph for each numbered item or there could be blocks of paragraph for even pages for each one.

Complete the final thesis statement

The bottom line.

As you move through the process of crafting a thesis, you’ll need to remember four things:

• Context matters! Think about your course materials and lectures. Try to relate your thesis to the ideas your instructor is discussing.
• As you go through the process described in this section, always keep your assignment in mind . You will be more successful when your thesis (and paper) responds to the assignment than if it argues a semi-related idea.
• Your thesis statement should be precise, focused, and contestable ; it should predict the sub-theses or blocks of information that you will use to prove your argument.
• Make sure that you keep the rest of your paper in mind at all times. Change your thesis as your paper evolves, because you do not want your thesis to promise more than your paper actually delivers.

In the beginning, the thesis statement was a tool to help you sharpen your focus, limit material and establish the paper’s purpose. When your paper is finished, however, the thesis statement becomes a tool for your reader. It tells the reader what you have learned about your topic and what evidence led you to your conclusion. It keeps the reader on track–well able to understand and appreciate your argument.

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What Is “Education”?

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Analytic philosophy of education focuses on clarifying such key terms as: “education”, “aims”, “goals”, “objectives”, “overt curriculum”, “covert curriculum”, “null curriculum”, “pedagogical content knowledge”. The understanding of these and other concepts is critical to enable contemporary education to be regarded as a truly professional domain.

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• Pedagogic content knowledge

The world of education—like law, medicine, business, and other spheres—has its own unique language. A discussion of this language is important for principals and teachers, parents, and students in order to facilitate a clear understanding of what education is. In this chapter, I analyze and clarify some key terms with a view to promoting a coherent and more precise educational practice.

Three Ways to Analyze the Term “Education”

There are three kinds of definitions of “education” (Scheffler 1960 ). The first type is called the descriptive . It is a statement that proposes to denote or explain the nature of the meaning of the word called “education” by using a variety of words to explain either what the phenomenon is or how the term is to be understood. This type of definition claims to describe precisely how the word denoted as “education” is most prominently used.

The second type of definition of “education” is the programmatic , which comes to advocate for or prescribe a belief of what education should be or should do. A programmatic definition is less preoccupied with what the phenomenon or language of education is and more concerned with promulgating a particular practice of education that is regarded as desirable. Sometimes prescriptive definitions are expressed in short, clipped sentences such as Pink Floyd’s “We don’t need no education” or the title of Jonathan Kozol’s description of education as Death at an Early Age (Kozol 1985 ). Programmatic definitions are ultimately short slogans or deeply felt preaching about the way education should be.

The third type of definition is the stipulative and its purpose is technical and utilitarian. It is basically a linguistic agreement or pact that enables a discussion to proceed smoothly without forcing a person to each time state, “This is what I mean by the term ‘education.’” It is essentially is a linguistic shortcut, in which one person’s explanation of the word “education” is called Version 1; a second person’s explanation is Version 2, and the third interpretation is called Version 3. This is a kind of a shortcut that enables the discussion to precede at a decent pace.

My concern in this chapter is the descriptive mode, namely, the endeavor to arrive at a clear and generally agreed-upon statement of what the word “education” means. My aim is to refer to terms that are generally used in everyday speech and to attempts to search for viable and relevant definitions that reflect as accurately as possible the common language usage of the term. There is a technique that students and some academics use in the attempt to understand the term, namely, to trace it back to its original linguistic roots. There are times when this is helpful, but very often this can be misleading, since the way it once was used does not necessarily help us understand the way it is used today. The contemporary word “education” is sometimes traced to the Latin root educare , which means “to train” or “to mold”. Based on this linguistic root, some people like to argue that training or molding is what education today should be. At the same time, the Latin word educere means “to lead out”, which suggests a totally different understanding of “education” as a process aimed at that freeing the person from the prison of ignorance. Generally, it is my sense that the technique of tracing back to former linguistic roots is more useful for understanding ways in which terms were understood in the past rather than helping us to grasp what they mean today.

Some Contemporary Meanings

Let’s now look at some diverse definitions of “education”. One understanding of the term is the conscious effort to equip the unequipped young with facts, knowledge, and skills that will enable them to function as adults in a specific society. This is often called the socialization model.

A second usage of the word “education” understands it as exposure to, understanding of, and practice in skillsets that a person needs to be able to function in contemporary culture. This notion is sometimes called the acculturation model.

A third notion of education focuses on the development of reflective thinking and feeling abilities so that the young will be able to carve out how they wish to exist. This model is sometimes known as the liberal or person-centered model of education.

A Proposed Definition of “Education”

I have found the discussion of diverse meanings of education to be very fruitful because it helps me see the world through different lenses and, particularly, enables me to think about and consider diverse meanings and practices of the dynamics of education. At the same time, since I believe that education is a practice, and in practice we need some very specific tools and toolkits to help us proceed, I have searched over time for a definition of “education” that I regard as both descriptively and programmatically useful for the educational practitioner. Ultimately, the definition that I regard as the most useful was shaped by Lawrence Cremin, who is regarded as the most distinguished historian of twentieth-century education:

Education is the deliberate, systematic, and sustained effort to transmit, provoke or acquire knowledge, values, attitudes, skills or sensibilities as well as any learning that results from the effort (Cremin, Public Education , p. 27)

This broad-based definition indicates that education is a purposeful activity. The word “education” is reserved for frameworks created with the considered and conscious intent to educate. This definition also understands education as a process and not a place. It is a purposeful activity that can happen within a wide range of frameworks and not only in buildings called schools. Moreover, this intentional activity does not only transmit knowledge, but it also is concerned with values, attitudes, skills, and sensibilities. Education is an activity which takes place in many diverse venues and is intended to develop knowledge, understanding, valuing, growing, caring, and behaving. It can happen “when you sit in your house, and when you go on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise” (Deuteronomy, 6:7). While contemporary societies have denoted schools as the agency responsible for education, in fact, education far transcends the certificates of achievement received from pre-school, elementary, secondary, and collegiate frameworks.

“Aims”, “Goals”, “Objectives”

The concept of education invites the question “Education for what?” What is the purpose of education? While the terms, “aims”, “goals”, and “objectives” of education are sometimes used interchangeably, philosophers of education describe three distinct activities related to “purpose”: Aims, Goals, Objectives = AGO (Noddings 2007 ).

“Aims” refer to the most general ideals, values, or principles, which a person, institution, or society regards as the ultimate desideratum of education. Aims are value statements which designate certain principles or values as the ultimate aspiration. Aims describe both the ideal target of an educational institution as well at its ultimate desired outcomes or achievements. Educational aims ultimately frame the overall direction of an educational system or institution.

“Goals” refer to a second stage, which is derivative from aims and focuses on contents and topics that should be studied so as to enable students to understand and actualize core ideals explicit in aims. Goals translate aims into specific contents or stepping-stones that should be part of the educational process. If one of the aims of twentieth-century American schooling was to teach a set of shared values for its diverse populations in order to socialize them into a core American society, then its goal was to provide them with skillsets such as language, science, and mathematics, which were then regarded as contents critical to enable realization of the larger shared American creed.

The word “objectives” refers to the most practical stage, which is the actual teaching materials—books textbooks, maps, videos, and visual aids—used in the classroom each day, week, and month in a year. These are the infamous “lesson plans” which are an hour by hour mapping out of how teachers will spend every single day in the classroom.

This AGO framework can be a useful structure for analyzing education, from its most abstract goals to its most immediate daily application. Moreover, if implemented properly, it would seem to reflect a useful dynamic from theory to practice. Unfortunately, in reality, what often happens is that aims and goals are skipped over and objectives—daily blueprints, and lesson plans—become the main preoccupation. Because of a multitude of exigencies, the thoughtful paradigm of aims, goals, and objectives is often neglected at the expense of “getting through the day” in practice.

Three Notions of “Curriculum”

An important term in the study of education is “curriculum”, which popularly refers to the overall subjects or contents of schooling. As the field of curriculum studies developed into a rigorous academic area of study in schools of education, broader understandings of the term were to emerge (Pinar et al. 1995 ).

One of the important sophistications in the study of curriculum has been the notion of overt, covert, and null curricula. The “overt curriculum” refers to the clearly stated and enunciated objectives, contents, subjects, topics, books, and resources, which are the official frameworks, and requirements of a school and its teachers. It is the approved and mandated contents that shape a school’s operation.

The “covert” curriculum refers to attitudes, values, and behaviors that characterize the norms of daily life in schools beyond the subjects formally taught in a classroom. The covert curriculum is the unspoken “culture’” shaped by a multitude of forces and factors. What is the décor of the school? What do the halls look like? What type examinations are given? What is the nature of student interaction? The covert curriculum refers to the multiple features of a school culture very much shaped by the lives, habits, and “lingo” of students which have significant impact on the actual rhythm and flow of daily school life.

The “null” curriculum refers to the books, subjects, topics, and artifacts that are consciously and purposefully not part of the school curriculum. This may include partial or no discussion of the history of indigenous populations in the teaching of American history. It includes the list of books, sources, ands ideas that have very consciously not been chosen in the formal curriculum. All education requires selection, and the topics not chosen—and why—are just as important as those that have been chosen. Indeed, there are political, racial, gender, aesthetic, moral, and spiritual issues that significantly shape the overt, covert, and null curriculum of each and every type of schooling.

These three terms alert us to the complicated nature of curriculum development. While there is a popular phrase that refers to an individual “writing a curriculum’”, in fact, curriculum development has become a specialized domain that involves subject matter experts classroom teachers, and educational leadership, and requires extensive deliberation, field testing, revision, and production. It is one of the most exciting and, at the same time most demanding of fields in contemporary education.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)

An important dimension of education is what is commonly known as “pedagogy”, which is understood as the methodologies or the ways in which teaching should happen. Footnote 1 This is obviously a critical dimension of education because it is about what educators teach and how students learn—which are the ultimate domain of education. Pedagogy (sometimes called the “science of teaching”) is the assumption that there are universal patterns and procedures in teaching which should constitute an important part of academic teacher training. There were, and there still are, some general courses on pedagogy in university departments of education which reflect the assumption that there is a core set of methodologies generally appropriate for all sorts of teaching. Twentieth-century philosophers in multiple fields of study—for example, physics, mathematics, literature, and economics—began to focus on the notions of “realms of meaning” or “spheres of knowledge”, which led to the general consensus that there is a diversity of pedagogic methodologies that derive from the many different spheres of knowledge. This kind of thinking made it clear that because of the significant differences between science, mathematics, history, literature, and philosophy, there could be no one overall pedagogy appropriate for all subjects; consequently, such courses as “principles of pedagogy” were misleading. In the 1980s, through the innovative work of a group of educators of whom Professor Lee Shulman was a central figure, an important concept was to emerge which has had a profound effect on styles of teaching (Shulman 1986 ). This research led to the term “pedagogical content knowledge” (PCK). PCK refers to the fact that diverse spheres of knowledge utilize diverse methodologies of researching and understanding and therefore require diverse practices of teaching. In other words, the way a teacher teaches the subject depends on the nature of the subject and that all subjects are not the same. Just as it is clear that the ways we teach someone to drive a car or to learn how to swim have their own characteristics, so it is clear that the teaching of mathematics must differ from the teaching of literature, which differs from the teaching of civics, which differs from the teaching of languages. This notion indicates that one must be wary of general principles of “how to teach” and that quality teaching begins with and is related to an understanding of the subject matter being taught. To teach chemistry or physics one has to understand the role of experimentation. In teaching literature, one has to understand the importance of simile, metaphor, plot, and theme. PCK was to have a major impact particularly in the experimental subject areas, although there were also important implications for teaching literature and other areas. At the heart of PCK is the notion that methodology or “what to do” flows from the content one teaches, and the content one teaches ultimately flows from the “why” of education. In other words, education is an integrated dynamic in which the “why” affects the “what” and the “what” affects the “how”.

I learned about the importance of PCK during my travels over the years to all sorts of Jewish schools. One of the most prominent subjects (typically in the early years of elementary school) I observed was the teaching of Genesis Chapter 12 which describes a conversation between God and Abraham in which God makes a covenant—a legal agreement—with Abraham, that if he follows God’s ways, Abraham will be given a certain body of land for himself and for his children in perpetuity. How one teaches this section depends upon how one understands the nature of this ancient source. If this text is a verifiable history book (which was the mode that I observed in so many schools), it will be taught in one way; if this text is not a history book but rather a philosophical or theological work with profound religious, moral, and human messages, it will be taught in a totally different way. These two understandings result in dramatically diverse pedagogies and messages, depending on whether the text in Genesis 12 was presented as an authoritative history or a profound philosophy.

The contemporary language of education includes some key concepts—“schooling”, “aims”, “goals”, “curriculum”, and “pedagogy”—whose meanings are very important to the practice of education in schools and beyond. This conclusion suggests that the fields of education and Jewish education in the twenty-first century are sophisticated domains which call for serious deliberation and study by prospective educators. The educators of our young deserve the same level of training, investment, and rigor that we expect from the doctors who treat our bodies or from the engineers who build the bridges on which we travel. Education in the twenty-first century is a critical sphere that calls for deep reflection, training, and passion.

Adult education specialist Malcolm Knowles suggested that the term “pedagogy” be used to refer to the teaching of children and that the term “andragogy” be used to denote adult learning. (Knowles 2020 ).

Bibliography

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Knowles, Malcom. 2020. The Adult Learner. (Routledge).

Kozol, Jonathan. 1985. Death at an Early Age. The Classic Indictment of Inner City Education. (Plume Reissue Edition).

Noddings, Nel. 2007. “Aims, Goals, and Objectives” Encounters on Education . Vol 8, Fall, 2007, pp. 7–15.

Pinar, William Reynolds, William, Slattery, Taubman, Peter. 1995. Understanding Curriculum . (Peter Lang).

Scheffler, Israel. 1960. The Language of Education. (Charles C. Thomas).

Shulman, Lee. 1986. “Those Who Understand: Knowledge Growth in Teaching”. Educational Researcher Feb. Vol. 15 No. 2. pp. 4–14.

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Chazan, B. (2022). What Is “Education”?. In: Principles and Pedagogies in Jewish Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83925-3_3

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Research Topics & Ideas: Education

170+ Research Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring education-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of research topics and ideas , including examples from actual dissertations and theses..

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Education Research Topics

• How to find a research topic (video)
• List of 50+ education-related research topics/ideas
• List of 120+ level-specific research topics 
• Examples of actual dissertation topics in education
• Tips to fast-track your topic ideation (video)
• Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
• Where to get extra help

Education-Related Research Topics & Ideas

Below you’ll find a list of education-related research topics and idea kickstarters. These are fairly broad and flexible to various contexts, so keep in mind that you will need to refine them a little. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

• The impact of school funding on student achievement
• The effects of social and emotional learning on student well-being
• The effects of parental involvement on student behaviour
• The impact of teacher training on student learning
• The impact of classroom design on student learning
• The impact of poverty on education
• The use of student data to inform instruction
• The role of parental involvement in education
• The effects of mindfulness practices in the classroom
• The use of technology in the classroom
• The role of critical thinking in education
• The use of formative and summative assessments in the classroom
• The use of differentiated instruction in the classroom
• The use of gamification in education
• The effects of teacher burnout on student learning
• The impact of school leadership on student achievement
• The effects of teacher diversity on student outcomes
• The role of teacher collaboration in improving student outcomes
• The implementation of blended and online learning
• The effects of teacher accountability on student achievement
• The effects of standardized testing on student learning
• The effects of classroom management on student behaviour
• The effects of school culture on student achievement
• The use of student-centred learning in the classroom
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on student outcomes
• The achievement gap in minority and low-income students
• The use of culturally responsive teaching in the classroom
• The impact of teacher professional development on student learning
• The use of project-based learning in the classroom
• The effects of teacher expectations on student achievement
• The use of adaptive learning technology in the classroom
• The impact of teacher turnover on student learning
• The effects of teacher recruitment and retention on student learning
• The impact of early childhood education on later academic success
• The impact of parental involvement on student engagement
• The use of positive reinforcement in education
• The impact of school climate on student engagement
• The role of STEM education in preparing students for the workforce
• The effects of school choice on student achievement
• The use of technology in the form of online tutoring

Level-Specific Research Topics

Looking for research topics for a specific level of education? We’ve got you covered. Below you can find research topic ideas for primary, secondary and tertiary-level education contexts. Click the relevant level to view the respective list.

Research Topics: Pick An Education Level

Primary education.

• Investigating the effects of peer tutoring on academic achievement in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of mindfulness practices in primary school classrooms
• Examining the effects of different teaching strategies on primary school students’ problem-solving skills
• The use of storytelling as a teaching strategy in primary school literacy instruction
• The role of cultural diversity in promoting tolerance and understanding in primary schools
• The impact of character education programs on moral development in primary school students
• Investigating the use of technology in enhancing primary school mathematics education
• The impact of inclusive curriculum on promoting equity and diversity in primary schools
• The impact of outdoor education programs on environmental awareness in primary school students
• The influence of school climate on student motivation and engagement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of early literacy interventions on reading comprehension in primary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student achievement in primary schools
• Exploring the benefits of inclusive education for students with special needs in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of teacher-student feedback on academic motivation in primary schools
• The role of technology in developing digital literacy skills in primary school students
• Effective strategies for fostering a growth mindset in primary school students
• Investigating the role of parental support in reducing academic stress in primary school children
• The role of arts education in fostering creativity and self-expression in primary school students
• Examining the effects of early childhood education programs on primary school readiness
• Examining the effects of homework on primary school students’ academic performance
• The role of formative assessment in improving learning outcomes in primary school classrooms
• The impact of teacher-student relationships on academic outcomes in primary school
• Investigating the effects of classroom environment on student behavior and learning outcomes in primary schools
• Investigating the role of creativity and imagination in primary school curriculum
• The impact of nutrition and healthy eating programs on academic performance in primary schools
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on primary school students’ well-being and academic performance
• The role of parental involvement in academic achievement of primary school children
• Examining the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior in primary school
• The role of school leadership in creating a positive school climate Exploring the benefits of bilingual education in primary schools
• The effectiveness of project-based learning in developing critical thinking skills in primary school students
• The role of inquiry-based learning in fostering curiosity and critical thinking in primary school students
• The effects of class size on student engagement and achievement in primary schools
• Investigating the effects of recess and physical activity breaks on attention and learning in primary school
• Exploring the benefits of outdoor play in developing gross motor skills in primary school children
• The effects of educational field trips on knowledge retention in primary school students
• Examining the effects of inclusive classroom practices on students’ attitudes towards diversity in primary schools
• The impact of parental involvement in homework on primary school students’ academic achievement
• Investigating the effectiveness of different assessment methods in primary school classrooms
• The influence of physical activity and exercise on cognitive development in primary school children
• Exploring the benefits of cooperative learning in promoting social skills in primary school students

Secondary Education

• Investigating the effects of school discipline policies on student behavior and academic success in secondary education
• The role of social media in enhancing communication and collaboration among secondary school students
• The impact of school leadership on teacher effectiveness and student outcomes in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of technology integration on teaching and learning in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of interdisciplinary instruction in promoting critical thinking skills in secondary schools
• The impact of arts education on creativity and self-expression in secondary school students
• The effectiveness of flipped classrooms in promoting student learning in secondary education
• The role of career guidance programs in preparing secondary school students for future employment
• Investigating the effects of student-centered learning approaches on student autonomy and academic success in secondary schools
• The impact of socio-economic factors on educational attainment in secondary education
• Investigating the impact of project-based learning on student engagement and academic achievement in secondary schools
• Investigating the effects of multicultural education on cultural understanding and tolerance in secondary schools
• The influence of standardized testing on teaching practices and student learning in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of classroom management strategies on student behavior and academic engagement in secondary education
• The influence of teacher professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of extracurricular activities in promoting holistic development and well-roundedness in secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models on student engagement and achievement in secondary education
• The role of physical education in promoting physical health and well-being among secondary school students
• Investigating the effects of gender on academic achievement and career aspirations in secondary education
• Exploring the benefits of multicultural literature in promoting cultural awareness and empathy among secondary school students
• The impact of school counseling services on student mental health and well-being in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of vocational education and training in preparing secondary school students for the workforce
• The role of digital literacy in preparing secondary school students for the digital age
• The influence of parental involvement on academic success and well-being of secondary school students
• The impact of social-emotional learning programs on secondary school students’ well-being and academic success
• The role of character education in fostering ethical and responsible behavior in secondary school students
• Examining the effects of digital citizenship education on responsible and ethical technology use among secondary school students
• The impact of parental involvement in school decision-making processes on student outcomes in secondary schools
• The role of educational technology in promoting personalized learning experiences in secondary schools
• The impact of inclusive education on the social and academic outcomes of students with disabilities in secondary schools
• The influence of parental support on academic motivation and achievement in secondary education
• The role of school climate in promoting positive behavior and well-being among secondary school students
• Examining the effects of peer mentoring programs on academic achievement and social-emotional development in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of teacher-student relationships on student motivation and achievement in secondary schools
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning programs in promoting civic engagement among secondary school students
• The impact of educational policies on educational equity and access in secondary education
• Examining the effects of homework on academic achievement and student well-being in secondary education
• Investigating the effects of different assessment methods on student performance in secondary schools
• Examining the effects of single-sex education on academic performance and gender stereotypes in secondary schools
• The role of mentoring programs in supporting the transition from secondary to post-secondary education

Tertiary Education

• The role of student support services in promoting academic success and well-being in higher education
• The impact of internationalization initiatives on students’ intercultural competence and global perspectives in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of active learning classrooms and learning spaces on student engagement and learning outcomes in tertiary education
• Exploring the benefits of service-learning experiences in fostering civic engagement and social responsibility in higher education
• The influence of learning communities and collaborative learning environments on student academic and social integration in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of undergraduate research experiences in fostering critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills
• Investigating the effects of academic advising and mentoring on student retention and degree completion in higher education
• The role of student engagement and involvement in co-curricular activities on holistic student development in higher education
• The impact of multicultural education on fostering cultural competence and diversity appreciation in higher education
• The role of internships and work-integrated learning experiences in enhancing students’ employability and career outcomes
• Examining the effects of assessment and feedback practices on student learning and academic achievement in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty professional development on instructional practices and student outcomes in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty-student relationships on student success and well-being in tertiary education
• The impact of college transition programs on students’ academic and social adjustment to higher education
• The impact of online learning platforms on student learning outcomes in higher education
• The impact of financial aid and scholarships on access and persistence in higher education
• The influence of student leadership and involvement in extracurricular activities on personal development and campus engagement
• Exploring the benefits of competency-based education in developing job-specific skills in tertiary students
• Examining the effects of flipped classroom models on student learning and retention in higher education
• Exploring the benefits of online collaboration and virtual team projects in developing teamwork skills in tertiary students
• Investigating the effects of diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus climate and student experiences in tertiary education
• The influence of study abroad programs on intercultural competence and global perspectives of college students
• Investigating the effects of peer mentoring and tutoring programs on student retention and academic performance in tertiary education
• Investigating the effectiveness of active learning strategies in promoting student engagement and achievement in tertiary education
• Investigating the effects of blended learning models and hybrid courses on student learning and satisfaction in higher education
• The role of digital literacy and information literacy skills in supporting student success in the digital age
• Investigating the effects of experiential learning opportunities on career readiness and employability of college students
• The impact of e-portfolios on student reflection, self-assessment, and showcasing of learning in higher education
• The role of technology in enhancing collaborative learning experiences in tertiary classrooms
• The impact of research opportunities on undergraduate student engagement and pursuit of advanced degrees
• Examining the effects of competency-based assessment on measuring student learning and achievement in tertiary education
• Examining the effects of interdisciplinary programs and courses on critical thinking and problem-solving skills in college students
• The role of inclusive education and accessibility in promoting equitable learning experiences for diverse student populations
• The role of career counseling and guidance in supporting students’ career decision-making in tertiary education
• The influence of faculty diversity and representation on student success and inclusive learning environments in higher education

Education-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in education, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses in the education space to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of education-related research projects to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• From Rural to Urban: Education Conditions of Migrant Children in China (Wang, 2019)
• Energy Renovation While Learning English: A Guidebook for Elementary ESL Teachers (Yang, 2019)
• A Reanalyses of Intercorrelational Matrices of Visual and Verbal Learners’ Abilities, Cognitive Styles, and Learning Preferences (Fox, 2020)
• A study of the elementary math program utilized by a mid-Missouri school district (Barabas, 2020)
• Instructor formative assessment practices in virtual learning environments : a posthumanist sociomaterial perspective (Burcks, 2019)
• Higher education students services: a qualitative study of two mid-size universities’ direct exchange programs (Kinde, 2020)
• Exploring editorial leadership : a qualitative study of scholastic journalism advisers teaching leadership in Missouri secondary schools (Lewis, 2020)
• Selling the virtual university: a multimodal discourse analysis of marketing for online learning (Ludwig, 2020)
• Advocacy and accountability in school counselling: assessing the use of data as related to professional self-efficacy (Matthews, 2020)
• The use of an application screening assessment as a predictor of teaching retention at a midwestern, K-12, public school district (Scarbrough, 2020)
• Core values driving sustained elite performance cultures (Beiner, 2020)
• Educative features of upper elementary Eureka math curriculum (Dwiggins, 2020)
• How female principals nurture adult learning opportunities in successful high schools with challenging student demographics (Woodward, 2020)
• The disproportionality of Black Males in Special Education: A Case Study Analysis of Educator Perceptions in a Southeastern Urban High School (McCrae, 2021)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, in order for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic within education, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

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Project-based learning is a teaching/learning type,if well applied in a classroom setting will yield serious positive impact. What can a teacher do to implement this in a disadvantaged zone like “North West Region of Cameroon ( hinterland) where war has brought about prolonged and untold sufferings on the indegins?

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Look at British Library as they keep a copy of all PhDs in the UK Core.ac.uk to access Open University and 6 other university e-archives, pdf downloads mostly available, all free.

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Masters student in the field of curriculum, any ideas of a research topic on low achiever students

In the field of curriculum any ideas of a research topic on deconalization in contextualization of digital teaching and learning through in higher education

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I am a graduate with two masters. 1) Master of arts in religious studies and 2) Master in education in foundations of education. I intend to do a Ph.D. on my second master’s, however, I need to bring both masters together through my Ph.D. research. can I do something like, ” The contribution of Philosophy of education for a quality religion education in Kenya”? kindly, assist and be free to suggest a similar topic that will bring together the two masters. thanks in advance

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Developing Strong Thesis Statements

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The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

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Home > Education > Teacher Education > Theses and Dissertations

Teacher Education Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

The Role of Instructors in Fostering a Sense of Belonging for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander University Students , Kehaulani Oleole Malzl

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Navigating the Unfamiliar: The Lived Experience of Elementary School Teachers as They Navigate the Use of New Literacies During a Global Pandemic , Sydney Boyer

Critical Engagements with Award Winning Picturebooks: My Journey in Creating a More Equitable Classroom Library , Carrie Elizabeth Crowe

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Crossing the Threshold: Factors That Influence the Beliefs of First Year Teachers Regarding Reform-Based Mathematics Instruction , Quinn H. Braden

Mediation in a Science Classroom , David Ray Davis

Tensions and Pitfalls in the Depiction of Multiracial Characters in Children's Picture Books: A Critical Content Analysis , Melody Green

Physical Place and Online Space: Permeability, Embodiment, and Gender in Two Online, Synchronous Critical Multicultural Teacher Education Courses , Elizabeth Finlayson Harris

Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating a Unit That Utilizes Effective History Teaching Practices , Haley Holland

Teachers' Values for the Reduction of Teacher Attrition in Utah Public Schools , Forrest Jensen

The Racial Reckoning of a Chinese American Teacher During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Alicia Luong

Creating an Instrument to Explore the Self-Efficacy of Writing Instructors to Teach Apprehensive Writers , Kathleen Marie Romrell

Teacher Judgment Accuracy of Student Perceptions of Closeness and Conflict in Teacher-Student Relationships , Collin Seastrand

The Effects of Relatedness Support on Motivational Profiles in Rural vs. Urban Physical Education Students , Corbin D. Stringam

Bittersweet Experiences for Brazilian Newcomers: Positive Interactions, Microaggressions, and Isolation in English-Only and Dual Language Bilingual Education Programs , Rose Renee Whitney

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

The Relationship Between the Use of Curriculum Materials and Inquiry-Based Pedagogy , Laura Jo Elzinga

Something Happened: Exploring Student Religious Experiences Through the Eyes of Their Teacher , Jason Bird Pearson

Developing a Professional Early Childhood Educator Identity: The Experiences of Three Teachers , Amy Shakespeare White

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Damsel in Distress or Princess in Power? Traditional Masculinity and Femininity in Young Adult Novelizations of Cinderella and the Effects on Agency , Rylee Carling

Teacher Lore Concerning Teaching English Language Learners in Urban Schools: A Reciprocal Determinist Analysis , Helen Clare Colby

The Emergence of Teacher Self in the Elementary Classroom , Chelsea Cole

Exploring Teacher Beliefs of Adolescent Developmental Needs Through Positive Student Comments of their Teachers , Elizabeth Bowers Hinchcliff

Teaching Second-Grade Students to Write Expository Text , Angenette Cox Imbler

Exploring Dialogue Journals as a Context for Connecting with and Supporting the Emotional Lives of Fourth Graders , Samantha Simone Johnson

The Effect of Ethnic Identity on Motivation to bePhysically Active in Schools in Hawai’i , Nathan A. K. Kahaiali'i

Ninth-Grade Students' Motivation for Reading and Course Choice , McKenna Lyn Simmons

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Uncovering One Teacher's Knowledge of Arts Integration for Developing English Learners' Reading Comprehension: A Self-Study , Tina RaLinn McCulloch

A Content Analysis of Scientific Practices in a Fourth-Grade Commercial Literacy Program , Hailey A. Oswald

Reading Fluency and GoNoodle© Brain Breaks Among Elementary-Aged Children , Hannah Jeanne Wold

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Friendship and Language: How Kindergarteners Talk About Making Friends in a Two-Way Immersion School , Sionelle Nicole Beller

Lunchtime Experiences and Students' Sense of Belonging in Middle School , Anna Elisabeth Hinton

Perceptions of School Uniforms in Relation to Socioeconomic Statuses , Aaron B. Jones

The Operationalization of the Theoretical Antecedents of Collective Teacher Efficacy , Kathryn A. Larsen

Teacher Experiences in Highly Impacted Schools That Produce Happiness , Brittany Nicole Lund

Identifying Elements of Voice and Fostering Voice Development in First-Grade Science Writing , McKenna Lucille Maguet

Promoting Pleasure in Reading Through Sustained Silent Reading: A Self-Study of Teacher Practices , Kimberly Turley McKell

Sixth-Grade Elementary and Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Middle School Teachers' Knowledge and Beliefs About Science Literacy , Melissa P. Mendenhall

Building Procedural Fluency from Conceptual Understanding in Equivalence of Fractions: A Content Analysis of a Textbook Series , Mark S. Nance

Ethnic Identity and School Belonging Among Pacific Islander High School Students , Mari N. Oto

Self-Study of a Teacher's Practices of and Experience with Emotion Regulation , Lauren Elyse Paravato

Cultural Connections in the Classroom and Pacific Islander Students Value of Reading , Lyndsai K. Sylva

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Parent Perception of Systemic Success in Physical Education: A Study of Advocacy in Action , Rachel Valletta Griffiths

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Student Self-Assessment: Teachers' Definitions, Reasons, and Beliefs , Christopher Daren Andrews

What is Being Said about Historical Literacy in Literacy and Social Studies Journals: A Content Analysis , Kiera Beddes

A High School Biology Teacher's Development Through a New Teaching Assignment Coupled with Teacher-Led Professional Development , Lorien Young Francis

Emotions in Teaching: Self-Compassion , Stacey Freeman

Physical Activity Rates and Motivational Profiles of Adolescents While Keeping a Daily Leisure-Time Physical Activity Record , Matthew Osden Fullmer

Distraction, Enjoyment, and Motivation During an Indoor Cycling Unit of High School Physical Education , Kelsey Higginson

A Look at the Reliability of an Early Childhood Expository Comprehension Measure , Alta Adamma McDonald

Invisible Students: A Case Study of Friendless Students During the First Year of Junior High , Rachel E. Neeley

Picture Books as Mentor Texts for 10th-Grade Struggling Writers , David Willett Premont

Effects of Fourth- and First-Grade Cross-Age Tutoring on Mathematics Anxiety , Camille Margarett Rougeau

An Analysis of Support for Elementary Engineering Education Offered in the Science Teacher Journal Science and Children , Tawnicia Meservy Stocking

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Dyad Reading Experiences of Second-Grade English Learners with Fiction and Nonfiction Texts , Michelle Lynn Klvacek

Orchestrating Mathematical Discussions: A Novice Teacher's Implementation of Five Practices to Develop Discourse Orchestration in a Sixth-Grade Classroom , Jeffrey Stephen Young

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Parent Reasons for Enrollment at One Dual-Language Chinese Immersion Elementary School Program , Aaron W. Andersen

Effects of Teacher-to-Student Relatedness on Adolescent Male Motivation in Weight-Training Classes , Zack E. Beddoes

The Effects of Music on Physical Activity Rates of Junior High Physical Education Students , Lindsey Kaye Benham

What Matters Most? The Everyday Priorities of Teachers of English Language Learners , Johanna Boone

PE Central: A Possible Online Professional Development Tool , Amber M. Hall

Determining the Reliability of an Early Expository Comprehension Assessment , Tammie Harding

The Relationship Between Health-Related Fitness Knowledge, Perceived Competence, Self-Determination, and Physical Activity Behaviors of High School Students , Elizabeth Bailey Haslem

Supporting Ongoing Language and Literacy Development of Adolescent English Language Learners , Jason T. Jay

Components of Effective Writing Content Conferences in a Sixth-Grade Classroom , Paul Ricks

Online Student Discussions in a Blended Learning Classroom: Reconciling Conflicts Between a Flipped Instruction Model and Reform-Based Mathematics , Lewis L. Young

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

An Investigation of the Effects of Integrating Science and Engineering Content and Pedagogy in an Elementary School Classroom , Katie Nicole Barth

Alignment Between Secondary Biology Textbooks and Standards for Teaching English Learners: A Content Analysis , Joseph H. Hanks

Content Analysis of New Teacher Induction and Mentoring Documents in Five Partnership Districts: Reflections and Acknowledgments of Complexity , Carol S. Larsen

Stories of Success: Three Latino Students Talk About School , Carol Ann Litster

Effects of Fourth- and Second-Grade Cross-Age Tutoring on Spelling Accuracy and Writing Fluency , Rebekkah J. Mitchell

The United States Growth over 16 Years of Student Correct Responses on the TIMSS: Are We Really That Far Behind? , Jacob Michael Zonts

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

A Content Analysis of Family Structure in Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1930 -- 2010 , Shannon Marie Despain

A Content Analysis of Inquiry in Third Grade Science Textbooks , Rebecca Adams Lewis

Science Self-Efficacy and School Transitions: Elementary School to Middle School and Middle School to High School , Brandi Lue Lofgran

Balancing Support and Challenge within the Mentoring Relationship , Tiffanie Joy Miley

Explicitly Teaching Multiple Modes of Representation in Science Discourse: The Impact on Middle School Science Student Learning , Ryan Nixon

Navigating the Changing Face of Beginning Reading Instruction: Am I Right Back Where I Started? , DeAnna M. Perry

Teacher Definitions of Integration in Primary Grades , Jeanne Sperry Prestwich

Effective Professional Development: A Study of a Teacher-Initiated, Interdisciplinary Professional Learning Community , Mary Ann Quantz

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

An Examination of the Effects of Using Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy to Teach Tier 3 Students to Read Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) Words , Esther Marshall

Two Marginalized Adolescents Using the Internet to Complete an Inquiry Project , Jennifer Thomas

Describing the Reading Motivation of Four Second-Grade Students with Varying Abilities. , Kathy Jane White

Theses/Dissertations from 2010 2010

Establishing Reliability of Reading Comprehension Ratings of Fifth-Grade Students' Oral Retellings , Laura Elizabeth Bernfeld

The Nature of Classroom Instruction and Physical Environments That Support Elementary Writing , Monica Thomas Billen

Understanding the Tensions That Exist Between Two Co-Teachers Education Classroom Using Positioning , Garth Gagnier

A Challenging and Rewarding Process: Implementing Critical Literacy Instruction in a Middle School Classroom , Amy Michelle Geilman

The Nature of Transfer from the Concepts and Vocabulary Taught in a Character Education Unit to Students Classroom Discourse , Marianne E. Gill

Mathematics Vocabulary and English Learners: A Study of Students' Mathematical Thinking , Hilary Hart

Adolescent Literate Identity Online: Individuals and the Discourse of a Class Wiki , Amanda J. McCollum

The Stories of Three High School English Teachers Involved in a Collaborative Study Group , Marjoire Ralph

Narrating the Literate Identities of Five Ninth Grade Boys on the School Landscape , Mary Frances Rice

Comparing the Pedagogical Thinking of More Successful and Less Successful Adult ESL Instructors Using Stimulated Recall , Jason Paul Roberts

Elements of Professional Development That Influenced Change in Elementary Teachers' Writing Instruction , Jill Brown Shumway

Identifying Social Studies Content Embedded inElementary Basal Readers , Wendy Taylor Workman

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Examining the Effects of Explicit Teaching of Context Clues in Content Area Texts , Jessie Ruth Jensen

Using Web-Based Tools to Mentor Novice Teachers in Literacy Instruction , Teresa Moore Jordan

A Closer Look at One Elementary School's Use of Informational Text in Classroom Instruction , Marjean Sorensen

Deepening Understanding of Science Content Through Text Structure Instruction , Karen Thomas

An Investigation of the Support for Literacy Instruction in Elementary Mathematics Textbooks , Wendy Ann Williams

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Home > College of Education > Department of Teacher Education > Master's Theses

Master's Theses - Teacher Education

Theses/dissertations from 2021 2021.

The White gap in culturally relevant pedagogy towards integrity: An autoethnography of White racial identity , Kelly Weingust

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Pre-service teachers’ emerging views on educational equity , Melody Wilson

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Parent voices revisited: American Indian relationships with schools , Catherine A. Herzog

An investigation of middle school mentoring relationships through the lens of the developmental assets framework , Christopher Thomas Reinsma

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Connecting teaching practice to student efficacy in undergraduate mathematics , Sandra Becker

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Understanding the international student experience , Ayse Begum Aydinol

Public perceptions on LGBT issues in modern Vietnam , Yen Hoang Ha

An EcoJustice analysis of dis/ability: Reimagining diversity and inclusion , Chloe Wilson

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Individualism in education reform , Collin Scott Bertram

Gender equality in building a democratic society for a sustainable future in Tajikistan , Nigora S. Erkaeva

Service learning today: The perceptions of teachers and service-learning professionals , Katrina C. Freedberg

An analysis of university student academic self-entitlement: Levels of entitlement, academic year, and gender , Tiffany Brook Hartman

Influence of choice on motivation to learn for students with autism: Effect on student interest, writing achievement, latency, and behavior , Theresa M. Haskins

Academically gifted adolescents transferring to an independent gifted school: Effects on academic identity , Vanessa A. Lancaster

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Emancipatory education and democratic politics: An analysis of the sociological imagination in a first grade classroom , Ellen Lin

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Neoliberal social policy in the United States before Reagan , Lance Mason

The impact of homelessness on young children: Building resilience through supportive early educational interventions , Felice Moorman

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Voices of poverty: Perspectives of one school's student, teachers. and parents , Kristen Weatherwax

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

An examination of the relationship between creative potential and personality types among American and Taiwanese college students of teacher education , Yiling Cheng

Theses/Dissertations from 2005 2005

International students: Culture shock and adaptation to the U.S. culture , Stefanie Theresia Baier

Differentiating biology homework to enhance academic achievement , Genevieve Finch Bertsos

Theses/Dissertations from 1903 1903

The origin and development of the office of city superintendent with a discussion of the powers and duties belonging to the office , William James McKone

Theses/Dissertations from 1902 1902

The school courses of fifty-two schools , Walter C. Hewitt

Theses/Dissertations from 1896 1896

Aesthetics: A force in education , Warren Charles Hull

National educational institutions of China , Edna A. Haskins King

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"WHAT'S A DEVELOPING COUNTRY?": FIELD TRIALS AND REVISIONS OF A DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR ADULT AMERICANS

The United States and the Third World are interdependent economically, politically, environmentally, culturally, and socially. Yet indications are that U.S. citizens have little understanding of, and poor attitudes about, that interdependence. Development education helps people better understand and appreciate the international development issues which affect their daily lives. Responding to this perceived need for development education, Communications for Development (CFD), a non-profit coalition of development and media professionals, has produced a broad-based, multi-media learning package entitled "What's a Developing Country?". This development education package consists of a series of exercises supported by handouts, a slide-tape presentation, and a 100-page facilitator's manual, including an annotated bibliography. "What's a Developing Country?" is designed to be used by teachers and facilitators with high school-age and older participants in a variety of settings. This dissertation research focused on the field trials conducted for formative evaluation of "What's a Developing Country?". The purposes of the field trials were to gather information about the ability of the learning program to achieve desired results and to discover what improvements, if any, were needed in the program. Field trials were conducted with three representative groups: high school students, university students, and an adult education group. Formative evaluation data were gathered via pre-/post-tests, standardized feedback forms, standardized observer forms, and facilitators' journals. The field trials had three chief results. First, the program was validated in terms of the achievement of learning objectives and in terms of basic design, content, materials and methodology. Second, the field trials provided a rich source of recommendations for improving program effectiveness. Third, the field trials served to highlight unresolved issues which indicate the need for further data collection and analysis. "What's a Developing Country?" is the first in a series of development education materials planned by Communications for Development. The design and production of these future materials have also benefited from the field trials of "What's a Developing Country?". A basic model has been developed and validated, and lessons learned in the field trials can be applied to future development education packages.

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A FRAMEWORK FOR ACHIEVING THE FOUR STUDENT WELLNESS OUTCOMES USING COLLECTIVE SYSTEM DESIGN

In response to the evolving demands of todays competition, there is a growing expectation for enhanced services to industry and academic enterprises. This thesis explores the application of System Engineering methodologies as a strategic approach to securing success with both industrial and academic enterprises. Industry faces issues with the absence of a positive tone, inefficiencies and delays in delivery, and customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, academia faces several challenges including lack of communication between departments, how to allocate institutional resources to simplify student experience, reduce complexity in students college experience, and lack of students motivation. These issues for students lead to poor academic performance, financial struggles, and possibly mental health problems. There is a recognized need for a systematic approach to ensure student success at universities. A fundamental approach emerges in the form of Collective System Design (CSD) to find ways to address the above- mentioned challenges. Collective System Design is explored for ad- dressing the challenges faced by academic organizations and industrial processes. Collective System Design aims to improve the long-term viability of an enterprise by fostering sustainability and success. This thesis further investigates the Collective System Design Language, offering a communication tool for design and an approach to assess effectiveness before implementation. This thesis highlights two case studies: Shuttleworth (manufacturing industry) and the Purdue University Fort Wayne Student Success Standard Process Lifecycle. The impact of solving these problems can be measured through several key indicators: Shuttleworth (Manufacturing Industry). • Reduction in Lead Time • In on-time Delivery • Enhanced Customer Satisfaction and improvement in product quality. Purdue University Fort Wayne. • Improvement in Student Experience and Quality of Life. • Achievement of Student Wellness Functional Requirements and improvements in student retention and four and five year graduation rates. Achievement of Student Success Functional Requirements and improvements in student retention and four and five year graduation rates. There are three main objectives of this thesis: (1) Apply and contrast the application of Collective System Design principles across a manufacturing industrial client and a service enterprise, namely higher education (2) Offer a systematic approach for manufacturing to improve on-time delivery, enhance customer satisfaction, create positive tone by using the principles of Collective System Design, and (3) For academia, develop a System Design Decomposition to define the functions of the university to foster student wellness according to four viewpoints: academic, financial, career, and living wellness. The objective is to incorporate the development of a System Design Decomposition that provides methodology to ensure that student wellness outcomes consider the four viewpoints of wellness (Academic, Financial, Career, and Living). The Student Success Standard Process Lifecycle defines standard processes in all process steps that will facilitate the desired student experience and four wellness outcomes. The lifecycle consists of Student Success States where the lifecycle begins from S0 (learning about university) to S7 (Supportive alumni) and defines standard process steps in each state. Each standard process step seeks to achieve the Functional Requirements from the four wellness viewpoints (academic, financial, career, and living) in Student Success Standard Process Lifecycle. The Collective System Design Decomposition methodology will serve as a structured approach to defining desired student wellness outcomes within a Rapid Design Process, which takes place in the first session focusing on defining outcomes. By leveraging this framework of four wellness viewpoints, the thesis aims to address issues with defining the outcomes for academic, financial, career, and living wellness viewpoints. Each wellness viewpoint has specific Functional Requirements (outcomes) that need to be defined and achieved by Student Success Standard Process Lifecycle and Rapid Design Process, to ultimately enhance student success and well-being at Purdue Fort Wayne University.

Degree Type

• Master of Science
• Electrical and Computer Engineering

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• Systems engineering