Research proposal

A written presentation of an intended study specifying the title, background of the study, the statement of the problem, research purpose, and objectives, research questions / hypotheses, justification / significance of the study, scope and the coverage of the study. It also includes the literature about the study as well as the methodology that will be used to collect, analyse and interpret the results as well as the references, budget and work plan.  (15 pages for Masters and 25 pages) as it teaches summary skills in students.

Title of the study

It should be the summery of the study. It should indicate both the dependent and the independent variables. It should be accurate and clearly reflect the scope and the content of the study. It should be concise so as to make one understand the way its variables interrelate. Its key words should be its key variables. It must be meaningful and academic in nature. It should be sufficiently original and should not have any object able duplication. It should not be more than 20 words.

Background of the study

It is a rational of the study providing the evidence and conditions of the exiting situations to make the reader feel the urgency of the problem and the need to study it in order to solve it or contribute to its solution and it should be about 600 words.

Statement of the problem

This refers to the problem that has been detected and needs a solution in practical or theoretical world. It should clearly state the nature of the problem and its known or estimated magnitude / extend. It should provide real problem and not situations surrounding the problem. The student should state in concrete terms the exact problem that exists within specified area of interest. It should indicate the elements which constitute variables identified under the conceptual back ground and it should indicate how such elements interact to cause a problem. There must be evidence that the stated problem is rooted into back ground. The statement should be focused and should have indications of logical, sequential and coherent presentations and it should not be more than one page.

General Objective

This refers to the general intention of the research. It should clearly spell out what the research is supposed to achieve. The purpose should not be a reproduction of the title but should be a summary of the statement of the problem.

Specific Objectives of the study

These are the aims that arise directly from the general objective of the study. For each objective you must have a method that you will use to attempt to achieve it. Consider the following;

a. Are the objectives rooted in the problem statement

b. Do they match with the elements which constitute the problem area

c. Do they measure such elements against what is ideal

d. Can they be testable

e. Are they stated in a form which portrays them as objectives (SMART)

f. Are they arranged in a coherent manner

Research Hypothesis

These are investigative assumptions that guide the study. These are tentative gasses about whatever is being studied. They emanate from statement of the problems. They are ideas or guess works to be subjected to the process of confirmation or verification at P≤0.05. They should be testable and should be harmonized with objectives of the study. They should be stated in a manner that will attract intended data and should not be ambiguous.

Some forms of hypothesis include;

a. The administrative style in early missionary schools was authoritarian

b. Boys perform better than girls in Mathematics in secondary schools

c. Children’s intellectual ability is related to their athletic ability

d. Poor performance in Introductory Computer Technology is due to poor academic qualifications of the Introductory Computer Technology teachers

Scope of the study

Scope provides the boundary of the research in terms of content, sample size as well as geographical and theoretical framework.

Significance / justification of the study

This refers to the relevance of the study in terms of some academic contributions and practical use that might be made of the findings. It should reflect on the knowledge creation, technology used or the socioeconomic value to the community. It should indicate for whom the researcher is important to and its value to other groups of people. The ways in which the findings of the study can advance knowledge in discipline should be stated.