Doing a Master's Dissertation in TESOL and Applied Linguistics

Lindy Woodrow

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780429995774
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Sprachen & Linguistik
• Subtopic: Sprachwissenschaft

Doing a Master's Dissertation in TESOL and Applied Linguistics is a practical guide for master's students tackling research and research writing for the first time. Structured for use in class or as part of an independent study, and divided into the four stages of designing, researching, writing up and submitting a dissertation, this book:

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• carefully guides readers from the very beginning of producing a research proposal, all the way through to assessment procedures and the provisions for resubmission;

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• covers publishing your dissertation and applying for higher research degrees, including funding;

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• addresses all the most fundamental concerns students have about master's dissertations, including how to choose a topic and conducting a literature review;

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• draws upon examples from master's dissertations from the UK, US and Australia and provides numerous 'how-to' tables and checklists; and

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• includes activities and resources to facilitate master's research and dissertation writing, as well as FAQs and solutions at the end of each chapter.

Tailormade for MA students in TESOL or Applied Linguistics, this book is essential reading for students on these degrees around the world as well as for their supervisors and programme directors.

1
INTRODUCTION

This chapter defines a dissertation and outlines the purposes of a dissertation from both the university and the student viewpoint. It covers reasons for the dissertation that students may not have considered, such as providing a pathway for future study and publication.

The chapter makes suggestions for using the book and an outline of the sections of this book.

1.1 What is a dissertation?

According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s dictionary a dissertation is “a long piece of writing on a particular subject especially one for a degree or diploma” (https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/). In British and Australian English, a dissertation refers to the document produced for a master’s degree, while a thesis refers to the document produced for doctoral degrees. In the US these terms are reversed, with a thesis referring to master’s study and a dissertation referring to the result of doctoral programme.

At most universities a dissertation is required to qualify for a master’s degree. The dissertation is a text of around 15,000 words and is usually based on a piece of original research. Although alternative tasks may be acceptable, such as a literature review or a body of work, the educational principal underlying these is the same. The dissertation is sometimes referred to as a ‘capstone’ activity because it should push the student’s academic thinking to a higher level than is required for usual assignment work, thus allowing the student to reach his/her maximum potential. The time allowed for a dissertation is typically around six months to a year, including related research methodology course-work, and the dissertation is typically worth around one third of the total degree. At some universities the dissertation is the basis for 100% of the degree assessment.

A dissertation is very different from the other types of assessment tasks for a master’s degree in TESOL or applied linguistics, and this is the main reason that students find the dissertation challenging. The main difference between an assignment and a dissertation is the level of freedom. In the dissertation component of the degree the student has a great deal of freedom concerning the content of the dissertation. Lecturer input is minimal because the student is expected to be independent; however, it must adhere to the recognised skills and norms expected in research. Table 1.1 presents a generalised view of the major differences between course-work assignments and dissertations. It should be remembered that coursework assignments can be extremely varied, this is especially true on master’s degrees that have a strong professional focus.

Dissertation alternatives might include a literature review based on published works that reflect current thinking and research in a given area; a body of work, such as a needs analysis for a English course for a given group of learners; or a developed course and materials for a given group of learners. Students may choose the type of capstone activity they would like to do, and this decision would be informed by their personal and academic goals, such as using the work for professional purposes or progressing to a higher research degree. This book focuses on the research-based dissertation as this is the most common type of task for master’s students in TESOL and applied linguistics.

TABLE 1.1 The major differences between a master’s course-work assignment and a dissertation

1.2 The purpose of the dissertation

The purpose of the dissertation may be viewed from two perspectives: that of the university and that of the student. From the university’s perspective the master’s dissertation is an essential part of the assessment of a master’s degree; it is what distinguishes the master’s degree from other qualifications. The dissertation is designed to meet higher learning objectives attributable to postgraduates. From the university’s point of view the dissertation can be viewed as evidence of a student’s capability to do research, it can therefore be viewed as a basic qualification to do research. The dissertation is a learning task designed to extend a student’s knowledge and skills acquired through the taught element of the master’s course.

From the student’s perspective the dissertation is typically worth around one third of the total marks of a master’s degree, so it is necessary not to fail the dissertation in order to pass the degree. The dissertation may be important to a student for career purposes. If a student wishes to pursue further studies, such as a higher research degree like a PhD or Master’s by Research, then the grade on the dissertation is extremely important as it demonstrates the student’s research capability. It is also worth mentioning that funding for research is largely informed by course grades, in particular, the research component of the degree.

The dissertation can be important to students who wish to implement change in the teaching and learning of languages in their own setting. Action research plays a vital role in developing knowledge and the application of research into language learning. From a more psychological viewpoint doing a dissertation can be a very challenging but satisfying. Most students experience a great sense of achievement upon completion of this research component of the master’s degree.

Task 1.1

• What do you think are the purposes of a dissertation?
• What does the dissertation mean to you personally?
• What attributes do you think master’s graduates should possess?

1.3 Managing the dissertation process

For most master’s students, the dissertation process is a new type of learning activity. Most students have experience of the process of completing academic assignments. While there are many different types of academic assignments, students are very familiar with written essay type assignments. Most students have written such academic texts since their schooldays. Typically, a course-work assignment involves answering a question or discussing a topic presented by the lecturer, completing reading based on a set reading list, taking notes and constructing a written account including a critical perspective. With the dissertation the student needs to choose the literature and construct an argument based on topic of his/her own choice. The student needs to select and use research methods to collect data.

Many students underestimate the demands of the dissertation component of the master’s degree. It is important to remember that the dissertation is usually the equivalent of three master’s modules or units and is typically worth 60 credits. This amounts to 600 hours of study time, with most of this time being independent study (www.postgrad.com/uk_student_schedule/).

TABLE 1.2 Time management diary template

Time management is often an issue with the dissertation. Students may decide to put off work on the dissertation until after they have completed all their coursework assignments. Some decide to take a holiday at the end of the taught component. This can be disastrous for the dissertation as there is insufficient time left to complete the study and make a good job of writing the dissertation. The best way to deal with time management is to plan academic tasks on a calendar. Table 1.2 presents an example of a template that can help with time management for the dissertation. The table can be used to plan stages of the dissertation and list deadlines. There is also a column for recording how the student is feeling, which can be informative. In the supervision column, as well as dates and tasks, it is a good idea to list outcomes and agreed tasks after each meeting. This is discussed more fully in Chapter 6 on Supervision.

For those that prefer to work electronically there are several apps available for phones that can help with time management by having to do lists, diaries and reminders. Some examples of these are given at the end of this chapter.

Managing the dissertation from a psychological point of view is important too. Nearly every student will experience a certain level of stress, as there is usually too much work for the time available. Some students experience a lack of confidence believing independent study and a dissertation is beyond their capabilities. This is referred to as ‘imposter syndrome’, where the students fear they may be discovered as being inadequate to the job in hand. This can lead to anxiety, which interferes with cognitive processes. Another issue is perfectionism. In this case the student wants the dissertation to be perfect and believes it can never be good enough; this can lead to procrastination.

One activity that can be very helpful with research and writing the dissertation is keeping a research diary. This is a private diary that records thoughts and activities related to the research process. This is discussed in more detail in Chapter 8. Cabraal (2013) has an excellent blog on the reasons to keep a research diary and how to go about it.

Completing a dissertation can be a rewarding experience with students experiencing a great sense of achievement at the end of the process. This satisfaction is increased because of the independent element, which promotes ownership of the study and text. However, there are bound to be low points during the dissertation process; it is worth remembering these will be matched by high points, therefore it is useful to record mood and psychological states during the dissertation process. The dissertation should be set as a goal that is systematically completed and duly celebrated upon completion.

This book offers advice on designing and executing a master’s research project and provides guidelines on how to write a dissertation. The book uses examples taken from recent TESOL and applied linguistics master’s dissertations in the UK, Australia and USA. The advice in this book is not intended to be prescriptive, as it is important to remember that requirements and expectations for academic work vary between universities and academic departments, so it is essential that the dissertation is informed by institutional norms. To achieve this the student must read the dissertation guidelines thoroughly, understand the assessment criteria used and examine past dissertations. Gaining a deep understanding of the requirements of the dissertation and asking questions about the norms and expectations of the dissertation is frequently referred to in this book. This approach is based on an academic literacies view (Lea and Street, 1998) common in current English for Academic Purposes (EAP) research. This theoretical perspective is based on the notion that excellence in academic writing is based on context and that literacy is plural rather than unitary. So, for example, an essay written for a chemistry assignment and one written for a TESOL assignment are very different.

Task 1.2

• Find the guidelines for the dissertation from your department.
• What are the objectives of the dissertation?
• How is the dissertation assessed?
• Looking at some examples of good dissertations, what do you think makes a good dissertation?

1.4 How to use this book

This book follows the process of producing a dissertation from generating an idea, to writing the dissertation and options after examination. Part I addresses the design of the research; Part II is concerned with the process of collecting and analysing data; Part III focuses on the writing of the dissertation and Part IV discusses the examination of the dissertation. For this reason the chapters are able to stand alone. Some issues, such as assessment criteria, editing checklists and useful websites, are referred to in several chapters so it is not necessary to start at the beginning and read to the end. This book includes a great number of tables and figures designed to help with the thinking and execution of research and writing, such as the time management template in this chapter.

Each chapter includes tasks to highlight points and advice given. These can be completed with a ...