Writing a research proposal in english language education

Marham Jupri Hadi English Language Eduation
Unversity of Nahdlatul Wathan Mataram
Supplementary Reading to Writing a Research Proposal and Research Report 1
WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION
(A draft)
Marham Jupri Hadi, M.Ed
(Presented in Undergraduate Thesis Writing Workshop for Students of English Language
Education, Teaching in Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Nahdlatul
Wathan Mataram. Mataram, April 4 2016)
Abstract
Proposal Writing has been a major issue especially encountered by students at
undergraduate degree. Many of them are unfamiliar with the process of
writing of a research proposal despite the fact that they have done a research
method subjects earlier prior to proposing a research project. Such
unfamiliarity leads to confusion and inability to start writing their proposal
irrespective the availability of thesis supervisors. This article attempts to
highlights some key ideas which are worth learning by those undertaking
undergraduate thesis so that they can start working on their proposal quickly.
Further, this is not meant to replace any available guidance provided by
faculties or universities, rather it acts as an additional reading material which
represents the perspective of the writer.
A. Research Proposal
Research proposal is defined in a number of different ways and each higher education
institution has its own set definition. The following is an example of how University of
Birmingham (2016) has defined a research proposal.
“A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed
research. It sets out the central issues or questions that you intend to address.
It outlines the general area of study within which your research falls,
referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the
topic. It also demonstrates the originality of your proposed research”
The length of proposal might vary from “five pages and certainly no more than fifteen
pages” (McGranaghan, 2014). According to a guideline published by University of
Birmingham (2016), the proposal length should normally around 2,500 words. It could also
range from 1,000 to 3,000 words (The University of Nottingham, n.d)

The primary aim to writing a research proposal is to “to describe what you will do, why it
should be done, how you will do it and what you expect will result” (McGranaghan, 2014)
B. Components of Research Proposals
Your Research proposal should include the following components:
- Title
- Abstract
- Research Context (Background)
- Research Questions
- Significance of Research
- Research Methods
- References
Another explanation regarding what a research proposal contains is provided by the
University of Nottingham in its website (n.d). A research proposal should contain the
following aspects:
 an introduction to the proposal, identifying the subject for research in terms of
theoretical issues and relevant empirical applications
 a review of relevant literature and theories relating to your proposed research area
that shows you understand the major lines of argument that have been developed and
the ideas and findings of key researchers working on your topic
 an indication of the research methods you will use and the form and location of any
empirical work you plan to undertake; where and for how long might you collect any
relevant data? For example:
1. outline the sources of information you might need
2. comment on the geographical area in which the study will take place – what are
the advantages and disadvantages of this choice?
3. discuss the subjects of your research – individuals? Groups? Companies? And
why?
 an indication on how you envisage your research will contribute to debates and
discussions in your particular subject area. Will it make an original contribution?
How might it fill gaps in existing work or extend understanding of particular topics?
C. Quantitative Research Proposal
1. Suggested quantitative research proposal
Title page:
Abstract
Acknowledgement
Contents page
Chapter 1. Introduction

A. Background of the Study (Research Context)
B. Problems identification
C. Limitation of Problems
D. Research Questions
E. Research Objectives (aims)
F. Research Significance (contribution)
Chapter 2. Literature Review
A. Definition of Key Terms
B. Relevant (related/ previous) studies
C. Hypothesis
D. Research Framework
Chapter 3. Research Methodology
A. Research Method and Justification
B. Variables
C. Population, and sample
D. Instruments
E. Verifying instruments validity and reliability (optional)
F. Methods of Collecting Data
G. Methods of Analyzing Data
H. Timetable
References
Appendices
2. Structure of Quantitative Research Report
Title page:
Abstract
Acknowledgement
Contents page
A. Background of the Study (Research Context)
B. Problems identification
C. Limitation of Problems
D. Research Questions
E. Research Aims (Objectives)
F. Research Significance (contribution)/ significance of the study
G. Summary (optional)
Chapter 2. Literature Review
B. Definition of Key Terms
C. Relevant (related/ previous) studies
D. Hypothesis
E. Research Framework
F. Summary (optional)

A. Research Method and Justification
B. Variables
C. Population, and sample
D. Instruments
E. Verifying instruments validity and reliability (optional)
F. Methods of Collecting Data
G. Methods of Analyzing Data
H. Timetable
I. Summary (optional)
Chapter 4. Findings / results and discussion
A. Findings
B. Discussion
C. Summary (optional)
Chapter 5. Conclusions
A. Conclusion
B. Recommendation
References
Appendices
D. Qualitative Research Format
1. Suggested Proposal Format for qualitative research proposal
Title
Abstract
Contents
List of Tables
List of figures
A. Background of the study (Research Bacground/ contex)
B. Statement of the problem (Research questions/ research focus)
C. Purposes of the study (Reseach Objectives/ aims)
D. Significance of the study (Research significance/ contribution)
E. Summary (optional)
Chapter 2. Review of related literature (Literature Review)
B. Relevant Studies (Previous Studies)
C. Summary (optional)

A. Research Approach
B. Setting (Description of Setting and Participants)
C. Source of Data
D. Methods for Collecting Data
E. Instrument
F. Methods for Analyzing Data
G. Checking Data Validity and Reliability
H. Timetable
I. Summary (optional)
References
Appendices
2. Suggested format for writing qualitative research report (thesis)
Title
Abstract
Contents
List of Tables
List of figures
A. Background of the study (Research Bacground/ contex)
B. Statement of the problem (Research questions/ research focus)
C. Purpose of the study (Reseach Objectives/ aims)
D. Significance of the study (Research significance/ contribution)
E. Summary
Chapter 2. Review of related literature (Literature Review)
B. Relevant Studies (Previous Studies)
C. Summary
A. Research Approach/ method and Justification
B. Setting (Description of Setting and Participants)
C. Population (types and sources of data)
D. Methods for Collecting Data
E. Instrument
F. Methods for Analyzing Data
G. Checking Data Validity and Reability
H. Timetable
I. Summary
Chapter 4. Findings and Discussion
A. Participants

B. Findings
C. Discussion
D. Summary
Chapter 5. Conclusion
A. Conclusion
B. Recommendation
References
Appendices
E. Research Topics and Titles in ELT
The following are research title instances which employed different research approaches.
1. Qualitative research methods
- Vocabulary Teaching and Learning in Taiwan (Chiu, 1994)1
- An Exploration of Listening Factors & Listening Strategies Used By Chinese
Postgraduate Students in L" Academic Lectures (Ching, 2010)
2. Quantitative research methods
- The use of video in English language teaching: A case study in a Norwegian lower
secondary school (Lialikhova, 2014)
- Boosting speaking skills through English Debating
3. Research and Development (R&D)
Developing Speaking materials for Islamic Boarding Schools
Developing Web Based Lesson
Here are other examples of research topics and titles, adapted from Hadi (2016)
Topic ICT in English Language Teaching and learning
Title - Using blogs to promote writing skill
- Enriching vocabulary through online game
Topic Motivation in Language Learning
Title - Factors discouraging learners to speak English in the classroom
- What encourage learners to keep speaking English outside the class?
Topic Teaching Methods to Improve Language Skills
Title - Promoting speaking skills and high order thinking skills by using debate
- Shadowing Technique to Improve Pronunciation and Speaking Pace
1
Complete list of Masters Dissertations
(https://www.essex.ac.uk/langling/documents/research/ma_dissertations.pdf

- Direct feedbacks to Improve Writing Skill
F. Writing Research Questions
It is research questions which “guides and centers your research, thus it should be clear and
focused” (Duke University, n.d), Research questions “often starts with a Why, How, or
What” (Marchant, 2008). The following are some instance of research questions taken from
Borg’s study (2006)
Research title: Research Engagement in English Language Teaching
Research questions:
1. What are the characteristics of ‘research’ according to ELT teachers?
2. To what extent do teachers say they read published research?
a. What impact do they believe this reading has on their practices?
b. Where teachers do not read research, what reasons do they cite?
3. To what extent do teachers say they do research?
a. What are their reasons for engaging in research?
b. Where teachers do not do research, what reasons do they cite?
4. What are teachers’ perceptions of their institutional culture in relation to research?
5. How do these perceptions relate to teachers ‘research engagement?
6. Do teachers’ experience and qualifications relate to the degree of research
engagement they report?
Here is example of research questions adapted from a qualitative study conducted by
Samira Al Hosni (2014). She studied about “Speaking Difficulties Encountered by Young
EFL Learners”. ”. Two questions were asked in this study, namely:
1. What are the main speaking difficulties encountered by grade 5 students in basic
education schools in Oman ?
2. What are the factors that contribute to the existence of these speaking difficulties?
Another example of research questions from Gan’s study (2012) is:
What English speaking problems did one group of ESL learners
experience during an English language education program at a
tertiary teacher training institution in Hong Kong?”
In regards to quantitative studies, the research questions asked by the researchers can be
as follows:
1. To what extent does the Debate Technique develop students’ English speaking ability?
2. What are students’ perceptions towards the use of Debate Technique learning in the
classroom? (Somjai & Jansem, 2015).

However, for research employing mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative
approaches), the research questions can be as the following examples:
1. How did the students find the classroom debate experience?
2. Did the students believe that classroom debate help them improve critical thinking skills
and oral communication ability? (Zare & Othman, 2015)
G. Writing Research Objectives
H. Research Scope
I. What is Literature Reviews
Let us have a look at varied definitions about literature reviews.
A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject
area, and sometimes information in a particular subject area within a
certain time period. A literature review can be just a simple summary of the
sources, but it usually has an organizational pattern and combines both
summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information
of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that
information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine
new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression
of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the
literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most
pertinent or relevant (UNC, n.d)2
The review of literature must:
 define the key terms and concepts,
 describe relevant theories
 present earlier research concerning the issue3
Why do we have to write a literature review? The following explanation would answer this question.
Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic. If
you have limited time to conduct research, literature reviews can give you
an overview or act as a stepping stone. For professionals, they are useful
reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field. For
scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the
credibility of the writer in his or her field. Literature reviews also provide a
solid background for a research paper’s investigation. Comprehensive
2
UNC (2014) Literature Reviews. (Online) Retrieved 31 March 2016. Available at:
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/literature-reviews/
3
MA in ELT thesis information http://delp.elte.hu/MAinELTthesisinfo.htm

knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most research papers
(UNC, 2014).
Literature reviews section can be organized into introduction, body and conclusion way
as it is similar to most other academic papers (UNC, 2014).
“Introduction: Gives a quick idea of the topic of the literature review, such
as the central theme or organizational pattern. Body: Contains your
discussion of sources and is organized chronologically, thematically, or
methodologically. Conclusions/Recommendations: Discuss what you have
drawn from reviewing literature so far. Where might the discussion
proceed?
Writing a literature review section would be a challenging task for most students. Wong
(n.d) summarizes some difficulties which students normally encounter when writing a
literature review. These include:
- Lacking organization and structure
- Lacking focus, unity and coherence
- Being repetitive and verbose
- Failing to cite influential papers
- Failing to keep up with recent developments
- Failing to critically evaluate cited papers
- Citing irrelevant or trivial references
- Depending too much on secondary sources
J. Referencing Styles
There are a number of different referencing styles which are commonly used in academic
works. However, American Psychological Association (APA) appears to be the most widely
used to cite sources in social science (Purdue OWL, 2016), including in English Language
Teaching (ELT).
K. Process of Writing Literature Reviews
L. Avoiding plagiarism in citation
M. Selecting a Research method
“The Method section is very important because it tells your Research
Committee how you plan to tackle your research problem. It will
provide your work plan and describe the activities necessary for the
completion of your project”.(Wong, n.d)
N. Timetable

REFERENCES
Al Hosni, S. (2014) Speaking Difficulties Encountered by Young EFL Learners. International
Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL) Volume 2, Issue 6 June
2014, PP 22-30
Borg, S (2006) Research Engagement in English Language Teaching. Teaching and Teacher
Education 23 (2007) 731–747
Duke Universtity (n.d) What Makes a Good Research Question. Retrieved from
http://twp.duke.edu/uploads/media_items/research-questions.original.pdf.
Gan, Z. (2012). Understanding L2 Speaking Problems: Implications for ESL Curriculum
Development in a Teacher Training Institution in Hong Kong. Australian Journal of
Teacher Education Volume 37 Issue 1 http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2012v37n1.4
Lialikhova, D. (2014) The Use of Video in English Language Teaching: A Case Study in a
Norwegian Lower Secondary School: A Master Thesis. Retrieved from
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/198779
Hadi, M.J (2016) Cara Mudah Menulis Skripsi (A book Draft). Lombok, Berugak Alam Institute
Marchant, C (2008) A Guide to Writing your Masters Dissertation. School of Management and
Languages. Retrieved from
http://www2.hw.ac.uk/sml/postgraduate/downloads/dissertations/dissertationguide.pdf
McGranaghan, M. (2014) Guidelines on Writing a Research Proposal. Retrieved from
https://www2.hawaii.edu/~matt/proposal.html
Somjai, S.; Jansem, A. (2015) The Use of Debate Technique to Develop Speaking Ability of
Grade Ten Students at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School. International Journal of
Technical Research and Applications e-ISSN: 2320-8163, PP.27-31
The University of Nottingham (n.d) How to Write a Research Proposal. Retrieved from
https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/how-to-apply/how-to-write-a-research-proposal.aspx
University of Birmingham (2016) How to Write a Research Proposal. Retrieved from
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/law/courses/research/research-proposal.aspx
Purdue Online Writing Lab (2016) APA Style. Retrieved from
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
Wong, P. T. P (n.d) How to Write a Research Proposal. Retrieved from
http://www.meaning.ca/archives/archive/art_how_to_write_P_Wong.htm

Zare, P.; Othman, M. (2015) Students’ Perceptions toward Using Classroom Debate to Develop
Critical Thinking and Oral Communication Ability. Asian Social Science; Vol. 11, No. 9;
2015 ISSN 1911-2017 E-ISSN 1911-2025

Writing a research proposal in english language education

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