ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES

NOMINATION OF SUPERVISORS
APPLICATION FOR PROPOSAL DEFENCE
SUBMISSION OF DISSERTATION

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Structure II

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES

NOV 2015
INTRODUCTION

1. For successful completion of the Doctor of Education (EdD)

degree, a student must complete the required coursework and
undertake a research leading to a dissertation. The student will be
awarded the degree once the dissertation is examined and
accepted by the University.

A maximum period of 8 years is given to complete the EdD degree

programme.

If this period lapses, the student has to submit, in writing, an

application for extension to the Dean Faculty of Education and
Languages. Extension may be granted based on a case-by-case
basis. A student can request for an extension only once. A
recurring fee will be charged to keep the candidature active.

2. A student should complete the required coursework, obtaining a

CGPA of at least 3.00, before proceeding to the Concept Paper
stage (HPEF7090).

If a student does not obtain at least a CGPA of 3.00, he/she should

repeat or redeem some of the courses, at the discretion of the
Faculty Of Education And Languages. It is recommended that
coursework be completed within 2 years from the date of admission
into the programme. The concept paper is recommended to be
completed in 1 semester.

NOMINATION OF SUPERVISOR

3. A student must nominate a supervisor after successfully completing

and passing the concept paper.

To begin the Dissertation stage (proposal writing), a student has to

register for HPDT7100-1 and submit a Nomination of Supervisor
form (PGR01) together with a synopsis of the intended study.

The aspects to be covered in the synopsis are:

(i) Topic
(ii) Objectives of the study
(iii) Research questions
(iv) Significance of the study
(v) Methodology
Population & sample/Participants PGR01
Research design and data collection
Suggested data analysis

The synopsis and the PGR01 form should be submitted to:

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 Faculty Of Education And Languages
Open University Malaysia
Jalan Tun Ismail
50480 Kuala Lumpur

Based on the synopsis, the Faculty Postgraduate Studies Academic

Committee will review the proposed research area and the
compatibility of the supervisor nominated by the student. The name
of the supervisor and the title of the proposed study will then be
submitted to the University Academic Management Committee
(MJPAU) for final approval and endorsement before a letter of offer
is issued to the supervisor. A student may nominate more than one
supervisor.

Note: The approval given at this stage is for the nomination of the
supervisor(s), NOT for the research topic.

The supervisor(s) should NOT be in any way closely related to

the student.

4.
Once appointed, the supervisor will assist the student in:

(a)Preparing a proposal for the intended study;

(b)Conducting the research; and
(c) Completing the thesis.

During this period, the supervisor and the student are required to
follow the Academic Guidelines: Guide to Proposal and
Dissertation Writing provided by the university.

5. The student is allowed to apply for a change of supervisor with valid PGR02
reasons. Submit the Change of Supervisor form (PGR02).

Throughout the duration of the thesis stage, the student is to PGR03

submit to the Faculty of Education And Languages a progress
report (PGR03) through the supervisor(s) at the end of every
semester.

APPLICATION FOR PROPOSAL DEFENCE

6. Once the proposal is ready, the student must submit the PGR10
Application for Proposal Defence form (PGR10). The application
must be accompanied by a comprehensive proposal evaluation
report by the supervisor (PGR12-1). The student needs to submit PGR12-1
FOUR (4) copies of the proposal to Faculty of Education and
Languages.

7. A proposal will be examined within THREE (3) months of the date

of submission of the Application for Proposal Defence by two
assessors. Written reports are to be submitted to the Faculty of PGR11-1

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 Education and Languages by the assessors (Proposal
Assessment Report PGR11-1) A date and venue will be fixed for
the student to give an oral presentation.

8. Students are responsible for getting EPRD (Ministry of Education) BPPDP 1

clearance for research involving public schools in Malaysia. The
application may be filed when a proposal has been submitted for
the Proposal Defence.
The EPRD form can be downloaded from:

http://einspem.upm.edu.my/v1/images/penyelidik/borang_bppdp1
_malay.pdf

9. The outcome of the Proposal Defence will be:

Minor Modifications or
Major Modifications

For minor modifications, the student can proceed to the data

collection stage. PGR11-3

For major modifications, the student has to make corrections and PGR11-3
get endorsement (Proposal Correction Report PGR11-3) from the
supervisor before he/she can proceed to the data collection stage.
The student is to submit the revised proposal together with the PGR11-1
Proposal Correction form (Proposal Correction Report PGRR11-3)
to the Faculty of Education and Languages.

SUBMISSION OF DISSERTATION

10. A student whose proposal is accepted will continue with dissertation

(Report Writing) stage (HPDT7100-2).

11. When the dissertation final report is almost complete, the student PGR06
must submit the Notice of Dissertation Submission form (PGR06).
The notice should be submitted THREE (3) months before the
intended date of dissertation submission. The notice must be
accompanied by a research abstract and a receipt for payment of
dissertation examination fees.

12. Upon completion of the dissertation, the student must submit a PGR07
Confirmation of Dissertation Submission form (PGRR07) together
with FIVE (5) soft-bound printed copies of the dissertation to
Faculty Of Education And Languages. The PGRR07 form must be
endorsed by the supervisor and be accompanied by a PGR12-2
comprehensive evaluation report (Dissertation Supervisors
Report PGR12-2) by the supervisor.

13. Two examiners (at least one external) will be appointed by the
Faculty Postgraduate Studies Academic Committee and endorsed
by MJPAU. Appointment letters will be sent to the examiners
together with the dissertation.

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14. The dissertation will be vetted within SIX (6) months of the date of
submission of the Confirmation of Thesis/Dissertation Submission
(PGR07).

15. Upon receiving all Examiners Reports, the Dissertation

Examination Committee comprising the Chairperson, and two
examiners will convene and invite the student for Viva Voce. In
order for the Viva Voce to be convened, at least one examiner must
be physically present.

At the end of the Viva Voce, the Committee will communicate its
16. decision to the student by filling in the Chairperson Report (Viva)
PGR09-1. PGR09-1

The Committee will make one of the following recommendations:

Dissertation acceptable for the Doctoral Degree

Dissertation acceptable for the Doctoral Degree subject to
minor modifications being made
Dissertation acceptable for the Doctoral Degree subject to
major modifications being made
Dissertation requires re-submission for the Doctoral Degree
Dissertation is rejected with no right of revision or re-
submission

For a dissertation that requires re-submission, the student will be PGR07

given 12 months. During this period, the student has to register and
rewrite the dissertation under the guidance of a supervisor and then
submit the Confirmation of Dissertation Submission form (PGR07) PGR01
for a second time.

The student may opt for a new supervisor and resubmit a

Nomination of Supervisor form (PGR01).

For a dissertation that requires major correction, the student will be PGR09-2
given 6 months. During this period, the student must register and
submit a soft-bound copy of the amended dissertation within the 6-
month period together with a Post Viva Correction Report (PGR09-
2).

For a dissertation that requires minor corrections, the student will

be given 3 months. The student need not register but need only
submit a soft-bound copy of the amended dissertation within the 3-
month period together with a Post Viva Correction Report (PGR09-
2).

17. If a student fails to adhere to the time frame of dissertation

submission, the dissertation is deemed have been rejected.
However, the student may write to the Dean Faculty of Education
And Languages to apply for a 60-day extension if he/she has a
valid reason to do so.

If the amendments suggested by the Examination Committee are

not adhered to, a Post Viva Reviewer Report (PGR09-3) will be PGR09-3
prepared and submitted to the Dean Faculty Of Education And

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 Languages for further action.

18 When the final version of the thesis is approved by the

university, the student needs to submit ONE (1) Acroline
BLACK hardbound copy and ONE (1) soft copy (in the form
of a CD) of the thesis.

19. When all programme requirements are satisfied, the student

will be conferred the degree.

The Process Flow for these procedures is presented in Figure 1 below.

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STRUCTURE II

Figure 1: Process Flow of EdD Programme

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 ACADEMIC GUIDELINES:

GUIDE TO PROPOSAL AND THESIS WRITING

Doctor of Education (EdD)

STRUCTURE II

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES

AUG 2014

INTRODUCTION

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Students pursuing the Doctor of Education (EdD) degree are to submit a dissertation for
examination as a requirement for the award of the degree. This entails the preparation of a
research proposal which is to be developed into a dissertation. This document provides
guidelines for writing the research proposal and the dissertation.

WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A research proposal is a document written to inform others (your supervisor or graduate

committee) of a proposed piece of research. You should be aware that a research proposal
can be rejected as unsatisfactory or poorly designed. So, the proposal is obviously an
important document. Therefore, it is imperative that you spend some time getting it right. A
well-planned proposal will save you a lot of time in the long run. If the proposal is well-
designed, it will form the outline of your final dissertation. In other words, the proposal maps
out the different parts of the final dissertation.

The format of the proposal varies from one institution to another. In Open University
Malaysia (OUM), the research proposal should map out the first three chapters of the
dissertation final report that will be written later. The three-chapter proposal with the relevant
appendices should clearly illustrate all the theoretical and methodological aspects of the
proposed study. A detailed proposal is required for two reasons to ensure that you are able
to proceed with your research work successfully and to ensure that there is adequate
information for a fair assessment.

The chapters with the headings and subheadings that are usually included in a proposal are
shown in Figure 1. Please note that the headings and subheadings in each chapter may vary
slightly for different disciplines.

CONTENTS OF A PROPOSAL

Chapter 1 Introduction

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The introduction should present the research problem or issue that you intend to study.
The first section in the introduction chapter is the background to the study. In this section,
you should provide a description of the background to the research problem or issue
that you intend to study. This should be as brief as possible. The background should be
clear and straight to the point. Describe the general field of research relating to the issue
and then narrow down to the specific area you are concerned with. It should provide a
lead-in to the research problem.
Discuss the issue that you intend to study in a problem statement and show that there
is an issue that needs to be addressed or a gap in the body of knowledge that you want
to fill. When you are able to identify the issue or gap, then the research questions will fall
in place naturally. Think of the Introduction as follows:

Imagine a group of academics discussing in general the area of study you are interested in. You
join in the conversation (assuming they allow you to!) and draw their attention to your specific
problem of interest. You tell them that there is something that has not been resolved or there is a
gap or problem. You argue that this gap or problem has to be addressed and go on to describe it
in detail. Then you tell your listeners the objectives of your study and how it will attempt to answer
the research questions.

In one or two statements, write the Chapter 1 Introduction

objectives of the study. Ask yourself what 1.1 Background to the study
you hope to uncover through your 1.2 Problem statement
research and then say it in a way that your 1.3 Objectives of the study
1.4 Research questions
colleagues will understand. Use simple
1.5 Research Hypotheses (if any)
and jargon-free language. In this section, 1.6 Significance of the study
you might want to elaborate on the 1.7 Limitations of the study
conceptual framework to further clarify 1.8 Definitions of terms
your objectives. Otherwise, you can have
an additional subsection on Research Chapter 2 Review of Literature
Design in Chapter 3 to explain the 2.1 Theoretical framework
conceptual framework of your study. 2.2 Previous studies
2.3 Methodological issues
The objectives are followed by research
Chapter 3 Methodology
questions. The research questions must 3.1 Research design
be in line with the objectives and should 3.1 Population and sample
indicate the variables under investigation. 3.1 Instrumentation
They should be clearly and 3.2 Data collection procedures
unambiguously framed as they will 3.3 Proposed framework for data
influence research methodology and the analysis
type of data analysis to be conducted. References
Include null hypotheses, if necessary. Appendices

Figure 1: Research Proposal Format

Briefly tell the reader the significance of the study (justify doing the study). You can
argue the significance of your study based on the following criteria:

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 o The problem or gap demands attention because the findings could influence
practice and policy;
o The methodology you are using is unusual;
o Certain variables you are studying have not been given attention in previous
studies;
o Your study will contribute to the body of knowledge in the field; and
o The outcome of your study could be the extension of a theoretical model
under study.

In other words, you should argue the significance of the study in terms of theory,
knowledge expansion and practice.
The limitations of the study refer to elements which are beyond the control of the
researcher. Outline the limitations in terms of the sample, data collection and/or data
analysis so that the reader is aware of the parameters of your study. Do not be
intimidated by the limitations of the study because it is not possible to expect every
research conducted to be perfect. They merely indicate to the reader that you are aware
of the limitations and that the findings should be interpreted in light of these limitations.
Provide operational definitions of key terms, especially the variables investigated in the
study. In this context, you should be aware of the distinction between a constitutive
definition and an operational definition. A constitutive definition is the dictionary type
of definition. This type of definition helps to convey the general meaning of a variable but
it is not precise enough for research purposes. You need to define the variables in your
study so that readers know exactly what is meant by the terms and so that other
researchers can replicate the research. This is only possible if you provide operational
definitions of the variables, and there are two types of operational definitions: measured
and experimental. A measured operational definition details the operations by which
researchers measure a variable. For example, intelligence may be operationally defined
as scores on the Standford-Binet Intelligence Scale. On the other hand, an experimental
operational definition details the steps a researcher takes to produce certain
experimental conditions. For example, the operational definition of concept mapping
strategy in a reading research study may take the form of a group of students reading
texts with the help of concept maps (experimental condition) and another group of
students reading texts without the help of concept maps (control condition).

Chapter 2: Review of Literature

The Review of Literature provides details on what other researchers have done in the area,
and what you propose to do. In this section, you need to cover the following:
The major theories, issues or schools of thought.
The gaps in the body of knowledge (in greater detail than that provided in the
introduction).
Research questions and/or hypotheses (for quantitative research) which are connected
carefully to the literature being reviewed.
Definition of key terms (this can be done when you introduce each idea, or in a definition
sub-section). You should provide the operational definitions of the key variables of your
study.
Methodological issues arising from the gaps relating to sampling, instrumentation, data
collection procedures and data analysis.

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 The theoretical framework, which can either form the first or the final part of the
Literature Review section. It describes the theoretical basis that you are using in
conducting your research.

Generally, this chapter provides a background for the development of your study and brings
the reader up to date about research and thinking in the field. It also gives evidence of your
knowledge of the field. You should avoid an article-by-article presentation but should indicate
areas of agreement or disagreement in findings or gaps in existing knowledge. Also, avoid
excessive use of quotations. Nothing is more tiresome or difficult to follow than a review of
literature that is merely an accumulation of quotations. In addition, you should rely more on
primary sources for your review. The literature reviewed should also be as recent as
possible.

Chapter 3: Methodology

This chapter describes the methodology used in great detail and with justifications of its use
over other similar methodologies. The following provides a detailed explanation what to be
included in each section of the chapter.

(i) Research design

In this section, you could explain
Why you are using a certain paradigm or theory.
Why you are using quantitative/qualitative/mixed method research.
Why you are using a case study of a specific kind.
Why you are using surveys, correlational studies, experiments, etc.
Why you are researching certain dependent, independent or moderating variables. You
might include the conceptual framework of the study if this is not done in Chapter 1.

(ii) Population and sample

It is here that you explain the size of the sample and how you select it. Indicate the extent to
which the sample is representative of the population. For example, you can explain the
following What is the composition of your sample? Are you going to use random sampling
or purposive sampling and why?

(iii) Instrumentation

You should include a clear description of the data collection techniques or instruments you
will use. For example, if your study is a survey, you have to explain how you design and
develop the questionnaire or interview checklist. Explain the number and types of items
included in the questionnaire. If you are going to use attitude scales, achievement tests and
other psychological tests; you have to give evidence regarding the reliability and validity of
the instruments. You should also describe the scoring procedures adopted for the
instruments used.

(iii) Data Collection Procedures

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You should provide a clear description of the procedures you use in collecting your data.
Among the various issues discussed in this section include the implementation of pilot
studies and the actual research procedures.

(iv) Framework of Data Analysis

This section elaborates on the techniques used in data analysis to obtain the information
required to answer the research questions. Ideally, you should explain how you will analyse
the data obtained under each research question. It would be helpful if you can present a
summary of your analytical framework using the following grid (Figure 2):

Objective Research Hypothesis (if Sources Types of Technique

Question any) of Data Data of Analysis

Figure 2: Summary of Analytical Framework

List of References
This must be provided in the usual scholarly fashion. It helps to convince your reader
that your proposal is worth pursuing if you can identify literature in the field and
demonstrate that you understand it.
Use the citation style proposed by the Manual of the American Psychological
Association (APA style for short).
Make sure that all materials cited in the text are also found in the list of references
and vice versa. This will reflect your academic honesty in producing the research
report.

Appendices
Include in this section all the relevant support materials especially the research instruments
that are to be used in the study. This will indicate to whoever assesses your proposal that
you are ready to embark on the intended research.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND DISSERTATION

FINAL REPORT

Note that while the proposal can be mapped onto the dissertation final report, much work still
needs to be done. The proposal merely provides the first three chapters of your dissertation.
The other two chapters need to be written once the research is done. Very often, there is
also a need to modify the three chapters submitted as your proposal without changing the
area and focus of your study. For example, you might have to realign your research
objectives and research questions so that they are more reflective of the research problem.
You might have to provide more detailed research and/or theoretical support for the study by
beefing up the chapter on literature review. You might have to make adjustments to your
write-up on sampling techniques, instrumentation, data collection procedures and data
analysis framework. This would involve making modifications to your chapter on

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methodology. Most importantly, you need to change the tenses used in the presentation of
the write-up, that is, from present and future tenses to past tenses. This is often overlooked
by learners.

WRITING THE DISSERTATION FINAL REPORT

The purpose of this section is to give you a general guide for preparing the dissertation final
report. The format discussed may vary with respect to the research design and approach
used for the study. See Figure 3 which shows the format adopted by OUM.

The dissertation final report can be viewed as a three-part document: Preliminary Section,
Body and Supporting Materials.

Preliminary Section

TITLE PAGE
DECLARATION
ABSTRACT
ABSTRAK
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES

Body of Research Report

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Problem Statement
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses (if any)
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Limitations of the Study
1.7 Definitions of Terms

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Theoretical framework
2.2 Previous Studies
2.3 Methodological Issues

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
3.1 Population and sample
3.2 Instrumentation
3.3 Data collection procedures
3.4 Framework for Data Analysis

CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

(Description of statistical analyses in relation to research questions/hypotheses/objectives and
presentation of relevant tables and figures)

CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Summary of Main Findings
5.2 Discussion
5.3 Implications
5.4 Directions for Future Research

Supporting Materials

REFERENCES
APPENDICES

Figure 3: Format of Final Dissertation

Part I: Preliminary Section

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The preliminary section consists of the title page, the abstract, acknowledgements, table of
contents, list of tables and figures. All pages in the preliminary section are to be numbered at
the centre of the bottom margin using lower-case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, etc.). The title
page should not be numbered.

(a) Title Page:

Although title pages may differ from one institution to another, they usually include the
following:

(i) Name of the topic,

(ii) Name of the author,
(iii) Relationship of the report to a degree requirement,
(iv) Name of the institution where it is to be submitted, and
(v) Year of presentation (see Appendix B).

The title should be concise and indicate clearly the purpose of the study. Keep in mind its
possible usefulness to another researcher who may search a database where your
dissertation may be listed. The title should not claim more than the study actually delivers. It
should not to be stated broadly and make it difficult for the reader to determine what the
study is about. For example, the title The Effects of Cooperative Learning on Mathematics
Achievement is too general and a more precise title would be The Effects of Cooperative
Learning on Mathematics Achievement of Form 2 Students in an Urban School . These
items should be written in Times New Roman font/16pt. The title should be in capital letters,
single-spaced and centred between the right and left margins of the page. If the title goes
beyond one line, the words in the title should be divided into lines so that each successive
line is shorter than the one above it and is centred below it in an inverted pyramid style (see
Appendix B).

(b) Declaration

The declaration is meant for the candidate to declare that the dissertation is the result of
his/her own work. The candidate should use the format provided by OUM. See Appendix C

(c) Abstract

The abstract is a short, one paragraph summary of the most important components of the
research study. It normally includes a brief statement of the problem, the objectives of the
study, the main research questions, the sample involved, the research design, the major
findings and their implications. The abstract should not be more than 500 words for a PhD
thesis and should be written in single spacing. OUM requires that you provide a translation
of your abstract in Bahasa Malaysia if you have written your report in English. Likewise,
provide the English translation of the abstract if the report is in Bahasa Malaysia. The
translated abstract should include the title as well.

(d) Acknowledgements

An acknowledgment page is included if you have received unusual assistance in the conduct
of the study. The acknowledgements should be simple and restrained. Do not indulge in
flattery and excessive recognition for routine participation of family members, lecturers,
supervisors, librarians and clerical helpers.

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(e) Table of Contents

The table of contents serves an important purpose in providing an outline of the contents of
the dissertation. Differentiate between headings and subheadings using capitalisation and
small letters. Page references for each topic should be indicated.

(f) List of Tables and Figures

If tables and figures are included in the dissertation, a separate section should be included to
list each table or figure. The full titles of figures and tables, worded exactly as they appear in
the text, should be presented with corresponding numbers and page locations.

The Acknowledgements, Table of Contents and List of Tables and Figures sections should
be presented using Times New Roman font/12pt.

Part II: Body of the Dissertation

Usually, the main sections of a dissertation are presented in five (5) chapters with the
various sections as detailed in Figure 3. The sections under each chapter may differ from
one study to another.

As shown in Figure 3, the body of the dissertation comprises 5 chapters. In some theses,
there are six chapters with the 5th chapter broken down into two chapters, one focusing on
Discussion and the other on Summary and Conclusion.

Since chapters 1 to 3 have been deliberated in the section on Writing A Research Proposal ,
the subsequent discussion will only focus on Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Results and
Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion.

Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Results

In this chapter, you present the analysis of the data obtained from the study. This is the heart
of the research report. For a quantitative study, tables and figures (e.g. graphs) are
commonly used to organise and present numerical data. Tables and figures are useful in
presenting an overall picture of the data as well as showing trends that have emerged from
the analysis. Describe all findings that are shown in the tables and figures in detail.

If you do a qualitative study, there will be less numerical data. Instead, your data would
consist of concepts, categories or themes which may be presented in table form. You would
also be presenting data in the form of anecdotes or excerpts of interviews, observations and
documents to support your arguments. For qualitative studies, The Qualitative Report is a
useful journal which presents reports of qualitative studies in education, nursing and
medicine.

For clarity, you may want to present your analysis and findings under each research
question. However, demographic data of the sample that are not findings of your research
questions should not be presented in this chapter. This information should ideally be
presented in chapter 3 under the heading sample.

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Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion

The last chapter comprises two parts. The first part includes a brief summary of the problem,
methodology and results. Focus should be on a summary of the main findings and it should
be as brief as possible. Some researchers present the main findings in the form of a list. The
second part is a discussion of the findings. Here, you identify and interpret the findings. Give
possible reasons why the results occurred. You could also provide reasons by referring to
the findings of previous research (This is where the studies cited in Chapter 2 are useful).
Explain how far your findings are similar to or different from those of previous research. You
should also relate your findings to the theory/theories upon which your study is based.
Because you are the one who conducted the study, you should have a deeper
understanding of the study compared to most readers. Thus, you are expected to discuss
the findings and to give your own opinion about the outcomes. Other important sections in
this chapter are implications of your findings and direction for future research.

One of the most common weaknesses found in the writing of graduate students is that their
reports present important and interesting findings but fail to provide a thoughtful
interpretation and discussion of the findings in relation to past research and existing theories.
On the other hand, there is the tendency for beginning researchers to over-generalise on the
basis of their limited data. Remember, your study is not attempting to change the whole
education system!

You should keep in mind that this chapter is the most used part of the research report by
other readers. Readers who scan research literature to find significant studies examine this
chapter before deciding whether or not further examination of the report is worthwhile
reading.

Part III: Supporting Materials

This section of the report comprises the References and Appendices. The formats of
references and appendices have been deliberated earlier in the section on research
proposal. However, you should make the necessary modifications to accommodate any new
references and/or new documents related to your research. You might also find some
references and documents irrelevant after conducting your research and they should be
removed. Such a refinement would definitely enhance the quality of your research report.

FORMAT OF DISSERTATION

Once you have completed your research and it has been approved by the examination
board of the university, the EdD student needs to submit:

ONE (1) Acroline BLACK hardbound copies of the dissertation and ONE (1) soft copy
(in the form of a CD).

Binding

The hardbound copies of the thesis submitted to the university should have the full title, the
name of the author and the University, and the year of submission typed on the front cover.
The title of the thesis should not be more than 16 words. The spine of the thesis should
show the brief title, author, year of submission and type of degree. The title of the thesis may
be abbreviated or summarised to fit the spine. Refer to Appendices A and B for an
example of the Front Cover and the Spine of a research report

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The letters for the front covers should be printed in gold of Ruthlan / Arial Narrow font of
size 18 and in Upper Case using Hot Stamping. The spines should be printed in gold block
letters of appropriate size.

Paper and Duplicating

Manuscripts should be printed on high
feed computer papers are not allowed
side of the paper only. They must
photocopying. Duplicating with carbon
neat and legible.
quality white A4 paper (80 g/m 2). Duplicating or pin-
to be used. The manuscript must be printed on one
be duplicated by offset printing or good quality
copies is not acceptable. All copies must be clean,

Printing

(a) Printing Quality

Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced, using a word processor. The letters should be
in Times New Roman, size 12 points. Script fonts are unacceptable. A high quality laser or
ink-jet printer should be used for the printing.

(b) Line Spacing

The body of the text should be double-spaced. Single spacing is only permitted in tables,
long quotations, short footnotes, notes, multi-line captions and references.

(c) Margins

The first page of each chapter should have the following margins:

Top 5 cm/2 inches

Right 2.5 cm/1 inch
Left 3.5 cm/1 inches
Bottom 2.5 cm/1 inch

The text in the subsequent pages should have the following margins:

Top : 2.5 cm/1 inch

Right : 2.5 cm/1 inch
Left : 3.5 cm/1 inches
Bottom : 2.5 cm/1 inch

The following additional guidelines need to be followed:

Do not type more than one sentence after the bottom margin. If it is necessary to do
so, it should only be for a footnote or the completion of the last sentence of the
chapter, topic, subtopic or information in a figure.
All tables and figures must be placed within the specified margins.

A new paragraph at the bottom of a page must have at least two full lines of type. If it
does not, the paragraph should begin on the next page.

(d) Pagination

18
Font size 8 is recommended for page numbers.

Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc) should be used in the preliminary section. All pages in the
preliminary section are to be numbered at the centre of the bottom. The title page should not
be numbered. The Declaration page after the title page begins with ii.

Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc) are to be used on the pages of the text and the supporting
materials should be printed 1.0 cm from the bottom margin and placed at the right-hand side
without any punctuation.

(e) Subdivisions

The internal organisation of the text should be consistent throughout the dissertation final
report. The text should be divided into chapters, for example, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.
Subdivisions can also be used. Content of each chapter may be divided under headings and
sub-headings such as 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 and so on. Headings should only be presented at a
maximum of three levels, as shown below.

(5 cm/2 inches)

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER HEADING

1.1 Main Heading 1

----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(3.5 cm/1 inches) (2.5 cm/1 inch)

1.1.1 Sub heading 1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.1.2 Sub heading 2

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.1.3 Sub heading 3

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(2.5 cm/1 inch)

Please note that it is perfectly all right if some portion of the page is trimmed off after
binding.

19
(f) Notes and Footnotes

There are differences in the use of notes and footnotes in various disciplines. Notes and
footnotes, if used, should have a smaller font than the text (font size 8).

(g) Tables

Tables must be printed within the body of the text at the centre of the frame and labelled
according to the chapter in which they appear. For example, tables in Chapter 4 are
numbered Table 4.1, Table 4.2, Table 4.3, and so on. Use single spacing for the caption if it
exceeds more than one line.

The table number and its caption should be placed above the table itself. If any table takes
up more than one page, the continued table on the following page should indicate that it is a
continuation, for example, Table 4.3, continued. The caption is not repeated. If a table is
reproduced, the reference must be cited.

It is advisable to place a table as close as possible to the discussion related to the table. It
should only appear after reference about the table has been made in the text.

(h) Figures

Figures are graphs, illustrations, photographs or anything that is neither script nor table. Like
tables, figures and their captions should be labelled according to the chapters they are
found. For example, figures in Chapter 4 should be labelled as Figure 4.1, Figure 4.2 and so
on. However, unlike tables, the labels for figures should be placed at the bottom of the
figures. A figure should not normally extend beyond one page. If it does, the same guidelines
for tables should be followed.

APPENDIX A

20
 FORMAT OF FRONT COVER AND SPINE
MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT OF FORM 2
THE EFFECTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING ON
STUDENTS IN AN URBAN SCHOOL

THE EFFECTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING ON

MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT OF FORM 2
STUDENTS IN AN URBAN SCHOOL
(Ruthlan / Arial Narrow, size 18, Upper Case)
(Ruthlan / Arial Narrow, appropriate size, Upper Case)

SUZILA BT OTHMAN
SUZILA BT OTHMAN

(Ruthlan / Arial Narrow, size 18, Upper Case)

OPEN UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

2014
EdD

2014
(Ruthlan / Arial Narrow, size 18, Upper Case)

*Do not indicate the box on the Front Cover & Spine

APPENDIX B

21
 FORMAT OF TITLE PAGE

THE EFFECTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING ON

MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT OF FORM 2
STUDENTS IN AN URBAN SCHOOL
(Ruthlan / Arial Narrow, size 14, Upper Case)

SUZILA BT OTHMAN
(Ruthlan / Arial Narrow, size 14, Upper Case)

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for

the degree of Doctor of Education

Faculty of Education and Languages

Open University Malaysia

2014
(Ruthlan / Arial Narrow, size 14, Lower Case)

*Do not indicate the box on the Title Page

APPENDIX C

22
 FORMAT OF DECLARATION PAGE

DECLARATION
(Times New Roman / Arial, size 14, Upper Case)

Name:

Matric Number:

I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own work, except for
quotations and summaries which have been duly acknowledged.

Signature: Date:

ii

*Do not indicate the box on the Declaration

APPENDIX D

23
 FORMAT OF ABSTRACT

THE EFFECTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING ON

MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT OF FORM 2
STUDENTS IN AN URBAN SCHOOL

SUZILA BT OTHMAN

ABSTRACT

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Keywords:
(Not more than 5 words/phrases)

*Single spacing
*ONE (1) page only

*Do not indicate the box on the Abstract

APPENDIX E

24
 FORMAT OF ABSTRAK

KESAN PEMBELAJARAN KOPERATIF TERHADAP PENCAPAIAN

MATEMATIK PEKAJAR TINGKATAN 2
DI SEBUAH SEKOLAH BANDAR

SUZILA BT OTHMAN

ABSTRAK

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Kata Kunci:
(Tidak melebihi 5 perkataan/rangkai kata)

*Single spacing
*ONE (1) page only

*Do not indicate the box on the Abstrak

APPENDIX F

25
 FORMAT OF TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE
DECLARATION ii
ABSTRACT iii
ABSTRAK iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Problem Statement 1
1.3 Objectives of the Study 2
1.4 Research Questions and Hypotheses 3
1.5 Significance of the Study 5
1.6 Scope of the Study 7
1.7 Definitions of Terms 9

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 Theoretical Framework
2.2 Previous Studies
2.2.1 Prior knowledge and reading comprehension
2.2.2 Metacognitive strategies in reading comprehension
2.2 Methodological Issues

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
3.2. Population and Sample
3.3. Instrumentation
3.4 Procedure
3.5 Framework for Data Analysis

CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

(Description of statistical analyses in relation to research
questions/hypotheses/objectives and presentation of relevant tables and figures)

CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Summary of Main Findings
5.2 Discussion
5.3 Implications
5.4 Limitations of the Study
5.5 Directions for Future Research

REFERENCES
APPENDICES
PhD (Edu)

26
 Suggested Scope and Depth of Research
Below are expectations for research for the EdD Dissertation
Area EdD Dissertation
(40 credits)
Overview A dissertation is expected to cover a particular area of study in
depth and to contribute to research in the discipline. Mere
description or a study of perceptions is not acceptable unless it
is supported by some qualitative data
A dissertation should demonstrate evidence of reading seminal
work and recent contributions to body of research. The
intended study should explore and address the existing
research gap.
The emphasis here is on a learners detailed and in-depth
understanding of the phenomenon investigated and the
research process. The research should also permit possible
generalisability of the findings and contribute towards best
practices, knowledge expansion and/or our better
understanding of related theory.
Research Learners may use various research methods: qualitative,
Methodology quantitative or mixed method
Learners should demonstrate a high degree of rigour (e.g.
justifying use of appropriate research design) in their work by
applying all elements of relevant and appropriate methodology
with theoretical and/or past research support
Learners may adopt or adapt ready-made or established
instruments. However, various pilot tests must be conducted to
EdD
(24 credits)
A dissertation is expected to cover a particular area of study in
depth and to contribute to research in the field. Mere
description or a study of perceptions is not acceptable unless
the phenomenon investigated is studied in depth.
A dissertation should examine contemporary issues in the field
by presenting evidence of reading seminal work as well as
recent contributions to research in an area.
The emphasis here is on a learners understanding of the
research process as well as the awareness of the limitations of
the study with some in-depth understanding of the
phenomenon investigated and the research process. The
research may or may not permit generalisability of the findings,
but it should at least contributes towards best practices and
some form of knowledge expansion.
Learners may use various research methods: qualitative,
quantitative or mixed method
Learners should demonstrate some degree of rigour (e.g.
justifying use of appropriate research design) in their work by
applying all elements of relevant and appropriate methodology
with theoretical or past research support
Learners may adopt or adapt ready-made or established
instruments. However, some form of pilot tests to establish
 Area EdD Dissertation
(40 credits)
establish their validity and reliability.
Quantitative If the study employs a quantitative approach, it should rest on
Research a sound theoretical framework and supported by past research.
For a dissertation using an experiment or survey, the analysis
should include use of inferential statistics, e.g. ANOVA, t-tests
or chi-square statistics at the very least. Learners must
explain the appropriateness of the statistical tests used and
they must only use these tests after providing sufficient
evidence for the assumptions underlying each statistical
procedure.
In situations where these assumptions are not met, appropriate
non-parametric tests should be used.
Qualitative If the study uses the qualitative approach, the theory building
Research must be directed by a well developed conceptual framework.
Qualitative studies should include rich thick description so
that understandings of phenomena in the field are based on in-
depth analyses of data.
The use of appropriate qualitative data analysis approaches
and techniques should be clearly explained and justified.
Proposal: 75 100 pages
No. of Pages
Dissertation: 240 - 280 pages
(No. of (60,000 70,000 words)
words) (Excluding tables, figures, references and appendices
EdD
(24 credits)
their validity and reliability is expected.
If the study employs a quantitative approach, it should rest on
a sound theoretical framework and supported by past research.
For a dissertation using an experiment or survey, the analysis
should include use of inferential statistics, e.g. ANOVA, t-tests
or chi-square statistics at the very least. Learners should
explain the appropriateness of the statistical tests used and
they are encouraged to provide evidence for the assumptions
underlying each statistical procedure.
If the study uses the qualitative approach, the theory building
must be directed by a well developed conceptual framework.
Qualitative studies should include rich thick description so
that understandings of phenomena in the field are based on in-
depth analyses of data.
The use of appropriate qualitative data analysis approaches and
techniques should be explained.
Proposal: 60-80 pages
Dissertation: 200 -240 pages
(50,000 60,000 words)
(Excluding tables, figures, references and appendices)
2
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