Assignment:
OVERVIEW
This research paper is designed with a couple goals in mind. The first is to allow the student to explore more deeply one particular area related to this course. The second is to get students acquainted with thesis-driven research. Most students come into this program with experience in the area of topic-driven research, but have typically not been required to develop a line of argument that is pursued within a paper. Since doctoral-level research requires this kind of research, it is imperative that students begin to develop this skillset.
INSTRUCTIONS
Specific reqirements for this paper are as follows:
• 3,000 words excluding the title page and bibliography.
• Current APA format must be followed
• 20 sources must be used excluding the course textbooks and the Bible
• The thesis, or application thereof, must connect in some way to Christian education or Christian leadership.
• Students may choose any topic for this research paper that is covered in any of the following 2 textbooks:
Anthony, Michael J., and Warren S. Benson. Exploring the History and Philosophy of Christian Education: Principles for the 21st Century.
Estep Jr., James R., and Michael J. Anthony, and Gregg R. Allison. A Theology for Christian Education.
This paper will be due in the following stages:
1. Proposal:This assignment will include at least the presentation of the thesis being argued, limitations of the study (a clear articulation of what aspects of the topic will not be discussed in the paper and why,) general progression of the argument, and a bibliography containing the primary sources that will shape the argument. Please see the example provided in the course.
2. Draft:This assignment is intended to be the student's best effort on a completed research paper. Note that the elements from the proposal should be folded into this draft (typically as part of the introduction where appropriate.) They should not remain in their proposal form but should become part of the paper.
3. Final Submission:This assignment will include requested edits and other finishing touches (such as the title page, etc.).
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the SafeAssign plagiarism tool.
Important:The number one point of struggle for students in this course has been the difficulty of learning to write a thesis-driven research paper. This is not a research paper simply designed to rehash and report on the information you found in various books and articles. Students at the doctoral level are expected to design a well-developed thesis argument that is introduced and woven throughout the paper (see the Kibbe textbook From Topic to Thesis: A Guide to Theological Research.) For even more help with what this looks like, it would be wise for the student also to review Weston, Anthony, A Rulebook for Arguments (Hackett Student Handbooks).
Also Important:3,000 words is not a lot of space to craft a research-based argument. Careful attention should be given to the scope of the topic. One could make the mistake of being too broad thus losing the ability to present a clear and concise argument due to superfluous informationor being too narrow (causing the opposite but equally devastating problem). But it is better to begin with a broader topic and then to narrow your focus from there. This is where careful limitations are useful.
Attachment:- Christian Education in the 20th Century.rar