A dissertation is a significant paper that gauges a scholar’s ability to research various gaps in their fields and solve problems through the research. The dissertation often takes months to prepare and is thus a bane for many students.
Ranging from topic selection to writing, research to editing, multiple steps ought to be catered for to ensure success in your dissertation. This education dissertation guide will address popular questions by students, and highlight essential tips for writing a quality dissertation.
We will also tackle some education dissertation ideas to inspire your topic selection.
What is a dissertation?
A dissertation is a document prepared at the end of your master’s or doctorate to showcase your research skills in various fields. The paper is aimed at testing your research skills and your mastery of various concepts within your field.
The dissertation, therefore, shows a candidate’s ability to highlight a problem in their field, perform research, and find optimal solutions to the issue.
How long is a dissertation in education?
An education dissertation ranges between 100-300 pages depending on the complexity of the research topic. Although the dissertation should be written in concise language, multiple chapters require a substantial amount of research, resulting in a high word count.
The length of your dissertation chapters may be shared as:
- 15-25 pages for the introduction
- 20-25 pages for literature review
- 10-15 pages for methodology
- 5-10 pages for results
- 25-35 pages for the discussion
- 1-5 pages for the conclusion
However, focus on writing a quality paper instead of chasing the approximated length for various chapters. Your goal is to offer a detailed argument that lends credence to your research objectives.
What is a good dissertation topic in education?
Like all disciplines, there is a huge variety of dissertation topics in education. However, some topics may be deemed better for your research in comparison to others. What makes a topic good for your education dissertation?
- Originality
Good dissertation topics in education should address a new perspective on solving a problem in a topic. This is as opposed to reiterating already existing work or arguing an idea that has been covered comprehensibly.
At best, this approach may result in plagiarism, resulting in multiple revisions. Ideally, select a topic that has not been exhausted and offer insights that add to your field of study.
- Interest
Your dissertation topic should pique a reader’s interest and evoke new perspectives on a research topic. Ideally, your dissertation should address an emerging issue, attracting the attention of multiple scholars in your field.
- Clear focus
A good dissertation topic should define the goal of your research and the key arguments your paper is based on.
e.g., Topic 1: mental health and drugs
Topic 2: A case study on the impact of alcohol on academic performance
Topic one is vague as it does not offer a clear image of the ideas your paper will comprise. The second topic, however, gives a clear focus of your study, helping one to better judge your thesis.
How to choose a dissertation topic in education
Topic selection is a key determinant of the challenge you encounter when writing your dissertation. Some of the steps to consider when selecting an education dissertation topic include:
- Gauge your passion
Your interest is a key driver through the taxing research and copious writing essential for a great dissertation. Ideally, settle for a topic that you find interesting as this curiosity will drive you to perform quality research.
Also, topics within your interests are easier to handle as you are familiar with most of the ideas within the topic.
- Narrow your focus
When choosing a research topic, ensure that it addresses a specific idea/ argument. A broad topic risks multiple gaps in your work and also limits objectivity in your argument. Your dissertation topic should highlight your key argument, helping the faculty gauge how well the topic was exhausted.
- Make an outline
A common way to gauge a dissertation topic is by gauging the breadth of arguments at your disposal. After shortlisting topics for your research, investigate the materials at your disposal and come up with arguments for each topic.
The outline will help you to gauge the topic that you can tackle better and highlight areas that require further investigation.
- Consult your peers
Before you settle on a topic, consult your peers for their suggestions. Peers are less attached to your topic and can thus offer objective insight on the feasibility of a topic. Discussing the topic may also expose you to new perspectives, improving the overall quality of your paper.
- See the trends in your field
If you are seeking a fresh perspective on your topic, check various emerging issues within your field. These issues can help you determine gaps in your field and ensure that your topic attracts the interest of multiple readers.
How to write good research questions for your education dissertation
Your introduction should highlight the research questions you intend to tackle within your paper. The research questions should be objective, highlighting the answers your paper will unveil.
Your questions should thus be focused, clear, and based on a specific idea. When writing research questions:
- Choose a topic
Your topic should serve as the broad question that guides you in selecting specific research questions. As such, start by establishing your dissertation topic and investigate possible questions within the broader topic.
- Conduct research
After brainstorming questions, research existing work to determine the questions that have been addressed. Also, be keen on emerging questions within your topic and consider their feasibility in light of the available resources.
- Narrow down your focus
Each question should be manageable with the available resources and complementary to other research questions. As such, focus your questions on one issue and ensure ample resources to support your findings.
- Evaluate
After coming up with your questions, gauge how they address the broader topic of your dissertation. Your questions should be clear, specific, and focused on one issue within your wider topic.
Eliminate any question that does not fit into your topic and organize the remaining questions to ensure flow in your investigation.
Dissertation topic ideas in education
If you are stuck in selecting a dissertation topic, here are some education dissertation examples you could consider.
Best topics for dissertation in education
- Are Piaget’s developmental phases a true assessment of a child’s skills in the concrete stage of development?
- The impact of the Coronavirus epidemic on schooling.
- Examine the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing technology in education.
- What are students’ impressions of the impact of homework on their extracurricular activities after school?
- Investigating the impact of Covid-19 on students’ learning experiences.
Dissertation topics in education
- Evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of sex ed for adolescents.
- What distinguishes the modern educator in terms of principles and method?
- Home-schooling’s detrimental consequences.
- Do home schoolers outperform regular students?
- Why should an educational degree influence work opportunity?
- What role do personal attributes play in the business world?
Dissertation topics in higher education
- Preventing bullying among younger kids at school.
- A quantitative investigation of the role of play in improving early reading performance.
- A qualitative investigation into the impact of support staff in remote primary schools.
- Are self-taught children prepared to adjust to socially challenging situations?
- Appropriate instructional and learning settings.
- Class size tracking in academic institutions.
Interesting education dissertation topics
- How to support youngsters from varied origins during the instructional process.
- What is the role of parents in their children’s education?
- Intervention strategies for young children who have experienced loss and sadness.
- When teaching young children, how do you include proper teaching methods?
- How to measure children’s working memory in a specific grade group context.
- Are national exams necessary in primary school?
