Help me with topic ideas!!!
I started my college classes this week. I am devoting this post to asking for suggestions for topics for my master's thesis. I have to write the first two chapters this semester, which includes my research methods that will be used and the previous related research on the topic, then conduct the research and write the rest next semester. Next Tuesday I have to submit three topic ideas that will be whittled down to a final one. Here are the parameters:
1. The topic must be related to secondary mathematics education.
2. It has to be relatively creative. For example, I cannot do the effects of single parent vs. two parent households on academic acheivement.
3. The research does NOT have to be representative of a larger population that the school I work in. For example, I could research the difference in levels of achievement in math compared to which arts focus the student is involved in at the school (dance, instrument music, vocal music, art, or drama).
4. If it is a topic with students, I have to be able to conduct the research on my own students, so I wouldn't want to do anything that would involve asking touchy questions of parents or students that would interfere with my teaching.
So... anything out there that people need answers to? Here are some ideas so far...
1. Compare the amount of time spent practicing their art vs achievement level in math.
2. Student performance vs. the number of math credits held by the teacher and the highest level of math completed.
3. Are students planning to attend conservatories less motivated to acheive in core subjects than students planning on attending universities or colleges?
4. Do students who respect their teacher perform better in math?
5. Do students in "group arts" such as drama or music experience less math anxiety than students in solo arts, such as fine art or solo music performance.
I really want help, since your thesis is a lot of what helps get you into a doctorate program. I'm sure are some out there that can relate.
1. The topic must be related to secondary mathematics education.
2. It has to be relatively creative. For example, I cannot do the effects of single parent vs. two parent households on academic acheivement.
3. The research does NOT have to be representative of a larger population that the school I work in. For example, I could research the difference in levels of achievement in math compared to which arts focus the student is involved in at the school (dance, instrument music, vocal music, art, or drama).
4. If it is a topic with students, I have to be able to conduct the research on my own students, so I wouldn't want to do anything that would involve asking touchy questions of parents or students that would interfere with my teaching.
So... anything out there that people need answers to? Here are some ideas so far...
1. Compare the amount of time spent practicing their art vs achievement level in math.
2. Student performance vs. the number of math credits held by the teacher and the highest level of math completed.
3. Are students planning to attend conservatories less motivated to acheive in core subjects than students planning on attending universities or colleges?
4. Do students who respect their teacher perform better in math?
5. Do students in "group arts" such as drama or music experience less math anxiety than students in solo arts, such as fine art or solo music performance.
I really want help, since your thesis is a lot of what helps get you into a doctorate program. I'm sure are some out there that can relate.
posted by Jennifer Q @ 1:31 PM
5 Comments:
At 3:25 PM,
Mike said…
Do people that know binary live a better life?
At 12:27 AM,
davegkugler said…
That's your topic then, discover how to make us recall everything we learn -- go!
To be serious, good luck on your topic choice. We will all be waiting to hear what you decide.
At 1:52 AM,
Jennifer Q said…
Wait a second Dave, where are your suggestions? I'm sure you have something for me.
Mike - my Dad knows binary. I think he also took a couple semesters of Latin. I developed all of my good qualities as a result of these two factors.
Arzhang - do you have any ideas for things that I could check for how they affect retention? There were some suggestions of having kids keep "television journals" or keep track of their diets. Do you think something like that would be interesting, or something in terms of teaching or study methods?
At 12:16 PM,
Jennifer Q said…
That would be interesting, but there are a couple problems. First, since I'm a new teacher, it would be hard for me to really be consistent in trying different methods. The biggest problem though, which is why educational reform is so hard to do well, is that anytime you are testing different methods out, maybe a couple will be good, and some will be bad for the kids. No parent would want thier child to be a guinea pig for teaching methods that may end up making them not pass the state test at the end of the year.
At 1:14 AM,
Anonymous said…
Binary, octal, AND hexadecimal.... and people who know hexadecimal usually DO live a better life.
Jen - It was three YEARS of Latin, not just a couple of semesters! See, you're in even better shape than you thought!
I'm still working on thesis ideas, but so far, drawing a blank... might be why I never continued on with my own Master's pursuit, way back when?
--Dad
Post a Comment
<< Home