Developing Your Academic Writing

DYAW Education
Assignment types in Education

Dr Gayle Pringle Barnes

Developing Your Academic Writing

Today’s session

• Essays
• Reports
• Research proposal
assignments
Developing Your Academic Writing

Assignment types in your Masters

Each assignment has its own requirements

Think about what will work best for this

assignment, rather than trying to make it fit
a template

There are some typical characteristics of

different assignments, including reports,
essays and reflective writing
Developing Your Academic Writing

Example 1: Essay assignment

• What characteristics of an academic essay do you notice?

• Who is the intended reader and how is content presented in a
way that will suit this reader?
Developing Your Academic Writing

Academic reader
Example 1: literature-based essay
The evidence on the impact of part-time work on secondary school students
is mixed. Experiences of part-time work can be a ‘rich resource’, assisting
students to reflect on the benefits of the experience they have gained, as
well as their future plans (Billett and Ovens, 2007, p.89). However, Bachman
et al (2011) find a negative impact, as students who work long hours during
high school are less likely to participate in post-school education.
Nonetheless, the situation is complex, as Howieson et al (2012) note that
students who are not working are not necessarily spending their additional
free time on schoolwork. These findings suggest that supporting all students
with time management and providing opportunities to reflect on skills gained
may help to address some of the issues raised by part-time work.
Developing Your Academic Writing

Essay: full paragraphs

Topic
The evidence on the impact of part-time work on secondary
sentence
school students is mixed. Experiences of part-time work can
be a ‘rich resource’, assisting students to reflect on the
benefits of the experience they have gained, as well as their
future plans (Billett and Ovens, 2007, p.89). However,
Bachman et al (2011) find a negative impact, as students who Discuss
work long hours during high school are less likely to evidence
participate in post-school education. Nonetheless, the
situation is complex, as Howieson et al (2012) note that
students who are not working are not necessarily spending
their additional free time on schoolwork. These findings
suggest that supporting all students with time management
and providing opportunities to reflect on skills gained may help Highlight
to address some of the issues raised by part-time work. finding
Developing Your Academic Writing

Essay: critical analysis

The evidence on the impact of part-time work on secondary school students
is mixed. Experiences of part-time work can be a ‘rich resource’, assisting
students to reflect on the benefits of the experience they have gained, as
well as their future plans (Billett and Ovens, 2007, p.89). However, Bachman
et al (2011) find a negative impact, as students who work long hours during
high school are less likely to participate in post-school education.
Nonetheless, the situation is complex, as Howieson et al (2012) note that
students who are not working are not necessarily spending their additional
free time on schoolwork. These findings suggest that supporting all students
with time management and providing opportunities to reflect on skills gained
may help to address some of the issues raised by part-time work.
Developing Your Academic Writing

Literature-based essays

Will include Analyses this Introduction

evidence from a evidence to
Main body
range of articles (or answer/explore a
other texts) specific question Conclusion

Full paragraphs Clear subheadings May use diagrams

Developing Your Academic Writing

OECD (2021)

This report reflects on Scotland’s

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) which
applies to education for children and
young people aged 3-18. This section
focuses on stakeholders (people who
have an interest in school education)
• Who is the intended reader and how is
content presented in a way that will suit
this reader?
• How does this compare to example 1?
Developing Your Academic Writing

Example 2: Report Professional or academic reader

An extensive range of options for stakeholders’ involvement with CfE exist,
both at the initiative of system leaders and other stakeholders themselves.
This tendency emerged from the beginning of CfE, through its development,
and continues to characterise the stakeholder ecosystem (Scottish
Government, 2008; 2021). Stakeholders have been involved in the design of
CfE and are still involved in its daily implementation and ongoing evolution
via:
• participation in governance committees, such as the Curriculum and
Assessment Board, formerly CfE Management Board […]
The high degree of stakeholder involvement contributed to wide support for
CfE as a direction of travel for Scottish education, which matters greatly
considering this vision fits both Scottish ambitions and what the international
community understands as essential for learners in the 21st century.
(OECD, 2021, pp.75-76)
Developing Your Academic Writing

Sub-
heading From inclusive involvement to collective ownership of
Curriculum for Excellence
[…]
An extensive range of options for stakeholders’ involvement with CfE
exist, both at the initiative of system leaders and other stakeholders
themselves. This tendency emerged from the beginning of CfE,
through its development, and continues to characterise the
stakeholder ecosystem (Scottish Government, 2008; 2021).
Stakeholders have been involved in the design of CfE and are still
involved in its daily implementation and ongoing evolution via:[…]
(OECD, 2021, pp.75-76)
Developing Your Academic Writing

An extensive range of options for stakeholders’

involvement with CfE exist, both at the initiative of
system leaders and other stakeholders themselves. Full paragraphs
This tendency emerged from the beginning of CfE, (sometimes shorter
through its development, and continues to characterise than in essays)
the stakeholder ecosystem (Scottish Government,
2008; 2021). Stakeholders have been involved in the
design of CfE and are still involved in its daily
implementation and ongoing evolution via: Bullets only used
• participation in governance committees, such as the occasionally for
Curriculum and Assessment Board, formerly CfE ‘lists’ rather than
Management Board […] main content – or
not used at all
(OECD, 2021, pp.75-76)
Developing Your Academic Writing

Reports

Often applies May include Table of

Evidence from data
academic contents and/or
and/or literature
techniques or theory Executive summary
(Harvard/APA
to a practical
referencing)
situation

Full sentences and Clear subheadings

May use tables,
paragraphs (sometimes
diagrams or graphs
numbered)
Developing Your Academic Writing

Where do we see critical analysis

in OECD (2021, pp.75-76)?
Developing Your Academic Writing

OECD (2021, pp.75-76) - 1

An extensive range of options for stakeholders’ involvement with CfE

exist, both at the initiative of system leaders and other stakeholders
themselves. This tendency emerged from the beginning of CfE, through
its development, and continues to characterise the stakeholder
ecosystem (Scottish Government, 2008; 2021).
Stakeholders have been involved in the design of CfE and are still
involved in its daily implementation and ongoing evolution via:
• participation in governance committees, such as the Curriculum and
Assessment Board, formerly CfE Management Board […]
• Evidence/data
Developing Your Academic Writing

OECD (2021, pp.75-76) - 2

The high degree of stakeholder involvement contributed to wide

support for CfE as a direction of travel for Scottish education, which
matters greatly considering this vision fits both Scottish ambitions and
what the international community understands as essential for
learners in the 21st century.

• Analysis – implications of evidence

Developing Your Academic Writing

OECD (2021, pp.75-76) - 3

Both the stakeholders met and the documentation reviewed by the

OECD team show broad support for a curriculum policy that helps
students develop into successful learners, confident individuals,
responsible citizens and effective contributors (the “four capacities”);
and that enables school communities to design their curriculum and
teachers to teach in the way they see best fit their students’ needs
(Priestley, 2018; Priestley and Minty, 2013).

• Evidence from data

Developing Your Academic Writing

OECD (2021, pp.75-76) - 4

Both the stakeholders met and the documentation reviewed by the

OECD team show broad support for a curriculum policy that helps
students develop into successful learners, confident individuals,
responsible citizens and effective contributors (the “four capacities”);
and that enables school communities to design their curriculum and
teachers to teach in the way they see best fit their students’ needs
(Priestley, 2018; Priestley and Minty, 2013).

• Evidence from literature

Developing Your Academic Writing

OECD (2021, pp.75-76) - 5

Both the stakeholders met and the documentation reviewed by the

OECD team show broad support for a curriculum policy that helps
students develop into successful learners, confident individuals,
responsible citizens and effective contributors (the “four capacities”);
and that enables school communities to design their curriculum and
teachers to teach in the way they see best fit their students’ needs
(Priestley, 2018; Priestley and Minty, 2013).

• Analysis – implications of evidence

Developing Your Academic Writing

OECD (2021, pp.75-76) - 6

A clear signal of the width of this support is that critiques of CfE tend
to highlight the way the policy is implemented as the main issue,
especially in secondary education, rather than the vision it pursues.
The counter-proposals to CfE that the OECD team could observe
consist more of going back to CfE’s vision and basic principles and
assessing whether current practices realise them, than questioning
the basic principles altogether (Humes, 2020; Commission on School
Reform, 2020; Biesta G, 2015; OECD, 2020).

• Evidence from literature

Developing Your Academic Writing

OECD (2021, pp.75-76) - 7

A clear signal of the width of this support is that critiques of CfE tend
to highlight the way the policy is implemented as the main issue,
especially in secondary education, rather than the vision it pursues.
The counter-proposals to CfE that the OECD team could observe
consist more of going back to CfE’s vision and basic principles and
assessing whether current practices realise them, than questioning
the basic principles altogether (Humes, 2020; Commission on School
Reform, 2020; Biesta G, 2015; OECD, 2020).

• Analysis – implications of evidence

Developing Your Academic Writing

OECD (2021) – report structure

1. The Scottish education system in context

2. The design and implementation for Scotland’s CfE

3. Stakeholder engagement at the heart of the CfE

4. Towards a coherent policy environment for the CfE

5. Considerations for the future of the CfE

Developing Your Academic Writing

Writing research proposal assignments

• Some courses are assessed through research proposal

assignments

Propose a future project that will bring new insights

Demonstrate to the reader that your research is

• Worthwhile
• Achievable and well designed
Developing Your Academic Writing

Research proposal characteristics

• Can vary in length –

and amount of detail
required
• Different possible
formats – use the one
given by your course
• Some common areas
Developing Your Academic Writing

Introducing your research

• Research question(s) /
hypothesis
• Research context and gap
• Motivation
• Contribution
Developing Your Academic Writing

Key literature

• Key themes and

findings from previous
research
• Be critical
• Contextualise your
research
• Show how your
research questions
have been developed
Developing Your Academic Writing

Methodology/method

• WHAT will you do

• WHY will you do it
• Consider:
o Limitations
o Any ethical issues?
Developing Your Academic Writing

Next class

Critical analysis 2: Practise

critical reading and writing
• Thurs 10 Nov, 17.00-18.00
Developing Your Academic Writing

References
Bachman, J., Staff, J., O’Malley, P. O., Schulenberg, J. E. And Freedman-Doan, P. 2011.
Twelfth-Grade Student Work Intensity Linked to Later Educational Attainment and
Substance Use: New Longitudinal Evidence. Developmental Psychology, 47(2), pp.344-
363.
Billett, S. and Ovens, C. 2007. Learning about work, working life and post‐school options:
guiding students’ reflections on paid part‐time work. Journal of Education and Work,
20(2), pp. 5-90.
Howieson, C., McKechnie, J., Hobbs, S. and Semple, S. 2012. New perspectives on school
students’ part-time work. Sociology, 46(2), pp.322–338.
OECD [The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]. 2021. Scotland’s
Curriculum for Excellence: Into the Future. [Online]. OECD Publishing: Paris [Accessed 1
November 2022]. Available from:
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/scotland-s-curriculum-for-excellence_bf624417-e
n
Developing Your Academic Writing

DYAW evaluation – please share your views!

https://glasgow.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/dyaw-eva
luation-semester-one-2022-23

• You are invited to participate in a research evaluation by

completing the anonymous survey.
• This should take 5-10 mins to complete
• You still have the option to complete the survey even if you’d
rather your responses weren’t used in the research