Write an analytic literature review (~10 double-spaced pages, 1-inch margins, 12-point font, not counting references) that synthesizes and interprets the 5 key studies you identified and reviewed. Both a rough draft and a final draft are required. “Rough” drafts should not really be “rough”; rather, they should represent your BEST work. Your final draft will then incorporate instructor feedback to build upon your initial best work. Your paper will include the following sections(suggested page numbers in parentheses).
AREA OF FOCUS: As of now, my area of focus will be a focus on the Montessori method. What are the effects of the Montessori method on cognitive development (between ages of 3-8 years old). I’m curious to learn more about it the method and how it differs from general public education. The Montessori method focuses on self-directed, hands-on learning and collaborative play. I have learned that hands-on learning and collaborative play are important when early learning but wonder why it’s neglected within traditional education. I find it interesting to see how creative kids get when they are given the tools and support to explore on their own.
Introduction, including your research topic and key questions (~2 pages): Your introduction should 1) Describe your area of focus, 2) Explain why your area of focus is important, 3) Share why you chose your area of focus, and 4) Describe what you are going to do in this literature review. This section is meant to show your understanding of your area of focus and why it is important.
Reference search and screening (~1 page): Indicate 1) what databases you searched, 2) what keywords you entered, 3) how you restricted the search, and 4) how you decided which 5 articles to include out of the ones that were identified through your search. This section is meant to show your understanding of how to systematically search for and select high-quality empirical studies.
Analytic summary of each study (~4 pages): Using information from your Matrix, describe how each study was done and what it found. For each study, include information about the 1) research questions, 2) the participants, 3) the measures, 4) the research design, and 5) the major findings. This section is intended to be the place where you demonstrate your understanding of research methodologies.
Cross-cutting themes and directions for future project (~2 pages): First, describe 2 cross-cutting themes that were discussed by at least some of the authors of your studies. These might refer to a particular methodology, an interaction between certain variables, a disagreement, or other theme. This section should use relational words/ phrases such as: on the one hand, on the other hand, contrary to, elaborates, undermines, in the same vein (see more suggestions here: Relational Words and Phrases-1.pdf Download Relational Words and Phrases-1.pdf ). Second, share limitations/ weaknesses of the literature and recommendations for what you think researchers studying this topic should focus on in the next decade. This section is intended to demonstrate your ability to synthesize (or write about the relationships) across the articles you are using.
Conclusion (~1 page): Provide a summary of what you can say about this topic so far. (What has the research helped us to learn and/ or understand? What can we claim to “know” from this brief review of studies?) Then, describe implications of this research and/ or what do you plan to do with this knowledge as a future educator. This section is designed to demonstrate your ability to think critically and draw conclusions based on your review and synthesis.
References: Include your 5 selected studies as well as any other sources used in the paper. This section will show your knowledge of APA style.
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