Case study proposal: Dyslexia

Case study proposal: Dyslexia
Order Description
The first thing you need to do is to construct and submit a Proposal. This will need to outline in around 1000 words what you intend to do for your final Case Study. This will include:
a) An overview of your intervention;
b) An overview of the school context (including staff);
b) An overview of the learning issue at the centre of the intervention;
d) An overview of the literature that refers to the issues being looked at; e) An overview of the methodology you intend to adopt to make the study; f) Any specific issues that you will need to address to fulfil the study;
g) Any ethical issues you have considered.
This activity is designed to help focus your thinking as early as possible – before you begin the Case Study itself. The materials contained within your Proposal will also form the basis for ongoing discussion and dialogue between yourselves and your university tutor/module leader.

The Proposal – what should it include?
A) Overview of the intervention you intend to study
In this section you can provide some information about the situation and the intervention you are intending to study. You can include brief details (though nothing major, as this is only a 1000 word Proposal) on the following:
– The central intervention itself (name, purpose, etc.)
– The reasons behind its inception in your school
– The expected or intended cohort for which it has been put in place, including why pupils may be on the intervention
– How it links/fits in with the relevant underpinning government legislation
– The specific learning issue at the root of the intervention (dyslexia, dyspraxia, behaviour, more serious physical disability, etc.) including how the learning issue affects learning
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?The Proposal – what should it include?
B) Overview of the school context
In this section you could offer more concise information about the school context at the root of your case study. This can include:
– Relevant information about the school context (Ofsted report, demographics, numbers on roll, free school meals, SEND numbers, etc.)
– Information about the staffing structures for the intervention (including who has responsibility, support staff, peer-mentors, etc.)
– Information regarding the running of the intervention (frequency, timing, length, push-in or pull out provision, etc.)
– Any other relevant school information
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?The Proposal – what should it include?
C) Overview of the central learning issue
Here you need to provide a more in-depth critical explanation (though nothing too extensive at this point) of the learning issue and how it directly affects learning. You may wish to consider the following:
– What is the learning issue?
– How and why does it manifest or come about?
– How does it impact upon learning in the classroom?
– How else does it impact learning in the wider-sense?
– Is there a direct impact on behaviour and self-esteem?
– Does it have a knock-on effect across the school and into the ‘outside’ world?
You will need to focus closely on the learning issue here but you will also be expected to include some material from valid critical sources.
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?The Proposal – what should it include?
D) Literature overview
You need to present a brief overview of the literature available that is relevant to your study. This can and should include the following:
– Books
– Journals
– Academic studies
– Valid online ‘academic’ reference materials
– Official sources (DfE, curricula, etc.)
– In-school sources (SEN policies, handbooks, etc.)
– Newspapers (though this should be considered a ‘weaker’ tertiary source)
At this stage you don’t need to review your literature (that will come in the Case Study) but you do need to provide more than a list. You need to state why these sources are relevant and it should be made clear that you have done your background research.
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?The Proposal – what should it include?
E) Overview of the methodology you intend to adopt
In this section you need to state what you are going to do in your study and give details about how you are going to collect your information. These methodologies can include:
– Observations
– Collection and assessment of school data (achievement levels, attendance levels, behaviour charts, etc.)
– Questionnaires and surveys
– Talking to teachers
– Any other applicable methodologies (as every case study is different)
You can also include what you are not going to do and why. Also, be aware that you should not seek to test pupils yourself or interview them as this raises issues of ethics and validity. Ensure at all times that the focus is on the intervention and not the pupils.
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?The Proposal – what should it include?
F) Any specific issues that you will need to address for the study
This will depend entirely on what your chosen issue is. You may not need to say anything here, but if there are any specific issues then say so in this section. These issues may include:
– Periods of limited access to the sample or intervention
– Lack of access to some areas of relevant data or information
– Necessity of permission (for access to some reports, etc.)
The experienced examining team will see any holes in your plan so either make sure there are none or mention any possible issues in this section. Ignoring the elephant in the room is never good and will be ultimately detrimental.
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?The Proposal – what should it include?
G) Any ethical issues you have considered
You need to acknowledge that your study is ethical. That basically means that you are doing nothing in your study that wouldn’t have happened anyway (you must not experiment on the youngsters, for example) and that you are only observing and not seeking to modify or alter the existing intervention for the purposes of this study.
You should also ensure that your proposal (and your study) and any notes you make are kept completely anonymous (don’t name the individuals or the school anywhere in your work) and you hold NOTHING that can identify any youngsters.
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?Proposal – Success Criteria
A proposal is likely to fail/struggle if it:
a) Is far too large to be done in the time
b) Centres on a trivial issue
c) Is really unfocussed and unclear
d) Is wholly unethical (e.g. is experimental) e) Fails to identify a specific circumstance f) Provides no indicative literature
g) Ignores the learning issues to be investigated h) Fails to address key expectations of module i) Focuses on a ‘made’ up intervention
?Proposal – Success Criteria
A proposal is likely to be passed with advisory notes if:
a) The area of study is too big
b) The study is inadequately focussed.
c) The literature intended is too narrow
d) The literature intended is too broad.
d) The methodology is suspect and needs revision e) It approaches key expectations of module
Proposal – Success Criteria
A proposal is likely to pass without much further comment if it:
a) Is manageable in the time and space
b) Is well conceived and appropriately focussed c) Creates no issues in terms of ethics
d) Is referenced reasonably
e) Highlights ample critical reinforcement
f) Hits key expectations of module

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