UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA Assignment Cover Sheet – Internal ________________________________________ Please complete all details clearly. Submit via Learnonline. Name: Student ID Email: Course code and title: BEHL 2005 Introductory Research Methods Course Coordinator: Tutor: Assignment number: 2a Complete Report (30%) due 5pm Monday 31/10/2016 Assignment topic as stated in Course Information Booklet: Research Report: Complete Research Report Further Information: (e.g. state if extension was granted & revised Submission Date) I declare that the work contained in this assignment is my own, except where acknowledgement of sources is made. I authorise the University to test any work submitted by me, using text comparison software, for instances of plagiarism. I understand this will involve the University or its contractor copying my work and storing it on a database to be used in future to test work submitted by others. I understand that I can obtain further information on this matter at http://www.unisanet.unisa.edu.au/learningconnection/student/studying/integrity.asp Note: The attachment of this statement on any electronically submitted assignments will be deemed to have the same authority as a signed statement. Signed: Date:   Write the title of your report here. DELETE THIS TEXT Write your full name here. DELETE THIS TEXT School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy University of South Australia Magill Campus   Abstract Start typing your Abstract here. Abstract should be no more than 150 words. Tell me what you did to whom and why, what you expected, what you found, and what you reckon it all means. DELETE THIS TEXT.   Start typing your Introduction here (it does not require a heading). The Introduction should be no more than 1000 words including in-text citation. Introduce the topic in the first paragraph. Review the literature, draw conclusions and develop your theoretical hypotheses on the body of the Introduction. Here you are presenting the reader with an executive summary of the current state of knowledge on this topic. Lead with evidence and draw conclusions. In a good Introduction the reader should be able to predict your hypotheses before they read them – you should have already convinced them. Have your hypotheses in front of you (put them on a sticky not and stick them on the computer screen). As you write each paragraph ask yourself whether the information you've written is relevant to the argument you're making to lead to your hypotheses – if it isn't, no matter how interesting the bit of information is – delete it. Be honest, if there is evidence both for and against your hypotheses then present both sides – it is your job to convince the reader why you've given more weight to one side of the argument than the other. In the final paragraph state the aim of the current study, give a one or two sentence description of the current study and then state your two hypotheses/research questions. DELETE THIS TEXT. Method Start typing your Method under the following headings. Method should be no more than 250 words (excluding table 1). DELETE THIS TEXT. Participants Tell me about your participants here – where they came from, how selected etc, how split into traditional & non-traditional, etc. Then introduce Table 1 and replace Group 1 and Group 2 with Traditional and Nontraditional (if you have chosen age group as your independent variable) OR Male and Female (if you have chosen Sex and your independent variable). You must give the table a meaningful title and replace all the ** with numbers. Round all numbers to a maximum of 2 decimal places. DELETE THIS TEXT. Table 1. Title of table *** *** Total Sex Males Females n=** n=** n=** n=** n=** n=** Previous Maths Experience Less than Year 12 Year 12 Tertiary n=** n=** n=** n=** n=** n=** n=** n=** n=** Age Median=** Minimum=** Maximum=** n=** Median=** Minimum=** Maximum=** n=** Median=** Minimum=** Maximum=** N=** Design Tell me about your design (eg within- or between-groups, experimental or non-experimental) and variables (IV and DVs) here. DELETE THIS TEXT. Materials Tell me about your material here – what equipment and tests etc did you use? If using standardised scales reference them here. In this study the main materials are the scales we used – you need to give the reader enough information about these scales to understand what the numbers in the Results section mean, and for them to use these scales themselves (so you should reference standardised scales if you have used them. DELETE THIS TEXT. Procedure Tell me about your procedure here – give a chronological account of the important things that happened during data collection. DELETE THIS TEXT. Results Start typing your Results here. Results should be no more than 250 words (excluding table 2). DELETE THIS TEXT. Begin by reporting your data screening etc. Then report your results here just as you did in your practical classes (including Cohen's d for t-tests) – do it in the order of your hypotheses. As you will be putting descriptive statistics in a table do NOT report your M and SD in the body of the text as well – just refer reader to the table 2. You must give the table a meaningful title and replace all the ** with numbers. Round all numbers to a maximum of 2 decimal places. Don't interpret results here. DELETE THIS TEXT. Table 2. Title of table *** *** Total Statistics Anxiety M=** SD=** n=** M=** SD=** n=** M=** SD=** N=** Attitude Towards Learning Statistics M=** SD=** n=** M=** SD=** n=** M=** SD=** N=** Discussion Start typing your Discussion here. The Discussion should be no more than 1000 words (including in-text citation). Begin by summarising your results, then interpret and relate to literature. Critically evaluate the study, make suggestions for improvements and future research. Conclude on a positive note. DELETE THIS TEXT.   References List your references in alphabetical order using APA V6 (see support resources on Learnonline page). References are not included in word count. DELETE THIS TEXT.   Appendix Copy special/image Paste special/picture the SPSS outputs you used to find the numbers to populate tables 1 & 2, and your independent samples t-tests and paste them here. This is not included in the word count. DELETE THIS TEXT.   MARKING PROFORMA Criteria Performance Mark Title Unsatisfactory………………………………….Excellent ……………………………………………………………… /2 Abstract Unsatisfactory………………………………….Excellent ……………………………………………………………… /6 Introduction • Introduction of topic ……………………. • Summary of literature ………………….. • Critical evaluation of literature ………… • Theoretical hypotheses ………………... • Aim ………………………………………. • Brief methodology …..…………………. • Statement of research hypotheses …... • Justification of hypotheses…………….. • Structure and quality of argument ……. Unsatisfactory………………………………….Excellent ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… /18 Method • Participants ……………………………… • Design……………………………………. • Materials ………………………………… • Procedure ……………………………….. Unsatisfactory………………………………….Excellent ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… /8 Results • Conduct descriptive ……………………. • Report descriptive ……………………… • Conduct inferential ……………………... • Report inferential ……………………….. Unsatisfactory………………………………….Excellent ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… /8 Discussion • Summary of results …………………….. • Support/refute hypotheses ………….… • Reference to previous research ……… • Critique of methodology ……………….. • Improvements to methodology ……….. • Broader implications …………………… • Suggestions for future research ……… • Conclusion ………………………………. • Structure and quality of argument ……. Unsatisfactory………………………………….Excellent ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… /18 Presentation • Reference list……………..……………… • In-text citation …………………………… • Paraphrasing ………………………….… • Spelling …………………………………... • Grammar …………………………………. Unsatisfactory………………………………….Excellent ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… /10 Overall percentage, grade and comment /70