TEGR510 Education: Policies and Issues: Home

1. Start With Your Interests

Ask yourself:

• What topics in education excite or concern me?
• ​​​​​​Have I read or heard something recently that made me curious?

Examples: Inclusion, educational technology, student motivation, teacher training, mental health in schools, assessment methods.

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2. Narrow It Down

Broad topics are hard to research. Use this trick:

Broad Area → Specific Population → Problem → Context

Example:

• Broad area: Student motivation
• Specific population: High school students
• Problem: Decrease in motivation after remote learning
• Context: Public schools in urban areas

Final topic idea: "Effects of Remote Learning on High School Students' Motivation in Urban Public Schools"

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3. Check for Relevance and Timeliness

Good topics often:

• Address current issues (e.g., AI in classrooms, post-pandemic education)
• Are discussed in academic or policy circles
• Have practical implications

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4. Make Sure It’s Researchable

Ensure that:

• There are enough existing studies or literature
• You can access data (through surveys, interviews, schools, or published research)
• The scope is manageable within your timeline and resources

Sample Topics

• How AI tools affect critical thinking in college students
• Experiences of students with learning disabilities in mainstream classrooms
• Role of school counselors in preventing student burnout
• Effects of formative vs. summative assessment on student engagement
• Impact of mentorship programs on first-year teachers’ performance

Citation Help: Looking for help citing a paper or presentation in APA? There are many options available: 

• UST libraries APA Format Guide
• OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue 
• If you have specific citation questions, the full APA manual is the most extensive source 

Research Assistance: Saint Thomas librarians offer "drop in" research help at the Reference desk of most UST libraries and are also online through chat (the chat service is available 24/7). If you would like more personalized assistance, schedule an appointment with the Education librarian by clicking on the "schedule consultation" button.  

School of Education Graduate Writing Center: The School of Education Graduate Writing Center offers in-person, zoom, and written feedback for any graduate level students in the School of Education including Doctoral students. Consult hours are by appointment, register with the online scheduling system. If you have any questions email gradwriting@stthomas.edu.