FACULTY OF EDUCATION
B.Ed. (Hons) Dissertation Committee
Faculty Policy Regarding the Dissertation Study-Unit
In The Bachelor of Education (Honours) Course
As approved by the Faculty Board on the 19th of December 2007 and
amended following a Faculty Board decision taken on 11th March 2009
1. GENERAL................................................................................................2
2. PROCEDURES........................................................................................4
3. PROPOSALS ............................................................................................4
4 SUPERVISORS AND ADVISORS .........................................................5
5. STYLE and FORMAT ............................................................................6
6. SUBMISSION ..........................................................................................7
7. EXAMINATION......................................................................................8
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1. GENERAL
1.0
Rationale, aims and objectives:
Rationale:
The rationale for the undergraduate dissertation study-unit is to introduce students to
academic research and academic report writing in education. The main aims and
objectives of this study-unit include the following (the list is neither comprehensive
nor exclusive):
Aims:
Through this study-unit, the students will be guided to:
ƒ conduct research to study a specific problem in the field of education in depth;
ƒ carry out an investigation in an ethical, systematic and scientific manner; and
ƒ produce a written academic report of the study.
Objectives:
Through this study-unit, the students will develop reflective and/or creative practice and
analytic and academic writing skills. The main objective is for students to go
through the following experiences and processes of academic investigation and
writing:
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1.1
selection of area of interest within educational research;
critical appraisal and acknowledgement of the relevant literature;
identification of the research question/s;
design of a research project that can address the question/s;
selection of the appropriate research method/s;
explanation of the reasons for taking up a research methodology/ies
consideration of due and sensitive ethical issues; and
production of a sound, clear and coherent academic written presentation of the
research issues, literature review, methodology, results where applicable,
discussion of the research and/or product and a conclusion.
In this Faculty Policy, unless the context otherwise requires
“Dissertation” means the final work submitted to and approved by the Dissertation
Committee for the fulfilment of the study-unit EDU 4205 regulated by this policydocument;
“Dissertation Committee” means the Dissertation Committee appointed by the Faculty
Board of the Faculty of Education to co-ordinate the process of the dissertation
study-unit for the B.Ed. (Hons) course;
“Supervisor” means the person appointed by the Faculty Board on the recommendation
of the Dissertation Committee who shall guide and assist the student in all the
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phases of the dissertation. The supervisor will tutor the student’s work, keep records
of student’s progress and examine the dissertation;
“Advisor” means the person appointed by the Faculty Board on the recommendation of
the Dissertation Committee who shall assist the supervisor, and/or guide and assist
the student in the various phases of the dissertation as deemed necessary. The
Advisor will examine the dissertation;
“Student” means the B.Ed. (Hons) undergraduate, who is fully responsible for completing
and presenting the dissertation by the set deadline. The student is expected to
request appointments for tutorials with the Supervisor/Advisor and to attend any
meetings called by the Supervisor/Advisor.
“Examination Board” means the Examination Board appointed by the Faculty Board of
the Faculty of Education on the recommendation of the Dissertation Committee.
1.2
All B.Ed. (Hons) students are to submit a dissertation, which may either be an
individual or joint project with the work value of twelve (12) credits.
1.3
The Dissertation study-unit is co-ordinated and regulated by the Dissertation
Committee.
1.4 The Dissertation Committee establishes and follows its own procedures.
1.5
The topic of the dissertation may be chosen from any area pertaining to education,
where education is understood to incorporate a broad range of subjects. Topics
should usually fall within the range of topics indicated in the list of areas of interest
of Supervisors and Advisors, or within their area/s of specialisation recommended
as published by the Dissertation Committee.
1.6
The Dissertation study-unit will be carried out under the supervision of a
recommended Supervisor. The work shall be presented, in terms of time and format,
in conformity with the guidelines established by the Faculty of Education.
1.7
Recommended Supervisors and Advisors should preferably be full-time or part-time
staff of the University of Malta with formal teaching and/or research duties, in
possession of a Master’s Degree, or its equivalent, or a higher degree. In
exceptional circumstances, the Dissertation Committee may approve ad hoc
Supervisors and Advisors on the basis of their expertise and/or relevant professional
qualifications.
1.8
The Dissertation Committee is responsible for updating the list of recommended
Supervisors and Advisors, and their areas of interest.
1.9
Supervisors and Advisors shall ensure that there is no conflict of interest in the
supervision of the dissertation. A conflict of interest exists when it can be
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reasonably determined that a supervisor’s / advisor’s personal and/or financial
concerns could directly and significantly influence the design, conduct, or reporting
of research activities.
1.10 A change of Supervisor and/or Advisor can be effected by the Dissertation
Committee at the request of the Supervisor, Advisor and/or the student/s.
2. PROCEDURES
2.0 The Dissertation Committee will hold a briefing meeting for B.Ed. (Hons) students
early in the second semester of their second year of studies.
2.1 Without prejudice to any other documents that students may be required to refer to,
during this briefing meeting, students will be referred to an information pack
containing the following items: the Dissertation Proposal Form; the List Of Areas
Of Interest offered by Supervisors and Advisors, Faculty of Education Policy
regarding the Dissertation Study-unit, the Dissertation Guidelines, the Dissertation
Progress Diary, the Guidelines of the University of Malta Research Ethics
Committee, the Research Ethics Form of the University of Malta Research Ethics
Committee and the Faculty of Education Consent Form.
2.2 The student shall be responsible to propose a topic for the dissertation together with
the endorsement of a prospective Supervisor to the Dissertation Committee.
2.3
The Supervisor, in consultation with the student, may ask for the assistance of an
Advisor.
2.4
In compliance with Research Ethics requirements of the University of Malta,
students will be advised on issues related to ethics in the process of research, in the
first instance, by their Supervisor. The Dissertation Committee and the Research
Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Education will liaise as necessary with the
University Research Ethics Committee and notify the students on the relevant
Research Ethics issues and requirements.
3. PROPOSALS
3.0
Students' proposals should be submitted by the end of the third week of May of
their 2nd year of study. Students on exchange visits have to ensure that they also
submit their proposal by the same date. The exact date will be communicated
through the official channels of the University.
3.1
Students who have difficulty finding a Supervisor to supervise their dissertation will
inform the Dissertation Committee by not later than the end of April of their 2nd
year of study.
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3.2
Failure to hand in the proposal by the deadline of the first semester of the 3rd year
will be penalised by a 5% reduction of the dissertation’s final mark.
3.3
The proposal is to be submitted on the official Dissertation Proposal Form of the
Faculty of Education, and shall include as appropriate:
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a provisional title;
the date, course year and proposal number (i.e. 1st, 2nd proposal);
the name of the student/s who is/are submitting the proposal;
a brief description of the topic and objectives of the dissertation;
a brief overview of the main issues in the area of research;
an indication of the research method/s which will be used, including
description/s and size of sample;
the language / languages of writing the dissertation;
a list of 3-6 keywords;
the name, contact details and signed approval of the Supervisor, and, where
applicable, that of the Advisor; and
the Research Ethics Form of the University of Malta Research Ethics
Committee.
3.4
The Faculty of Education Research Ethics Committee will establish the date by
which students are to forward to it all relevant documents required in conformity
with the Research Ethics Form (request for approval of Human Subjects Research)
of the University of Malta Research Ethics Committee.
3.5
The Dissertation Committee shall meet to review and approve the dissertations
proposed to it.
3.6
Supervisors and students shall be notified when proposals have been approved. The
final approved proposal will be presented to all the members of the Examination
Board.
3.7
The Dissertation Committee may refer proposals back to the Supervisor and
students concerned for amendments and/or resubmissions.
4. SUPERVISORS AND ADVISORS
4.0
Supervisors and Advisors are to note students’ progress in writing on the official
Faculty of Education Dissertation Progress Diary. In the case of dissertations
involving more than one student, the Supervisor and Advisor should sign the
Dissertation Progress Diary of every student. The Dissertation Committee may
consult such Dissertation Progress Diary while the study-unit is still on-going. The
Dissertation Progress Diary is to be submitted by the students to the Dissertation
Committee upon submission of the dissertation.
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4.1
Supervisors and/or students shall inform the Dissertation Committee as a matter of
urgency if a major difficulty arises which in their opinion might prejudice the
presentation of the dissertation according to established procedures.
4.2
A student, with the consent of the Supervisor, shall submit a formal letter to the
Dissertation Committee in order to request consideration for approval of any major
change in the topic or scope of the dissertation. Change will be allowed in the
proposed topic/scope of the dissertation only in exceptional circumstances, and
normally, not after the end of June of the third year.
4.3 The Dissertation Committee will advise the Dean on the appropriate course of action
should a situation develop which in the opinion of the Dissertation Committee
makes a change of Supervisor necessary.
5. STYLE and FORMAT
5.0
Dissertations shall be presented in conformity with the standards of the subject area
and the particular methodology adopted in the field of study. Referencing shall
follow established academic procedures normally followed by the relevant
discipline (e.g. American Psychological Association [APA], Harvard Referencing
System, Chicago Manual of Style and others).
5.1
The title, including any subtitle of the dissertation, should normally not exceed 15
words. Students will normally be required to submit the final title of their
dissertation on the official Exact Title Form by the end of February of the 4th year
of studies.
5.2
The main text of the dissertation, including all footnotes, shall be between 10,000
and 13,000 words in length. For the purpose of the word limit, references and
bibliographies, ethnographic field-notes, verbatim transcripts of discourse, tables,
graphs, worksheets, programme listings and other media or curriculum material will
not be considered. The work of two students shall be between 14,000 and 16,000
words in length.
5.3. The Dissertation Committee, will establish a word limit or the amount of work
required following the criteria established in 5.2. Mutatis mutandis in the case that
more than two students are working on a write-up or in the case of a project.
5.4
In exceptional cases the Dissertation Committee may, after considering a
recommendation from the Supervisor, allow the presentation of a longer
dissertation, and or an extension in time. Applications for word/time extensions
must be made on the official forms of the Faculty of Education which have to be
handed in at the latest, four weeks prior to the submission date.
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5.5
The dissertation can be written in any language, subject to the approval of the
Dissertation Committee at the proposal stage. Irrespective of the language in which
the dissertation is written, an Abstract in English must be included.
5.6
The dissertation shall be word-processed and must be printed on white A4 paper.
Each page should normally have top and bottom margins of not less than 2.5cm
while it is suggested that the left margin will be of 4cm and the right margin of
2.5cm (to allow for trimming of paper and binding)
5.7
Appendices, indices and related material shall normally be bound with the main text
of the dissertation. When they are unsuitable for binding within the main text of the
dissertation the Supervisor shall consult with the Dissertation Committee as to the
appropriate format for their presentation.
6. SUBMISSION
6.0
Dissertations shall be submitted by a date to be determined by the Dissertation
Committee, normally by the Friday of the first week of May of the 4th year of
studies. Dissertations submitted within two weeks after that date will incur a penalty
of 15% of the mark allotted to it. No dissertation will be accepted after the end of
the two week concession.
6.1
Three loose copies of the dissertation must first be presented and registered at the
Faculty of Education before the end of normal office hours of the submission date
established. Where there is an Advisor as well as a Supervisor four loose copies of
the dissertation must be presented.
6.2
A copy of the final approved proposal shall be included with the dissertation copies
when the latter are submitted for examination.
6.3
By mid-June, the three (or four) unbound copies will be returned to the student/s
together with a copy of the official Examination Report.
6.4
Depending on the official Examination Report, the student may be required to effect
corrections and/or amendments to the dissertation before bound copies are handed
in.
6.5
One bound copy (where there is an Advisor two bound copies); and three copies of
the dissertation on CD-ROM in the stipulated format are to be submitted to the
Faculty by mid-July. Bound copies will be forwarded to the Supervisor and
Advisor. A ‘read-only’ soft copy of dissertations awarded grade C+ or higher will
be forwarded to and made available at the University Library. Two ‘read-only’
copies of all dissertations recorded on CD-ROM will be kept at the Teachers’
Resource Centre. One will be kept for reference only, and the other will be
available on loan. ‘Read-only’ soft copies of dissertations awarded less than grade
C+ will be kept at the Teachers’ Resource Centre, for reference only.
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6.6
The Faculty of Education reserves the right to publish the Abstract in any form it
deems necessary.
6.7
On the request of the student a Supervisor may make a recommendation to the
Dissertation Committee to close access to the dissertation for a period of time, only
if the reason for doing so is deemed acceptable by the Dissertation Committee. In
such cases, the dissertation Abstract will be included in the Faculty of Education
and the University Library databases, showing that access to the dissertation is
denied for a specific period of time.
6.8
Closed dissertations shall be sealed and stored at the University Library in a manner
determined by the Dissertation Committee. The date of open access shall be written
on the sealed material and on the relevant entries in lists and catalogues of
dissertations.
7. EXAMINATION
7.0
The dissertation shall be examined by an Examination Board composed of a
Chairperson, preferably chosen from among the members of the Faculty of
Education staff, the Supervisor, and one or more members. In the case where an
Advisor has been appointed to assist in the research, the Advisor is to be part of the
Examination Board in addition to the Chairperson and the other two members. The
Examination Board for each dissertation shall be appointed by the Faculty Board on
the advice of the Dissertation Committee.
7.1
The award of the grade and any revision of a grade will follow the University of
Malta Undergraduate Regulations 2004 (article 36) or any other regulation
approved for the purpose by Senate.
7.2
The Chairperson shall call a meeting of the Examination Board. He or she is
responsible for drawing up the official Examination Report that contains the agreed
conclusions and grade reached by the Examination Board. The official Examination
Report needs to be signed by all the members of the Examination Board.
7.3
Length of text which, in the opinion of the Examination Board, unjustifiably
exceeds the recommended word limits may be penalised by the same Examination
Board.
7.4
The Examination Board may refer a dissertation for corrections and amendments.
The Examination Board shall specify what corrections and amendments the
candidate/s concerned is/are required to make. In this case, the Supervisor shall give
the list of required corrections and amendments to the candidate/s. The Examination
Board shall recommend to the Dissertation Committee a time limit by which the
dissertation must be submitted, normally not later than mid-July of the year of
examination.
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7.5
A dissertation may be referred for amendments and corrections, if, in the opinion of
the Examination Board any of the abbreviations, notations, references and
bibliographical entries diverge unnecessarily from accepted conventions, or if they
are inaccurate, incomplete, insufficient or inconsistent.
7.6
A dissertation may be referred for amendments if in the opinion of the Examination
Board the appendices are excessively lengthy or irrelevant to the dissertation.
7.7
In cases of a potential F [Fail], the Examination Board may require the candidate/s
concerned to submit to a viva voce examination before at least three (3) members of
the Examination Board.
7.8
In exceptional circumstances, the Examination Board may consider awarding
different marks and grades to candidates working on the same project. In such
cases, each candidate will be required to submit to a viva voce examination before at
least three (3) members of the Examination Board. Each candidate will eventually
receive a separate official Examination Report.
7.9
In the cases described in 7.7 and 7.8, the candidates shall be given one week's notice
that they are required to attend a viva voce examination at a certain date, time and
place by means of an official notice to this effect issued by the Examination Board.
7.10 The Supervisor will monitor amendments and changes submitted. The student and
the Supervisor are to sign a declaration that the alterations required have been
completed in the final version of the dissertation.
7.11 Failed referred work must be resubmitted before the end of April of the following
academic year. Those dissertations that are referred for failed, unsatisfactory or
incomplete work will, if successful, be marked at the pass mark D (45).
7.12 A dissertation may not be referred more than once except for very minor
typographical corrections and with the approval of the Dissertation Committee. In
such cases the dissertation may be referred for a maximum of one week.
7.13 Cases of plagiarism and other intellectual dishonesty will be penalised according to
the University of Malta regulations regarding plagiarism and malpractice.
7.14 The official Examination Report and the final mark and grade will be communicated
to the Dissertation Committee. A list of the final results will be communicated to
the Faculty Office for the publication of results.
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