Plan A (Thesis)

The development of a thesis proposal is concurrent with the selection of a thesis chair and committee. The proposal includes a literature review that contextualizes the research question(s) within existing research and theory.  The proposal also includes a description of the proposed research methods, including how the data will be analyzed.  Students work with their thesis advisor to develop their proposal and should refer to the Proposal Literature Review Assessment Rubric and the Proposal Method Section Assessment Rubric.

After the thesis proposal is defended and approved, Student Progress Form II is submitted to the Graduate Division and the student may enroll in thesis research (EdEP 700) at the beginning of the next academic semester. Students must register for at least one EdEP 700 credit during the semester in which they graduate and apply for graduation by the appropriate deadlines.

Students whose theses involve human participants should receive approval from the University's Committee on Human Studies (CHS) for their project.  Students work with their thesis chair to develop their Human Studies applications and refer to the CHS application guidelines. They should also refer to the Human Studies Application Assessment Rubric. Students who plan to do research in the Department of Education should refer to the Guidelines for Research in the HIDOE. This may entail an additional application to the DOE Systems Accountability Office.

The completed thesis typically includes (a) an introduction that includes a literature review contextualizing the research question(s) within existing research and theory, (b) a method section describing their research methods, including how the data were analyzed, (c) a results section presenting what was found, and (d) a discussion section that interprets the results and suggests implications for theory, research, and practice.

Students work with their thesis chair to develop their final paper and apply the writing style and conventions described in the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.  They should refer to the Plan B or Thesis Literature Review Assessment Rubric and the Plan B or Thesis Method Section Assessment Rubric. It is the responsibility of the student to keep all members of the thesis committee informed of the scope, plan, and progress of thesis research.

Copies of the completed thesis must be submitted to committee members at least two weeks prior to the date of the final oral examination by the committee. At the oral examination, students make a 10-15 minute presentation that summarizes the research.  Students work with their thesis chair to plan for this presentation and refer to the Research Presentation Assessment Rubric for expectations of the presentation. Upon successful defense of the thesis and subsequent completion of revisions, Student Progress Form III is submitted to the Graduate Division.

It is the student's responsibility to edit and prepare a final manuscript that meets the Graduate Division's format requirements.  Students may submit either a PDF version of the manuscript saved on a CD or an unbound printed copy of the manuscript to the Graduate Division. The theses are due at the Graduate Records Office by the deadline specified in the "Academic Calendar." A printed copy of the original signature page is required, regardless of the chosen format for manuscript submission.  Students who plan to publish through ProQuest need to submit additional items.  See the Graduate Division website, for more information. A copy of the manuscript in PDF version must be provided to the Department. A copy of the manuscript should also be provided to the thesis chair. The student should discuss with their chair whether he/she prefers a paper or PDF version of the manuscript.

Asada, K. (2004). Implementation of the Adult Literacy program: Educational outcome of psychiatric inpatients at Hawaii State Hospital.

Burk, B. (2006). Prior course experiences and academic achievement.

Chang, W. (2005). Precursors to social information processing.

Inoue, G. (2003). Peer mentor development in the Access to College Excellence program.

Goh, S. (2008). Instructional conversation in preschool settings.

Judd, J. (2005). The relationship between self-regulatory learning strategies and the academic achievement of high school chemistry students.

Lawton, B. (2005). The differential effects of two versions of middle-school inquiry-based science program professional development institutes on teachers' self-efficacy as inquiry-based science teachers.

Lukey, N. (2006). Philosophy for Children Hawaii and its influence on the development of students' reflective thinking in classroom discussions.

Mark, L. (2009). A new generation of bullies: The cyberbullying phenomenon in middle school students.

Smith, B. (2004). Perceptions of ADHD among Marshallese teachers and parents.

Taum, A. (2003). The influences of participation in a teacher study group focusing on the CREDE standards for effective pedagogy on four high school teachers' instruction.

Viggiano, A. (2003). The influence of learning team participation of four teachers' implementation of writing standards in classroom instruction.