Writing Homework Help

You will develop a condensed literature review (7–9 pages) on a topic relevant to a current issue, problem, innovation, change, or trend in your field or specialization.

A literature review is not a summary of individual sources in a list, such as in the form of an annotated bibliography. Instead, the literature review should integrate in-text citations within the paragraphs to support your analysis of the scholarly readings you selected. You will seek to identify key themes and patterns of thinking as you read and analyze articles from different scholarly journals.

Your literature review should address at least two theorists pertinent to your interest in the field (Education). Use the following resources for more information about various specializations and theorists who are important to them. Pay particular attention to the program resources for your own specialization (Leadership in Educational Administration) and ones that are related to it.

Appropriate Theories/Theoretical Perspectives

A variety of theories and perspectives frame scholarly research in Leadership in Educational Administration. These include:

• Adult Learning Theory
• Andragogy
• Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Constructivist Theory
• Experiential Learning
• Hierarchy of Needs
• Learning Style Theory
• Multiple Intelligences
• Situational Leadership
• Transformational Leadership

Topic Selection Guidelines for Educational Leadership and Management

An acceptable topic for Educational Leadership and Management is one that that meets the following criteria:

1. Involves providing leadership
2. Involves changes and innovation
3. Addresses some form of equity
4. Involves research, literature, and relevant information for evidence-based decision making.
5. Involves collaboration

Literature Review: Theorists

Select two theorists who are important in your field of study (Education). Select, if possible, one article or text written by the theorist and one article or text about the theorist.

Literature Review: Analyzing and Synthesizing Sources

Be sure to analyze and evaluate the articles, not just report on and describe the content of the article. What should you add?

• Integration: Integrate information from across the sources in your review. Look for themes and commonalities. Do not just review one article after another in a linear fashion. Use headings and subheadings to organize your paper around themes you identify.
• Analysis: Analyze scholarly articles and point out important evidence or perspectives.
• Evaluation: Evaluate scholarly articles and identify criteria used for evaluation.
• Synthesis: Synthesize (combine) information from various sources to identify patterns, gaps, and missing or conflicting information that impacts your understanding of the topic.

Research Skills and Critical Thinking

A helpful strategy for thinking critically about the readings we will conduct and the thinking we need to do is to use strategies associated with systems thinking, which considers an issue or a problem within a context. For example, rather than blaming one person in an organization, we consider a multitude of organizational components to build a more realistic perspective of the contributors involved. We think first about the problem and what influences the problem, and then we ask which opportunities can improve the issue or problem of practice. We will explore systems thinking further a little later in the course.

Analyzing Literature

Paul and Elder (2012) associate three phases with their definition of critical thinking (p. xix):

1. It analyzes thinking . . . By focusing on the parts of thinking in any situation—its purpose, question, information, inferences, assumptions, concepts, implications, and point of view.
2. It evaluates thinking . . . By figuring out its strengths and weaknesses: the extent to which it is clear, accurate, precise, relevant, deep, broad, logical, significant, and fair.
3. It improves thinking . . . By building on its strengths while reducing its weaknesses.