quality dissertation case study

• Section 2: Home
• Developing the Quantitative Research Design
• Qualitative Descriptive Design
• Design and Development Research (DDR) For Instructional Design
• Qualitative Narrative Inquiry Research
• Action Research Resource
• Case Study Design in an Applied Doctorate

Qualitative Research Designs

Case study design, using case study design in the applied doctoral experience (ade), applicability of case study design to applied problem of practice, case study design references.

• SAGE Research Methods
• Research Examples (SAGE) This link opens in a new window
• Dataset Examples (SAGE) This link opens in a new window
• IRB Resource Center This link opens in a new window

The field of qualitative research there are a number of research designs (also referred to as “traditions” or “genres”), including case study, phenomenology, narrative inquiry, action research, ethnography, grounded theory, as well as a number of critical genres including Feminist theory, indigenous research, critical race theory and cultural studies. The choice of research design is directly tied to and must be aligned with your research problem and purpose. As Bloomberg & Volpe (2019) explain:

Choice of research design is directly tied to research problem and purpose. As the researcher, you actively create the link among problem, purpose, and design through a process of reflecting on problem and purpose, focusing on researchable questions, and considering how to best address these questions. Thinking along these lines affords a research study methodological congruence (p. 38).

Case study is an in-depth exploration from multiple perspectives of a bounded social phenomenon, be this a social system such as a program, event, institution, organization, or community (Stake, 1995, 2005; Yin, 2018). Case study is employed across disciplines, including education, health care, social work, sociology, and organizational studies. The purpose is to generate understanding and deep insights to inform professional practice, policy development, and community or social action (Bloomberg 2018).

Yin (2018) and Stake (1995, 2005), two of the key proponents of case study methodology, use different terms to describe case studies. Yin categorizes case studies as exploratory or descriptive . The former is used to explore those situations in which the intervention being evaluated has no clear single set of outcomes. The latter is used to describe an intervention or phenomenon and the real-life context in which it occurred. Stake identifies case studies as intrinsic or instrumental , and he proposes that a primary distinction in designing case studies is between single and multiple (or collective) case study designs. A single case study may be an instrumental case study (research focuses on an issue or concern in one bounded case) or an intrinsic case study (the focus is on the case itself because the case presents a unique situation). A longitudinal case study design is chosen when the researcher seeks to examine the same single case at two or more different points in time or to capture trends over time. A multiple case study design is used when a researcher seeks to determine the prevalence or frequency of a particular phenomenon. This approach is useful when cases are used for purposes of a cross-case analysis in order to compare, contrast, and synthesize perspectives regarding the same issue. The focus is on the analysis of diverse cases to determine how these confirm the findings within or between cases, or call the findings into question.

Case study affords significant interaction with research participants, providing an in-depth picture of the phenomenon (Bloomberg & Volpe, 2019). Research is extensive, drawing on multiple methods of data collection, and involves multiple data sources. Triangulation is critical in attempting to obtain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under study and adds rigor, breadth, and depth to the study and provides corroborative evidence of the data obtained. Analysis of data can be holistic or embedded—that is, dealing with the whole or parts of the case (Yin, 2018). With multiple cases the typical analytic strategy is to provide detailed description of themes within each case (within-case analysis), followed by thematic analysis across cases (cross-case analysis), providing insights regarding how individual cases are comparable along important dimensions. Research culminates in the production of a detailed description of a setting and its participants, accompanied by an analysis of the data for themes or patterns (Stake, 1995, 2005; Yin, 2018). In addition to thick, rich description, the researcher’s interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations contribute to the reader’s overall understanding of the case study.

Analysis of findings should show that the researcher has attended to all the data, should address the most significant aspects of the case, and should demonstrate familiarity with the prevailing thinking and discourse about the topic. The goal of case study design (as with all qualitative designs) is not generalizability but rather transferability —that is, how (if at all) and in what ways understanding and knowledge can be applied in similar contexts and settings. The qualitative researcher attempts to address the issue of transferability by way of thick, rich description that will provide the basis for a case or cases to have relevance and potential application across a broader context.

Qualitative research methods ask the questions of "what" and "how" a phenomenon is understood in a real-life context (Bloomberg & Volpe, 2019). In the education field, qualitative research methods uncover educational experiences and practices because qualitative research allows the researcher to reveal new knowledge and understanding. Moreover, qualitative descriptive case studies describe, analyze and interpret events that explain the reasoning behind specific phenomena (Bloomberg, 2018). As such, case study design can be the foundation for a rigorous study within the Applied Doctoral Experience (ADE).

Case study design is an appropriate research design to consider when conceptualizing and conducting a dissertation research study that is based on an applied problem of practice with inherent real-life educational implications. Case study researchers study current, real-life cases that are in progress so that they can gather accurate information that is current. This fits well with the ADE program, as students are typically exploring a problem of practice. Because of the flexibility of the methods used, a descriptive design provides the researcher with the opportunity to choose data collection methods that are best suited to a practice-based research purpose, and can include individual interviews, focus groups, observation, surveys, and critical incident questionnaires. Methods are triangulated to contribute to the study’s trustworthiness. In selecting the set of data collection methods, it is important that the researcher carefully consider the alignment between research questions and the type of data that is needed to address these. Each data source is one piece of the “puzzle,” that contributes to the researcher’s holistic understanding of a phenomenon. The various strands of data are woven together holistically to promote a deeper understanding of the case and its application to an educationally-based problem of practice.

Research studies within the Applied Doctoral Experience (ADE) will be practical in nature and focus on problems and issues that inform educational practice.  Many of the types of studies that fall within the ADE framework are exploratory, and align with case study design. Case study design fits very well with applied problems related to educational practice, as the following set of examples illustrate:

Elementary Bilingual Education Teachers’ Self-Efficacy in Teaching English Language Learners: A Qualitative Case Study

The problem to be addressed in the proposed study is that some elementary bilingual education teachers’ beliefs about their lack of preparedness to teach the English language may negatively impact the language proficiency skills of Hispanic ELLs (Ernst-Slavit & Wenger, 2016; Fuchs et al., 2018; Hoque, 2016). The purpose of the proposed qualitative descriptive case study was to explore the perspectives and experiences of elementary bilingual education teachers regarding their perceived lack of preparedness to teach the English language and how this may impact the language proficiency of Hispanic ELLs.

Exploring Minority Teachers Experiences Pertaining to their Value in Education: A Single Case Study of Teachers in New York City

The problem is that minority K-12 teachers are underrepresented in the United States, with research indicating that school leaders and teachers in schools that are populated mainly by black students, staffed mostly by white teachers who may be unprepared to deal with biases and stereotypes that are ingrained in schools (Egalite, Kisida, & Winters, 2015; Milligan & Howley, 2015). The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to develop a clearer understanding of minority teachers’ experiences concerning the under-representation of minority K-12 teachers in urban school districts in the United States since there are so few of them.

Exploring the Impact of an Urban Teacher Residency Program on Teachers’ Cultural Intelligence: A Qualitative Case Study

The problem to be addressed by this case study is that teacher candidates often report being unprepared and ill-equipped to effectively educate culturally diverse students (Skepple, 2015; Beutel, 2018). The purpose of this study was to explore and gain an in-depth understanding of the perceived impact of an urban teacher residency program in urban Iowa on teachers’ cultural competence using the cultural intelligence (CQ) framework (Earley & Ang, 2003).

Qualitative Case Study that Explores Self-Efficacy and Mentorship on Women in Academic Administrative Leadership Roles

The problem was that female school-level administrators might be less likely to experience mentorship, thereby potentially decreasing their self-efficacy (Bing & Smith, 2019; Brown, 2020; Grant, 2021). The purpose of this case study was to determine to what extent female school-level administrators in the United States who had a mentor have a sense of self-efficacy and to examine the relationship between mentorship and self-efficacy.

Suburban Teacher and Administrator Perceptions of Culturally Responsive Teaching to Promote Connectedness in Students of Color: A Qualitative Case Study

The problem to be addressed in this study is the racial discrimination experienced by students of color in suburban schools and the resulting negative school experience (Jara & Bloomsbury, 2020; Jones, 2019; Kohli et al., 2017; Wandix-White, 2020). The purpose of this case study is to explore how culturally responsive practices can counteract systemic racism and discrimination in suburban schools thereby meeting the needs of students of color by creating positive learning experiences. 

As you can see, all of these studies were well suited to qualitative case study design. In each of these studies, the applied research problem and research purpose were clearly grounded in educational practice as well as directly aligned with qualitative case study methodology. In the Applied Doctoral Experience (ADE), you will be focused on addressing or resolving an educationally relevant research problem of practice. As such, your case study, with clear boundaries, will be one that centers on a real-life authentic problem in your field of practice that you believe is in need of resolution or improvement, and that the outcome thereof will be educationally valuable.

Bloomberg, L. D. (2018). Case study method. In B. B. Frey (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of educational research, measurement, and evaluation (pp. 237–239). SAGE. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/nu.edu?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmethods.sagepub.com%2FReference%2Fthe-sage-encyclopedia-of-educational-research-measurement-and-evaluation%2Fi4294.xml

Bloomberg, L. D. & Volpe, M. (2019). Completing your qualitative dissertation: A road map from beginning to end . (4th Ed.). SAGE.

Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. SAGE.

Stake, R. E. (2005). Qualitative case studies. In N. K. Denzin and Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed., pp. 443–466). SAGE.

Yin, R. (2018). Case study research and applications: Designs and methods. SAGE.

• << Previous: Action Research Resource
• Next: SAGE Research Methods >>
• Last Updated: Jul 28, 2023 8:05 AM
• URL: https://resources.nu.edu/c.php?g=1013605

© Copyright 2024 National University. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy | Consumer Information

Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Tips for a qualitative dissertation

Veronika Williams

17 October 2017

Tips for students

This blog is part of a series for Evidence-Based Health Care MSc students undertaking their dissertations.

Undertaking an MSc dissertation in Evidence-Based Health Care (EBHC) may be your first hands-on experience of doing qualitative research. I chatted to Dr. Veronika Williams, an experienced qualitative researcher, and tutor on the EBHC programme, to find out her top tips for producing a high-quality qualitative EBHC thesis.

1) Make the switch from a quantitative to a qualitative mindset

It’s not just about replacing numbers with words. Doing qualitative research requires you to adopt a different way of seeing and interpreting the world around you. Veronika asks her students to reflect on positivist and interpretivist approaches: If you come from a scientific or medical background, positivism is often the unacknowledged status quo. Be open to considering there are alternative ways to generate and understand knowledge.

2) Reflect on your role

Quantitative research strives to produce “clean” data unbiased by the context in which it was generated.  With qualitative methods, this is neither possible nor desirable.  Students should reflect on how their background and personal views shape the way they collect and analyse their data. This will not only add to the transparency of your work but will also help you interpret your findings.

3)  Don’t forget the theory

Qualitative researchers use theories as a lens through which they understand the world around them. Veronika suggests that students consider the theoretical underpinning to their own research at the earliest stages. You can read an article about why theories are useful in qualitative research  here.

4) Think about depth rather than breadth

Qualitative research is all about developing a deep and insightful understanding of the phenomenon/ concept you are studying. Be realistic about what you can achieve given the time constraints of an MSc.  Veronika suggests that collecting and analysing a smaller dataset well is preferable to producing a superficial, rushed analysis of a larger dataset.

5) Blur the boundaries between data collection, analysis and writing up

Veronika strongly recommends keeping a research diary or using memos to jot down your ideas as your research progresses. Not only do these add to your audit trail, these entries will help contribute to your first draft and the process of moving towards theoretical thinking. Qualitative researchers move back and forward between their dataset and manuscript as their ideas develop. This enriches their understanding and allows emerging theories to be explored.

6) Move beyond the descriptive

When analysing interviews, for example, it can be tempting to think that having coded your transcripts you are nearly there. This is not the case!  You need to move beyond the descriptive codes to conceptual themes and theoretical thinking in order to produce a high-quality thesis.  Veronika warns against falling into the pitfall of thinking writing up is, “Two interviews said this whilst three interviewees said that”.

7) It’s not just about the average experience

When analysing your data, consider the outliers or negative cases, for example, those that found the intervention unacceptable.  Although in the minority, these respondents will often provide more meaningful insight into the phenomenon or concept you are trying to study.

8) Bounce ideas

Veronika recommends sharing your emerging ideas and findings with someone else, maybe with a different background or perspective. This isn’t about getting to the “right answer” rather it offers you the chance to refine your thinking.  Be sure, though, to fully acknowledge their contribution in your thesis.

9) Be selective

In can be a challenge to meet the dissertation word limit.  It won’t be possible to present all the themes generated by your dataset so focus! Use quotes from across your dataset that best encapsulate the themes you are presenting.  Display additional data in the appendix.  For example, Veronika suggests illustrating how you moved from your coding framework to your themes.

10) Don’t panic!

There will be a stage during analysis and write up when it seems undoable.  Unlike quantitative researchers who begin analysis with a clear plan, qualitative research is more of a journey. Everything will fall into place by the end.  Be sure, though, to allow yourself enough time to make sense of the rich data qualitative research generates.

Related course:

Qualitative research methods.

Short Course

Masters Compare - Find your perfect masters course.

• Studying a Postgraduate degree

How to use a case study in your masters dissertation

Share this article.

• Facebook Sharer
• Twitter Sharer
• LinkedIn Sharer

Explore other topics

• Funding a Postgraduate course
• Living as a Postgraduate student
• Popular masters degree subjects
• Student Wellbeing
• Finding a PhD or Masters Course

Think Postgrad

Frequently asked questions.

Yes, in fact a case study is a very good option in your dissertation. There are multiple ways to implement a case study in your thesis. For instance, one main study which is in depth and complex or you could feature multiple case studies.

Case studies are a way to research a particular field, group, people and situation. The topic of research is studied deeply and thoroughly in order to solve a problem or uncover information. Case studies are a type of qualitative research.

If you are ready to find a masters course check out Masters Compare.

Prof Martyn Denscombe, author of “ The Good Research Guide, 6th edition ”, gives expert advice on how to use a case study in your masters dissertation. 

There are two main examples for how to use a case study in your masters dissertation, namely quantitative and qualitative case studies.

First, a case study provides a platform that allows you to study a situation in depth and produce the level of academic inquiry that is expected in a master’s degree. In the context of any master’s programme the dissertation operates as something of a showcase for a student’s abilities.

It can easily make the difference between getting a merit and a distinction in the final award of degree. It is important, therefore, to base the work on an approach that allows things to be explored in sufficient depth and detail to warrant a good grade.

Second, case studies can be useful in a practical sense. It is possible to complete a case study in a relatively short period of intense study and so it is the kind of research that is feasible in terms of the kind of time constraints that face master’s students as they enter the final stages of their programme of study.

Added to which a case study can also be a rather convenient form of research, avoiding the time and costs of travel to multiple research sites. The use of case studies, then, would appear to be an attractive proposition. But it is not an approach that should be used naively without consideration of its limitations or potential pitfalls.

To be a good case study the research needs to consider certain key issues. If they are not addressed it will considerably lower the value of the master’s degree. For instance, a good case study needs to:

• Be crystal clear about the purpose for which the research is being conducted
• Justify the selection of the particular case being studied
• Describe how the chosen case compares with others of its type
• Explain the basis on which any generalizations can be made from the findings

This is where The Good Research Guide, 6th edition becomes so valuable. It not only identifies the key points that need to be addressed in order to conduct a competent questionnaire survey.

It gets right to the heart of the matter with plenty of practical guidance on how to deal with issues. Using plain language, this bestselling book covers a range of alternative strategies and methods for conducting small-scale social research projects. It outlines some of the main ways in which the data can be analysed.

Read Prof Martyn Denscombe’s advice on using a questionnaire survey for your postgraduate dissertation

• Advertisers
• Cookie Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Sorry! You need to sign up

Sign up to Postgraduate Studentships

Sign up to compare masters

Opportunity added!

Thanks for making your selection. Click below to view your list.

Course Added

Thanks for making your selection. Click below to view your comparisons.

Think Postgrad Ltd 2008-2024 Website By Parachute

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Methodology
• Case Study | Definition, Examples & Methods

Case Study | Definition, Examples & Methods

Published on 5 May 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 30 January 2023.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organisation, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods , but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing , comparing, evaluating, and understanding different aspects of a research problem .

Table of contents

When to do a case study, step 1: select a case, step 2: build a theoretical framework, step 3: collect your data, step 4: describe and analyse the case.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation . They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions , you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:

• Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject
• Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
• Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
• Open up new directions for future research

Unlike quantitative or experimental research, a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.

If you find yourself aiming to simultaneously investigate and solve an issue, consider conducting action research . As its name suggests, action research conducts research and takes action at the same time, and is highly iterative and flexible. 

However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience, or phenomenon.

While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

• Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation
• Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
• Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework . This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews, observations, and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data .

The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis, with separate sections or chapters for the methods , results , and discussion .

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyse its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis ).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, January 30). Case Study | Definition, Examples & Methods. Scribbr. Retrieved 21 August 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/research-methods/case-studies/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, correlational research | guide, design & examples, a quick guide to experimental design | 5 steps & examples, descriptive research design | definition, methods & examples.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation

Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples

Published on September 9, 2022 by Tegan George . Revised on July 18, 2023.

It can be difficult to know where to start when writing your thesis or dissertation . One way to come up with some ideas or maybe even combat writer’s block is to check out previous work done by other students on a similar thesis or dissertation topic to yours.

This article collects a list of undergraduate, master’s, and PhD theses and dissertations that have won prizes for their high-quality research.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Award-winning undergraduate theses, award-winning master’s theses, award-winning ph.d. dissertations, other interesting articles.

University : University of Pennsylvania Faculty : History Author : Suchait Kahlon Award : 2021 Hilary Conroy Prize for Best Honors Thesis in World History Title : “Abolition, Africans, and Abstraction: the Influence of the “Noble Savage” on British and French Antislavery Thought, 1787-1807”

University : Columbia University Faculty : History Author : Julien Saint Reiman Award : 2018 Charles A. Beard Senior Thesis Prize Title : “A Starving Man Helping Another Starving Man”: UNRRA, India, and the Genesis of Global Relief, 1943-1947

University: University College London Faculty: Geography Author: Anna Knowles-Smith Award:  2017 Royal Geographical Society Undergraduate Dissertation Prize Title:  Refugees and theatre: an exploration of the basis of self-representation

University: University of Washington Faculty:  Computer Science & Engineering Author: Nick J. Martindell Award: 2014 Best Senior Thesis Award Title:  DCDN: Distributed content delivery for the modern web

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

University:  University of Edinburgh Faculty:  Informatics Author:  Christopher Sipola Award:  2018 Social Responsibility & Sustainability Dissertation Prize Title:  Summarizing electricity usage with a neural network

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Education Author:  Matthew Brillinger Award:  2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Humanities Prize Title:  Educational Park Planning in Berkeley, California, 1965-1968

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty: Social Sciences Author:  Heather Martin Award:  2015 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  An Analysis of Sexual Assault Support Services for Women who have a Developmental Disability

University : University of Ottawa Faculty : Physics Author : Guillaume Thekkadath Award : 2017 Commission on Graduate Studies in the Sciences Prize Title : Joint measurements of complementary properties of quantum systems

University:  London School of Economics Faculty: International Development Author: Lajos Kossuth Award:  2016 Winner of the Prize for Best Overall Performance Title:  Shiny Happy People: A study of the effects income relative to a reference group exerts on life satisfaction

University : Stanford University Faculty : English Author : Nathan Wainstein Award : 2021 Alden Prize Title : “Unformed Art: Bad Writing in the Modernist Novel”

University : University of Massachusetts at Amherst Faculty : Molecular and Cellular Biology Author : Nils Pilotte Award : 2021 Byron Prize for Best Ph.D. Dissertation Title : “Improved Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Molecular Diagnostics for Soil-Transmitted Helminths”

University:  Utrecht University Faculty:  Linguistics Author:  Hans Rutger Bosker Award: 2014 AVT/Anéla Dissertation Prize Title:  The processing and evaluation of fluency in native and non-native speech

University: California Institute of Technology Faculty: Physics Author: Michael P. Mendenhall Award: 2015 Dissertation Award in Nuclear Physics Title: Measurement of the neutron beta decay asymmetry using ultracold neutrons

University:  Stanford University Faculty: Management Science and Engineering Author:  Shayan O. Gharan Award:  Doctoral Dissertation Award 2013 Title:   New Rounding Techniques for the Design and Analysis of Approximation Algorithms

University: University of Minnesota Faculty: Chemical Engineering Author: Eric A. Vandre Award:  2014 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics Title: Onset of Dynamics Wetting Failure: The Mechanics of High-speed Fluid Displacement

University: Erasmus University Rotterdam Faculty: Marketing Author: Ezgi Akpinar Award: McKinsey Marketing Dissertation Award 2014 Title: Consumer Information Sharing: Understanding Psychological Drivers of Social Transmission

University: University of Washington Faculty: Computer Science & Engineering Author: Keith N. Snavely Award:  2009 Doctoral Dissertation Award Title: Scene Reconstruction and Visualization from Internet Photo Collections

University:  University of Ottawa Faculty:  Social Work Author:  Susannah Taylor Award: 2018 Joseph De Koninck Prize Title:  Effacing and Obscuring Autonomy: the Effects of Structural Violence on the Transition to Adulthood of Street Involved Youth

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. (2023, July 18). Prize-Winning Thesis and Dissertation Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 21, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/examples/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Other students also liked, how to choose a dissertation topic | 8 steps to follow, checklist: writing a dissertation, thesis & dissertation database examples, what is your plagiarism score.

Ensuring bachelor’s thesis assessment quality: a case study at one Dutch research university

Higher Education Evaluation and Development

ISSN : 2514-5789

Article publication date: 30 May 2023

Issue publication date: 4 June 2024

In the Netherlands, thesis assessment quality is a growing concern for the national accreditation organization due to increasing student numbers and supervisor workload. However, the accreditation framework lacks guidance on how to meet quality standards. This study aims to address these issues by sharing our experience, identifying problems and proposing guidelines for quality assurance for a thesis assessment system.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has two parts. The first part is a narrative literature review conducted to derive guidelines for thesis assessment based on observations made at four Dutch universities. The second part is a case study conducted in one bachelor’s psychology-related program, where the assessment practitioners and the vice program director analyzed the assessment documents based on the guidelines developed from the literature review.

The findings of this study include a list of guidelines based on the four standards. The case study results showed that the program meets most of the guidelines, as it has a comprehensive set of thesis learning outcomes, peer coaching for novice supervisors, clear and complete assessment information and procedures for both examiners and students, and a concise assessment form.

Originality/value

This study is original in that it demonstrates how to holistically ensure the quality of thesis assessments by considering the context of the program and paying more attention to validity (e.g. program curriculum and assessment design), transparency (e.g. integrating assessment into the supervision process) and the assessment expertise of teaching staff.

• Quality assurance
• Accreditation
• Thesis assessment

Hsiao, Y.-P.(A). , van de Watering, G. , Heitbrink, M. , Vlas, H. and Chiu, M.-S. (2024), "Ensuring bachelor’s thesis assessment quality: a case study at one Dutch research university", Higher Education Evaluation and Development , Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 2-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/HEED-08-2022-0033

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Ya-Ping (Amy) Hsiao, Gerard van de Watering, Marthe Heitbrink, Helma Vlas and Mei-Shiu Chiu

Published in Higher Education Evaluation and Development . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http:// creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction

According to data from the universities of the Netherlands, the number of bachelor’s students at Dutch research universities has been steadily increasing from 2015 to 2021 [1] , leading to increased workload for teaching staff due to the need for greater supervision of students [2] . This increased supervision is particularly evident in the supervision of students’ final projects. In the Netherlands, students can begin working on their final projects in the final year of their program’s curriculum once they pass the first-year diploma (the so-called Propaedeutic phase based on a positive binding study advice, BSA), earn a required number of European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits and meet other requirements. A bachelor’s degree is awarded when a student has “demonstrated by the results of tests, the final projects, and the performance of graduates in actual practice or in postgraduate programmes” (The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders [Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie], hereinafter abbreviated as the NVAO, 2018 , p. 34).

The Bachelor’s thesis is the culmination of the Bachelor’s programme. A Bachelor’s thesis is carried out in the form of a research project within a department. It is an opportunity to put the knowledge learned during the programme into practice. The Bachelor’s thesis is used to assess the student’s initiative and their ability to plan, report and present a project. The difficulty level of the thesis is described by the attainment targets of the programme and the modules followed up until that moment. Students work independently on a Bachelor’s thesis or Individual Assignment (IOO) under the guidance of a supervisor.

This definition highlights the pedagogical value of the thesis (i.e. the opportunity to carry out an independent project) and the purpose of thesis assessment (i.e. to determine the extent to which the intended learning outcomes have been achieved). While this definition acknowledges the importance of a bachelor’s thesis, relatively little research has been done on examining the quality of undergraduate thesis assessment ( Hand and Clewes, 2000 ; Shay, 2005 ; Webster et al ., 2000 ; Todd et al ., 2004 ), let alone in the Dutch context where thesis supervisors and examiners of bachelor’s students are experiencing an increasing workload.

In recent years, the Dutch government has placed increasing emphasis on assessment quality in higher education ( Inspectorate of Education [Inspectie van het Onderwijs], 2016 ). The NVAO has established the Assessment Framework for the Higher Education Accreditation System of the Netherlands (hereinafter abbreviated as the Framework, NVAO, 2018 ). The standards for the accreditation of initial and existing study programs emphasize whether a program has established an adequate student assessment system that appropriately assesses the intended learning outcomes ( NVAO, 2018 ). According to the quality standards of the Framework, thesis assessment should be valid, reliable, transparent and independent. Assessment literature in the higher education context has defined these criteria as follows (e.g. Biggs and Tang, 2007 ; Bloxham and Boyd, 2007 ). Validity refers to the extent to which an assessment accurately measures what it is intended to measure. Reliability refers to the consistency of the assessment results, or how well they accurately reflect a student’s actual achievement level. Transparency is the clarity and specificity with which assessment information is communicated to both students and examiners. Independency is a necessary condition for ensuring the validity and reliability of an assessment, as it requires that examiners remain objective in the assessment process.

Despite the inclusion of these standards in the Framework ( NVAO, 2008 ), official guidance on establishing a quality system of assessing graduation projects that test achievement of the exit level of a study program at Dutch research universities is limited. As assessment practitioners (the first four authors of this article), we have found that it is often unclear for a program’s curriculum and/or management team to establish appropriate thesis assessment procedures at the undergraduate level that meet the NVAO’s quality standards. We hope that our experience can provide valuable insights and guidance for programs seeking to ensure quality assurance for thesis assessment.

Aims and research questions

The purpose of this study is to share our experience and the challenges we faced during internal and external quality assurance processes of thesis assessment. Based on these challenges, we conducted a narrative literature review to develop a set of guidelines for ensuring thesis assessment quality that aligns with the four standards outlined in the Framework ( NVAO, 2018 ): (1) intended learning outcomes, (2) teaching and learning environment, (3) assessment and (4) achieved learning outcomes. To illustrate the application of these guidelines, we present a case study of bachelor’s thesis assessment practices at one Dutch research university.

What are the guidelines for ensuring the quality of thesis assessment procedures that meet the standards specified in the Framework?

How can these guidelines be applied to evaluate the quality of thesis assessment in a study program?

It is important to note that this study is limited to the context of four Dutch research universities, where we encountered common issues during internal quality assurance processes of thesis assessment. Our goal is to share our experience and offer insights that could be useful to other institutions seeking to ensure the quality of thesis assessment. We do not intend to assume that these problems are present at all Dutch research universities.

Problems and guidelines in meeting the four standards

According to the didactic principle of constructive alignment ( Biggs and Tang, 2007 ), which is commonly used in Dutch higher education, the three education processes, teaching, learning and assessment, should be aligned with the intended learning outcomes. We begin with Standards 1 and 2, which set out the conditions under which thesis assessment takes place, and then we place more emphasis on Standards 3 and 4, which focus on the quality criteria for thesis assessment.

Standard 1: intended learning outcomes

To ensure that a study program meets Standard 1 of the Dutch Qualification Framework ( NLQF, 2008 ), the intended learning outcomes for graduates in specific subject areas and qualifications are typically developed using the Dublin Descriptors ( Bologna Working Group, 2005 ), which provide generic statements of competencies and attributes. However, it is often assumed that a thesis should assess all of these program learning outcomes (PLOs) since it is intended to evaluate the achieved learning outcomes at the exit level. Unfortunately, these PLOs can be global and unclear, which can confuse and hinder students from trying to understand the expectations for thesis assessment. Our observation is that programs often utilize PLOs as thesis learning outcomes (TLOs), although a thesis is not equivalent to the entire program curriculum.

According to Biggs and Tang (2007) , it is important for teachers to first clearly define the learning outcomes before designing instructional activities to guide students toward achieving them. In addition, the outcomes at the program and course levels (i.e. a thesis is also a course) should also be constructively aligned, and the course-level outcomes should be specific to the context of the course. Therefore, to design effective thesis activities (such as supervision) and develop assessment criteria, it would be more pedagogically valuable to formulate thesis-specific learning outcomes and explain how they contribute to the PLOs and Dublin Descriptors, rather than directly using the PLOs for thesis assessment.

In addition, a thesis course often involves most of the teaching staff in the program. Therefore, it is important to establish clear and specific expectations for what students should achieve at the end of a bachelor’s thesis course ( Willison and O'Regan, 2006 ; Todd et al ., 2004 ), such as the scope and type of research (e.g. scaffolded or self-initiated), integrating disciplinary knowledge and research skills from earlier program curriculum, demonstrating critical thinking through well-supported arguments and developing independent learning skills for future work ( Willison and O'Regan, 2006 ).

Standard 2: teaching-learning environment

According to Standard 2 of the Dutch Qualification Framework ( NLQF, 2008 ), the quality of the teaching and learning environment should be designed to help students achieve the intended learning outcomes of the program curriculum. However, our experience has revealed problems in this area. In informal discussions with thesis supervisors, we have found that students often report a lack of preparedness for a bachelor’s thesis, as they have not been adequately taught or practiced certain academic and research skills such as communication, information seeking and methodologies. Conversely, many teachers in the program believe they have covered these skills in their courses. Furthermore, during thesis calibration sessions, we have observed that novice examiners lack expertise due to insufficient experience in research education, a lack of training as thesis examiners, and unclear instructions on thesis assessment procedures.

To meet Standard 2, we recommend the following two guidelines. First, as suggested by research on curriculum alignment ( Wijngaards-de Meij and Merx, 2018 ) and research skills development ( Willison, 2012 ; Reguant et al ., 2018 ), the program-level curriculum design should arrange domain-specific subjects in a logical order and gradually develop students’ research, communication and independent learning skills so that they are well prepared to work on the thesis. At the same time, universities should focus on converting teaching staff’s research experience into research education expertise ( Maxwell and Smyth, 2011 ) for the long term.

Second, the program should ensure the quality of the teaching staff because examiners’ practices are crucial for the quality of thesis assessment ( Golding et al ., 2014 ; Kiley and Mullins, 2004 ; Mullins and Kiley, 2002 ). According to the literature, thesis examiners should receive sufficient instructions and training on how to grade a thesis ( Hand and Clewes, 2000 ; Kiley and Mullins, 2004 ). In addition, the university should provide teaching staff with written instructions to regulate and communicate thesis assessment procedures for supervisors, examiners and students, as well as assessment training on using the assessment forms and holding calibration sessions to achieve consistency in interpreting criteria and grade points. The literature on how supporting teaching staff in assessment practices contributes to consistency is discussed further in the section on Reliability.

Standards 3 and 4: student assessment and achieved learning outcomes

Ensuring validity starts with clearly defining what the assessment is intended to measure. According to the definition of validity and principle of constructive alignment ( Biggs and Tang, 2007 ), thesis assessment should be aligned with learning outcomes.

We have identified two problems in this regard. The first problem is the use of a generic assessment form with a set of uniform criteria across different programs within the same department or school. We believe this practice does not follow the principle of constructive alignment ( Biggs and Tang, 2007 ). In particular, the same assessment form cannot be used directly for different degrees (i.e. Bachelor, Master and PhD) based on the Dublin Descriptors. It would be difficult for a generic assessment form to assess the different levels of cognitive demand and skills required at each degree level. For example, the concept of “originality” is defined very differently at each degree level and this should be reflected in the assessment criteria.

The second problem is the quality of the assessment form itself. We have observed the following issues: (1) some criteria are not always directly relevant to the TLOs, (2) the assessment form only lists the names of criteria without defining them or providing specific indicators for each criterion, (3) it is unclear whether different criteria are given equal weight and (4) it is unclear how the final grade is determined (e.g. whether each criterion must be “sufficient” or “passing”).

To address these problems, we recommend the following guidelines. The assessment criteria listed in the form should align with the TLOs and should describe the characteristics of student work that provide relevant, representative and important evidence of their attainment of the learning outcomes ( Brookhart, 2013 , 2018 ; Walvoord and Anderson, 2011 ). In addition to aligning the criteria with the outcomes, the quality of the criteria also affects what is actually being assessed. The criteria should avoid vagueness that leads to multiple interpretations of quality indicators ( Biggs and Tang, 2007 ; Bloxham et al ., 2011 ; Hand and Clewes, 2000 ; Webster et al ., 2000 ). To ensure that the assessment measures what it is intended to measure, the criteria should meet the following five criteria ( Brookhart, 2013 , 2018 ; Walvoord and Anderson, 2011 ): they should be definable, observable, distinct from one another, complete and able to support descriptions along a continuum of quality.

Another important aspect of validity is the weighting of multiple assessment criteria. The weighting should reflect the relative importance of the criteria based on the disciplinary focus of the study program. For example, the criterion of “method and data analysis” might carry more weight in psychology than it would in philosophy.

Reliability and independency

Reliability is a necessary condition for validity and refers to the consistency of assessment results. Reliability is important because it allows us to confidently interpret and determine students’ true performance on a thesis.

Independency between examiners is necessary to ensure the reliability (or objectivity) of the assessment process, as it helps prevent influence on each other’s judgment. Independent grading is often specified in the Education and Examination Regulations of an institution.

Intra-rater reliability refers to the consistency of a single examiner’s grading process over time. Inconsistencies may occur due to internal influences rather than true differences in student performance. We have observed inconsistencies in completed assessment forms, including discrepancies between comments and scores given by the same examiner across different student theses.

Analytical: Examiners assign a rating to each criterion and then determine a thesis grade based on the grading guidelines.

Analytical and then holistic: Examiners assign a rating to each criterion and then determine a thesis grade based on the grading guidelines. If the thesis grade does not match the holistic judgment, examiners adjust the ratings of the criteria.

Holistic and then analytical: Examiners hold an initial grade (in their mind) based on holistic judgment. Next, examiners assign a rating to each criterion and determine a thesis grade based on the grading guidelines. If the thesis grade is different from the initial grade, examiners adjust the ratings of the criteria to make sure that these two grades are the same.

To ensure intra-rater reliability, it is essential to clearly define each criterion to prevent multiple interpretations by examiners. Additionally, examiners should be provided with bias-reduction training ( Wylie and Szpara, 2004 ) to make them aware of potential biases, such as supervisor bias ( Bettany-Saltikov et al ., 2009 ; McQuade et al ., 2020 ; Nyamapfene, 2012 ), and to take actions to prevent them. During the grading process, examiners should also consistently revisit the established criteria and level descriptors to maintain consistency.

To improve inter-rater reliability, the literature suggests establishing standard assessment procedures and improving examiners’ assessment practices ( Hand and Clewes, 2000 ; Kiley and Mullins, 2004 ; Pathirage et al ., 2007 ). Standard assessment procedures should clearly outline the process for considering the relative importance of multiple criteria and the relative importance of various indicators within a criterion ( Hand and Clewes, 2000 ; Bloxham et al ., 2016a ; Pathirage et al ., 2007 ; Webster et al ., 2000 ). To improve examiners’ assessment practices, common approaches include providing examiners with the following three processes ( Sadler, 2013 ):

Prior to grading, to ensure consistent grading, examiners should have a shared understanding of the expectations for each criterion and score level. This can be achieved through the use of anchor or exemplar theses, which are previously graded theses that illustrate the characteristics of each score level ( Osborn Popp et al ., 2009 ). Examiners can refer to these anchor theses as they grade to ensure that they are accurately distinguishing between the different score levels. It should also be clear to examiners how to complete the grading form and whether they are allowed to discuss with other examiners during the grading process ( Pathirage et al ., 2007 ; Dierick et al ., 2002 ).

During the grading process, moderation refers to the process of two examiners arriving at a collective thesis grade ( Bloxham et al ., 2016b ). It is important to have clear instructions on how to control evaluative judgments and stay within reasonable limits during the moderation process. Examiners should also be informed of score resolution methods in case of large discrepancies between their scores, as averaging the scores may not be sufficient in such cases ( Johnson et al ., 2005 ; Sadler, 2013 ). If a third examiner is involved in the moderation process, it should be clear who is qualified for this task and how their results are used to determine the final thesis grade ( Johnson et al ., 2005 ).

As a “post-judgment” process, calibration is the act of ensuring that examiners grade student work against the agreed quality criteria and “how a particular level of quality should be represented” ( Sadler, 2013 , p. 6). It can be helpful to think of calibration as similar to checking the accuracy of a weighing scale by comparing it to a standard and making adjustments to bring it into alignment. In a similar vein, the thesis assessment form (including criteria and score-level descriptors) and examiners’ assessment practices should be calibrated, particularly when there are significant changes in thesis assessment procedures. As noted by Sadler (2013) , high-quality evaluative judgments also require the development of “calibrated” academics who serve not only as custodians of quality criteria and level standards but also as consultants for novice and short-term examiners. Calibration can be implemented alongside the normal grading period as part of an internal quality assurance system ( Andriessen and Manders, 2013 ; Bergwerff and Klaren, 2016 ).

Transparency

Transparency in assessment has received increasing attention in higher education in recent years ( Bamber, 2015 ; Bell et al ., 2013 ; O'Donovan et al ., 2004 ; Price, 2005 ). It refers to making the perceptions and expectations of assessors, including requirements, standards and assessment criteria, known and understood by all participants, particularly students ( O'Donovan et al ., 2004 ).

To ensure transparency in thesis assessment, it’s not enough to only provide students with assessment forms and instructions on assessment procedures. Our observations indicate that without discussing the deeper meaning of criteria and standards, there is a risk of different interpretations by examiners and students.

To address this issue, it is important to foster shared understanding and promote assessment for learning and feedback on progress. This can be achieved by helping students develop their understanding of the quality criteria and standards through observation, discussion and imitation of good-quality theses ( Malcolm, 2020 ). Using anchor theses ( Orsmond et al ., 2002 ; Sadler, 1987 ) and involving students in peer review and grading of each other’s theses using the criteria ( O'Donovan et al ., 2004 ; Rust et al ., 2003 ) can be effective ways to do this.

To ensure transparency, supervisors should use the assessment form not only for thesis examination but also during supervising activities, and should clearly explain the criteria and score levels to their students using anchor theses for illustration ( O'Donovan et al ., 2004 ; Rust et al ., 2003 ).

Overview of guidelines

Formulate program-specific TLOs.

Thesis assessment should be appropriate for the program curriculum and assessment plan.

The program should ensure examiners’ assessment expertise by providing training or instructions.

Standards 3 and 4 – student assessment and achieved learning outcomes

TLOs, thesis supervision and thesis assessment should be constructively aligned.

The assessment criteria should be clearly defined and meet quality requirements. The weighting of multiple criteria should reflect the relative importance of TLOs.

Intra-rater reliability: Examiners should revisit the established criteria to ensure consistency and strive to prevent any possible assessor bias.

○ The program should make assessment procedures consistent across examiners.

○ The program should improve examiners’ assessment practices through the use of anchor or exemplary theses, moderation prior to and during assessment practices, and calibration after thesis assessment.

The program should inform students of what is expected of them and how their thesis will be assessed.

The program should instruct supervisors to explicitly use the criteria during supervising activities.

To illustrate the application of these guidelines, we present a case study of a psychology-related bachelor’s program at a Dutch research university. We chose to focus on this program because all of the authors have experience in quality assurance at various psychology programs. The documents for this case study were provided by one of the co-authors, who played a significant role in the quality assurance of assessment at the program. These documents include the program’s learning outcomes, a thesis handbook, a thesis assessment form, grading instructions for examiners and a self-assessment report (which includes reflections on the four standards of the Framework and is required to be submitted to the NVAO before a site visit).

Four of the authors and the vice program director (as a self-reflection exercise) examined these documents and answered open-ended questions derived from the guidelines in Box 1 . The findings were then structured based on the guidelines in Box 1 .

Motivation for participating in this study

Improving the quality of the assessment criteria to prevent multiple interpretations by examiners.

Clearly defining the roles, tasks and responsibilities of supervisors (as the first examiner) and the second examiner.

The vice program director indicated that the assessment form is still in development and that it is a dynamic improvement process, based on examiners’ accumulated experience and feedback from supervisors, examiners, students and assessment specialists.

Brief course descriptions of the Bachelor’s thesis

In this thesis course, students perform a study that covers the entire empirical research cycle, from developing a specific research question to using theory to answer the question and testing the theory through data collection. They integrate knowledge from various disciplines and practice conducting research on a technology-related problem. Students may collaborate in groups for literature search or data collection, but they must formulate a specific question to be answered in their individually written bachelor’s thesis.

Standard 1 – intended learning outcomes

PLO1 – Competent in scientific disciplines

PLO2 – Competent in doing research

PLO3 – Competent in designing

PLO4 – Use of a scientific approach

PLO5 – Basic intellectual skills

PLO6 – Competent in cooperating and communicating

PLO7 – Take into account the temporal, technological and social context.

TLO1 – formulate a research question fitted to the problem and relevant scholarly literature (PLO1,2)

TLO2 – conduct a literature search (PLO1,2,3,4,6)

TLO3 – apply and modify relevant scientific theory in order to solve a technology-related problem (PLO1,2,4,5,7)

TLO4 – make an adequate research design for empirical research (PLO2,3,4)

TLO5 – apply relevant scientific methods for empirical research (PLO1,2,3,4,5)

TLO6 – relate interpretation of data to theory and to design and/or policy recommendations (PLO1,2,3,4,5,7)

TLO7 – individually write a scientific report (PLO5,6)

TLO8 – reflect and think systematically (PLO5,6,7)

We conclude that TLOs contribute to the development of all seven competences outlined in the PLOs, as well as the five components of the Dublin Descriptors.

Standard 2 – teaching-learning environment

The bachelor’s thesis builds upon the knowledge and skills developed in previous courses. According to the curriculum and program assessment plan, student skills progress from year 1 to 3 and are assessed through various types of assessment, such as presentations, reports and reflective writing. However, there is no specific learning trajectory for academic and research skills available.

To ensure student readiness for working independently on their thesis, students must have passed the propaedeutic phase and obtained a required number of ECTS upon enrolment in the bachelor’s thesis course. They must also have passed the two methods courses.

Written instructions, including a detailed explanation of assessment procedures, criteria and rubrics, are provided in a thesis handbook for supervisors, examiners and students.

The program requires novice examiners to go through an “examiner internship” with senior examiners (mentors). They are guided and monitored by their mentors when assessing graduation theses in their first year of practice. They can directly approach mentors when encountering problems during supervision and assessment.

C1 – Abstract (TLO7,8)

C2 – Introduction/Theory (TLO1,2,3,8)

C3 – Method and results (TLO2,4,5,6)

C4 – Discussion (TLO1,2,3,6,8)

C5 – Writing style (TLO7)

C6 – Process/Work attitude (TLO7,8)

Each criterion on the assessment form includes a short definition and a number of indicators, which are graded using a five-point rating scale (Poor–Insufficient–Sufficient–Good–Very good). It is required that qualitative comments be added to all of the criteria.

It is not clear how each criterion is weighted.

It is not clear how the ratings of multiple indicators and criteria are aggregated to determine the total grade.

Although a rating scale is provided, score-level descriptors are not available. It is not clear whether the indicators describe the “Very good” or “Sufficient” score level.

These issues correspond to areas that the program is currently working to improve, as mentioned at the beginning of this section.

Reliability

New examiners receive a one-day training, in which they practice assessing theses based on the rubric, and discuss their practice results with senior examiners. They also receive guidance on how to use the criteria during the supervision process.

The first and second examiners assess the thesis independently by using the same rubric and register their initial grading results separately to the administration system.

It is obligatory for both examiners to hold a moderation meeting in order to arrive at collective grading results. In this meeting, they go through each criterion and discuss the differences. Then they register the collective results in the administration system, which generates the thesis grade.

When the discrepancies between two examiners cannot be moderated during the meeting, both examiners register these in the administration system. Next, a subcommittee from the Examination Board is informed, which carries out additional grading. The members of the subcommittee are senior examiners who are often mentors assigned to the novice examiners during the examiner internship.

There are no institution-wide guidelines on the moderation and calibration process. These quality assurance processes are organized by study programs. How they are implemented depends on the available resources, assessment expertise and time per study program.

Although no calibration procedure is established, the subcommittee regularly regrades a sample of the borderline theses around the fail/pass grade, the theses with a resit, and theses for which the two examiners differ substantially in their initial grading. In addition, this subcommittee holds a regular plenary meeting to discuss their assessment practices and report their findings regularly to the Examination Board.

After the assessment, both examiners and students are asked to fill out a survey to evaluate the use of rubric and the assessment procedures. The results are used for improving the quality of rubric.

These procedures are in line with most of our guidelines. Still, we suggest that the subcommittee systematically analyses their findings of regrading practices and acts on the improvements in order to complete the quality assurance cycle. In addition, as lessons learned from one university, we highly recommend the Examination Board or the program to carry out a regular review of the completed assessment forms to detect whether there is any assessor bias in order to safeguard intra-rater reliability.

The program has established clear guidelines on how to ensure transparency. At the beginning of the final project, an information session is organized to explain the supervision and assessment procedures and rules to students. It is made clear what the role tasks and responsibilities of supervisor, examiner and student are, in what way the thesis is assessed, and what is assessed (i.e. the criteria in the rubric). The criteria and indicators per criterion are explained in detail in this information session.

The program also makes it clear that the criteria should be used from the beginning and during the supervision activities, as well as in the assessment process. Supervisors are instructed to formulate feedback based on the criteria.

To sum up, this case study shows that their thesis assessment practices apply most of the guidelines suggested in this study.

Conclusion and discussion

This study presents problems encountered from a practitioner’s perspective and derives guidelines from the literature to address these issues. These guidelines cover the entire education process, taking the context of the program into account. They not only explain how to meet the quality criteria of validity, reliability, transparency and independence but also include the conditions that increase the likelihood of meeting these criteria, such as the importance of examiners’ assessment expertise and how the institution should facilitate their development in this area. The case study demonstrates how these guidelines are applied to examine thesis assessment practices at a bachelor’s psychology-related program at a Dutch academic university.

Our experience highlights the importance of applying the didactic principle of constructive alignment at the exit level, as it is not always clear to teaching staff what this means in the context of thesis assessment (despite its widespread use at the course level for instructional design) and how it can be used to ensure the four standards of the Framework. This has led to a focus on reliability, as noted by Webster et al . (2000) , such as revising thesis assessment forms and ensuring consistency among examiners. Our study aims to draw the attention of program teams to validity by considering the program’s curriculum and assessment design and the didactic purpose of using a thesis as a graduation project.

While other studies have focused on specific thesis assessment quality criteria such as reliability (e.g. Pathirage et al ., 2007 ), transparency (e.g. Malcolm, 2020 ) and independence ( Todd et al ., 2004 ; e.g. Nyamapfene, 2012 ), our case study shows how to ensure all of these criteria and carry out a complete quality assurance process. This does not mean that a program needs to address all of them at the same time. Instead, we want to emphasize the importance of research education in a bachelor’s program and recommend that the program align its thesis assessment design with its curriculum design for research education (i.e. as a learning trajectory) and its overall assessment design. Improving thesis assessment alone is not sufficient for students to achieve the intended learning outcomes of the program.

A final, and perhaps the most important, aspect to consider is how to effectively use limited resources to improve teaching staff’s assessment expertise so that they can continuously contribute to the improvement of thesis assessment practices. The guidelines presented in this study can be further developed or adapted as training materials for teaching staff.

Limitations

We would like to acknowledge two limitations of this study. First, unlike more traditional research methods such as surveys and interviews, the problems we reported here were compiled from various sources at four Dutch research universities. Without a more rigorous synthesis of these sources, it is possible that there may be some subjectivity and selection bias present. Second, the guidelines we derived from a narrative review of these problem topics may not include all relevant references.

It is important to note that our use of only one psychology-related bachelor’s program for the case study does not allow us to generalize our findings to all bachelor’s psychology programs at other Dutch academic universities. Rather, our aim is to share our experience and research-informed guidelines, and to examine thesis assessment quality from a practitioner perspective. In line with the goals of Koris and Pello’s (2022) article, our aim is to gradually find solutions that are appropriate for our context through several subsequent iterations in the future.

https://www.universiteitenvannederland.nl/en_GB/f_c_ingeschreven_studenten.html

https://www.universiteitenvannederland.nl/en_GB/reduce-work-pressure#eerste

Andriessen , D. and Manders , P. ( 2013 ), Beoordelen Is Mensenwerk [Evaluation Is Human Work] , Vereniging Hogescholen , Den Haag .

Bamber , M. ( 2015 ), “ The impact on stakeholder confidence of increased transparency in the examination assessment process ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  40 , pp.  471 - 487 .

Bell , A. , Mladenovic , R. and Price , M. ( 2013 ), “ Students' perceptions of the usefulness of marking guides, grade descriptors and annotated exemplars ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  38 , pp.  769 - 788 .

Bergwerff , M. and Klaren , M. ( 2016 ), Kwaliteitsborging Toetsing: En Handreiking Voor Examencommissies [Quality Assurance of Assessment: A Guide for Examination Boards] , Leiden University , Leiden .

Bettany-Saltikov , J. , Kilinc , S. and Stow , K. ( 2009 ), “ Bones, boys, bombs and booze: an exploratory study of the reliability of marking dissertations across disciplines ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  34 , pp.  621 - 639 .

Biggs , J. and Tang , C. ( 2007 ), Teaching for Quality Learning at University , Open University Press , New York, NY .

Bloxham , S. and Boyd , P. ( 2007 ), Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education: A Practical Guide , McGraw-Hill Education , New York, NY .

Bloxham , S. , Boyd , P. and Orr , S. ( 2011 ), “ Mark my words: the role of assessment criteria in UK higher education grading practices ”, Studies in Higher Education , Vol.  36 , pp.  655 - 670 .

Bloxham , S. , den-Outer , B. , Hudson , J. and Price , M. ( 2016a ), “ Let's stop the pretence of consistent marking: exploring the multiple limitations of assessment criteria ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  41 , pp.  466 - 481 .

Bloxham , S. , Hughes , C. and Adie , L. ( 2016b ), “ What's the point of moderation? A discussion of the purposes achieved through contemporary moderation practices ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  41 , pp.  638 - 653 .

Bologna Working Group ( 2005 ), A Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area. Bologna Working Group Report on Qualifications Frameworks , Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation , Copenhagen .

Brookhart , S.M. ( 2013 ), How to Create and Use Rubrics for Formative Assessment and Grading , Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) , Alexandria, VA .

Brookhart , S.M. ( 2018 ), “ Appropriate criteria: key to effective rubrics ”, Frontiers in Education , [Online] , Vol.  3 , available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feduc.2018.00022 ( accessed 10 April 2018 ).

Dierick , S. , van de Watering , G.A. and Muijtjens , A. ( 2002 ), “ De actuele kwaliteit van assessment: ontwikkelingen in de edumetrie ”, in Dochy , F. , Heylen , L. and van de Mosselaer , H. (Eds), Assessment in onderwijs: Nieuwe toetsvormen en examinering in studentgericht onderwijs en competentiegericht onderwijs , Boom Lemma Uitgevers , Amsterdam .

Golding , C. , Sharmini , S. and Lazarovitch , A. ( 2014 ), “ What examiners do: what thesis students should know ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  39 , pp.  563 - 576 .

Hand , L. and Clewes , D. ( 2000 ), “ Marking the difference: an investigation of the criteria used for assessing undergraduate dissertations in a business school ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  25 , pp.  5 - 21 .

Hsiao , Y.P. and Verhagen , M. ( 2018 ), “ Examining the quality and use of the grading form to assess undergraduate theses ”, 9th Biennial Conference of EARLI SIG 1: Assessment and Evaluation , Helsinki, Finland .

Inspectorate of Education [Inspectie van het Onderwijs] ( 2016 ), De kwaliteit van de toetsing in het hoger onderwijs [The assessment quality in higher education] , Ministry of Education, Culture and Science [Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap] , Utrecht .

Johnson , R.L. , Penny , J. , Gordon , B. , Shumate , S.R. and Fisher , S.P. ( 2005 ), “ Resolving score differences in the rating of writing samples: does discussion improve the accuracy of scores? ”, Language Assessment Quarterly , Vol.  2 , pp.  117 - 146 .

Kiley , M. and Mullins , G. ( 2004 ), “ Examining the examiners: how inexperienced examiners approach the assessment of research theses ”, International Journal of Educational Research , Vol.  41 , pp.  121 - 135 .

Koris , R. and Pello , R. ( 2022 ), “ We cannot agree to disagree: ensuring consistency, transparency and fairness across bachelor thesis writing, supervision and evaluation ”, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education , pp.  1 - 12 .

Malcolm , M. ( 2020 ), “ The challenge of achieving transparency in undergraduate honours-level dissertation supervision ”, Teaching in Higher Education , Vol.  28 No.  1 , pp. 1 - 17 .

Maxwell , T.W. and Smyth , R. ( 2011 ), “ Higher degree research supervision: from practice toward theory ”, Higher Education Research and Development , Vol.  30 , pp.  219 - 231 .

McQuade , R. , Kometa , S. , Brown , J. , Bevitt , D. and Hall , J. ( 2020 ), “ Research project assessments and supervisor marking: maintaining academic rigour through robust reconciliation processes ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  45 , pp.  1181 - 1191 .

Mullins , G. and Kiley , M. ( 2002 ), “ 'It's a PhD, not a Nobel Prize': how experienced examiners assess research theses ”, Studies in Higher Education , Vol.  27 , pp.  369 - 386 .

NLQF ( 2008 ), The Higher Education Qualifications Framework in the Netherlands, a Presentation for Compatibility with the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area , Dutch Qualifications Framework (NLQF) , ’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands .

NVAO ( 2008 ), The Higher Education Qualifications Framework in the Netherlands: A Presentation for Compatibility with the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area , Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) , Den Haag .

NVAO ( 2018 ), Assessment Framework for the Higher Education Accreditation System of the Netherlands , Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) , Den Haag .

Nyamapfene , A. ( 2012 ), “ Involving supervisors in assessing undergraduate student projects: is double marking robust? ”, Engineering Education , Vol.  7 , pp.  40 - 47 .

O'Donovan , B. , Price , M. and Rust , C. ( 2004 ), “ Know what I mean? Enhancing student understanding of assessment standards and criteria ”, Teaching in Higher Education , Vol.  9 , pp.  325 - 335 .

Orsmond , P. , Merry , S. and Reiling , K. ( 2002 ), “ The use of exemplars and formative feedback when using student derived marking criteria in peer and self-assessment ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  27 , pp.  309 - 323 .

Osborn Popp , S.E. , Ryan , J.M. and Thompson , M.S. ( 2009 ), “ The critical role of anchor paper selection in writing assessment ”, Applied Measurement in Education , Vol.  22 , pp.  255 - 271 .

Pathirage , C. , Haigh , R. , Amaratunga , D. and Baldry , D. ( 2007 ), “ Enhancing the quality and consistency of undergraduate dissertation assessment: a case study ”, Quality Assurance in Education , Vol.  15 , pp.  271 - 286 .

Price , M. ( 2005 ), “ Assessment standards: the role of communities of practice and the scholarship of assessment ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  30 , pp.  215 - 230 .

Reguant , M. , Martínez-Olmo , F. and Contreras-Higuera , W. ( 2018 ), “ Supervisors' perceptions of research competencies in the final-year project ”, Educational Research , Vol.  60 , pp.  113 - 129 .

Rust , C. , Price , M. and O'Donovan , B. ( 2003 ), “ Improving students' learning by developing their understanding of assessment criteria and processes ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  28 , pp.  147 - 164 .

Sadler , D.R. ( 1987 ), “ Specifying and promulgating achievement standards ”, Oxford Review of Education , Vol.  13 , pp.  191 - 209 .

Sadler , D.R. ( 2013 ), “ Assuring academic achievement standards: from moderation to calibration ”, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice , Vol.  20 , pp.  5 - 19 .

Shay , S. ( 2005 ), “ The assessment of complex tasks: a double reading ”, Studies in Higher Education , Vol.  30 , pp.  663 - 679 .

Todd , M. , Bannister , P. and Clegg , S. ( 2004 ), “ Independent inquiry and the undergraduate dissertation: perceptions and experiences of final-year social science students ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  29 , pp.  335 - 355 .

University of Twente ( 2019 ), The Bachelor's Thesis [Online] . University of Twente , Enschede, The Netherlands , available at: https://www.utwente.nl/en/bee/programme/thesis/ (accessed 8 September 2019) .

Walvoord , B.E. and Anderson , V.J. ( 2011 ), Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment in College , Jossey-Bass , San Francisco, CA .

Webster , F. , Pepper , D. and Jenkins , A. ( 2000 ), “ Assessing the undergraduate dissertation ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol.  25 , pp.  71 - 80 .

Wijngaards-de Meij , L. and Merx , S. ( 2018 ), “ Improving curriculum alignment and achieving learning goals by making the curriculum visible ”, International Journal for Academic Development , Vol.  23 , pp.  219 - 231 .

Willison , J.W. ( 2012 ), “ When academics integrate research skill development in the curriculum ”, Higher Education Research and Development , Vol.  31 , pp.  905 - 919 .

Willison , J.W. and O'Regan , K. ( 2006 ), Research Skill Development Framework [Online] , The University of Adelaide , Adelaide , available at: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/rsd/ ( accessed 19th November 2019 ).

Wylie , E.C. and Szpara , M.Y. ( 2004 ), National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Bias-Reduction Training: Impact on Assessors’ Awareness , ETS Research Report Series , Princeton, NJ , Vol.  2004 , p. i - 55 .

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the reviewers for their thorough review and valuable feedback, which allowed the authors to improve the quality of the manuscript. The authors appreciate the time and effort they put into the review process.

Funding: This work was supported by National Chengchi University (DZ15-B4). The funder only provides financial support and does not substantially influence the entire research process, from study design to submission. The authors are fully responsible for the content of the paper.

Corresponding author

About the authors.

Ya-Ping (Amy) Hsiao is an assessment specialist and teacher trainer at Tilburg University. Her current research focuses on the reflection, portfolio and performance assessment of the graduation projects.

Gerard van de Watering is a policy advisor at Eindhoven University of Technology. His research and development interest focus on assessment and evaluation, student-centered learning environments, independent learning and study skills. He is also the founder of a network of assessment specialists in academic higher education in the Netherlands.

Marthe Heitbrink is a testing and assessment coordinator at the Psychology department of the University of Amsterdam.

Helma Vlas is an educational consultant, teacher trainer/assessor and assessment specialist at the University of Twente. She is stationed at the Centre of Expertise in Learning and Teaching. She is coordinator of the Senior Examination Qualification trajectory at the University of Twente.

Mei-Shiu Chiu is a full professor of Education at National Chengchi University in Taiwan. Her research interests focus on interactions between emotion/affect, cognition and culture for diverse knowledge domains (e.g. mathematics, science and energy) in relation to teaching, assessment and large-scale databases.

Related articles

All feedback is valuable.

Please share your general feedback

Report an issue or find answers to frequently asked questions

Contact Customer Support

• Cookies & Privacy
• GETTING STARTED
• Introduction
• FUNDAMENTALS

Getting to the main article

Choosing your route

Setting research questions/ hypotheses

Assessment point

Building the theoretical case

Setting your research strategy

Data collection

Data analysis

Research quality

All research has limitations , which negatively impact upon the quality of the findings you arrive at from your data analysis . This is the case whether you are an undergraduate or master's level student doing a dissertation, a doctoral student, or a seasoned academic researcher. The main journal article you are interested in will also have a number of limitations, some of which will have inevitably become the justifications for your chosen route , and the approach you selected within that route.

You need to think about research quality at this stage in the dissertation process because many of the problems experienced during the dissertation process can be avoided. The trick is to (a) understand the types of research limitation you may face when doing a dissertation, (b) anticipate what these will be in your dissertation, and (c) avoid them becoming a reality (where possible). Quite simply, the better the research quality of your dissertation, (a) the fewer problems you will experience when carrying out your dissertation research, (b) the less time you will need to write up the Research Limitations section of your Discussion/Conclusions chapter (i.e., Chapter Five: Discussion/Conclusions ), and (c) the greater the likelihood of a high mark.

To improve the research quality of your dissertation, you need to follow four steps : (a) understand the five factors through which research quality is assessed - internal validity , external validity , construct validity , reliability and objectivity ; (b) assess the research quality of the main journal article; (c) consider the potential research quality of your research strategy; and (d) determine how you will overcome such weaknesses in your dissertation, considering the practical aspects of your dissertation, and the implications that these may have on the quality of your findings .

• STEP ONE: Understand the five factors through which research quality is assessed
• STEP TWO: Assess the research quality of the main journal article
• STEP THREE: Consider the potential research quality of your research strategy
• STEP FOUR: Determine how you will overcome such weaknesses in your dissertation

STEP ONE Understand the five factors through which research quality is assessed

In quantitative dissertations, research quality is assessed based on the internal validity , external validity , construct validity , reliability and objectivity of the research. Irrespective of the route that you are following, or the approach within that route, it is important that (a) your dissertation is as internally and externally validity as possible, (b) the measurement procedure you used (i.e., the research method and its measures) are construct valid and reliable, and (c) your research was carried out in an objective way. If you are already confident that you understand these five means through which the quality of quantitative research is assessed, jump to STEP TWO: Assess the research quality of the main journal article . If not, we would suggest that you learn about these terms in the Research Quality section of the Fundamentals part of Lærd Dissertation before reading on. After all, in STEP TWO below, you will need to assess the research quality of the main journal article, before being able to consider the potential weaknesses in research quality in your dissertation, and how you will overcome these weaknesses. To do this, you first need to understand these five main factors through which research quality is assessed.

STEP TWO Assess the research quality of the main journal article

Irrespective of the route that you are following, the person marking your work will expect that you have critically analysed the research strategy used in the main journal article. Even if limitations in the research strategy do not act as the main justification for your choice of route , or the approach within that route (i.e., as is the case in method and measurement-based extensions , or design-based extensions within Route C: Extension ), being able to critically analyse the research strategy used is typically a very important part of the marking scheme for dissertations. Just as you were expected to critically analyse the literature in STAGE FIVE: Building the theoretical case , you have to demonstrate an equally good knowledge of the weaknesses (and strengths) of the research strategy of the main journal article.

You can critically analyse the research strategy used by assessing the research quality of the research strategy used in the main journal article in terms of (a) the internal and external validity of the research strategy, and (b) the construct validity and reliability of the measurement procedure that was used (i.e., the research method and its measures). In most cases, since you did not witness the way that the research in the main journal article was carried out in practice, it will be difficult to assess the objectivity of the research.

Therefore, in order to assess the research quality of the main journal article, you should read up about internal validity , external validity , construct validity , reliability , and even the objectivity of research in the Research Quality section of the Fundamentals part of Lærd Dissertation. However, it is worth mentioning that:

To assess the internal and external validity of the research strategy , assess the threats to such internal and external validity in the main journal article. For example, in the article, Internal validity , we discuss 14 potential threats to internal validity, which include (a) history effects, (b) maturation, (c) testing effects, (d) instrumentation, (e) statistical regression, (f) selection biases, (g) experimental mortality, (h) causal time order, (i) diffusion (or imitation) of treatments, (j) compensation, (k) compensatory rivalry, (l) demoralization, (m) experimenter effects and (n) subject effects. Since any of these 14 threats could have affected the internal validity of the main journal article, you should briefly read up about each one, and then assess whether you think these threats were present in the main journal article. You should note that it will not always be possible to tell whether such a threat was a problem because whilst some are more evident (e.g., the authors of the main journal article should have specified how they selected individuals to be included in their sample, which could expose potential selection biases ), many are not so obvious (e.g., experimenter effects could have occurred as a result of the personal characteristics of the researchers in the main journal article, or some non-verbal cues that they gave off, which influenced the choices participants made when they were being studied, but this would be extremely difficult to spot, especially if the authors did not explicitly try to assess such bias, which is uncommon). Again, you can learn about internal validity and external validity in the Research Quality section of the Fundamentals part of Lærd Dissertation.

Construct validity and reliability are two different ways of assessing the measurement procedure used in the main journal article. Construct validity is important because we want to make sure that the measurement procedure (e.g., a survey, structured interview, structured observation, etc.) that was used to measure the constructs we are interested in (e.g., sexism, obesity, famine, outsourcing, etc.) are valid. By construct valid , we mean that there is (a) a clear link between the constructs you are interested in and the measures and interventions that are used to operationalize them (i.e., measure them), and (b) a clear distinction between different constructs. Construct validity is an overarching term used to refer to the process of assessing the validity of the measurement procedure that was used, and you will need to read up about other types of validity that you will need to consider (i.e., content validity , convergent and divergent validity , criterion validity ), especially if you are taking on a method or measurement-based extension , or design-based extension within Route C: Extension . You can learn more about construct validity in the article: Construct validity . Reliability is important because in order for the results from a study to be considered valid , the measurement procedure must first be reliable . There are a number of types of reliability that you may need to consider when assessing the main journal article, depending on whether the measurement procedure involved (a) successive measurements; (b) simultaneous measurements by more than one researcher; and/or (c) multi-measure procedures. You can learn more about these types of reliability in the article: Reliability in research . When reading up about construct validity and reliability in these articles, you will learn how to assess a piece of research (i.e., your main journal article) in terms of its construct validity and reliability.

When you understand the five factors through which research quality is assess (i.e., STEP ONE ), and have assessed the research quality of your main journal article (i.e., STEP TWO ), you will be well-equipped to consider the potential research quality of your research strategy, based on the route you adopted, and the approach within that route (i.e., STEP THREE next).

Home > Education > Educational Policy Studies > EPS_DISS

Educational Policy Studies Dissertations

Dissertations from 2024 2024.

Progressive Education and the Quality Agenda: Contradictory Views of Children, Childhood, and the Purposes of Education for Young Children , Kristen Cameron

Supporting School Leaders: A Case Study to Explore Leadership Development Through the Lens of Adult Learning Theory , Jenny Douglas

Articulating the Teacher: Gottlieb, Dreyfus, and Heidegger on Language , Kenneth Driggers

Blessed Assurance: A Phenomenology Exploring The Lived Experiences of Black Women Superintendents Leading With Conviction , Tanisha Frazier

BWT Codes: A Study of Activist Black Women Teachers and Their Wellness , Danie Marshall

Transformational Leadership For Rural School Improvement , Charles Meyer

Forgotten Voices: Experiences of Five Female Public School Teachers in the Rural South , Abigail S. Ruth

Manufacturing Ignorance: Agnotology, Epistemology, and Education Policy , Erin C. Scussel

Relationship between College Graduate Job Placement and Faculty-Led, Team-based, Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Propensity Score Analysis , Julia Sonnenberg-Klein

Finding Our Sanctuary: An Exploration Of Leader Perceptions Of Trauma-Informed Practices In An Urban Title I Middle School , Krystye Tatum

Dissertations from 2023 2023

Access, Participation, and Empowerment: Exploring Leadership Practices that Promote Social Inclusion , Ashley Bidlack

A Case Study of How Public School Principals Can Leverage a Student Weighted Funding Formula for Equity and Social Justice Leadership , Lisa Bracken

Structural Leaders: The Intersection of School Principals, Business Leaders, and Social Networks , Nateil Carby

A Comparison Study of the Differential Functioning of Tests Statistic and a New Mahalanobis Distance-Based Statistic For Pre-Screening Item Response Theory Models , David Fikis

An Exploration of Teachers’ and Instructional Coaches’ Perceptions of Self-Efficacy in the Areas of Instructional Strategies, Student Engagement, and Classroom Management , John M. Hruby

School Leaders’ Transformational Strategies for Successfully Preparing for Algebra I in Eighth Grade , Brooke Humphrey

George S. Counts on the Role of Indoctrination in Education: An Exegesis , James Alexander Aucoin Keller

Won't He Do It?! African American Males Who Achieved Their Doctor of Education (EdD): Perceptions of Success Factors , Felicia Lewis

Sankofa Journey: Investigating the Process of Co-Creating an African-Centered Social Emotional Learning Curriculum for Black Boys in Concert with Community , Rosalyn Martin

Perceptions Of Principal Practices Influencing Organizational Learning And Collective Teacher Efficacy , Bindu Sunil

Black, Educated, and Bougie: An Integrated Mixed-Method Analysis of Success Ideologies, Cultural Trends, Education Priorities, and Social Justice Values of Atlanta’s Core Black Middle Class , Kinyatta N. Trice

Dissertations from 2022 2022

Exploring Employees' Perceptions of the Learning Organization and Their Learning Experiences in a Georgia State Government Agency ? A Concurrent Mixed Methods Study , Olufunmilayo Adeolu Adesesan

Perspectives in Leadership and Program Management of Preschool Directors , Caroline Diaz

Black on Black School Discipline: Double Consciousness and the Perspective of Disciplining Your Own , Teruko Dobashi-Taylor

Exploring a Model of Clinical Leadership Grounded in Radiography: Developing Clinical Radiography Leaders , Kerry O'Fallon Dunn

A Case Study of Traditional Public-School Principals? Perceptions of and Responses to Charter School Competition Through the Lens of Social Justice Leadership , Shevan Howard

Intersections: Black female school leaders' lived experiences of leading and mothering Black children , Rolandria N. Justice-Emenuga

Discourse Framing Educational Policy in the Quasi-Public Sphere: The Case of the Atlanta Beltline Tax Allocation District , Anne E. Martin

Student Success According to Whom? A Black Aesthetics-Informed Critical Multimodal Discourse Analysis , Natasha McClendon

Perceptions of Leading and Supporting School and District Leaders Through a Personalized Learning Initiative in the Southeastern United States , Christian S. L. Padgett

Context Matters: Controlling the Narrative about the College Board's AP Expansion to Urban Minority Youth , Angelann Teretta Stephens

If These Ivory Tower Walls Could Talk: Examining the Experiences of Ph.D. Students in Education , Kerry A. Wallaert

Lift EVERY Voice and Sing: An Intersectional Qualitative Study Examining the Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Faculty and Administrators at Historically Black Colleges and Universities , Jonathan Wesley

Dissertations from 2021 2021

Factors Influencing the Accuracy of Estimates in Hierarchical Age-Period-Cohort Models: A Monte Carlo Simulation Study , Brandon Attell

Using Differential Item Functioning and Anchoring Vignettes to Examine the Fairness of Achievement Motivation Items , Jacquelyn Bialo

Illusions of opportunity? A critical discourse analysis of Atlanta's opportunity youth initiative , Alexander Camardelle

Individual Mobility Across Clusters: The Impact of Ignoring Cross-Classified Data Structures in Discrete-Time Survival Analysis , Christopher Cappelli

The Souls of [Black] Teachers: A Participatory Action Research Approach Engaging Teachers with Communities Against Anti-Black Policies and Practices , Thais Council

Investigating the Performance of (Multiple-Factor) Multiple-Group Methods for the Detection of Differential Item Functioning , Theresa L. Dell-Ross

Unlocking Cross-Divisional Sharing: A Multiple-Case Study of Vertical Collaboration in Independent Schools , Wade A. Hanse

Principal Empowerment: Leader Perspectives In Rural Georgia Charter Systems , Brock R. Holley

Beyond Access: A Principal's Behaviors Displayed In The Implementation Of A District-Wide Initiative Focused On Students With Disabilities , Nicklaus Emmanuel Khan

Leading Against the Grain: An Exploration of an Educational Leader's Experience with Consent in the Sex Education Curriculum , Jaray Mazique

Creating Digital Content for the Individual Learner: A Personalized Approach to Online Learning , Genna Sengstacke McCurley

Exploring the Collision of Instructional Leadership and Destructive Leadership , Amanda B. Merritt

A Principal as Literacy Leader: Promoting Literacy Outcomes for Third-grade Students of Color , Lisa D. Thompson

Dissertations from 2020 2020

Understanding the Impact of K-12 Principals on African American Male Teachers' Educational Self-Efficacy , Sean P. Antonetti

Aqu¡ Estamos: A Portrait of Four Latinx School Leaders in Georgia , Taylor Barton

More than Free Speech: Politics, Higher Education, and the First Amendment , Kristina Clement

Exploring Assistant Principals' Preparedness to Lead Diverse Schools as Culturally Responsive Leaders in an Urban School District , Catana Harris

Experiences and perspectives of graduate teaching assistants at a large urban university , Justina Jackson

The Implementation of Organizational Systems to Reduce Novice Teacher Attrition: A Case Study of One High-Needs School , Eldread Nunnally

Perceptions of transformational leadership: The effects of organizational justice for English language learners , Graham Allen Oakley

An Eyeball, a Rock, and a Purple Rubber Ducky: Portraits of Leaders Implementing AP and IB Open Enrollment Programs Concurrently at One Urban High School in the Southeast , Chanika R. Perry

Educational Leadership in the Age of Artificial Intelligence , Matthew Tyson

Perceptions of How Leadership Interactions Influence the Development of Collective Efficacy in Professional Learning Communities , Toni Ross Weir

Influence of Transformational Principal Practices on Developing a Teacher Leadership Pipeline , Deborah White

What's Culture got to do with it? Leadership for Culturally Responsive SEL Implementation , Lindsay Welles Wyczalkowski

Seizing The Opportunity: Principal Exercise Of Budget Autonomy In A Decentralized Environment , Kenneth Zeff

Dissertations from 2019 2019

Empty Seats at Circle Time: A Phenomenological Perspective of Social-Emotional Learning in Preschool , Alicia C. Burford

Criminalizing the School: An Investigation of How Current School Safety and Disciplinary Policies Contribute to the Overrepresentation of Traditionally Marginalized Students within the Criminal Justice System , Dia Clark

Examining the Relationship Between Teacher Preparation Program Quality and Beginning Teacher Retention , Brittany Cunningham

The Perceptions and Experiences of Elementary Georgia Science Ambassadors: What Educational Leaders and Policymakers Need to Know , Charles E. Harper Jr

Educational Social Justice Agnostic to Zealot: One White Male Elementary Principal's Journey , Jamie C. Hitzges

Mechanisms of Impact: An Exploration of Leadership for Sustained World Language Enrollment in U.S. Higher Education , Tim Jansa

Writing HERstory: Examining the Intersectional Identities of Black Women in Educational Leadership , Natasha N. Johnson

Culturally Responsive School Leadership and Gifted Identification in a Heterogeneous School: A Case Study , Kimberly Kranzlein

The Impact of Transformational Leadership Practices on the Cultural Responsiveness of Academic Parent Teacher Teams (APTT) Implementation , Sally Seana Lehmann

It Takes A Village: Toward the Development of an Instrument with Valid and Reliable Scores for Measuring Family Engagement Using Q-Methodology , Amber Mason

Seeing Beyond the Stereotype to See the Whole Human: Teachers? Perceptions of Media Stereotypes and Black Youth , Syreeta Ali McTier

Teacher Mobilization: A Case Study on Organizational Factors & The Movement of Teachers within an Urban District , Jason A. Patterson

A Comparison of Student Growth Percentile and Value-added Models on School Quality Measures , Qi Qin

Examination of the Development, Implementation, and Monitoring of One Instructional Coaching Program in an Urban, Title I, Elementary School , Joseph Sanfilippo

An Examination of Data Management Systems and Utilization-Focused Participatory Evaluation , Syreeta Skelton

A School Like Me: Culturally Responsive School Leadership and Organizational Learning in a Secondary School Serving Traditionally Marginalized Students , Joshua Sturtevant and Joshua Sturtevant

Structural Validity Evidence of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Fifth Edition with African-American Students who have been Referred for Evaluation , Rachel Y. Taylor

Analyzing Dimensions of Academic Persistence: A Case Study of a Transfer Student Program at a Public University in California , Bobby Thomas Tyner II

Declassification of Students With Disabilities , Kristin Willis

Examining Professional Learning Communities in a Title I High School , Ronald Scott Wynn

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Humanization in the Digital Age: A Critique of Technophilia in Education , Morgan Anderson

Teacher and Administrator Perspective of Project-Based Learning , Nicholas Boyers

"Soul In A Can": Exploring How Black Male Students And Artists Navigate The Constraints Of Urban Classrooms And The Music Industry , Garfield R. Bright Jr

School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: A Case Study Analyzing Principal Leadership and Discipline Direction in One Middle School , Sonya V. Brown

An Anchor Action Research Study on Student Achievement Utilizing the Teacher-Intern-Professor Model , David Curlette

Embodied Hope in an Urban Elementary School: Stories of Veteran Educators , Martha Donovan

Examining the "Just-us" League: A Heuristic Inquiry of African American Male Teachers in a Predominantly White School District , Brian K. Harmon

Testimonios: A Twenty-First Century Colonial Project and the Closure of Historically Black High Schools in New Orleans , Elizabeth K. Jeffers

Rescuing the Individual from Neoliberalism: Education, Anarchism, and Subjectivity , Gabriel Keehn

Adolescent Economic Empowerment in a Kenyan Urban Rural Context , Amanda Lane Moll

The Practice and Challenges of Social Justice Instructional Leadership In International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Schools , Ovura Murphy

The Principal's Influence on Teacher Efficacy to Foster Student Engagement: A Case Study of Two Elementary Schools , Emily Nelson

Implementation of Technology in the Primary Grades: Transformational Leadership and Teacher Motivation , Kristi Ryczek

"Because I'm Regular, Too": Educational-Life Narratives of Metro-Atlanta Students in Special Education, 1975-2005 , Cristy Sellers Smith

Racial Injustice: A History of the Segregated School System in Jackson, Mississippi , Susan C. Thompson

Teachers' and Leaders' Perceptions of an Induction Program's Influence on Teacher Retention in a Title I School with a High Population of English Language Learners , Cynthia B. Tookes

Icing the Batter: The MYP Coordinator, Principal Leadership, and School Reform , Susan M. Waterbury and Susan M. Waterbury

Administrator Beliefs and Their Impact On One-To-One Technology Initiatives and Instructional Practices in Elementary Schools , Kena Worthy

Unheard Voices: Counterstories of Latinx Immigrant Parents? Experiences Navigating Metro Atlanta Public Schools , Michelle Yrigollen-Robbins

Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Life of a Policy: An Afrocentric Case Study Policy Analysis of Florida Statute 1003.42(h) , CHIKE AKUA

Professional Learning Communities and Teacher Decision-Making , Michael C. Barr

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS
• Collections
• Disciplines
• Submit ETD (Thesis/Dissertation)
• Department of Educational Policy Studies

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

The client experience of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder utilizing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and motivational interviewing: A case study reflection

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of clients in an integration model of EMDR and motivational interviewing (MI) in affecting generalized anxiety disorder.

Dissertation Abstract

“The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of clients in an integration model of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and motivational interviewing (MI) in affecting generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). EMDR is an effective treatment in various anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety, specific phobia, and reducing symptoms in other anxiety disorders; however, few studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of EMDR for the treatment of GAD and its main symptoms. As MI is a treatment module that directly addresses change, ambivalence, and treatment resistance, it may be effective to integrate with EMDR in the service of improving treatment response for GAD clients. In an integrated model, the primary focus will be less on trauma and more on the processing of motivational factors. Participants will be selected purposefully from the population of those having current or recent experiences with GAD that are negatively affecting the quality of their life. New clients of the therapist will be purposefully informed of the study and selected for the study. The sample size of this study will not exceed eight participants.”

—Description from publisher

Dissertation Access

Open Access

Moffitt, C. (2024). The client experience of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder utilizing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and motivational interviewing: A case study reflection. (31484467). [Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/openview/608401b66f01d767edcde8f6f8be5a60/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Date August 15, 2024

Creator(s) Carla Moffitt

Topics Anxiety/Panic/Phobias

Practice & Methods Integrative Therapies

Extent 24 pages

Publisher Texas A&M University

APA Citation Moffitt, C. (2024). The client experience of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder utilizing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing and motivational interviewing: A case study reflection. (31484467). [Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/openview/608401b66f01d767edcde8f6f8be5a60/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Audience EMDR Therapists, Other Mental Health Professionals

Language English

Content Type Thesis/Dissertation

Access Type External Resource, Open Access

Related Resources

EMDR Therapy and Military Resource List

EMDRIA Consultation Packet

Guidelines for Virtual EMDR Therapy: A Report of the Virtual Training and Therapy Task Group

Find an emdr therapist.

EMDRIA has more than 16,000 members trained to provide EMDR Therapy. Find a therapist near you.

• Your Name *
• Your Email Address *
• Your Phone Number
• Your Message *
• Hidden Recipient Name
• Hidden Recipient Email Address
• Hidden Recipient ID - Algolia
• Hidden Hidden Recipient Name - Algolia
• Hidden Hidden Recipient Email - Algolia

Please be aware that email is not a secure means of communication and spam filters may prevent your email from reaching the therapist. We recommend you follow up with a phone call. Sending an email using this page does not guarantee that the recipient will receive, read, or respond to your email.

If this is an emergency do not use this form. Call 911 or your nearest hospital.

• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Non-performing Loan and Its Management in Ethiopia: A case study on Dashen Bank Mekelle Area Bank, in Tigray

Ids item types, copyright holder, usage metrics.