CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

A. Statement of the Research Question - Your paper will be built around a question that
has the potential to help you become a more effective teacher for children with diverse
needs and backgrounds. Framing the question appropriately is the foundation for a useful
and interesting paper.

B. Rationale - Papers of the type you will be writing generally begin with a rationale or
literature base, as opposed to a critique oT the research, for exploring the question. The  rationale foreshadows the larger research literature critique. In the rationale, you define  your terms (not everyone defines "experiential" or "developmental", or "reluctant  readers as you do), and state the limitations you are placing on your research. We think  you would find it very helpful to read several examples of rationale statements in doctoral  dissertations and master's papers from the 1994 MIT class.

CHAPTER TWO: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Educational research doesn't just happen. Compelling questions arise from particular
research will explore the historical contexts. This chapter will exlpore the historical background for the question you have chosen.