A-801 Wednesday Section 1 W EDNESDAY, 17 TH O CTOBER, – P. M.

Roadmap for today House keeping Paper II – Lit Review Problem Tree Analysis How do we apply this stuff? Questions/AOB? Feedback – sticky notes 2

Housekeeping 3 Next section – Nell will take over Paper 2 – please begin early No office hrs. next week – may do some via. Skype (internet permitting)

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Where are we- Education & social exclusion Education strategies – the role of multilaterals Assessing the performance of systems 5

Problem Tree Analysis 6 “Your problem definition should not include an implicit solution introduced by semantic carelessness. Projected solutions must be evaluated empirically and not legitimated merely by definition. Therefore, keep the problem definition stripped down to a mere description, and leave open where you will look for solutions.” (Bardach, 2009, pg. 7)

“New schools are being built too slowly.” vs. “There are too many schoolchildren relative to the currently available classroom space.” Example

1. List all the problems that come to mind. Problems need to be carefully identified: they should be existing problems, not possible, imagined or future ones. The problem is an existing negative situation, it is not the absence of a solution. 2. Identify a core problem (this may involve considerable trial and error before settling on one). 3. Determine which problems are “Causes” and which are “Effects.” 4. Arrange in hierarchy both Causes and Effects, i.e., how do the causes relate to each other - which leads to the other, etc. LogFrame Problem Analysis Tree

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According to Richard Elmore… “A Lit Review is an assessment of a body of research that bears on a question” “Literature reviews work best when they are framed clearly around a question or a series of questions—that is, where the writer interrogates the literature on the reader’s behalf” What is a Literature Review?

Start by researching your question using online tools: ERIC and HOLLIS Hone your question based on initial research Make an appointment with a HGSE Research Librarian Find 1-2 key pieces of literature that addresses your question, use their citations list to find more sources Read lit reviews of articles on related subjects Investigative Strategies

Start broadly and then begin eliminating studies that do not specifically answer your question Look for patterns in the literature Look for disagreements in the literature Based on what the literature says, start developing your argument (your answer to your RQ) Look for evidence that both confirms and disconfirms your argument Gathering Data

Lead the reader through selected patterns that emerge from the literature Organization is key! The literature review should provide you with a clearly drawn set of conclusions about what the research does and does not say One strategy: Begin with the obvious answer to your research question Then “unpack” the assumptions behind it and provide evidence that confirms or contradicts it from the literature Drawing Conclusions from Data

Analyze each work critically Describe its Assumptions Strengths Limitations Remember to also include what the literature does NOT say and why Convey importance of subject (the “so what”) Translate theory into action Key Points

Do: Stay within the page limit Use headings to organize your paper Provide a “road map” in the introduction Don’t: Summarize large pieces of factual information (be analytical, not descriptive) Use jargon Forget to edit! Avoid spelling errors and grammatical problems by having a friend proofread Dos and Don’ts

17 Research & Policy w w Google – It takes a village to raise a school Dana Burde – click on the 1 st link

Afghan Women Overview of Context Following on cold war: Attacks on institutions, homes and families Limitations on where to work or school without male representatives Could not wear bright colors etc Gender inequalities New tradition not adapted to situation – even stricter rules for women to abide by; forced women into even smaller confined environment; vulnerable group as women and as girls in school

World Bank Strategy for Afghanistan Developed through fieldwork in Afghanistan and Pakistan over 35 years:

Sticky Notes 20 1 thing that you enjoyed 1 thing that you didn’t enjoy as much