Thesis Statement & Focus
Thesis Statement & Focus Peer Review Rubric
The Statement of the Problem section of your dissertation proposal contains the context for your ministry project. It also contains a very important element of the proposal – your statement of the problem question. In a thesis, you state your hypothesis and then go about trying to prove it. A dissertation functions differently. In a dissertation, we are generating new knowledge and function as researchers. As such, we do not create a thesis statement and try to prove it, but rather create a research question and set about to explore that question. The goal is to generate unique knowledge on an applied topic in ministry to solve a problem. In many European doctoral programs, this statement is still called a thesis statement because the dissertation is still called a “thesis”.
A good “thesis” (statement of the problem question) for a dissertation proposal should have several important elements:
· Question: The statement should be framed as a question to research rather than a declaration or hypothesis meant to be proved. You are doing research to find the results rather than predicting them.
· Problem: The statement of the problem question should clearly define the problem that is being investigated. When you read it, you should be able to identify the problem being addressed immediately.
· Design: The statement of the problem question should use several words that sum up the design of the approach you will take to solve the problem.
· Methodology: The statement of the problem question should use several words to describe the approach you will use to measure the results of the approach you used to solve the ministry problem.
· Location: The statement of the problem question should locate the place where you will conduct your ministry project. This can include a specific church, ministry, district, and geographical location.
An example of such a statement of the problem question could be:
“What should constitute an effective and contextualized curriculum for training lay leaders to discern their ministry calling in the inner city Assemblies of God churches of Annapolis, Maryland?”
· Statement of the problem question is stated as a question rather than made as a statement
· Problem being addressed to need to train lay leaders to discern calling because something about the ministry context suggests they do not know how to discern calling
· Ministry project design is the development and execution of a specialized (contextualized and adapted) curriculum to train lay leaders
· Methodological approach will measure effectiveness of curriculum at training lay leaders to discern calling
· Location is in Assemblies of God denominational churches which are located in the inner city and geographically located in Annapolis, Maryland.
Time now to construct your statement of the problem question and upload to the Peer Review link for Week 2 of our class.
· Think about your dissertation proposal and construct a one sentence statement of the problem question with the five important elements listed above.
· Write a one paragraph narrative describing the focus of your statement of the problem question and providing a bit of context for the focus.
· Post your statement of the problem question and paragraph narrative under the Writing Group/Peer Review link in Assignments for Module 1 – Thesis Statement & Focus by Saturday of Week 2.
· Reply to at least one other person (more are preferred) with an evaluation of their statement of the problem question and narrative with comments and suggestions using the following rubric (below):
CHARACTERISTIC SCORE
SCORE:
1 = Absent
2 = Minimally present
3 = Fair but need more work
4 = Well described & represented
5 = Exceptionally clear & well stated
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Question: The statement should be framed as a question to research rather than a declaration or hypothesis meant to be proved. |
|
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Problem: The statement of the problem question should clearly define the problem that is being investigated. |
|
|
Design: The statement of the problem question should use several words that sum up the design of the approach you will take to solve the problem |
|
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Methodology: The statement of the problem question should use several words to describe the approach you will use to measure the results of the approach you used to solve the ministry problem.
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|
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Location: The statement of the problem question should locate the place where you will conduct your ministry project. |
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TOTAL _________
Comments & Suggestions:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thesis Statement & Focus Peer Review Rubric
The Statement of the Problem section of your dissertation proposal contains the context for your
ministry project. It also contains a very important element of the proposal
–
your statement of the
problem question. In a thesis, you state your hypothesis and then go about trying to prove it. A
dissertation functions differently. In a dissertation, we are generating new knowledge and function as
researchers. As such, we do not create a thesis stat
ement and try to prove it, but rather create a
research question and set about to explore that question. The goal is to generate unique knowledge on
an applied topic in ministry to solve a problem. In many European doctoral programs, this statement is
st
ill called a thesis statement because the dissertation is still called a “thesis”.
A good “thesis” (statement of the problem question) for a dissertation proposal should have several
important elements:
·
Question: The statement should be framed as a questi
on to research rather than a declaration
or hypothesis meant to be proved. You are doing research to find the results rather than
predicting them.
·
Problem: The statement of the problem question should clearly define the problem that is
being investigate
d. When you read it, you should be able to identify the problem being
addressed immediately.
·
Design: The statement of the problem
question should use several words that sum up the
design of the approach you will take to solve the problem.
·
Methodology:
The statement of the problem question should use several words to describe the
approach you will use to measure the results of the approach you used to solve the ministry
problem.
·
Location: The statement of the problem question should locate the place w
here you will
conduct your ministry project. This can include a specific church, ministry, district, and
geographical location.
An example of such a statement of the problem question could be:
“What should constitute an effective and contextualized curri
culum for training lay leaders to discern
their ministry calling in the inner city Assemblies of God churches of Annapolis, Maryland?”
·
Statement of the problem question is stated as a question rather than made as a statement
·
Problem being addressed to nee
d to train lay leaders to discern calling because something
about the ministry context suggests they do not know how to discern calling
·
Ministry project design is the development and execution of a specialized (contextualized and
adapted) curriculum to tr
ain lay leaders
Thesis Statement & Focus Peer Review Rubric
The Statement of the Problem section of your dissertation proposal contains the context for your
ministry project. It also contains a very important element of the proposal – your statement of the
problem question. In a thesis, you state your hypothesis and then go about trying to prove it. A
dissertation functions differently. In a dissertation, we are generating new knowledge and function as
researchers. As such, we do not create a thesis statement and try to prove it, but rather create a
research question and set about to explore that question. The goal is to generate unique knowledge on
an applied topic in ministry to solve a problem. In many European doctoral programs, this statement is
still called a thesis statement because the dissertation is still called a “thesis”.
A good “thesis” (statement of the problem question) for a dissertation proposal should have several
important elements:
Question: The statement should be framed as a question to research rather than a declaration
or hypothesis meant to be proved. You are doing research to find the results rather than
predicting them.
Problem: The statement of the problem question should clearly define the problem that is
being investigated. When you read it, you should be able to identify the problem being
addressed immediately.
Design: The statement of the problem question should use several words that sum up the
design of the approach you will take to solve the problem.
Methodology: The statement of the problem question should use several words to describe the
approach you will use to measure the results of the approach you used to solve the ministry
problem.
Location: The statement of the problem question should locate the place where you will
conduct your ministry project. This can include a specific church, ministry, district, and
geographical location.
An example of such a statement of the problem question could be:
“What should constitute an effective and contextualized curriculum for training lay leaders to discern
their ministry calling in the inner city Assemblies of God churches of Annapolis, Maryland?”
Statement of the problem question is stated as a question rather than made as a statement
Problem being addressed to need to train lay leaders to discern calling because something
about the ministry context suggests they do not know how to discern calling
Ministry project design is the development and execution of a specialized (contextualized and
adapted) curriculum to train lay leaders