Department of Curriculum Studies

Master of Education in Curriculum Studies (MEd-CS) Plan B Research Paper Samples*

The M.Ed. degree should represent more than the completion of a collection of courses. It should demonstrate mastery in some aspect of your field of study. Completion of the culminating project assures the Department of Curriculum Studies and the Graduate Division at the University of Hawai`i that you have achieved graduate level knowledge and skill in an area of inquiry.

The Plan B project should have professional merit in your area of specialization and follow these guidelines.

• The project should be purposeful and have meaning for you and your community, and /or importance for the field of study.
• The project should refer to a relevant body of knowledge (this might be a review of literature, grounding in historical context, oral history).
• The project should involve some form of documentation.
• The project should communicate a connection to practice and/or professional growth.

In addition, you must make certain that:




1. The Plan B Project contains evidence in the final chapter summary that you have connected study outcomes with current knowledge in the content area, including previous research relevant to the Plan B project.

2. The final chapter or portfolio summary makes clear the professional impact of the study findings on your future directions.

3. The concluding chapter outlines general recommendations that are consonant with the findings of the project.

This site provides examples of one type of possible Plan B Project—the research paper. MEd-CS advisors have found these papers to be exemplary in one or more of the following areas: rationale, relevant body of knowledge, research methods, findings, applications to practice, recommendations, or references. It should be noted that these papers are provided as examples only, and we hope your culminating project will reach new levels of excellence!

*Please download the MEd-CS Handbook 2: Continuing and Graduating Students for more information on the Plan B Project (link on right side of http://coe.hawaii.edu/cs).