IdeaProposal

Secondary Research Report

It’s time to narrow your focus for the Secondary Research Report! Answer the questions and complete the chart below. Remember that once this proposal has been approved, you must continue with this topic for the rest of the semester. You may not change topics without talking to me in advance.

BACKGROUND

Why are you interested in this particular topic? What do you hope to learn from your research?

I want know about the effects and consequences of taking a gap year after high school or college. I want know the relationship between a gap year and the performance of the students. It would also be used to understand if gap years are productive or not for the performance and confidence of all students, and should the idea be promoted or not.

Have you written about this topic in the past, or are you currently working with this same topic in another context/course? If yes, explain. (Keep in mind that there can be some overlap between this project and work from your other courses, but you’ll need to get permission from all instructors involved.)

I have written a research on this topic previously, but it was only an analysis of the research from different source. I have not used experimental and research methods to find data on this topic on my own. The research was related to the pros and cons of taking a gap year for the students, and all the data was secondary.

TOPIC

Complete the chart below with your proposed topic for Project 1.

Topic

Issue

Research Question

Example:
culture shock

effects of culture shock

How does international students’ level of adjustment to host culture affect their academic performance?

Gap Year

Effects and consequences of a gap year

what is the relationship between a gap year and performance of students?

After our first library visit, you should have a good idea of whether you will find enough sources for your topic. Below, list one academic research article and one non-scholarly source you plan to use for Project 1 (provide a link if possible).

Academic Research Article

Non-Scholarly Source

O’Shea, Joseph. Gap year: How delaying college changes people in ways the world needs. JHU Press, 2014.

List at least 3 keywords you have found most helpful in identifying appropriate sources for your topic

Importance of a gap year

Advantages of a gap year

Disadvantages of a gap year

List 3 keywords you think will be helpful as you continue researching.

Effect on students’ performance

Preparation of practical life

Increase in confidence

THINKING AHEAD

In Unit 2, you will continue working with your topic by narrowing your focus to the PSU Abington campus and conducting your own primary research. It will be helpful to start thinking about this next stage as you narrow your topic for Project 1. Unlike the previous section, your answers in this section may change. This is brainstorming to make sure you choose a manageable research question.

Which kind of research would help you answer your research question? Highlight your response.

interview

survey

Observation

other [please explain]

How would this type of research be helpful for your investigation?

We can see what happen when the unemployment rate change and how is it impact in the social development

Interview would be the most optimum type of research. That is because the target area of the research will be a specific audience. The interviewees will only include students who have taken a gap year, and questions can also be asked to students who have not taken a gap year, as a control group. The other types of research will not be giving a detailed information about the topic as they will have specific answers and limits. An interview will be able to give the perspective of the people and how they think that gap years were either advantageous or not for them. An interview will also be able to give the reaction of people who are against gap years, so the research will not be tipping towards one side. This type of research will be able to give a better and more authentic conclusion.

Tell me more. Who would you interview or survey? Where/what would you observe? What questions would you ask?

Who

When

Where

Questions

High school/ graduates who took a gap year

Lunch break or home time

The ground or cafés inside the institution

Why did you take a gap year?
Was it your decision or not?
What did you do during your gap year?
Has it been helpful?
Do you think, the gap year changed something about you?
How is your performance different from before?
Are you more prepared for your practical life now?
Would you recommend a gap year to others?
How do you think is your academic performance compared to others who didn’t take a break?
What do college admissions officials think of gap years?
Was it hard to transition to college after a gap year?

High school/ graduates who didn’t take a gap year

Lunch break or home time

The ground or cafés inside the institution

What do you think about gap years?
Why didn’t you take a gap year?
Do you regret not taking one?
How do you think your performance would have changed if you took it?
Do you find your performance or skills more or less polished than the students who took a gap year?
If you had taken it, how would you have used your gap year?
Would you recommend others to take a gap year?
How would you parents or friends react if you decide to take a gap year?
What do college admissions officials think of gap years?

This proposal will receive one of the following responses:

APPROVED

NEEDS REVISION

NOT APPROVED

If it is approved, you can continue as planned with your research. If it receives one of the other two responses, you may need to revise and resubmit your proposal before you can continue with your research. Refer to the comments you receive from me on Canvas.

Running head:

GAP YEARS

2

GAP YEARS

Annotated Bibliography

Student Name

Institutional Affiliation

O’Shea, J. (2014). Gap year: How delaying college changes people in ways the world needs. JHU Press.

In this book, O’Shea outlines the benefits of deferring admissions or gap years to experience the world. This is a trend that has been practiced for more than 50 years in Britain. Students find an opportunity to travel, develop important life skills such as communication and experience in their line of education.

Keup, J. (2015). Gap year: How delaying college changes people in ways the world needs.

Keup’s study on the impact of gap years first recognizes the lack of systematic study on the importance of gap years. The study explores the social construction of today’s generation, which is diverse and not tied to cultural and national boundaries. The study emphasizes on the need for students to be engaged in immersive activities such as oversea studies.

In this video, Casper who is a member of the Dutch Nuonsolarteam stresses on the importance of the gap year for students. It is an opportunity to develop new ideas. Casper’s career ambition was to become a pilot until changed his mind during his break from school. However, Casper’s talk raises some questions as why it is important to take a gap year to breed new ideas and the possibility of working part time and study at the same time.

David D. Curtis. (2014) The ‘Gap Year’ in Australia: Incidence, Participant Characteristics and Outcomes. Australian Economic Review 47:1, pages 107-114.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.12054

The author talks about the negative impacts of gap taking between secondary school and university. Despite the increase in percentage of gap takers, David reasons that it is not productive because it lowers school achievement both at school and in their careers.

Kaja Reegård. (2019) Nordic Journal of Vocational Education and Training 9:1, pages 129.

https://doi.org/10.3384/njvet.2242-458X.1991129

The article analyses students in upper secondary and vocational training institutions that use gap years to be competitive in accessing top universities. However, this is a stereotype as the research finds out that the gapping is a strategy to postpone their career choices.

Kristoffer Chelsom Vogt. (2018) 

The timing of a time out: the gap year in life course context

. Journal of Education and Work 31:1, pages 47-58.

This article uses biographical interviews from three generations to establish the place where gap year should be applied. Students use this time to reflect on their career choices but does it bear fruit?

Snee, H. (2014). Doing something ‘worthwhile’: Intersubjectivity and morality in gap year narratives. The Sociological Review, 62(4), 843-861.

This article focuses on the experiences of young people in their gap years. Unlike the traditional use of this time to focus on career choices, these group has chosen to travel and explore the world as indicated in their travel blogs.

Vogt, K. C. (2018). Age norms and early school leaving. European Societies, 20(2), 281-300.

The study examines how definitions of school leaving relate to chronological age. The transition patterns from secondary to college and university has been normalized resulting in qualifications that gained later in life for instance, vocational training institutes follow disorderly and non standard. Gap years must address the issue of age norms.

Leonavičius, V., & Ozolinčiūtė, E. (2015). Gap year students in Lithuania: the value orientations of children from wealthy social groups. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 25(1), 38-62.

This paper answers the questions around the motivation among students who defer entry to university in Luthuania. The gap year a phenomenon is associated with young people. The rational choice theory outlines the trend by examining common factors behind.

Archer, L., & Yamashita, H. (2003). ‘Knowing their limits’? Identities, inequalities and inner city school leavers’ post-16 aspirations. Journal of Education Policy, 18(1), 53-69.

The article is a pilot study on pupils aged between 11 and 20 and how they understand their options and identities. This research is an answer to questions surrounding the association of gap year to young people and the need for decision making.