WEEK 13 RESOURCE 3 EXAMPLE OF A QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PROPOSAL EXAMPLE
Title
Gender, the value of research skills for employability and commitment to studies in a group of postgraduate students at a distance education institution
Literature review
Modern-day students who are furthering their career prospects by embarking on postgraduate studies have high expectations about their employability after graduation. In line with these expectations, employers also have high expectations of graduates to contribute positively and meaningfully to quality outputs in the work environment by means of useful skills and positive personal characteristics. According to Smith and Kruger (2008), graduates with employability skills should have the ability to optimally utilise opportunities to advance their careers in the dynamic world of work. Graduateness, like employability, is viewed as a set of transferable skills that ensures the readiness of graduates to function optimally in the world of work (Wheelahan, 2002).
Richter and Tyeku (2006) credited research as a vital part of preparing graduates for the labour market. They also highlighted the different career opportunities in which research skills and knowledge could be utilised. Research skills are also an advantage because they overlap with most of the skills listed for employability. For example, communication as an employability skill entails being able to access and deal with large amounts of information, and also includes quantitative literacy (Griesel & Parker, 2009). Both these skills are important and necessary for research. According to Hansen and Hansen (2009), analytical and research skills are some of the skills most sought after by employers. Such skills in the realm of the research methods module that they mentioned were computer and technical literacy, and planning, organising and problem solving.
This emphasises the value of research skills for graduates, not only for the knowledge of the methodology and experience of research processes that
Title
Gender, the value of research skills for employability and commitment to studies in a group of postgraduate students at a distance education institution
Literature review
Modern-day students who are furthering their career prospects by embarking on postgraduate studies have high expectations about their employability after graduation. In line with these expectations, employers also have high expectations of graduates to contribute positively and meaningfully to quality outputs in the work environment by means of useful skills and positive personal characteristics. According to Smith and Kruger (2008), graduates with employability skills should have the ability to optimally utilise opportunities to advance their careers in the dynamic world of work. Graduateness, like employability, is viewed as a set of transferable skills that ensures the readiness of graduates to function optimally in the world of work (Wheelahan, 2002).
Richter and Tyeku (2006) credited research as a vital part of preparing graduates for the labour market. They also highlighted the different career opportunities in which research skills and knowledge could be utilised. Research skills are also an advantage because they overlap with most of the skills listed for employability. For example, communication as an employability skill entails being able to access and deal with large amounts of information, and also includes quantitative literacy (Griesel & Parker, 2009). Both these skills are important and necessary for research. According to Hansen and Hansen (2009), analytical and research skills are some of the skills most sought after by employers. Such skills in the realm of the research methods module that they mentioned were computer and technical literacy, and planning, organising and problem solving.
This emphasises the value of research skills for graduates, not only for the knowledge of the methodology and experience of research processes that