FACULTY OF HUMANITIES
School of Education
Department of Educational Foundation
2025
Subject Code(s): RFE107G
Subject Description: Applied Research in FET Subject IV
Course Name PGCE
Assignment Type: Assignment 1 (Individual)
Submission Date: TBC (Visit myTUTor Brightspace)
Total Marks: 100
Assessors: Prof MZ Ramorola Prof MD Tshelane
INSTRUCTIONS:
Please read the following instructions carefully. It is the student’s responsibility to
apply these instructions. Failure to do so will result in consequences as stated.
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ASSIGNMENT RULES:
Please note that this is an individual assignment.
Please read the assignment thoroughly.
● Please refer to the assignment writing guidelines and rubric for technical
requirements in the study guide.
● This assignment must consist of 4 pages (minimum) and 6 pages (maximum)
excluding cover page, declaration and table of contents and list of references.
● No assignments will be accepted after the due date.
● All assignments must be typed unless access to a computer device and/or printing
facilities are not available
● No assignment will be accepted if the plagiarism declaration is not attached.
● The declaration must be attached as its own page after the cover page.
● A declaration must be signed and dated accordingly by the student.
● Please do not copy and paste the information from the Internet, otherwise, it is
Plagiarism and you will, unfortunately, receive a mark of 0%. In-text reference List
of References must be done accordingly using TUT HARVARD METHOD or APA.
● This assignment should be submitted via myTUTor Brightspace, a link will be
provided on myTUTor Brightspace.
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PGCE Research Assignment: Part 1 of the Research Proposal
You are required to complete Part 1 of a research proposal as part of your assessment for the
PGCE programme. This assignment is intended to introduce you to educational research and
help you begin thinking critically about issues that affect your area of specialization in the FET
(Further Education and Training) phase.
Instructions
1. Formulate a Title
o Formulate a research title that is relevant to your subject specialization (choose
one: Arts, Languages, Agriculture, EMS, Physical Education/Sport, or Hospitality and
Tourism).
o Your title must be education-related and focused on issues specifically
affecting the FET sector.
o Think deeply about what is bothering you or what challenges you have
observed in your specialization—your topic should reflect a real concern or area
of improvement.
o Avoid vague or generic research titles. Be specific, practical, and realistic.
2. Use Appropriate Referencing
o Use APA (American Psychological Association) or Harvard referencing
consistently throughout your proposal.
o Include in-text citations for all definitions, frameworks, and references used.
o Provide a complete reference list at the end of the proposal.
Proposal Structure and Guidelines
Your research proposal must include the following sections:
1. Study Title
o Write a clear, concise, and specific title for your research. It must relate to
education and your area of specialization.
2. Introduction and Background (in-text reference)
o Briefly introduce the topic.
o Provide background information on the issue.
o Explain the context and relevance of the topic to the FET sector.
3. Statement of the Problem
o Clearly define the problem you aim to investigate.
o Describe how this problem manifests in your subject area and the FET sector.
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4. Rationale
o Explain why you have chosen this topic.
o Justify the importance and relevance of this research.
o What gap will your study help to fill?
5. Research Question and Sub-questions
o State your main research question.
o Provide up to three sub-questions that break down the main question.
6. Aim and Objectives of the Research
o State the main aim of your research.
o Provide up to three specific research objectives that guide the investigation.
7. Concept Clarification
o Identify and define up to five key concepts relevant to your study.
o Use in-text references to support your definitions.
8. Theoretical Framework (in-text reference)
o Choose an appropriate educational theory or framework that underpins your
study.
o Explain how this theory will help you understand the problem and guide your
research.
9. References
o Include as many credible academic sources as possible (journals, books,
scholarly articles).
o Ensure all references are properly cited using APA or Harvard style.
Reminder
Your proposal is not a full research project, but a structured and detailed plan. This is your
opportunity to identify an issue in your field and begin thinking like a researcher. Choose a topic
that you are genuinely curious or concerned about. Do not provide the cover page as
myTUTor Brightspace provides your particulars to us. Start from the table of contents
page.
Please note: This is not an assignment you can do a day before the due date,
therefore, invest or spend a significant amount of time doing research on the above
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aspects. We have ample time to read and assess all your assignments, we will
therefore scrutinize your work and assess you accordingly.
DO NOT USE AI, OUR TURNITIN SOFTWARE CAN DETECT IT.
The following declaration must be attached as page one after the cover page:
I declare hereby that this is my own work and not the work of anyone else.
I understand what plagiarism is and the rules of Tshwane University of Technology
regarding plagiarism. I understand that I will receive a mark of 0% should I copy any
section/part/sentence etc. from any source be it books, the internet or any other relevant
source.
Signature Date
ASSIGNMENTS COVER SHEET / CRITERIA
ASSIGNMENT WRITING GUIDELINES
COVER PAGE
The cover page should be neat and could have a picture on it (if necessary). The most
important however is the information
required:
• Name (Name and Surname)
• Student number
• Assignment title
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• Assignment number
• Due date
• Lecturer’s name
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The table of contents highlights all the headings and in which order they are in the text.
It will consist of all the headings on the left side of the page and the start page number
on the right. All headings should be outlined numbered.
Example:
Heading 1 2
Heading 2 4
Subheading 5
Subheading 7
Heading 3 10
INTRODUCTION
The introduction introduces the reader to the topic and in short what to expect from the
assignment. Please do not restate the instruction, e.g. I got the following topic to do an
assignment on. The lecturer is already aware of what your instructions were. The
introduction is approximately half a page in length. No space must be left after the
introduction and the next heading must start straight after the introduction.
BODY
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The body should follow the introduction and should not start on a new page. The body
of the assignment should consist of several headings and subheadings in a logical and
systematic manner of discussion. Pictures may be used but the writing needs to fill the
required number of pages.
General technical guidelines:
Spelling: One of the biggest mistakes is spelling mistakes. Make use of the computer’s
spell-check function. You still have to read through the assignment because spell check
assumes capital letters is acronyms and would not show your mistakes in headings, that
are all in capital letters. Furthermore, a typing error made may actually be another word
in English, and would therefore not be shown as a mistake.
Third-person: Always write in the third person and do not refer to me, I, we, etc.
Margins: The margins at the top, sides and bottom of the page may be no more than
2,5cm.
Font: For uniformity, use Times New Roman or Arial font 12 for headings and 12 for text.
Page numbers: There should be page numbers on every page at the bottom right-hand
corner.
Headings: To make headings clear, make them bold. Also, remember to use the
numbering in the outlined number method as explained under the table of contents.
The number of pages: The required number of pages includes the introduction, body
and conclusion. Pictures and blank half pages must be taken into consideration when
counting the number of pages as they do not add to the required written pages.
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Citations: All work must be paraphrased, written in your own words. Citations must be
used to give acknowledgement to the references for the information. Refer to a citation
guide.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a serious offence under South African law. No work from any
source may be copied word for word into any assignment. The University takes this very
seriously. Any source must be paraphrased unless quoted. Quotes must contain quotation
marks and may not be more than three lines. You are only allowed three quotes per
assignment. You will also be required to sign and attached the declaration discussed late
in this section.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion is a summary of the main points of the assignment. This constitutes half a
page of writing.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The bibliography will follow the numbering as in the table of contents. The bibliography
will be the only section to start on a new page. The bibliography must be done according
to the Harvard method. Please refer to the citation guide for guidance on citations and
the entries into the bibliography. The references should be entered in alphabetical order
with spaces in between. No numbering of references is required.
ASSIGNMENT RUBRIC (WRITTEN)
Assignments are marked using the following rubric:
PRESENTATION: Marks
1. Cover Page /2
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(Name & surname; Student number; Assignment title; Date; Lecturer’s
name)
2. Table of contents /1
(Heading, Contents, Page numbers)
3. Clear Headings / Sub Headings /1
(Headings; Subheadings; Bold/Underlined)
4. Page numbers /1
(Page numbers included; Page number included correctly)
5. References /10
(Include at least 10 sources; Sources are referenced according to the
Harvard method)
6. Presentation /5
(Grammar; Spelling; Punctuation; 1.5 Spacing; Neatly presented)
7. Following of instructions /5
(Adhered to page limit; Declaration)
CONTENT:
1. Introduction & Conclusion /10
(Introduction should introduce the topic at hand; Conclusion should
restate the main argument and introduce new ideas)
2. Logical flow /12
(2-Unsatisfactory; 5-Satisfactory; 7-Good; 10-Very Good; 12-
Outstanding)
3. Systematic discussion /12
(Wide range of methods used to clearly develop a final idea from a
range of initial ideas)
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(2-Unsatisfactory; 5-Satisfactory; 7-Good; 10-Very Good; 12-
Outstanding)
4. Understand topic well /12
(2-Unsatisfactory; 5-Satisfactory; 7-Good; 10-Very Good; 12-
Outstanding)
5. Discussion – thorough and detailed /12
(2-Unsatisfactory; 5-Satisfactory; 7-Good; 10-Very Good; 12-
Outstanding)
6. Application and integration of theory /12
(2-Unsatisfactory; 5-Satisfactory; 7-Good; 10-Very Good; 12-
Outstanding)
7. Acknowledged sources /3
(Acknowledge your minimum of 10 sources through in-text
references)
8. In-text references /2
(Are done correctly according to the Harvard method)
TOTAL: /100
EXAMPLE OF IN-TEXT AND LIST OF REFERENCES
Please note that in-text and list of references go hand in hand, meaning, if you include an
author in your in-text references, that particular author MUST also be in your list of
references. Remember you are not a researcher as yet, therefore, you need to
acknowledge whichever information you acquire, be it on Internet, books, academic
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journal articles, etc. Lastly, the idea is to maintain good quality not to make your work
difficult. You may further visit TUT Citation Guide for more examples.
In-text references
A study by Vasold, Deere and Pivarnik (2019:55) highlighted a positive association
between partaking in campus recreation programmes and student academic
accomplishment. Consistent findings by Kiss, (2017:20) outlined that students who
participate in organised recreational campus activities are likely to have better academic
grades. Other studies found that campus recreation participation can have a positive
effect on academic performance (Henchy, 2013:97; Andre, Williams, Schwartz & Bullard,
2017:15). A study of Selowa (2023) found that the benefits of participate in Physical
Education include:……..
List of References
Andre, E.K., Williams, N., Schwartz, F. And Bullard, C. 2017. Benefits of campus outdoor
recreation programs: A review of the literature. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education,
and Leadership, 9(1): 15-25.
Henchy, A. 2013. The perceived benefits of participating in campus recreation
programs and facilities: A comparison between undergraduate and graduate students.
Recreational Sports Journal, 37(2): 97-105.
Kiss, J.E. 2017. The relationship between participation in campus recreation programs
and college student academic success. Michigan State University.
Vasold, K.L., Deere, S.J. & Pivarnik, J.M. 2019. Club and intramural sports participation
and college student academic success. Recreational Sports Journal, 43(1): 55-66.
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