An Empirical Assessment of Quality of Undergraduate Dissertation in the Polytechnics in Ghana: Evidence from the Business School of Takoradi Polytechnic
Keywords:
undergraduate dissertation, learning experience, dissertation models, dissertation quality, dissertation effectiveness
Abstract
This paper reports on findings from a research project that reflected upon the effectiveness of the undergraduate dissertation process of Final-year HND students in the Takoradi Polytechnic Business Programs. The research adopted a quantitative methodology and gathered the perspectives of students involved in the HND undergraduate dissertation process. Questionnaires were used to collect the data, which were assessed against the research outcomes that were reviewed. The outcomes of the reflection provide a reference for ongoing dissertation with the aim to ensure an effective HND undergraduate dissertation process or abolishing of dissertation as part of partial fulfillment for the HND Certificate for Business Undergraduate Students. The study surveyed 500 students and reviewed 100 dissertations of Business students in the dissertation module. Descriptive statistics were used for the survey and review. The findings revealed that the HND dissertation is ineffective because it lacks the quality standard of an undergraduate dissertation.
Downloads
- Article PDF
- TEI XML Kaleidoscope (download in zip)* (Beta by AI)
- Lens* NISO JATS XML (Beta by AI)
- HTML Kaleidoscope* (Beta by AI)
- DBK XML Kaleidoscope (download in zip)* (Beta by AI)
- LaTeX pdf Kaleidoscope* (Beta by AI)
- EPUB Kaleidoscope* (Beta by AI)
- MD Kaleidoscope* (Beta by AI)
- FO Kaleidoscope* (Beta by AI)
- BIB Kaleidoscope* (Beta by AI)
- LaTeX Kaleidoscope* (Beta by AI)
How to Cite
References
C. Anderson, K. Day, P. McLaughlin (2006) Mastering the dissertation: lecturers' representations of the purposes and processes of Master's level dissertation supervision.
S. Hemmings (2001) The Place of the Dissertation in Learning to Research, in: R.
P. Hughes (2002) Implementing skills development in higher education: reviewing the territory.
Anne‐barrie Hunter, Sandra Laursen, Elaine Seymour (2007) Becoming a scientist: The role of undergraduate research in students' cognitive, personal, and professional development. 91(1), 36-74. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20173
David Kolb (1984) Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development.
Linn C, Hsi S (2000) Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum; 2000.
D. Lopatto (2003) The essential features of undergraduate research. 24, 139-142.
P. Ramsden (1992) Learning to teach in higher education (London, Routledge).
J. Reynolds, R. Thompson Jr (2011) Want to Improve Undergraduate Thesis Writing? Engage Students and Their Faculty Readers in Scientific Peer Review.
F. Scott (2008) Promoting Student Centered Learning, Portfolio Assessment.
Elaine Seymour, Anne‐barrie Hunter, Sandra Laursen, Tracee Deantoni (2004) Establishing the benefits of research experiences for undergraduates in the sciences: First findings from a three‐year study. 88(4), 493-534. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.10131
C. Silén (2003) Responsibility and independence in learning-what are the role of the educators and the framework of the educational program, paper presented at the 11th Improving Student Learning, Symposium, Hinckley, UK.
M. Sonya, M. Daly, M. Lloyd, M. Scott (2011) The dissertation as an Effective Learning Experience for Undergraduate Students and Faculty in a Construction Management Program; a reflection.
L. Stefani, V. Tariq, D. Heylings, A. Butcher (1997) A Comparison of Tutor and Student Conceptions of Undergraduate Research Project Work. 22(3), 271-288. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293970220302
M. Todd, K. Smith, p. Bannister, S. Clegg (2004) Independent inquiry and the undergraduate dissertation: perceptions and experiences of finalyear social science students - Sheffield Hallam University.
F. Webster, D. Pepper, A. Jenkins (2000) Assessing the undergraduate dissertation, 16. Webster, F., Pepper, D. and Jenkins, A. (2000) Assessing the undergraduate dissertation. 25(1), 71-80.
Marian Woolhouse (2002) Supervising Dissertation Projects: Expectations of Supervisors and Students. 39(2), 137-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703290252934586
Toni Wright, Ray Cochrane (2000) Factors Influencing Successful Submission of PhD Theses. 25(2), 181-195. https://doi.org/10.1080/713696139
From experience I think my supervisor needs some training in research to be able to better supervise HND dissertation.
Published
2013-01-15
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2013 Authors and Global Journals Private Limited

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.