CURRIC 240: Teaching Schooling And Education Mathematics

General Advice for Learning and Using APA Style

• Create an APA paper template document with all of the aspects of an APA described here (title page, abstract, etc.). Each time you start a new paper, open that template and tailor it. This will save you time, help you get started, and ensure that you have all the aspects of your APA paper correctly formatted without referring to a guide each time.

• There’s a lot about APA style that you might quickly and naturally memorize, especially when you use the rules repeatedly. For example, you may soon memorize the basic rules for in-text citations and how to make the reference for a journal article and book. These are often the most common things you’ll do in an APA paper. Generally, though, it may not be helpful to memorize this information. APA style changes, there are a lot of details, and you probably have a lot of other information that’s much more important to keep in your head!

• Pick an APA guide (like this one!) and become familiar with it. When you need to find the answer about something, you’ll easily be able to quickly find the answer.
• Observe the consistencies of APA features in the papers and books you read.

Overview of APA Style

The APA documentation system is commonly used in the social sciences. APA style exists so that readers across different disciplines in the social sciences have a standard format for papers and citations, which makes it easier to find what you’re looking for when you’re looking at published work. Compared to other documentation styles, APA style emphasizes the date the work was published. The date something was published will appear each time that you mention it. APA also emphasizes empirical research, which is why there are lots of rules and formats for citing works published in academic journals, but you might not find a clear rule about how to cite a Tweet or other non-academic or research-based sources

APA Title Page

Title pages have all the identifying information of your paper on a separate page at the beginning of your document. The text on the title page should be in the middle of the page, double-spaced, and there should be a page number in the top right corner of the page. Note that the content of a cover page is different if you are submitting a paper for publication in an academic journal. Here is all of the information that you need to include for a title page for a course paper and the format.

Abstract

An abstract is a short (usually 250-500 word) paragraph that summarizes your paper and appears as the second page of an APA paper.

Do you need an abstract?

You don’t always need to include an abstract in your APA paper if you’re submitting it for a course. Check your assignment requirements to see if it mentions an abstract. When in doubt of whether or not you should include an abstract, you should include it.

What is the format of an abstract?

Abstracts should appear on the second page of your paper. The first line of the page should be the word “Abstract” centered and bolded. The text of the abstract should begin on the next line and should not be indented. The page should be double spaced. After the abstract, you should indent and italicize the word “keywords” followed by a colon, and then list 3-5 keywords of your paper. Keywords might be what someone would search to find this paper.

What should be included in an abstract?

The abstract should be a one-paragraph summary of your paper. Typically abstracts include the following information for a paper that presents original research: a brief statement of the topic/problem, context, research question, data sources, methods, results, analysis, implications. If your paper is not presenting original research (e.g., a literature review), you may want to include the following (if relevant): a brief statement of the topic/problem, context, research question, overview of main points, directions for future work on this topic. Overall, the abstract should be a paragraph-long summary of your paper.

What to Cite

Be sure to document all the sources you’ve used when writing your paper. Your sources can include articles from journals, books, chapters in a book, data sets, and much more. You’ll need to cite sources in your paper when you write:

• direct quotations
• paraphrases and summaries of ideas and information from sources
• information and ideas that are not common knowledge or are not available in a standard
  reference work
• data from someone’s research or from an organization’s data set
• any ideas that you learned from another source

Some Extra Details about In-text Citations

• The period should always go after the last parentheses when the citation is at the end of
  the sentence.
• There are lots of uncommon exceptions or additional rules (e.g., when you have two
  authors with the same last name, two works with the same authors published in the same
  year, personal communication, indirect sources, etc.). Don’t attempt to memorize these.
  You can always find the rule for your circumstance on the APA Manual website.

Advice:

• It’s not necessarily helpful to correctly format all your in-text citations as you draft your
  paper. In fact, sometimes interrupting your writing to go look up a specific date could
  distract your focus. However, be sure to leave yourself enough information to fully cite and
  format your in-text citations as you draft.
• In your final review process, look for in-text citations that make broad statements that
  multiple sources agree with. Then, you can cite more than one source for these
  statements.

Mentor’s Step-by-Step Guidance Process

The academic mentor guided the student through the assessment in a structured and supportive way, ensuring both technical understanding and practical application:

1. Understanding the Requirements

The mentor began by breaking down the assessment task, clarifying that the focus was not only on formatting but also on developing familiarity with APA conventions.

2. Building the APA Template

The student was guided to create a reusable APA template with a title page, abstract page, headings, and reference list structure. This step ensured the student had a ready framework for future assignments.

3. Title Page and Abstract

The mentor explained the formatting rules of an APA title page and helped the student prepare an abstract following correct alignment, spacing, and keyword inclusion.

4. In-text Citations

Next, the mentor demonstrated common types of in-text citations (single author, multiple authors, same author/year variations). The student was given examples and exercises to practice.

5. Reference List

The mentor guided the student to compile references in correct APA format, covering books, journal articles, and online sources. The importance of alphabetizing entries and following punctuation rules was emphasized.

6. Special Cases & Exceptions

The student was introduced to uncommon citation cases (indirect sources, personal communications, etc.), with the mentor showing where to find authoritative APA rules instead of memorizing.

7. Drafting and Reviewing

The mentor encouraged the student to focus on writing flow first and then return for final citation formatting during revision, to avoid breaking writing momentum.

8. Final Check and Polishing

Before submission, the mentor guided the student through a final formatting review to ensure headings, spacing, citations, and references aligned with APA requirements.

Outcome & Learning Objectives Achieved

By the end of the mentoring process, the student was able to:

• Confidently create and use an APA paper template for future academic tasks.
• Correctly apply APA formatting rules for title page, abstract, and references.
• Use in-text citations accurately, including for multiple or complex cases.
• Recognize the importance of consistency and credibility in academic writing.
• Develop a habit of referring to APA guides/manuals instead of relying solely on memory.
• Understand the role of APA in maintaining academic integrity and professionalism.

Get Expert Help with Your Assignments

Looking for a reliable way to complete your academic tasks with confidence? You can download the sample solution provided here to understand the structure, formatting, and approach required for this assessment. Please note, however, that this file is meant strictly for reference and learning purposes only. Submitting it directly as your own work could result in plagiarism issues.

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