1

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Integrative Case Study

Learning Factors of a High School Student

George Mason University

EDUC 613

Soo Kang

December 12th

, 2013

This is a case study about motivational and affective, social and developmental, and individual

differences learning factors of a high school student: Christian

2

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Part 1: Descriptive Discussion 3

a. Introduction 3

b. Physical Description and Background 3

c. Setting 5

d. Learning Factors 7

e. Summary 8

Part 2: Analytic Discussion 10

a. Introduction 10

b. Motivational and Affective Factors 10

c. Developmental and Social Factors 13

d. Individual Differences Factors 15

e. Recommendation 17

f. Summary 19

Part 3: Reflective Self-Evaluation 20

a. Introduction 20

b. Christian as Learner (What I learned) 20

c. About Learning (Why it matters) 22

d. Changes in Teaching (Next steps) 24

Part 4: References 25

Appendices

Appendix A – Student Interview 26

Appendix B – Student Limited English Proficiency Student Profile 27

Appendix C – Teacher Interview 28

Appendix D – Nurse’s Note 29

Appendix E – School Demographics Information 30

Appendix F – Student Grit Survey 31

Appendix G – Multiple Intelligence 32

3

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Part 1: Descriptive Discussion

Introduction

To educate is to make differences in lives of all students. However, sometimes in the

classroom we do not tell students how valuable and important they are regardless of their

academic performances. Teaching a standardized curriculum to assess students with a common

assessment seems equal and fair on the surface, but in the process of doing this we sometimes

forget to celebrate individual differences and diversity, which makes learning, classrooms and

the whole experience meaningful and wonderful. After all, we are not machines programmed to

maximize teaching and learning outcomes but human beings who naturally question, seek

answers, and care about meanings and values in life. To make differences in the classroom daily,

teachers must not only provide students with necessary knowledge and skills but also care for

individual needs by simply having interest in each and one of our students.

The value of studying individual learners and their learning is that it helps us to

understand what students learn, how they learn and why they learn. This is a case study that

examines one learner, Christian and the influences on his learning. I will be looking at how the

motivational and affective, social and developmental, and individual differences factors

influence his learning. To protect the identity of the student, I have given pseudonyms to the

student as well as the school he attends.

Physical Description and Background

Christian is a 16 year-old 11th

-grade student who is taking Geometry as his second

mathematics course in high school. He just finished his first quarter of his third year at the Green

Giant High School. He is from Dominican Republic and he is enrolled as an English Language

Learner student. His Limited English Proficient (LEP) Plan does not exempt him from the

4

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Virginia Standard or Learning tests, but allows him to use bilingual dictionary, accommodation

code 17 (Student LEP profile – Appendix C). Christian is in Tier B and his listening and

speaking skills are adequate to perform proficiently in all of his academic classes. Physically,

Christian is average sized compared to his male classmates and he works out regularly with his

friends after school for extracurricular activity. Christian does not play any competitive sports or

belong in any other extracurricular activity teams in school. Christian values physical health and

he is very careful about his food and drink intake. In his interaction with peers, Christian

minimally expresses his thoughts and feelings in groups bigger than four but engages more

actively in smaller group or in pairs with another student or a teacher.

Christian was born in Dominican Republic in 1997. His family moved to the United

States in 2002. He was in Piaget’s preoperational stage where he was gradually developing use

of language and ability to think in symbolic form (Sample & Kursman, 2013). Christian

indicated during his interview that even though he has lived more than half of his life in the

United States, he considers his first language to be Spanish because his primary language at

home is Spanish. He also mentioned that he considers himself as bilingual because he

‘“sometimes feels more comfortable saying things in English”’ (Student Interview –Appendix

A). He is taking Spanish Fluent Speaker 3 for his foreign language credit, but his grade in the

course is low. His Spanish teacher informed me that his frequent absences and lack of

participation caused his grade to go down in the end of the first quarter. (Teacher Interview –

Appendix D).

I selected Christian because I wanted to get to know him better so that I can help him

with his learning progress. Frequent absences can cause serious deficits in our fast paced

learning environment but he always stays responsible by sending emails to teachers for his

5

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

assignments. Christian also seems more reserved but always stays after school to talk about his

learning, life, and feelings in person. Christian reminded me of myself in high school. Christian

seems to be one of those students who is capable of performing above average in math class, but

he is not always ‘gritty’ enough to achieve his best. Christian’s parents came to the Back to

School Night in the beginning of the school year. When I asked for contact information and any

concerns for Christian, they gave a phone number and left blank for the comment section. During

the phone interview with Christian’s mother later in the year, I asked again if she had any

concerns to share with me. She said that Christian usually works hard to get good grades in his

classes but his health issue became a serious issue in the past years. Christian’s parents were very

supportive in Christian’s education and wanted me to keep them updated if Christian starts to

struggle in class. Christian is living with his mom and dad but he also has one sister who is

married and moved to New Jersey. He is not receiving free or reduced priced lunches. When I

asked Christian about his constant absences he told me that he has an autoimmune disease. He

explained that his autoimmune disease defends his body against his own healthy cells, causing

his immune system to attack his body organs especially his small and large intestine. I recently

received a note from school nurse about Christian’s health issue and a permanent hallway pass to

clinic whenever he needs (Nurse’s Note – Appendix E).

Setting

Christian is attending school in Greenville, part of the Giant County Public Schools

system. With the explosive growth of Giant county's population and surrounding high density

housing developments, the school possesses one of the most culturally diverse student

populations in the region. There were 14,000 students in Giant County Public Schools 21 years

ago, now there are 68,000. The superintendent, Dr. Corn said that the county will ‘“continue to

6

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

grow by more than 2,000 students a year as far as the eye can see"’. According to the GCPS Fact

sheet 2012-2013, in 1998, Giant County Public Schools had a minority population of 19.44

percent. The minority population is 44 percent as of September 2012. Asian students are the

largest minority group with 16% closely followed by the Hispanic population with 15%

(Appendix E).

As a 11th grade student, Christian is in his third year in working toward his advanced

diploma. Class sizes are smaller than other high schools in the area, but Christian’s class is

slightly larger than most at 24 students, 10 of whom are boys. Christian is older than all of his

classmates who are mostly 9th and 10th graders. In the beginning of the school year, Christian

answered that he has no preference in working cooperatively in pairs, small groups, or

independently. The course instruction is given in lecture form with visual presentation. There are

10 table desks for two students to seat and there are four individual desks in the classroom.

Christian seats near the window by himself but joins a pair of students sitting near him during

class practice time. After learning a new concept, students work on guided practice in pairs, or in

small groups. Students work cooperatively and collaboratively in Christian’s class. Students are

expected to discuss theorems and examples with their work partners and independently journal in

composition books for closure. Students take daily quizzes and open note quizzes for formative

assessments, and takes summative unit tests after five to six lessons. Christian is provided with

Spanish-English dictionary for all of his assessments but never utilizes them because he does not

have any difficulty understanding directions or material (Student Interview –Appendix A).

Christian is enrolled in Advanced PE 2, Spanish Fluent Speaker 3, Environmental

Science, Personal Finance, Economics, US and VA History, English 11, and Geometry courses

this year. In Geometry class, Christian demonstrates fluency in Algebra skills because he was

7

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

enrolled in a daily Algebra 1 class last year. Christian’s Geometry class is energetic, cooperative

and academically motivated. Christian recently started working with two boys in class

voluntarily after spending first eight weeks working independently.

Learning Factors

I will be looking at three learning factors that influence Christian’s learning in this case

study: motivational and affective, social and developmental, and individual differences. Based on

the learner-centered psychological principles from the American Psychology Association, I will

be studying Christian’s intrinsic and extrinsic motivation by looking at his emotional states,

beliefs, interests, goals, and expectations. Christian wants to be successful academically. He

seeks help when needed and can identify his weaknesses. For instance, Christian expressed his

lack of understanding in classifying triangle lesson because he did not have a successful

mathematical learning in 6th grade. He appears to be self-driven and motivated beyond many of

his classmates, but does not always actively participate in classes to express his interests. I would

like to know where his intrinsic motivation is coming from and find a way to support Christian

by applying B.F. Skinner’s Reinforcement Theory.

The second learning factor that I will be studying is the developmental and social factors.

In the past three months, I have been noticing Christian’s social skills development demonstrated

in cooperative learning environment. I am interested in his social development such as social

interaction, interpersonal relation and communication skills and emotional intelligence (Student

Observations). Christian is also demonstrating varying levels of critical thinking in his closing

journal entries. His learning is certainly influenced by his development within and across

physical, intellectual, emotional and social domains and achievements. According to the

American Psychological Association, “the cognitive, emotional, and social development of

8

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

individual learners and how they interpret life experiences are affected by prior schooling, home,

culture, and community factors” (American Psychological Association 1997). Does Christian’s

language and culture difference have effects on his learning style and how do I support Christian

in developing his self-esteem?

Lastly, I will be looking at individual differences. Every student is unique in their

learning strategies, study approaches, and capabilities for learning as well as linguistic, cultural,

and social backgrounds. Even though Christian fits in with his classmates, from initial

observations, it does appear that he occasionally chooses to separate himself from others to work

alone in slower pace (Student Observations). His classmates noticed Christian’s frequent

absences and started to collect his study material for Christian. He often emails for typed notes

and asks questions but does not feel the need of extra tutoring. Understanding Christian's

strengths and weaknesses, as well as current knowledge and skills will allow teachers to provide

valuable feedback on his learning progress.

Summary

Because of Christian’s frequent absences, he developed his current studying pattern of

independent inquiry built upon his strong responsibility and work ethic. However, since low

attendance rate very often negatively correlate with mastery achievements in many classes, I am

concerned with his success in learning as advanced courses will be more rigorous. I wish to

investigate ways to assist Christian’s long term learning plan by comprehensively understanding

his learning factors and surroundings. I also see a pattern of many English Language Learners

being more reserved in classes despite their strong academic interests. By studying Christian, I

will have a better understanding in working with my diverse group of students. In Part 2: The

9

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Analytic Discussion, I will analyzes data to describe learning factors of Christian using learning

theories and make research based recommendations.

Learning Factors and Data Sources Table

Learning Factors

Addressed Data Source Information Sought

Motivational and Affective

Student interview, Teacher

Interview, Class Observation,

Grit Score, Student work sample

Student motivation, interest,

goals, preferences, and student

self-perception , grittiness,

Student work habit/preference

Developmental and Social

Parental interview, Other

Students interviews, Class

Observation

Family background, anecdotal

story from previous school

years, parent concerns,

Relationships with peers

Individual Differences Student Journal Entries, MI and

LS Inventory

How the student learns,

interest, motivation, Learning

Styles and Multiple

Intelligence

Backgrounds and

Supplemental information

Nurses Notes, Report Card,

Diagnostic, Formative and

Summative Results

Health Issue, Student

Progress, number of absences

10

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Part 2: The Analytic Discussion

Introduction

In this section, I analyze and synthesize data collected from various sources into a

coherent story that describes Christian as learner based on the data and educational theories such

as B.F. Skinner’s Behaviorism and Reinforcement Theory, Lev Vygotsky’s Personal and Social

Learning Theory, and Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy and Social Cognitive Learning Theory. I

will explain why Christian learns and practices independently but at the same time engages

actively in pair discussion and self reflection. I will also make research based recommendations

based on three learning factors; motivational and affective, social and developmental, and

individual differences after studying Christian’s way of learning, his challenge, strength and

weaknesses comprehensively. For example, Christian’s critical thinking and writing has been

improved by writing journals daily using Bloom’s taxonomy.

The Motivational and Affective Factor

One important learning factor to determine students’ achievement in the classroom is

motivation. Because students come into the classroom with varying areas of interests, emotional

states, emotional intelligence, and grittiness, different variables such as the physical arrangement

of the classroom or positive reinforcement strategies must be considered carefully by teachers to

create a positive learning environment for all students. It is necessary to study how students’

motivation and affects relate to their learning because current brain research shows that variables

such as students’ emotions, thinking, and learning are all linked together (Jensen 2005). Students

learn best in a supportive environment where teachers provide competence support and

autonomy support in fostering students’ motivational construct and achievement outcomes

(Zhang, Solmon, Gu 2012). In addition to finding what stimulates Christian’s intrinsic

11

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

motivation, I sought Christian’s emotional state, belief, interests and goals, and habits of

thinking.

In the initial observation of student behavior, I described Christian as ‘uninterested and

passive, sometimes detached from his peers and his learning on the surface.’ However, reading

his summary journals where he displayed active participation in critical thinking and thorough

understanding of learning objectives, I realized that Christian very well internalize concepts in

details and will demonstrate mastery when asked to write in summary journal (Student work

sample – Appendix G). Christian was intrinsically motivated by tasks that required him to

justify, relate, and compare. He put more time and effort when asked to use his own words and

draw his own diagrams. When he was given an open ended question like ‘compare and contrast

the triangle inequality theorem and the hinge theorem,’ he described and explained the theorems

using his eye glasses and its legs.

Although seating in pairs or in groups can foster social development and peer interaction

among students, I was concerned because such seating arrangement often caused increased

chatting and other disturbances that discourage deep concentration (Jensen, 2005). I wanted to

make sure that I was providing Christian with the external classroom environment where he can

feel most comfortable and productive to explore and express his intellectual curiosity. During his

interview I asked him how he felt about his self-expressive classmates during cooperative group

work. He answered that he doesn’t mind the noise level as long as no one is screaming or making

unnecessary noises. He shared with me that he had trouble concentrating when the noise level

gets too loud (Student Interview – Appendix A). Loud noises will increase heart rate and tense

muscle, and will impair learning over time (Jensen, 89).

12

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

His mature comments on purpose of student talk, cooperative learning and how he

benefits by asking questions to his peers indicated Christian’s strengths in emotional intelligence,

or character. Emotional intelligence is a strong indicator of student success in school and life as

powerful or even as twice as powerful as general IQ scores (Cobb and Mayer, 2000). In

classroom observation, Christian demonstrated excellent relationship management skills in

working and communicating effectively with others. Taking initiative, following through on

commitments and adapting to changing circumstances also suggests that Christian is skilled at

self management. Since Christian stopped coming to school due to his health issue, Christian

initiated email communication with his teachers to give updates on his circumstances and get

make up work. He said in one of his emails that he wants to be all caught up with school work

when his life goes back to normal after his treatment.

In addition to his initiation and work ethics, Christian’s teachers during interview

suggested that Christian wants to not just get good grades but also pursue his ‘curiosity’ and

‘genuine interest’ in his studies (Teacher Interview – Appendix D). When his interests were

there, Christian was successful, he got A’s and B’s in his two favorite classes, Personal Finance

and History. Christian seemed to be struggling in English and Science classes. Reading his

descriptive journal and summary made me wonder why he is struggling in his English class. His

previous ELL teacher and Christian both agreed that he is now fully proficient in English

Language, but is there another factor that is affecting Christian’s learning in academic English

class?

I considered another important factor that determines students’ success in the classroom;

the ‘grittiness.’ Grit is a performance trait like resilience, self control, and persistence that

research shows may matter more to academic performance than native intelligence (Pappano,

13

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

2013). Christian scored 3.67 out of 5 on grittiness, 3.5 out of 5 on the consistency of interest,

3.83 out of 5 on the perseverance of effort and 3 out of 5 on ambition survey (Grit Scale –

Appendix). Christian scored higher on the perseverance of effort, but scored lower on ambition,

as Duckworth noted, "you cannot be gritty at everything" (Duckworth, 2007). Researches has

not proved yet whether grit is a trait that can be taught, but teachers should apply B.F. Skinner’s

reinforcement theory to make up students lack of grittiness by providing extrinsic motivation.

Christian is motivated intrinsically enough to care about his learning but never asked for extra

credit, or to retake assessments to improve grade average in his classes. He is more stimulated by

intellectually intriguing questions than bonus point opportunities.

The Developmental and Social Factor

Although Christian is missing face to face social interactions with his peers at school, it

is evident that he is working to gain more interpersonal relations skills and communications

skills in working with teachers, school administrators, and his doctor to find solution for his

special situation. Teachers sometimes say ‘you cannot teach a ghost,’ meaning that it won’t be

possible to teach students who never show up for classes, but I feel that we should be able to

continue teaching and learning through the use social networking technology such as online

classroom, email communication like college courses offered online. It will require extra

commitment on students’ part and innovative methods of planning, instructional delivery and

assessing on teachers, but I believe online classroom will also provide students necessary 21st

century skills such as information and communications technology and information literacy. It is

upsetting to see the discontinuation of Christian’s learning because the system cannot

accommodate students with serious health issues. Especially when Christian’s parents are less

forceful in the process of demanding Christian’s need for learning, Christian will continue to

14

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

miss instruction which will cause an unavoidable gap in his learning experience. The social and

developmental factors significantly influence student and I will be looking at Christian’s

development within and across physical, cognitive, emotional and social domains.

In his last email, Christian said that he wants to go back to his normal life soon again so

that he can start coming to school. His parent and the school nurse said that Christian has been

staying home sick for more than two months now. With homebound instruction not getting

approved yet, Christian is staying home by himself most of the time. None of his classmates stay

in touch with Christian and they are forgetting about Christian. With social media such as

Facebook and Twitter so popular among teenagers nowadays, I find it very unusual for Christian

to stay completely isolated from his peers.

Before he went on his long term absences, I got to observe his social behavior

development in the classroom environment. He took his time in trust building and sharing with

his peers in the beginning stage of cooperative and collaborative learning but eventually became

a valuable member of his group. Research on cooperative learning indicates students’ preference

in the ‘safety of small groups and the confidence which they gained from sharing ideas’

(Sharan,). Jensen also makes practical suggestion on how to group students carefully to reduce

chitchats and distractions (Jensen, 2005). How Christian limits his social comments and stays

focused on task when working with his peers makes him a good role model to students in his

cooperative learning group. In Social Learning Theory, Albert Bandura states behavior is learned

from the environment through the process of observational learning (Cho and Rader-Sherry,

2013). To promote student engagement and mathematical conversation, students were told to ask

two people before they come to the teacher for an answer. Christian said that he would now

always wait until he gets to talk to his partner to ask questions rather than stopping the lecture to

15

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

ask the teacher. The social behavior connects to Lev Vygotsky’s Personal and Social Learning

Theory which states that students learn from each other in social settings (Wert and Haakonson,

2013). It is important to let students debrief and think through explanations in guided group

discussions because social experience is a brain-changing experience (Jensen, 2015).

Developmentally, Christian is emotionally more mature than his age group (Classroom

Observation). He is non-judgmental, accountable and open minded about his conditions. Three

teachers commented on his report card ‘Accepts Responsibility’ for his quarter 1 report card. In

parent interview, Christian’s mother said that Christian’s older and Christian has 12 year age

difference. She also added that even though his sister was a mature role model for Christian, she

was busy working full time job and Christian was often left home alone (Parent Interview).

Cognitively, Christian seems to be in formal operational stage of Piaget’s cognitive

developmental learning theory. Christian demonstrated ability think to abstractly and reason

theoretically on his Logics unit test in Geometry class. His previous years Algebra teacher also

said that Christian is capable of higher order thinking and is able to solve multi step problems.

Unlike many students in his age group struggling in planning stage of problem solving, Christian

is insightful in guiding his peers with suggestions.

Individual Differences Factor

Individual differences factors include individual differences in learning, diversity and

setting challenging standards and assessing the learner. Students have different strategies,

approaches, and capabilities of learning that are a function of prior experience and heredity. Also,

learning is most effective when differences in learner’s linguistic, cultural, and social

backgrounds are taken into accounts (American Psychological Association, 2012). Utilizing

variety of assessments such as diagnostic, formative and summative assessments will enable

16

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

teachers to set appropriate standards and expectations for the learner. Understanding individual

differences factor will allow teachers to effectively differentiate instruction and assessment to

maximize students' ability to learn and apply knowledge. In his book Fair Is Not Always Equal,

Wormli wrote that the first step of differentiation is getting to know about the learner through

interest survey, observation, and listening to the student (Wormli, PUT YEAT). Students

multiple intelligence and learning styles inventory results can be analyzed to find out what and

how students learn the best. Teachers can use students’ learning styles and multiple intelligences

profiles to develop effective learning prescriptions that accommodate students’ preferences and

strengths (Silver, Strong. Perini, 2010). Interviewing the learner, previous teachers and parents is

a good source to gather information to create learner’s profile.

Christian participated on a short online multiple intelligence and learning styles inventory.

In MI survey, Christian scored highest on self smart (interpersonal) with 4.43, second in both

logic/math and body movement (kinesthetic) with 3.71 out of possible 5 points (MI Inventory –

Appendix). Christian is theoretical, intellectual and knowledge oriented understanding style

learner who is curious about ideas, has a tolerance for theory, a taste for complex problems, and

a concern for long-range consequences. Intuitive Thinkers learns concept first, then fits details in.

They also have strong abstract reasoning and logical skills learn exceptionally quickly (Learning

Styles Inventory). In geometry class, Christian successfully used evidence to evaluate truth

values of conditional statements and applied theorems to compare different angle measures.

Recently, Christian’s been learning outside the classroom through inquiry. He is watching

relevant lesson videos on YouTube and looks for different examples online to complete problem

sets. After a child study meeting, the school came up with the new plan for Christian; teachers

are to provide Christian with makeup work from absent days when he comes back. It is not

17

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

exactly working out because even though Christian gets work he is not getting any direct

instructions. Even though he is motivated it would be very difficult to self teach six different

subjects. Christian does not work with a tutor. I made a suggestion to start homebound

instruction but according to the guidance counselor ‘“the process of getting homebound

instruction is complicated so it will not be an option for Christian.”’

The conversation with Christian’s guidance counselor reminded me of another student

from last year who rarely came to school due to her ‘severe depression.’ The parents of the

student were very demanding to the guidance counselor, teachers and school administrators

about putting their daughter in homebound instruction. The student seemed to be adjusting fine

when observed in school’s football games and other social events but she could not attend

classes because she was feeling extreme anxiety every morning. The student’s homebound

instruction went through quickly and she successfully finished school year with homebound

instructor visiting her twice a week. Often the voice of minority parents with limited English

proficiency doesn’t get heard in important decision making process of their child’s education.

Although Christian’s mom is very supportive in his learning in the classroom, she was not aware

of different options and supports available to Christian his education.

Recommendations

To motivate students, teachers must first find out what ways the brain is naturally

motivated from within (Jensen, 2012). Research leads us to understand that considering variety

of learning factors of students make effective evidence based teaching practice possible.

Christian is an intuitive thinking learner. He has an inclination for analyzing, testing, proving,

examining and connecting. To continue his learning outside the classroom, teachers must first

find meaningful and developmentally appropriate curriculum that allows Christian to engage in

18

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

independent inquiry. Provide constant feedback on his learning progress to foster his growth by

emails. Provide independent thinking time to develop but have Christian to share and defend his

point of view with his peers by facilitating cooperative and collaborative learning online and in

the classroom. Creating a discussion board for students to journal online and comment is a great

way to promote student conversation. With his intrapersonal intelligence, Christian can work on

computer and read and watch lesson videos as a source of instruction. He scored lower on

linguistic intelligence so reviewing essential vocabulary by having clear language objective as

well as learning objective will allow Christian to build necessary background.

Christian feels threatened in loud environment and does not enjoy working through steps

without having logical reasoning. Create a classroom environment where peer questioning and

explaining is encouraged but structured to prevent off task behaviors. Christian will often skip

asking further questions although he does not completely understand something. For example,

using triangle theorems to find missing angle measures made sense to him when demonstrated on

the board, however; he did not know what exterior angles of a triangle meant. As closing

question, teachers can ask Christian to journal about things that wasn’t too clear to him during

class. Asking Christian to explain each steps and details as well as getting the big picture will

help him to understand the entire problem solving process. Utilize Bloom’s taxonomy verbs,

such as analyze and evaluate in addition to practice on comprehension.

Christian responds well to teachers who listen to and care for his individual needs.

Weekly email with a list of concepts covered in classes can keep Christian updated and on track

of his learning. Updating webpage with assignments saved as downloadable files so that it is

accessible will not only help Christian but other students. Lastly, involve his parents in

Christian’s education by working with the ELL department staff. The ELL staff invites parents

19

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

regularly to discuss student progress, talk about school procedures and overall make welcoming

environment for parents so that they more actively be involved in their children’s’ education.

Summary

The purpose of studying and understanding learning factors of students is to provide all

students with fair opportunity to their learning. Teaching and learning is a student teacher

interaction where both parties work cooperatively to achieve common goal of mastery learning.

To facilitate effective learning, teachers need to be sensitive to students’ needs, accommodate

different learning styles, and respect individual differences. The American Psychology

Association Learner-Centered Psychological Principles lists four learning factors: cognitive and

metacognitive, motivational and affective, developmental and social, and individual differences.

I looked at motivational and affective, developmental and social and individual differences

factors of Christian’s learning. In my analysis, I learned that his learning factors are affecting one

another; his strong interpersonal intelligence and emotional development makes Christian an

inquisitive learner with strong intrinsic motivation to do well. It will not be possible to do an

integrated case study on each and every one of my students but understanding one student will be

helpful when teaching students who has similar learning style, motivational factors, social and

developmental factors as Christian. In ‘How MI informs teaching at New City School’ Hoerr

introduced a school environment where teachers are working together to write curriculums and

activities to teach students according to their multiple intelligence and learning styles (Hoerr,

2004). Teachers at our school are having meetings to decide on what kind of professional

development trainings we will have for next year and many teachers are agreeing on having a

make and take day to build engaging activities for the next year. It is exciting to see how more

and more teachers are working together to listen to students needs.

20

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Part 3: Reflective Self-Evaluation

Introduction

I have been hearing more teachers saying ‘I will do what it takes to help my students

learn’ than ‘I taught but my student didn’t learn.’ Teachers who genuinely care for students’

learning always reflect on their teaching practice and stay as an active member of learning

community by contributing to action research on effective teaching practice. The exciting idea of

best teaching keep teachers busy with professional development educating and training us to be

extremely knowledgeable in our field but without being able to explain ‘here is why I do what I

do,’ we are not truly growing professionally or personally. What we do in our classroom should

be aligned with our teaching philosophy, our belief on why I do what I do. Effective teachers are

expected to differentiate instructions, use cooperative and collaborative learning model, and

utilizing authentic assessments in the classroom. Why do we have to work hard to provide fair

opportunities to all learners? We do what we do because it is the right thing to do; because it is

how I would like to be treated as student, how I want my child to be treated in school, and every

parent of our students want in their children’s education, no matter how tricky and challenging

being fair can be.

Christian as Learner: What I learned

I am pleased with having selected Christian as my case study student, even though he

stopped coming to school during this study. He was frequently absent during the first quarter but

I never knew that he would stop coming to school completely. It was an unplanned influence on

his learning that teachers did not have a plan to quickly fill the gap from his absent days. He

dropped three classes and now has a new schedule. He will only be taking two classes each day

and he will stay in Geometry class. I did not learn about Christian's special health issue until I

21

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

started this Case Study. The individual factor kept Christian away from the classroom but

because he was absent so much I had to start thinking of ways to communicate with him and

make learning happen. I was not necessarily giving Christian instruction or teaching him, but I

had to think of ways to facilitate his learning outside the classroom. It made me think of students

who are physically in class but mentally not presents to listen to instruction. Again, I realized

how important it is to have students engaged in their learning.

Sometimes I got upset talking to his guidance counselor who wouldn’t even consider

homebound instruction. I wanted to help Christian even if that meant working extra hours and

putting extra effort. Studying Christian as a learner was challenging but also very rewarding

because it taught me lessons about student learning in difficult situation and about the purpose of

what teacher do. Hardship in teaching students with frequent absences made me think critically

about my passion, ability and limit in helping Christian. I definitely care for Christian's learning

but without a set system or plan I could not continue to write two page emails to Christian for

each class he missed. I looked for new technology that is actually feasible in our school building.

I have not figured out a definite method yet but I also got an insight on how to prepare

my students with the necessary 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving,

decision-making, and communication and collaboration skills in teaching my current curriculum.

I used to think the curriculum I am teaching was lacking in ways of teaching 21st century skills;

where and when will my students actually ever use triangle angle measures in real life. As I was

working with Christian I realized that 21st century skills are the life skills human beings can

acquire through problem solving in life experiences, education, and interaction with others.

Meaningful and authentic assignment will engage students to think critically about solving real

22

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

life problems. For example, I used sugar cookie recipe to have students work on unit conversion

and solving problems involving ratio and proportions.

In regards to other students in the class or about the group as a whole, I learned that to

teach students with varying achievement levels, motivational, social and developmental factors,

teachers must interact with them in any forms possible to make differences in their life. I learned

that even just staying couple minutes after school to have a caring chat with a student can make

differences in their attitude to learning a subject. Even if students think they hate the subject

matter, or have to go through multiple failures in their attempt, I feel responsible to be there for

students to celebrate their achievement when they finally have that moment of success in their

learning.

About Learning: Why it matters

The case study made me think about teaching in standard based and performance based

settings, and teaching to the standardized test, and celebrating small yet noteworthy individual

success moments. I sometimes felt conflicted teaching standard based curriculum when it felt so

outdated to teach 21st century skills. At times I felt what I was teaching is not worthy because my

students were not learning like students in Khan Academy. I thought about lessons I learned

about learning and myself as a learner.

How did I learn and what did I learn growing up? I have never heard of the word critical

thinking, technology or different learning styles until I got to my junior year at undergraduate

education program. I learned successfully in schools because responsible character and work

ethics were always expected of me. I think it is important as a teacher now to have the same high

expectation on my students. Instead of making learning easy for students, I need to challenge

23

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

students constantly even thought that means discomfort, because without getting outside their

comfort zones, students will stop growing.

The first year I tried differentiated instruction went disastrous because I did not know

what a real differentiated classroom look like. After reading Wormeli’s Busting Myths about

Differentiated Instruction, I understood that differentiated instruction isn’t watering down the

curriculum but it is challenging all students by helping them to learn in their best ability. My

honest ideas and feelings about learning is that learning shouldn’t have to be fun and exciting,

but it has to be meaningful in some ways. I believe that learning itself is an enjoyable experience

that teachers don’t need to act like salesman in the classroom to attract students to learn from

them. I wish that people would stop asking teachers to always present learning as pleasurable

events that they can decide to sometimes participate. It will be helpful to provide comfortable

physical learning environment and supports but what is really important in education is to make

a long lasting change in students. Educators must help students to be responsible by holding

students accountable long ago. Two years ago I had a principal who told teachers to make

decisions for their students because high school students are too young to decide what is right for

them in their education. The other day one of my student told me that he was happy with getting

a C in Algebra 1 test. I felt ashamed of always just pushing students to get A’s and B’s to go to

good college and get a better career in the future. Even though he got a C on the summative test,

he accomplished his learning target and showed mastery. Teaching and learning shouldn’t be

about making students’ life miserable by forcefully spoon feeding them with information that

they cannot understand nor feel the need to understand. Teaching and learning must be about

motivating and assisting students in their social, physical, and intellectual development so that

they make meaningful decisions according to their individual differences.

24

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Changes in Teaching: Next steps

The case study process changed the way I teach, think about, and relate to students as

learner. Before I taught without really thinking why I teach. I am teaching the same Virginia

mathematics curriculum as last years but now, I teach all students to have fair opportunity in

their learning. I provide support, listen and care for their individual needs. I still teach so that all

students can pass the standard of learning test in May. I teach so that students who are going to

colleges can pass their mathematics placement tests to take courses they want. I teach so that

obstructive variables from not passing these standardized tests do not prevent my students from

achieving what they want in their life. The case study helped me to consider difficult life

situations students are going through in addition to their education. I now value physical, social,

and emotional development of students as well as intellectual development.

If I had Christian in my class two years ago, I don't think I would relate to Christian as

much as I did this year. I think I learn so much every year and my plan for the next step is to

connect with more students. It was a valuable growth moment for me to be able to relate to

Christian and to interact with more people to make his learning possible. Christian came back to

school the other day and learned new things about similar triangles. Students may be outside the

classroom physically or mentally but they always will come back to learn and grow more.

25

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Part 4: References

Affective: Zhang, T., Solmon, M. A., & Gu, X. (2012). The role of teachers’ support in

predicting students’ motivation and achievement outcomes in physical education. Journal

of Teaching in Physical Education, 31(4), 329-343.

American Psychological Association (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association (6th

Ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Cobb ,C., & Mayer, J. D. (2000). Emotional intelligence. Educational Leadership 58(3), 72-75.

Duckworth, A.L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M.D., & Kelly, D.R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and

passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 1087-1101.

Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind (2nd Ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for

Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Individual: Hoerr, T. (2004). How MI informs teaching at New City School. Teachers College

Record, 106(1), 40-48.

Pappano, L. (2013). ‘Grit’ and the new character education. Harvard Education Letter, 29, 1-3.

Sample, J., Kursman, E. (October, 2013). Piaget: Learning theorist individual project. EDUC

613, George Mason University.

Silver, H, Strong, R., & Perini, M. (2000). So each may learn: Integrating learning styles and

Multiple intelligences. ASCD: Alexandria, VA.

Wormeli, R. (2006). Fair isn't always equal: assessing & grading in the differentiated classroom.

Portland, Me.: Stenhouse Publishers.

Wormeli, R. (2005). Busting Myths about Differentiated Instruction

26

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Appendix A

Student Interview

Interview with Student (Christian)

1. How do you feel? I feel okay today. I have to tell you about my chronic illness.

2. Tell me about your chronic illness. The nurse told me to talk to all my teachers about my

illness because I will miss school often. I have an auto-immune diseases, it means my

body attacks itself. It especially attacks my large intestine so I get belly aches.

3. Can I ask the nurse for more information? Sure

4. How are you doing in class? It is going okay, I understand Geometry. I had Mrs. Harris

last year.

5. You had Daily Algebra? How did that go? Math was the only subject I was okay with

having every day class. Some kids were crazy but I did good.

6. Do you mind If I talk to Mrs. Harris about ways to help your learning this year? I don’t

mind.

7. You missed three classes last month, how do you manage make up work? I have to make

up some tests but my counselor is talking to me about schedule change.

8. Is it okay for me to chat with you after class every A-day so that I can learn more about

you as a learner? That is fine.

9. What language do you speak? Spanish/English. I speak Spanish at home.

10. Does your family speak English? My sister does but she is not home she lives in New

Jersey and my mom and dad speak English.

11. Do you use bilingual dictionary in other classes? I never need to so I don’t use it.

12. Do you feel more comfortable speaking in English or Spanish? I sometimes feel more

comfortable saying things in English.

27

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Appendix B

Student Limited English Proficiency Student Profile

Demographic Information

Name: Christian First Language: Spanish

Grade 11 Language Literacy: yes or no

Age 16 Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Years in U. S. Schools: 8 Years in native country schools: 2

Interrupted education yes or no

Standardized Testing Information

Screening Assessment and Score: W-APT 1.8 (Grade 7) Date: August 23,2011

The following proficiency levels are provided on the ACCESS for ELLs®

Teacher Score Report: Spring 2013 Testing

Tier A B C

Overall Score (Composite) 5.4 Listening 5.2

Literacy Score 4.8 Speaking 6.0

Comprehension Score 4.6 Reading 4.2

Oral Language Score 5.6 Writing 4.2

28

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Appendix C

Teacher Interview

Mrs. Harris: Christian was in my daily class with other ELL students. Christian helped low

achieving students. He has good work ethics and he shouldn’t struggle in his classes, he is smart,

but he missed many days.

Mrs. Counselor: Christian is supposed to come to school. He can’t just not come to school and

we are not going for homebound because it is a long process. He needs to come to school.

Mr. Joe: Christian does make up all the work for me. He is responsible and will do his work but

he rarely shows up for my class.

Mr. Dunning: Christian will not need any accommodations next year. We will be having a child

study meeting to discuss his absences.

29

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Appendix D

Nurse’s Note

**Christian has permanent pass to clinic anytime he needs.

What is ulcerative colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a disease that causes inflammation and sores (ulcers) in the lining of the large intestine. It usually affects the lower section (sigmoid colon) and the rectum. But it can affect the entire colon. In general, the more of the colon that’s affected, the worse the symptoms will be.

The disease can affect people of any age. But most people who have it are diagnosed before the age of 30.

What causes ulcerative colitis?

Experts aren't sure what causes it. They think it might be caused by the immune system overreacting to normal bacteria in the digestive tract. Or other kinds of bacteria and viruses may cause it.

You are more likely to get ulcerative colitis if other people in your family have it.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms are: Belly pain or cramps. Diarrhea. Bleeding from the rectum. Some people also may have a fever, may not feel hungry, and may lose weight. In severe cases, people may have diarrhea 10 to 20 times a day.

The disease can also cause other problems, such as joint pain, eye problems, or liver disease.

In most people, the symptoms come and go. Some people go for months or years without symptoms (remission). Then they will have a flare-up. About 5 to 10 out of 100 people with ulcerative colitis have symptoms all the time.

1

How is ulcerative colitis diagnosed?

Doctors ask about the symptoms, do a physical exam, and do a number of tests. Testing can help the doctor rule out other problems that can cause similar symptoms, such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and diverticulitis.

Tests that may be done include: A colonoscopy. In this test, a doctor uses a thin, lighted tool to look at the inside of your entire colon. At the same time, the doctor may take a sample (biopsy) of the lining of the colon. Blood tests which look for infection or inflammation. Stool sample testing to look for blood, infection, and white blood cells.

How is it treated?

Ulcerative colitis affects everyone differently. Your doctor will help you find treatments that reduce your symptoms and help you avoid new flare-ups. If your symptoms are mild, you may only need to use over-the-counter medicines for diarrhea (such as Imodium). Talk to your doctor before you take these medicines. Many people need prescription medicines, such as aminosalicylates, steroid medicines, or other medicines that reduce the body's immune response. These medicines can stop or reduce symptoms and prevent flare-ups. Some people find that certain foods make their symptoms worse. If this happens to you, it makes sense to not eat those foods. But be sure to eat a healthy, varied diet to keep your weight up and to stay strong. If you have severe symptoms and medicines don't help, you may need surgery to remove your colon. Removing the colon cures ulcerative colitis. It also prevents colon cancer.

How will ulcerative colitis affect your life?

People who have ulcerative colitis for 8 years or longer also have a greater chance of getting colon cancer. The longer you have had ulcerative colitis, the greater your risk.

2 Talk to your doctor about your need for cancer screening.

These tests help find cancer early, when it is easier to treat.3 Ulcerative colitis can be hard to live with. During a flare-

up, it may seem like you are always running to the bathroom. This can be embarrassing. And it can take a toll on how you feel about yourself. Not knowing when the disease will strike next can be stressful. If you are having a hard time, seek support from family, friends, or a counselor. Or look for a support group. It can be a big help to talk to others who are coping with this disease.

30

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Appendix E

School Demographics Information

31

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Appendix F

Student Grit Survey (Partial)

32

INTEGRATIVE CASE STUDY

Appendix G

Multiple Intelligence and Learning Styles Survey

Your top three intelligences:

4.43 Self: You have a very good sense of self. You like to spend time by yourself and think things over. You will often take in information from another person, mull it over by yourself, and come back to that person later to discuss it. You like working on projects on your own. You often prefer to learn by trial and error. Effective techniques to enhance your learning include keeping a journal and giving yourself time to reflect on new ideas and information.

3.71 Logic/math:You enjoy exploring how things are related, and you like to understand how things work. You like mathematical concepts, puzzles and manipulative games. You are good at critical thinking.

3.71 Body Movement: You like to move, dance, wiggle, walk, and swim. You are likely good at sports, and you have good fine motor skills. You may enjoy taking things apart and putting them back together. Incorporating body movement into your learning will help you process and retain information better.

The scores for your other five intelligences:

3.71 3.57 3.29 2.86 2.57

Just because these five are not in your top three doesn’t mean you’re not strong in them. If your average score for any intelligence is above three, you’re probably using that intelligence quite often to help you learn. Take a look at the Practice section to see how to engage all your intelligences.