Research Findings Chapter 1

7/28/2019 Research Findings Chapter 1

1/13

Chapter1BeginningtoListenWhenthesemesterstarted,Iwasreadytobegincollectingdataformyactionresearch.Atthetime,

however,Icouldnotforeseewheremyfindingswouldlead,orhowmyconceptofstudentvoicewould

evolve.Iaminclinedtoapproachresearchinascientificmanner,preferringtohavethingswell

organized,with

prepared

conditions

that

serve

to

validate

anticipated

outcomes.

However,

due

to

the

unpredictablenatureofaclassroom,Iknewthatmyactionresearchwouldnotworkinthatfashion.

Classroomscangetmessy,andIvelearnedthatoutcomescanbeanythingbutanticipated.Ialsoknew

thatifInarrowedmyfocusonexpectations,Imightmissawealthofinsightsfromotherclass

happeningswhilewaitingformyexpectationstomaterialize.Idecideditwouldbemoreappropriateto

embracetheunpredictablenatureoftheclassroom,andtakeamoreopenmindedapproach,whereI

collectdataandanalyzeittohelpmeinterpretwhatishappening.Atfirst,whichIwillexpandonbelow,

Iwaslost,feelingincapableofextrapolatinginsightsordeterminingmynextsteps.Inretrospect,

however,Icanidentifysomepowerfulthemesthatemergedfromthebeginning.

Intheseearlystagesofmyresearch,Iassumedthatincorporatingstudentvoicesimplyentailedgetting

feedbackfromstudentsthatIcouldusetodesignnewstructuresorreaffirmthechoicesIhadalready

made.Thetwoimportantaspectstothisapproach,thatlaterevolved,dealtwithtrustandchoice.For

somereason,whichIdonotentirelyunderstand,Ididnotbelievethatstudentswouldgivemehonest

feedbackifIinvitedthemtodirectlyworkwithmetohelpbuildstructure.ThiswasjustsomethingthatI

assumed,anddidnotpayanymindto.Asaresult,myconceptofbringingstudentvoiceintothedesign

ofclassroomstructurewashavingthestudentsreflectontheirworkandexperiences,whichIwould

lateranalyzeinanattempttoinformmynextsteps.Atthispoint,studentswereunawareoftheir

involvement,andIwasultimatelymakingthechoicesastohowtomoveforward.ThefirstscienceactivityInthefirstweekofschool,Iwasanxioustobeginmyactionresearch,andhadthestudentsperforma

laboratoryexercisethatIhopedwouldcontributetothetwolearninggoalsIhadformyscienceclass.

Wespentabitoftimediscussingthestatesofmatter,andthebehaviorofparticlesineachona

molecularlevel.Afterwards,Idocumentedthekeyconceptsintroducedinourdiscussiononthefront

boardintheclassforthestudentstousereferenceastheyproceededtoperformthelaboratory

exercise,hopingthattheywouldbeabletomakeconnectionstotheconceptsandtheirexperience.

Fig.1pictureoffrontboardduringlabactivity


2/13

Theexerciseitselfwasdesignedtoprovidestudentswiththeflexibilitytoexploreandexperiment.I

encouragedthemtodocumenttheirfindingsastheyworked,andmyhopewasthattheywouldmake

connectionstotheconceptsthatwecovered.Ididnotwanttoleadthemtotheirconclusions,asifthis

exercisewasonlyusefultovalidatewhatwehadalreadystatedinourdiscussion,butinsteadprovide

them

with

open

ended

prompts

where

they

could

give

their

interpretation

of

what

was

occurring.

It

was

guidedwork,butlessguidedthanacookiecutter,ortypicalprescriptedlab.IwassatisfiedthatIhad

designedinfreedomtoexplore,butalsocreatedstructurestohelpstudentsachievethelearninggoals.

BelowarethetwopagestothelaboratoryexercisethatIgavetothestudents,andtheyworkedin

groupsof34.

Properties and Phases of Matter Part I Properties and Phases of Matter Part II

Learning goals: Experiment Design Exercise

1. Develop a deeper understanding of matter and how itcan be described.

Analysis of Solids and Gases Using Dry Ice

As previously discussed, there is no space between molecules in a solid

or a liquid. Relatively, there is much more space between molecules in

a gas. But, how great is the distance between those molecules? Belowis are two example experiments designed to test this relationship using

a substance called dry ice, or carbon dioxide in its solid state.

2. Gain experience in using the processes of scientificinvestigation.

Preparation of Oobleck: Mix water and cornstarch to an approximate

ratio of 1:1.75

At room temperature, dry ice undergoes a process ofsublimation,where a substance converts directly from a solid state to a gaseous

state. Therefore, if we compare the volumes of a sample of dry ice and

its solid and gaseous state, it will provide us insight to the magnitude of

space between molecules in solids and gases.

Oobleck

So what is Oobleck? Consider yourselves the first people to find the

substance known as Oobleck and your task is to describe it to the

world. Use your scientific skills to critically analyze the material.Assign descriptive properties to your sample of Oobleck and then

observe and record its behavior under different conditions. Simple Test

Take a small piece of dry ice and place it into the beaker of water. What

do you observe? Comment on the amount of gaseous carbon dioxide in

relation to the amount of solid carbon dioxide.

Initial Observations

Describe the substance as best you can. Include intensive andextensiveproperties.

Advanced TestingQuestion - Is it a solid or a liquid?

Lets roughly attempt to quantify the amount of volume difference

between solid and gaseous carbon dioxide.What properties does it possess that would have you think that it is aliquid?

Steps:

What properties does it possess that would have you think that it is a

solid? Measure a small piece of carbon dioxide and record the

volume (~1cm radius).

(volume of a sphere= 4/3 r3)Investigation

Put the piece of dry ice into a balloon and tie off the end.After you are convinced that the piece has completely

sublimed, determine roughly the volume of the balloon

using the same equation above.

Prepare tests to determine under which conditions it acts as a solid or aliquid. For each test, list the actions taken, and the results.

Analysis/Conclusion

What is the simple ratio between solid and gaseous carbon dioxide?Up to date there have been many theories as to how Oobleck works.

Based on your observations and knowledge of the phases of matter,propose an explanation to the mechanics behind its behavior. As a

challenge, try to include insights of what is happening at a molecular

level.Conclusion: How might this ratio help us understand more about thedistance between molecules in a gas? What forces may have been at

work that could have affected the numbers we got for our simple ratio?

Fig.2pagesfromlabhandout


3/13

Asstudentsperformedtheexperiment,IwantedtobeaslittleinvolvedaspossiblesoIcouldobserve

themproceedontheirown.Usingthisformat,IfiguredthatIifIcoulddeterminethesuccesslevelof

theclass,thenIcouldusethatasameasuretoevaluatetheeffectivenessofstructuringlabexercisesin

thismanner.Iwrotemyobservationsasthestudentsprogressedthroughtheactivity,onlystoppingto

facilitatethe

transition

from

Part

Ito

Part

II.

Icouldclearlyseethatsomethingswereworking.Studentswereengaged,andenjoyingtheirtime

playingwiththesubstances.Throughouttheentireactivity,Ididnotfindanyunengagedstudents.When

theyfinishedinteractingwiththematerialsinonemanner,theywouldfindallkindsofotherwaysof

manipulatingthem,manyofwhichIwouldhaveneverconsideredifIweretodictatewhattheyshould

do.

WhentheymadeOobleck,acombinationofcornstarchandwaterthatformsanonNewtonianfluid

havingquicksandlikeconsistency,therewereavarietyofreactions.Somestudentsstartedtointeract

withit,whileotherswerereluctant.However,assoonasonegrouphadpoureditoutonthetableand

begantoplaywithit,allothergroupsfollowedsuit.Beforelong,everystudentintheclassseemedto

havesomeintheirhandsandwasmanipulatingitinsomefashion.IdidntwanttomoveontoPartII,but

wewererunningoutoftime,andtherewasamesstoclean.

InotedinmyobservationsaboutthesocialeffectinthelaboratorysettingthatIjustwitnessed.The

experimentationseemedtobeinfluencedbyothers.Studentswouldtakeanideafromanothertable

andtryitforthemselves,oftenbuildingonit.ThistendencyoccurredagainduringPartII.Onegroupof

studentsgrabbedanemptyaquarium,filleditwithwater,andputinsomedryice.Soonacloudlayer

formed,andothergroupsofstudentscameforwardtoseewhatwashappening.Oneindividualgrabbed

acanisterofbubblesoapandblewsomebubblesintothecloudlayer.Asthebubblesreemergedfrom

thecloud

and

floated

on

top,

there

was

acollective

Whoooaaa!

from

the

group.

Itook

the

opportunity

toaskthemwhatmightbecausingthat,andtheysoonagreedthatcarbondioxidegasisheavierthan

air.AnothergroupgrabbedanErlenmeyerflask,filleditwithabitofwateranddroppedinapieceofdry

ice.Theythenblewsomebubblesovertheflask,andwhenabubblecollidedwiththetop,itstuck,

coveringtheopening.Becausedryicecontinuedturningtogasintheflask,anadditionalcloudybubble

grewinsidetheoriginalbubblethathadstuckontop.Again,Iheardalong,drawnoutWhoooaaa!and

Thatssocool!Anothergrouprepeatedthis,andasthecloudybubbleontheinsideformed,they

decidedtoshootitwithalaserpointer.Ihavenoideawhytheychosetodothis,butitmadethewhole

insidebubbleglowbrightred,andIfoundmyselfsayingWhoooaaa!.Theexperimentationinthe

classroombecamecontagious,withstudentsfeedingoffofeachother,andmyselfidentifyinglearning

opportunitiestoo

fast

to

address.

It

seemed

wrong

to

stop

and

clean

up.

Afterwards,Ilookedbackontheactivityandtriedtodeterminehowmyobservationsrelatedtomy

actionresearch.IwonderedifIcouldevaluatethestructurethatIusedforperformingexperiments,and

searchedmyobservationsforelementsthatcontributedtothesuccess.Itseemedliketheflexibilityin

experimentationcontributedhighlytotheengagementlevel,butcouldIattributetheirengagement


4/13

solelytotheflexibility?HowwouldthingscompareifIweretodictatetheirexperimentation,orcreate

rigidlearninggoals?

Iwonderedabouttheflexibilityforsometime,andanotherthingoccurredtome.Iwasstruckbythe

amountoflearningopportunitiesthatmaterializedthroughthedecisionsstudentsmadetointeractwith

thematerials.

Ifound

myself

watching,

and

wishing

Ihad

come

up

with

many

of

their

ideas.

Ieven

felt

compelledtojoininandstartexperimentingmyself.Therewassomethingpowerfultothis,yetIhad

difficultydefiningwhatthatwas.Ibecameconvincedthatflexibility,initself,wasausefulelementto

structureintolabexperimentationmovingforward,bothforthestudentsandme,andIhopedthatI

wouldeventuallyknowwhy.

Wheremyobservationslackedwasthattheywerentverytellingwhenitcomestotheoverallsuccessof

eachindividualinreachingthelearninggoalsoutlinedonthehandout.IdecidedthatIrequiredanother

structuretohelpmeassessthis,soIcreatedablogandrequestedforstudentstodocumenttheir

findingsasaresponsetopromptsIlisted(shownbelow).Ifeltthiscouldhelpmebetterviewindividual

learning,whichwasdifficulttoascertainfrommyobservationsoftheirgroupwork.

ForPartI:

1.Doyoubelieve"Oobleck"isasolidoraliquid?

Useyourobservations.

Whatinformationdidyougatherfromyourexperiencewithitthatledto

yourdecision?

2.ProposeanexplanationtothemechanicsbehindOobleck'sbehavior.Trytouseinsightfrom

yourunderstandingofmoleculesinsolidsandliquids.

ForPartII:

1.Whatdidyounoticewhenyouplacedapieceofdryiceintowater?

2.Whatsimpleratiodidyoufind?

3.Whatdoesthatsimpleratiotellyouaboutthedifferenceindistancesbetweenmoleculesin

solidsandgases?

YouonlyneedtosupplyaparagraphortwoforeachParttoaddressthesequestions.Itdoesnot

havetobeahugereport justtrytomakeitclearandconcise.

Fig.3blogreflectionprompts

Thestudentshadtheweekendtorespondtotheblog,andIhopeditwasausefultoolincollectingdata,

orprovidingaforumforstudentstosharetheirwork.Ilikedthatstudentscouldbenefitfromseeing

eachothersworksothattheycouldgainabroaderperspectiveonwhatwehaddone.Irecallfeeling

anxiouswhenIopenedituptocheckonMondaymorning,andwhenIlooked,therewere39responses.

Ithoughtthatwasprettygood,butIalsowonderedabouttheother11studentswhodidnotpost.


5/13

AsIproceededthroughmymorningroutine,Ifoundthemissingwork.7studentsemailedmeabout

havingtroublewithpostingtotheblog.4ofwhichcitedtechnicaldifficultiesand3werefeeling

reluctanttosharetheirworkinapublicsetting.Theremaining4studentswereabsentduetoillness.

TheirconcernshelpedmerealizethatIshouldofferalternativemethodsofturninginwork,andwhenI

suggestedalternativeoptionsinclass,suchasturninginhandwrittenwork,thestudentsresponded

positivelyto

it.

By

that

evening,

Ihad

responses

from

every

student,

minus

the

4students

who

were

ill.

Theblogseemedtobeuseful.

NowthatIhadmyresponses,itwastimetoanalyzethelearning,andreflectonthelabstructurethatI

used.Thechartbelowdetailstheresponsesthatthestudentsprovided.

Althoughtheresponsesvaried

greatlyintermsofgrammatical

correctness,thestudentsdidwellin

addressingthecontentassociated

withthelearninggoals.Icantsayit

wasveryexcitingevaluatingtheir

work,though.Theirresponseswere

verysimilar,andbecamefairly

repetitiveaftersometime,asifI

wasteachingandgradingtheirlevel

ofmentaluniformity.IfeltlikeI

shouldhavebeenhappyaboutthework,butIwasnt.Itisnotbecausetheydidntaddresstheprompts.

Theydidthatquitewell,witheverythingIexpectedmostlybeingthere.Whattroubledmewaswhat

wasntthere.TheydidnotincludeanyofthegreatthingsIobserved.NomentionoftheOobleckallover

the

tables,

or

the

floating

bubbles,

or

the

laser

bubbles

as

if

these

events

had

never

happened.

Fig.4distributionofstudentscores

scoreof10

28%

scoreof9

42%

scoreof8

16%

scoreof7

14%

Inretrospect,thequestionsIposedwerenotveryreflective,andmoreevaluativeinnature.Therewas

somuchlearningthatoccurredoutsidethescopeoftheseprompts,andIhadmystudentstakeno

accountofit.InsteadtheyjustrepliedtothepromptsasIrequested,whichineffectwasmedictating

andframingwhattheyshouldhavelearned.Thiscausedeverystudentexperience,otherthanonesthat

contributedtoresponses,tobecomeinsignificant.Ihadguidedthemawayfromauthenticlearning.I

didntwantthistohappenagain,andIwasdeterminedtothinkofwaystoacknowledgeallofthe

learningthatoccursintheclassmovingforward,ultimatelydecidingthatinfuturelabexercisesIwould

havethemjournalandshareouttheirexperiences.

Theremay

be

aquestion

about

what

Iwant

students

to

learn

from

something

like

lazer

bubbles,

but

I

seetheseeventsasuniqueopportunitiestoconnectstudentlearningwithanauthenticexperience.The

teacherstudentrelationshipwhensomethingisplannedisdifferentfromwhensomethingmaterializes

duringaclassactivity. Intheformer,theteacheristhekeeperoftheknowledgewhichneedstobe

passedontothestudent. Forthelatter,theteacherandthestudentarelearningsimultaneously,witha

jointownershipoftheknowledgethatiscreated.


6/13

HeadingintoMath

Ihadtoweighthedecisiontoconductmyresearchfortwosubjectsverycarefully.Iknewthatdividing

myattentionintotwodisciplinesposedauniquechallenge,yetcouldpotentiallybenefitmywork

greatly.Thechallengewasclear.Icouldeasilystretchmyselftoothintakingthisapproach,spendinga

greatdeal

of

time

gathering

data

that

may

not

develop

into

coherent

connections

or

lead

anywhere.

Eventually,Iwouldhavetofocusononesubjectwhilediscardingalltheworkfromtheother,settingme

backquiteaways.

Thepotentialbenefits,ontheotherhand,mademedecidethatitwasaworthwhileendeavor.Oneof

thehopesIhaveformyresearchisthatmyworkandexperienceswillbevaluableforotherteachers,

andinordertoreachthelargestaudienceofeducators,IknewthatIwouldhavetofindthemesand

implicationsthatwouldapplyacrossdisciplines.BecauseIbeganbyusingmyChemistryclassasthe

contextformyresearch,Iwasconcernedthattheimplicationsofmyfindingswouldapplysolelyto

scienceeducation.IfIcouldexpandmyresearchintootherfieldsofinstruction,Imightgainmore

powerfulinsights.

Fortunately,IteachbothChemistryandMathtothesamegroupofstudents,soIcouldcapitalizeonthis

opportunitytoinvestigatetheuseofstudentvoiceineachclass.Asanaddedincentivetotakethis

approach,IknewthatasmyresearchprogressedIcouldimplementfindingsfromonesubjectinanother

toassessinterdisciplinarysignificance.Thiswould,atleast,allowmetotriangulatethatdataIcollectin

eachclasstovalidateanyemergingfindingsorthemes,orassistingeneralizinganyspecificsignificant

momentsforbroaderapplication.

ExtendingmyResearchtoMathclass

The

goals

I

had

for

my

Math

students

were

for

students

to

gain

fundamental

skills,

develop

complex

problemsolvingability,andlearnhowtobestprepareforformalsummativeassessments.Tofacilitate

thelearningtowardsthesegoals,Idecidedtoscaffoldthework.Tobegin,thestudentswouldlearnbasic

skills.Theywouldthenproceedontocombiningthebasicskillstheygaintodevelopsolutionstomore

complexproblems.Lastly,thestudentswouldhaveasummativeassessmentintheformofaquizwhere

theycouldindividuallydemonstratewhattheyhavelearned.

Iintendedtofollowthisroutinethroughouttheyear,intwoweeksectionsoutlinedbelow.Inchoosing

thisschedule,Iexpectedthatstudentswouldbecomefamiliarwiththesystemthatwewereusingand

begintofocusontheirownapproachtolearning.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week1 Chemistry

Math Introducenew

concept(s)with

worksheet

Chemistry

Math complex

problemsolvingwith

newconcept(s)

Flex(Mathor

Chemistryfocusas

needed)

Week2 Chemistry

Math Introducenew

concept(s)with

worksheet

Chemistry Math quizreview Mathquiz

Fig.5structureforbiweeklyschedule


7/13

SimilartoChemistry,Ididnothavemuchtogoonwiththeinitialstructuringofclasswork,anddesigned

theactivitiesstrictlybasedoffofmyowndiscretionastowhatIfeltwouldbeeffective.Inaddition,my

conceptofstudentvoicehadevolvedlittlesofar,andIremainedcommittedusingstudentreflectionson

theirworktoinformmynextsteps.Ididwanttochangemyapproachtogainingfeedback,however.

Sincemyinitialresearch,Irealizedthatsuccesscancarrymanydefinitions,dependingonthe

perspectiveof

the

person

who

is

judging

the

criteria

that

contributes

to

success.

As

the

teacher,

Ijudged

successastheleveltowhichstudentsachievedthelearninggoalsoutlinedinthehandoutduringthelab

activity.Thestudents,ontheotherhand,mayhavejudgedtheirsuccessdifferently,attributingitto

manyoftheotherexperiencestheyhadduringtheexperimentation.HadIonlyaskedthem,Imayhave

gainedgreaterinsightintotheirperspectivesofsuccess,andalsowouldhavepreventedmakingtheir

overallexperienceseemlesssignificant.Iwasintentonfindingwaystohavethestudentssharemore

authentically,anddecidedthatfollowingthequizIwouldgiveasurveydesignedtogathermore

introspectivefeedback,andthencomparethattotheirquizperformance.

AnotherelementofstructurethatIwantedtocontinuewastoincludeflexibilityinstudentwork,

allowingthem

to

determine

what

is

necessary

to

contribute

to

their

individual

success.

It

proved

valuableearlier,andIwascuriousaboutanyaspectsofstructuringflexibilitythatmightbeconsistenton

aninterdisciplinarylevel.Ichosetoincludeacertainleveloflessguided,independentworktimeineach

Mathday,andwouldmakeobservationstohelpgivemeasenseforthevalueofdoingso.

Tuesday

OnTuesdays,whennewfundamentalconceptsareintroduced,Iplannedtobegintheclasswitha

discussionaboutthematerial,lastingroughlyhalftheblockperiod.Iwouldthengivestudentsasheet

containingimportantdefinitions,examplesandpracticeproblemstoworkonfortheremainingtimein

tablegroupsof45students,wheretheycouldchoosetoproceedinamannerthatbestsuitedthem.

WhenTuesdaycame,Iwaspreparedtomakeobservationsaswebeganourdiscussion.Frommy

perspectiveitallseemedtogowell.SomestudentstooknotesasItalked,whileothersdidnot.Some

askedclarifyingquestions,andforthemostpart,everyoneappearedtobelistening.Iwasalmost

convincedthattheyallunderstoodthelesson,untilIgavethemthesheettoworkon.Thedynamic

changedquitedrastically,andInoticedthatmypreviousobservationswerenotaccurate.Iwas

convincedduringthediscussionthatthestudentsweregraspingtheconcepts,yetitwasclearthatsome

werestrugglingasIroamedthroughouttheroomandstoppedbytablegroupstogetacloserviewof

theirwork.

My

experience

with

one

student

who

was

struggling

struck

me

fairly

hard,

mainly

because

I

didnt

know

whattomakeofit.AsIapproachedhertable,sheshiedtowardstheoppositecornerandmade

adjustmentswithherbodytoshieldherwork.BeforeIcameover,Inoticedthatshewasworkingwell

withherpeers,interactingwiththemfrequently.Itwaseasytoseethatshewasexperiencingdifficulty

tacklingthepracticeproblems,yetwhenIaskedherifsheneededanysupportorassistance,shetoldme

thatshedidntandeverythingwasfine.Buttomeitwasntfine.Shewasstruggling.Whywouldntshe

wantmyhelp?


8/13

Thenitoccurredtomethatitwasntthematerialthatmatteredasmuchasitwasme.Shewasworking

withherpeers,andIcouldhearhertalkingabouttheproblemsasImovedtoothertables.Therewas

somethingaboutmeapproachingherthatcausedhertoshutdown.Ineverdidfindoutwhatitwas,but

theexperiencehadadditionalsignificanceinmyresearch.Inanattempttoaddressthisencounter,I

resolvedthatitwouldbenecessarytostructuremutliplewaysstudentscouldcommunicatechallenges

ordifficulties,

and

work

to

build

an

ethic

of

support

in

my

class

by

responding

to

the

issues

that

would

arise.Thismomentinitiatedthefirststepsinmovingtowardsanewconceptofstudentvoice,onethat

involvesdirectfeedbackfromstudents.

AnothersignificantrealizationemergedfrommeacknowledgingthatIwasincorrectinpresumingthat

allstudentsweregraspingtheconceptsduringthelecture.Theflexibilityinthisactivitywasvaluablefor

areasonotherthanallowingforstudentstoexplorelearningopportunitiesthatIcouldnotconceive.In

thisinstance,itcausedmetoreflectmoreonmyselfasaneducator.Iwasconfidentthatthediscussion

waseffectiveandstudentshadgraspedtheconcepts,butIcouldseefromthesecondpartoftheday

thatmyperceptionswerefairlymisplaced.ThisbecameespeciallyevidentwhenIconsideredthegirl

whorefused

my

help.

If

she

wouldnt

request

help

when

Iapproached

her

in

apersonalized

manner,

thenitisfairtoassumethatshewouldbeevenlessforthcominginfrontoftheentireclassduringa

discussion.Ihadtakenthesilencetowardtheendofthediscussionasanindicationthatthestudents

werereadytomoveon.

IwonderedabouthowoftenmyjudgmenthasbeenoffandIwasunawareofit.Myconfidencewas

shaken.Iwasinclinedtoprotectmyegoatfirst,notwantingtorecognizeanyshortcomings,butI

eventuallyacceptedthatassessingtheclassbasedoffofmysoleperspectiveconstrainedmyviewof

reality.IknewthatIwouldneedabroaderperspectiveonthelearningthatwasoccurringallthemore

reasontoelicitdirectfeedbackfromstudents.

Thursday

ThetopicfortheweekwasthePythagoreanTheorem.Forthebeginningpartoftheclass,wereviewed

thepracticeproblemsfromtheworksheethandedoutonTuesday.Afterwardswemovedontoour

activityaimedatdevelopingcomplexproblemsolvingskills.Intentonprovidingmoreselfguidedwork

time,Idesignedworkstationsforstudentstorotatethroughat10min.intervalsingroupsof45.Ichose

10minutesbecauseIwantedstudentstohavetimeateverystationandalsotopresentnewscenarios,

hopingthatitcontributetoengagementbykeepingtheworkfresh.Eachstationcontainedablank2x2

whiteboardforthegrouptoworkontogetherastheydevelopedsolutions.Myguidingprinciplewasto

preparequestionswouldbemoreopen,andencouragedivergentthinkingtowardstheconstructionof

multiplesolutions,

as

opposed

to

direct

application

problems

students

encountered

on

Tuesday

that

typicallyhavefewersolutionroutes.Again,Imadeobservations,onlystoppingtofacilitatetherotation

ofgroupstothenextstation.Iwasparticularlyinterestedinidentifyingbehaviorsassociatedwith

collaboration,peersupport,andlevelsofparticipationamongstindividualswithintheirrespective

groups.


9/13

Afterthefirstrotation,Iimmediatelysawanerrorinthedesignoftheactivity.Twogroupswerenot

readytomoveon,namingmembersthatrequiredabitmoretimetogooverthesolutionthatthegroup

devised.Ihadtomakeachoice,andneitheronewasideal.Icouldeitherhavethemholdtheirquestions

andmoveon,orIcouldgivemoretimetotheentireclass.Ivaluedthecollaborationandpeersupport

thatwasdemonstratedfromstudentstryingtohelpeachother,anddecidedthattherewouldbean

additional2min.

before

rotating.

As

soon

as

the

announcement

was

made,

another

group

groaned

in

disagreement,andIoverheardonestudentsay,Imgettingbored.Thisistooslow.Theirentiretable

wasfinishedandreadytomoveon.Havingthemwaithadanegativeimpactontheirexperience.

LaterintheactivityInoticedthatthegirlIwroteaboutfromTuesdaywasdisengagedfromhergroup.

OnTuesdaysheworkedwellwithhergroup,soIwascuriousastowhysheseemedtoremoveherself

fromtheactivity.Idecidedtoapproachher,andthistimemoredelicately,attemptingtoappearless

intimidatingandempathetic.IstartedthediscussionbysayingYouknow,sometimesteachersplan

thingshopingthattheywillwork,butthisdoesntseemtobegoinggoodforeveryone.Whatdoyou

thinkcouldmakethisworkbetter?Shesaidthatshecouldntspeakforothers,butemphasizedhow

sheneeded

more

time

to

go

over

the

earlier,

fundamental

material.

Trying

to

tackle

more

complex

problemsatthispointwastoodifficult.

IrealizedthattherehadtobesomethingmoretotheflexibilityIdesignintoactivitiesasidefrom

providingstudentstimetoexplorenewstudyandworkhabits.Theyhadthatfreedomwiththetable

stations,buttheydidnthaveachoiceabouttheproblemstheyweredoingorthepacingofthework.To

betrulyindependent,theyneededmorechoice.IcouldntseehowImightadaptthetablestation

activitytoaccommodatethevaryingneedsofallstudents,andfeltthatImighthavetodiscardit

altogetherandthinkofanotherwaytofacilitatethebuildingofcomplexproblemsolvingskills.

ApproachingtheQuiz

Iwentonwiththeremainingscheduleleadinguptothequiz.ThefollowingTuesdayweintroduceda

newtopic,andstudentsreceivedasheettoworkonindependentlyoringroupsfortheremainderofthe

blockasIroamedandprovidedsupportasneeded.OntheThursday,wereviewedthematerialfrom

Tuesday,andthenproceededontoourreview.Ihadpreviouslyplannedtohaveaonesizefitsall

reviewsessionwherewewouldwalkthroughproblemsasaclass,butwhenIconsideredmyexperience

usingthetablestations,Irevisedmyapproachtoaccommodatemorestudentpreference.Ioffered

manyoptionsforreviewandallowstudentstochoosetoworkwheretheyfeltnecessary.Onesectionof

myclasswasdevotedtothefirstweeksmaterial,andanothersectionoftheclasstothesecond.I

plannedonperformingthereviewasIhadplanned,butforstudentswhochosetogatheraroundmy

desk.

Theopenreviewstructureseemedtoworkwell.Studentsroamedtodifferentareasoftheclass

throughouttheday,seekinghelpfrompeersormyself.Therewasagroupoffourstrongstudentsthat

usuallyworktogether,yetInoticedthattheywerenttogetherduringthereview.Instead,theywere

workinginvariouspartsoftheroomhelpingothers.Ididnotaskthemtodothis.Otherstudentsknew


10/13

thattheyunderstoodthematerialandwereactivelyseekingtheirhelp.Thiswasencouraging,andIfeel

theopenformatmighthavecontributedtothesupportiveenvironment.

Thefollowingdaywastimeforstudentstotakethequizcoveringthematerialthatwasintroducedover

theprevioustwoweeks.SinceIhadscaffoldedtheworktoculminatewithanassessmentoftheir

knowledge,Idetermined

that

the

quiz

would

make

afitting

measure

of

the

effectiveness

of

the

structuresthatIhadinplace.

OnceIhadcollectedallofthequizzes,Itooktheopportunitytocollectsomedata,andhadthestudents

takeaquicksurvey(shownbelow).IwasbeginningtoseethatwhenIdirectlyapproachedstudents,I

wouldgetveryusefulfeedback,butIwasstillnotcommittedtomakingthattransition,andwantedto

continueusingamoreindirectapproach.Asbefore,Icannotrationalizethiscommitment,butIfeelthat

itderivedfrommyreluctancetoshiftthebalanceofpowerintheclassroom.WhereIdidmakeashift

wasthatthequestionsIaskedweremoreintrospective.IfiguredthatifIcouldgetfeedbackfrom

studentsabouthowtheyfeltgoingintothequiz,thenIcouldcompareittotheiractualperformance,

hopingtoseemoreclearlytheconnectionsbetweentheirperspectivesandtheiractualdevelopment.

Thisstrategyusesthequizasthemeasureoftheirdevelopment,soIwasalsostillchoosingthecriteria

forsuccess.

Fig.6surveyforquizfeedback


11/13

OvertheweekendIgradedthequizzesandcompiledalloftheinformationfromthesurveys.I

rememberedthinkingthatnowIhadsomesoliddata,feelingencouragedthatthereweresomeconcrete

numberstoworkwith.Imadegraphs,anticipatingthatthemeswouldjumpoffthepageatmeonceI

couldcomparethedatavisually.

Ithought

Iwas

clever

and

tried

to

compile

all

of

the

data

in

one

representation,

which

only

served

to

makeafancymess(shownbelow).Eachsetoflinesrepresentsoneindividual.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Percentage(%)

MorningClass AfternoonClass

SurveyDataCompilation

Linesformorningclassavg.(57),afternoonclassavg.(68),andtotalteamavg.

(blue) studentscore (orange)selfpredictedscore

(red) studentpreparation (green) confidencelevel

averages

Fig.7graph

for

compilation

of

survey

data

Thisrepresentationofthedatadidnttellmemuch.Theonlythingthatreallystoodoutwasthatthe

afternoonclasshadscoredsignificantlyhigherthanthemorningclass(68%and57%respectively).So

whatdoesthismean?Arethestudentsinmyafternoonclassstrongerinmaththanthemorningclass?

Dostudentsingenerallearnmathbetterintheafternoon?Wasitme?WasIamoreeffectiveteacherin

theafternoonthaninthemorning?Howdoesanyofthisrelatetomyactionresearch?

Itwasatotalmess,andIwasntgettingmuchfromstaringatthegraph.Iwasntreadytogiveuponit,

though,andfeltthatIjustneededtocomparethedatainamoresimplisticway.Thepurposeofthis,

again,was

to

gain

insight

into

any

discrepancies

between

student

perspectives

and

my

own.

Ithought

thatitmightbehelpfultomakeadditionalgraphswhereIwouldpullouttwocategoriesofdata. Hoping

thatconnectionswouldbecomeclearerbetweentheirperformanceandotherlistedfactors,Iprepared

graphsfortheiractualscoresvs.studentselfpredictedscores,theiractualsoresvs.theirlevelof

preparation,theiractualscoresvs.confidentlevels,andtheirconfidencevs.theirlevelofpreparation.

BelowisoneexampleofthegraphsthatImade. Ichosenottoincludeallofthesegraphsinthissection


12/13

becausetheyledmetothesameconclusion,whichIwilldescribeingreaterdetailfollowingthegraph

below.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Percentage(%)

MorningClass AfternoonClass

StudentScore

vs.

Self

Predicted

Score

Linefortotalclassavg.(62.5%)

(blue) studentscore

(orange) studentselfpredictedscore

averages

Fig.8samplegraphfromsubsequentcomparisons

Thedataitself,whencompared,seemedtobeinconclusiveinrepresentingsignificantconnections

betweenthefactorsthatIwascomparing.Thisledmetoreconsidermydatacollectionmethods,and

theconclusion

Icame

to

was

that

my

data

may

have

been

unrepresentative

of

actual

student

experiences.WhenIrevisitedhowIcollectedthisdata,Ibecameunsureifthestudentshadinterpreted

thepromptsfromthesurveyasIexpected.Inlookatthetwoquestions,Howconfidentwereyou

beforetakingthisquiz?andHowdidyoufeelaboutyourpreparationbeforetakingthequiz?,I

wonderediftheseappearedasthesamequestiontothestudents.Ihadmyowninterprationtothe

differences: Didtheyusetheirtimeeffectivelywhenpreparing?Didtheyhaveenoughsupportand

resourcestoprepareeffectively?Didtheyfeeltheygraspedtheconceptswell?Didthestudentseven

considerthesepoints?Therewasnowaytoknow.

Soafterallofthisworkcollectingdataandanalyzingit,theonlyrealizationIcametowasthat

individually,students

may

not

accurately

interpret

the

reflective

questions

Iposed.

Iwondered

ifthe

studentswouldhaveabetterunderstandingifIaddressedtheclassasawholeandclarifiedany

questionsthatthestudentsmighthave.Thisrealization,however,provedvitallyimportantasI

progressedinmyresearch,becauseithelpedmovemetodecidetoelicitfeedbackfromstudentsmore

directlyabouttheirexperiences,andalsoledmetoconsiderwaystoelicitmorequalitativedata.

Atthispoint,Iwasntfeelingsogoodaboutmyresearch,andseemedtobeinaconstantstateof

frustration.Asjustmentioned,Igatheredalotofdataaboutstudentexperiencesintakingthequiz,but


13/13

didnotfeelthatIgainedmuchinsightintotheirlearning,orhowtheotherstructuresinmyclasshad

contributedtotheirpreparation.Icouldstareatthegraphsalldayandcomeupwithanincredible

amountofthoughtsastowhattheyinfer,buteachinferenceImadewouldonlyleavemequestioning

whetherornotImadeanaccurateanalysis,orevenaskedtherightquestions,requiringfurtherdata

collectiontovalidate.Thiscouldgoonandon,withnoend!IrealizedIhadtofindawaytoobtaindata

thatwas

more

consistent

with

my

goals

and

directed

towards

the

effectiveness

of

the

structures

in

the

classroom.

Itallseemedtooccurtomeatonce.Whynotjustaskthestudentsabouttheiropinionsonhowtomake

theclassbetter?Sofar,whenthingswerentworkingaswellasIplanned,orifIwasunsureifasituation

wassignificant,Iwouldjustmaintaincourseandworkharder.AndthereIwas,dancingaroundtheidea

ofaskingstudentsdirectlybycollectingtonsofdata,makinggraphs,andstrugglingtoseewhatitall

means,whenIneededtojustchangecourse.Ishouldhaverealizedthisearlier.Aftermakingthegraphs,

Icouldclearlyseethatstudentshadanaccurateperceptionofthework,soitisclearthattheirtakeon

whathappensinclassisvaluable.IshouldhaverecognizedearlierinChemistry,whensomestudents

requestedturning

in

work

on

paper,

Iagreed,

and

that

is

the

reason

we

now

have

abetter

structure

for

turninginwork.IshouldhavealsoseenthatwhenIapproachedthegirlwhopreviouslyshiedawayfrom

meandaskedherdirectlyregardinghowshefeltabouttheactivity,Iconnectedandgotsincere,useful

feedback.Alloftheseinstanceswerepointingtooneconclusioninvitethestudentsintoadirect

discussionabouttheirexperiencesintheclass,andalsocritiquethestructuresthatweuse.Myconcept

ofusingstudentvoicehadevolved.

Research Findings Chapter 1

Documents

Transcript of Research Findings Chapter 1