research findings chapter 1
TRANSCRIPT
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.