RES 5040: Teacher as Researcher (spring 09)

Data collection is not at all what I had anticipated. When you think you have a plan everything goes he total opposite way! Which I suppose make everything more interesting and exciting at the same time. However, as a researcher it makes you constantly be on your toes to think of a solution or a different avenue to try. I can say that I am a little tired after these two weeks. But I guess I will grin and bare or should I say reflect and learn from it.

I had originally planned to have two different groups that I would compare my data to one group that was using the different reflective practices and one group that wasn't. Unfortunately, the time and crazy schedules that first week made it impossible to use two groups. I have decided to just observe one group of students and follow their progression through the reflective practices I have decided to use. That first week I had time toward the end of the week to sit down with my four students from the original group one to interview. I interviewed each one separately while the rest of the class was working on an assignment. My assistant watched the rest of the class while I was out of the room. Each student meet with me in the library on a few of the cushion chairs. I had given each student a copy of the questions prior to asking them. It was interesting how at first their reaction to the interview process was very nervous and unsure of what to say and expect. After about the second or third question most of the students had lighten up and were comfortable to talk about the different topic I had hoped to gain some insight on. Each student felt that reading is a task you must spend time on and be active, thinking readers. They had all experienced times when reading was difficult because the text to was too hard or because they were not interested in reading. I am not sure that it mattered but my students had just completed a benchmark test for our county to prepare them for their EOG testing. A lot of their responses seemed to stem from their experience just the week before, so that might skew some of their views about reading. We did discuss a few of the different strategies they use to be more active readers and help them understand the text better. Most of the strategies were things they had learned in previous years or months in school, such as writing in the margins to track their thinking and to reread passages to help understand difficult meaning. I informed them that they would be participating in a study that would determine some better ways to help them understand reading and gain a deeper meaning from the text.

This past week, I began to observe these students in their natural setting of the classroom while they are working with the text I had chosen. I decided that I was not trying to test how well students could read the text and I did not want the lack of ability to be a factor. I decided to use a text that I was reading aloud to the whole class and that they were very interested in. I have students discuss their reactions to the text as more difficult concepts arise as one of the reflective practices. They have also begun to use journals to reflect on the actions or issues in the book. I am excited to see what their journals will show me in the research process. They seem to be doing well using the different reflective practices and putting their thoughts down on paper.

So right now things are running smoothly and I hope to see some of their growth through these different practices. I am right now positive of the changes I have made in my research approach and I hope it will lend some interesting data.

Nikki Jaynes