CHAPTER FIVE
Analyzing Field Note Data
Prompt #5 Questions: There were four observations that Sienna conducted over a two-week period to document May’s redirection behaviors. First, you will examine the series of observation reports. Second, identify any trends and themes you find in the data. Be sure to consider the observational notes that Sienna included. Look to find and share any triangulation processes in May’s data collection and analysis work. Third, evaluate the data and provide reasonable explanations for what you think might be happening over time that would explain the story the data are revealing.
Response:
Sienna’s records suggest that she did a great job and became an active partner of action research. According to Sienna’s records, number of redirections decreased from 37 to 13. This is a great improvement, and proves that May’s strategy worked. After reading Sienna’s notes and data report sheets, I noticed that redirections are concentrated on certain time intervals, namely at the beginning and end of the lesson. Most probably, students talk with each other if there is no teaching activity. Sienna’s comment in data report number 2: “enjoyable activities decreased the number of redirections in the first ten minutes of lesson” shows that my theory is correct. Additionally, Sienna’s comments suggest that changing the location of students affect the number of redirections, and moving noisy students to front seats might be a good strategy to decrease the number of redirections. While analyzing the data reports, I noticed that there is no positive redirection. Either Sienna did not record positive redirections or May did not use positive redirections. I would suggest May to use positive redirections also.
It is very difficult to find traces of triangulation with looking at the recorded data. There are three data sources; students’ wish lists responses, data reports and Sienna’s comments. However, it is very difficult to correlate those data. Sienna should write down the names of receivers of redirections, and note down the differences between current day and the previous day in terms of location of students and activities done. As a result, it would be easier to understand the reason behind the decrease in number of redirections. I might speculate with saying students whose responses fell into wishes for more fun and less pressure from school category received most of the redirections, and changing their locations decreased the number of redirections. There are no data to support my speculation.
CHAPTER SIX
Analyzing Data Related to the 5-Minute Challenge
Prompt #6 Questions: Describe May’s class graph. What happened over time, and what are some possible reasons for the trends and patterns you notice? What new goals do you think May should set for the class as a whole based on her students’ response to the timed agenda challenge?
Response:
May’s class graph clearly shows that her strategy worked and number of students who copied the agenda within five minutes increased from 11 to 20. There are no data, but I think 9 of 11 students who completed writing agenda within 5 minute were belonged to category 3. Later, other students started to finish on time and number of students increased each day and reached maximum 20 students. Data indicates that there is one student who did not be able to complete on time, and I wonder if this student was same or not? Class graph clearly shows that May’s strategy worked and students get used to complete writing agenda on time. Such a quick change also suggests that students are willing to learn and follow the orders. Rapid change in the second day and decrease in the following day shows that students are open for new things and love to do different things. After comparing Sienna’s records and five minute challenge data graph, I found out that number of redirections decreased when students focus on their tasks. This suggests that when students are busy with something, they do not need redirection.
Finally, both class graph and Sienna’s records suggests that May’s students are capable of changing their habits and willing to accomplish tasks. Moreover, students do not need redirections when they are working on a task. As a result, I would suggest May to focus on transition time. She might find a challenging activity to fill transition time. Additionally, most of the redirections occurred at the end of the lesson, and May might find another timed activity to challenge and engage students at the end of lesson. Alternatively, students may play a game or watch a lesson related funny video that attract attention and summarize the lesson as an ending lesson activity.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Graphing Data and Focus Group Interview
Prompt #7 Questions: Describe Anthony’s and Leah’s data. What happened over time? What do you think May might do in the future to capitalize on Anthony and Leah’s success and keep them on track during the entire class period?
Response:
First of all, it is very difficult to understand how Anthony managed to decrease preparation time from 8 minutes to 30 seconds. I wonder if May changed length of agenda or students were wasting time before.
Anthony’s and Leah’s graph record sheets clearly shows that they are engaged to the challenge and they are trying their best to complete on time. Additionally, their preparation time decreased dramatically which suggests that May’s goal is achievable. Notes written on record sheets shows the reflections and emotions of Anthony and Leah, and it seems that they are happy. I always say that students make noise to be recognized and attract attention. In this action research, Anthony and Leah are recognized, and Darby and May pays attention to them. As a result Anthony and Leah are engaged to the lesson and try to do their best to keep this relationship.
May might continue to pay attention and give personalized goals to those students. Additionally, May might give flexibility to chose their own goals and encourage them. I am sure that Anthony and Leah will not need redirection once they feel that they are recognized by the teacher when they try to reach their goal. In conclusion, I would suggest May to create a peaceful and comfortable class environment, in which all students feel that they are accepted, recognized, respected, cared and have fun.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Bringing Closure to May’s First Cycle of Inquiry—May’s Journaling
Prompt #8 Questions: Pretend you are May, and it is now the start of the next school year. Your assistant principal, Mr. Brown, asks you to talk about your inquiry journey at the first faculty meeting of the year. Discuss a plan for your presentation. What will you share and how will you share it? Refer to Chapters 6 and 8 of The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Classroom Research for support in responding to this prompt.
Response:
Sharing inquiry with the community is one of the most important parts of teacher inquiry. All faculty members including fellow professionals may benefit from the findings of inquiry (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2009, p. 188). If I were May, I would consider four critical features of the teacher inquiry write – up while creating PowerPoint presentation which are: “providing background information, sharing the design of the inquiry, stating the learning and supporting the statements with data and providing concluding thoughts” (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2009, p. 190). There or lots of things that I do not know about May’s community, and it is very difficult to figure out a strategy with so many unknown variables. Still, if I were May, I would start with giving credits to others. First of all, I would thank to Mr. Brown for his support. Because it is very difficult to find supportive administrators in schools. Before starting my presentation, I would give credit to my team members and my students who guided me during the inquiry process, and actively participated. At the beginning of presentation, I would ask a few questions about disruptive behaviors that faculty members faced in class, and methods that they used to solve behavior issues to engage faculty members to the presentation. Later, I would present my inquiry with using a PowerPoint presentation. In this PowerPoint presentation, I would start with showing the decrease in number of redirections and preparation time to attract attention of teachers and to show that my inquiry worked. Later, I would explain my inquiry journey starting from finding a wondering question. I would describe how did I chose the data collection methods, literature that I reviewed and collaboration with team members. I would show my data analysis to faculty members with graph. Finally I would share my findings, and I would tell them changing location of students, challenging the students and giving a task to them improved their behaviors positively and decreased number of redirections.
At the end of PowerPoint presentation, I would list down the benefits that I gained from teacher inquiry. I would invite my team members to share their ideas and benefits from inquiry briefly, and I would share my future goals related to action research.
Additionally, I would explain them why it is very important to do a teacher inquiry, and I would encourage them to try to find answers for their wondering questions via action research. I would especially mention them that students are unique and they cannot use findings of a research directly. Therefore, it is necessary to do an action research to see the affects of teaching strategies in given class.
I would finish my presentation with distributing a summary of the reflective educator’s guide to classroom research book (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2009) and asking for collaboration in future inquiries.
References
Dana, N. F., & Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2009). The reflective educator’s guide to classroom research: Learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
