Practice 2 Essay 5: Evaluate how your inquiry impacts on future inquiry/practice
One of my main aims of my research inquiry was to investigate
the extent to which a three phase teaching approach (exposure,
engagement, experimentation) could have on improving
science knowledge in year 5 and 6 students. The image
below shows the anticipated impact of my research from my
action plan. The highlighted parts show what the actual impacts
were that are supported by evidence. Unfortunately, due
to Covid19, I could not carry out all of my research.
Impacts from my research include: some improved connections
between science knowledge, evident in the sample below of
a pre and post interview, which is reflective of 4/6 participant
responses. 6/6 participants displayed eagerness and excitement
for creating more paper circuits which is another impact that was anticipated.
Applying Biggs & Collis (1982) Solo Taxonomy model, post
data collection shows students were able to link ideas, moving
from multistructural (prior knowledge interviews) to relational
understanding, (post-knowledge interviews) which shows some
improvement in their knowledge about electrical circuits.
However, upon reflection, my research to date is not
comprehensive enough to indicate that the 3 phased teaching
approach improved knowledge, since other teaching approaches,
such as a flipped presentation could have achieved a
similar result. In future practice or inquiries, I will need to
use appropriate and varied data collection methods as
Mukherji & Albon (2015) confirm is helpful for triangulating
data “Using more than one method to obtain information
is known as triangulation, whereby the strengths of one
method compensate for the weaknesses of another” (p.37).
Marecek (2003) (as cited in Babione, 2015) suggests that
qualitative data such as interviews, narratives and description
can be analysed to find patterns and themes. (p.140). Upon
analysing my post interview data, and recalling student learning
behaviour during the lesson, a pattern and theme emerged
which was an unexpected impact that my inquiry revealed.
Responses made by students when I asked them how they
felt when I answered their question during the lesson with
another question, revealed a lack of learner agency, as 4/6
responded that ‘they didn’t like it’. Clarke, Timperley & Hattie (2001)
state that “open questions allow for a range of responses and
make progressive cognitive demands on children” (p.99),
which encourages them to think deeply. This unplanned impact
has implications for the future and gives insight into how do I
create a context and environment to mediate learner agency?
The impact on my future practice and inquiries will be to improve
learner agency. Wenmoth (2014) states in his video, that
“When someone has agency in their learning they have the
power to act. The key idea really is that learning requires the
activity and initiative of the learner, more than the inputs that
are transmitted to the learner from the teacher.” As my data
revealed, through post interviews and of me recalling their lesson
behaviour, students had a tendency to seek answers rather than
cultivate their own learning. It is interesting to note, that even though
they didn’t like experimenting - trying to get their paper circuit to
light up, they were all thirsty for more, and they did begin to
show signs of improved science knowledge. Edutopia (n.d) states
“Instructional coaching at the teacher level requires that the
administrator and school leaders be trained to refrain from
their natural tendency to provide the teacher with solutions to
the problems he is facing.” I think this cannot only apply to teachers
but students themselves and could help them change those
passive behaviours by using educational coaching techniques,
particularly questioning to help improve learner agency.
Overall, further areas of inquiry in the future, based on the
evidence and analysis of my action research, include continuing
to use several data collection methods to help triangulate and
gather data, as well as, investigating ways to improve learner
agency, where new action research around this theme could
emerge, using a larger number of participants. These are two
main areas that I believe would be beneficial for improving both
teaching practice and student learning.
References
Babione, C. (2015). Practitioner Teacher Inquiry and Research. USA: John Wiley & Sons. (e-copy available in Unitec library).
Biggs, J.B., & Collis, K.F. (1982). Evaluating the quality of learning: The SOLO taxonomy. New York: Academic Press.
Clarke, S., Timperley, H., Hattie, J.(2001) Unlocking Formative Assessment. Practical strategies for enhancing students’ learning in the primary and intermediate classroom. London. United Kingdom. Hodder Education.
Johnson, B. Edutopia. N.d. Retrieved from
Mukherji, P., Albon, D. (2015). Research Methods in Early Childhood An Introductory Guide. California, USA. Sage Publications.
Wenmoth, D. (2014). Ten Trends 2014: Agency. Retrieved from https://edtalks.org/#/video/ten-trends-2014-agency
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