5.+Research+Question+and+Intervention

__** __**Link to EDF689 Session 5**__ **__


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**1. Research Idea & Rationale **

Research Question

What is the effect of project choice on students' performance and motivation.

Rationale

We are a group of teachers from grade one to grade ten who have been at this school for five years or more. We have noticed in our classes that some of our students have a low level of engagement in the classroom situation. This then leads to poor performance and we feel that their interest needs to be sparked. We wonder if the level of engagement and motivation of our students could be improved were they to be given more individual choice when presenting their projects. We hope that by fostering an environment that supports independent student project choice our students will demonstrate heightened motivation that will in turn enhance performance.

**2. Research Questions & Variables ( [|Research Planning Sheet Number 1.docx]) ** **Clear 3 :** This is a subjective study and as such some terms may need further clarification. **Significant 4 :** This is significant because this approach is in line with 21st century learning skills and fosters student motivation and hopefully enhances performance. **Ethical 4 :** It is transparent and fair to all participants. ||
 * ‍ ‍**Research Idea** || **Research .. Question .......................... ** || **Rate the research question** ‍‍ ||
 * We wonder if given more opportunities for independent project choices aligned to their multiple intelligence preferences, will lead to improved performance and increased motivation. || What is the effect of project choice on students' performance and motivation? || **Feasible 4 **: Can be observed at all of our grade levels at the beginning and at the end of the study.

__ Definitions of terms :__

Project Choice: The means through which a student chooses to express their knowledge and understanding. (Eg: of project choices include Paper based, Digital Multimedia, Performance, Oral, Creative Art)

Performance: Performance of the student throughout the project cycle

Motivation: This encompasses elements such as engagement, enthusiasm, independence, perseverance.

Specific type of Research: Action Research

General Type of Research: Intervention

Our Hypothesis is: We predict student motivation and performance will increase when given project choices.

This //hypothesis// suggests a relationship between these two //variables//:

Performance and Motivation (Dependent) Project Choices //(independent)//

//Categorical (//Motivation) //Categorical// (Project Choices) //Quantitative (//Performance) //Quantitative//

Possible //Extraneous variables// that might affect my results include: Placebo – Knowing they receive treatment Other extrinsic motivators Introduction of differentiation Change in learning environment

EXCELLENT DESCRIPTION OF QUESTIONS AND VARIABLES. BRAVO!!!

**3. Detailed Description of Intervention ** //(This is a work in progress and we would appreciate feedback)// 6 - 12 weeks || PYP Units of Inquiry last about 6 weeks. || PYP Units of Inquiry last about 6 weeks. || MYP project is 12 weeks. (Each grade has two hours 20 minutes per week) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Investigation - 3 weeks <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Design - 3 weeks <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Plan - 1 week <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Create - 3 weeks <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Evaluation - 1 week || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Identify and endeavour to limit extraneous variables. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Identify additional forms of presentation that will be available to the students and how they will be introduced to the students. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Identify and endeavour to limit extraneous variables. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Evaluate curriculum content, significant concepts, unit questions for each grade project in order to:- <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Select candidate classes for treatment <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Identify potential control groups. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Select elements of project where project choices will be most effective <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Identify and endeavour to limit extraneous variables. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reflect on personal experiences and performance. Introduce intent <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gather baseline data on motivation and understanding of this project and possible impact || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Have the children identify the ways that they already know how to share their knowledge. Explore and examine these ways, discussing the requirements of each. (Anticipated response from students is that they know about writing ‘stories’ / can ‘tell about’ information in a show-and-tell format.) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Prior to intervention, have the children present their knowledge about a topic in a way chosen by the teacher (tell about? Write a recount about?) Monitor student motivation through questioning / observation / student reflection. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Students to review prior projects they have completed. Reflect on them and decide if they might have been more successful if they could have done it another way. Teacher to take qualitative assessment to find level of student motivation. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Notify students about the research that will be done and that they are part of it. Explain the scope of the research taking place. Share the research and variables – eg they will get project choices and we will be looking to see what impact this has. Students to review prior projects they have completed. Reflect on them and decide if they might have been more successful if they could have done it another way. Surveys will be taken on present level of motivation towards both prior and this project and a reflection on their own expected outcomes of this project. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Limited guidance. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gather data through close observation of the students as they are involved in the process of this task. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Qualitative data collection through close observations and discussions with students. The angle of engagement would also be noted in ongoing anecdotal journal entries. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Qualitative data collection through close observations and discussions with students. The angle of engagement would also be noted in ongoing anecdotal journal entries. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Qualitative: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Journal observations: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Angle of <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">engagement <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, Hard Fun, student feedback and forum reflections || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gather quantitative data from existing rubrics <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gather additional data across early-primary-middle years range on a common rubric || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Quantitative data recorded from the students projects. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Quantitative data recorded from the students projects. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Quantitative: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Unit scores for Investigation, Design, Planning, Create, Evaluation. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Qualitative: Quality of products and artifacts produced in project. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The quality of their products. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Their performance at each stage of the project. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The impact that having and exercising their choices has had on their motivation and performance. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In what ways the research has enhanced their motivation and performance. (Citing comparisons with previous projects with limited choice) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What were the limitations of this exercise. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Implement Best Practice. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Set date for review and next action research. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Identify and <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Implement Best Practice. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Set date for review and next action research. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Identify and <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Implement Best Practice. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Set date for review and next action research. ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Common Steps || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Grade 1 || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Grade 5 || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Grade 6-9(Possibly 10) ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Timescales
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pre student involvement || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Identify the specific forms of presentation that will be available to the students and how they will be introduced to the students.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Review prior performance.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Students to fill out multiple intelligence / expression style preference inventory || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Encourage the children to start identifying which ways of presenting appeal to them and why. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Encourage the children to start identifying which ways of presenting appeal to them and why. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Encourage the children to start identifying which ways of presenting appeal to them and why. ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Model a variety of age appropriate ways to share student knowledge || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Teach the students a variety of new ways to present their information. With <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">much guidance. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Expand the choices of presentation options, building on prior experiences. With <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">moderate guidance <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> from Music, Art and IT. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Model and demonstrate SOME alternative methods for presenting their project work (Ex: design concepts in grade 7).
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Discuss with students about their project choice and the possible ramifications of that project choice. Students to make final project choice. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As a class, review what all of the presentation options look like and what is involved in them. Encourage the children to identify strengths and skills that would be helpful to have if choosing each option. Invite the children to identify which of all the options, they would like to try presenting with. · Discuss the reasoning behind offering the students choice of presentations and let the students know they will have a choice when presenting the information gathered throughout a following activity. Remind them that the presentation choice they make will also impact on the kind of information they gather eg, what resources will they need to gather? || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One-on-one interviews/ discussions with individual students about their project choices. The students will be made aware of the independent choice that they now have available. They need to be made aware that their choice impacts on their end-product and should be a suitable means to display their content knowledge. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Negotiate and evaluate chosen alternative means of presenting project in line with academic requirements and project guidelines. Example “Design Cycle”, “Significant Concept”, “Unit Question” and feasibility. ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Provide the students with a clear rubric, the essence of which spans early - primary and middle years participants. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Provide the students with a rubric in order to give them clear guidelines as to what is expected of their final product. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Provide the students with a rubric in order to give them clear guidelines as to what is expected of their final product. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Develop a workable rubric with the student that is tightly aligned to existing MYP Design Cycle rubric if needed. ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Motivation
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Performance
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Student Reflection || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ask which of the options the students would like to have an opportunity to use in the future and why. Get them to rate their own level of engagement / motivation / performance / success through discussion and the use of a ‘faces’ feedback sheet.. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The students will reflect on the success of their presentations and if they were able to adequately show their understanding. They will also rate their own level of engagement / motivation. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The students reflect on:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Parent Questionnaire || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Invite the parents to fill out a questionnaire where they can share their observations of student motivation. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Invite the parents to fill out a questionnaire where they can share their observations of student motivation. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Invite the parents to fill out a questionnaire where they can share their observations of student motivation. ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Data Analysis || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Individual researchers will independently analyse data and then correlate findings across the grades. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Individual researchers will independently analyse data and then correlate findings across the grades. || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Individual researchers will independently analyse data and then correlate findings across the grades. ||
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Action || <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Identify and

YOUR INTERVENTION IS WELL THOUGHT OUT. I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE ACTIVITIES WHERE YOU HAVE STUDENTS REFLECT ON THE PROJECTS THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE AND TALK ABOUT OTHER FORMS OF PRESENTATIONS AND HOW ONE CHOOSES THE PROJECT THAT IS BEST FOR HIM OR HER. NEXT WEEK WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THE KINDS OF DATA YOU WILL COLLECT. YOU MAY BE A BIT OVER ZEALOUS IN YOUR DATA COLLECTION AND WILL BE OVERWHELMED WHEN TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF IT. FOR ENGAGEMENT, CONSIDER ANECDOTAL NOTES BUT THE MAIN TOOL WILL BE A SCALE FOR STUDENTS THAT YOU WILL DESIGN IS SESSION 6. MORE ON THIS NEXT SESSION.

SUSAN 10/26/11

The questions posted and accepted all have been very interesting. The topics range from many of you studying innovative uses of technology to acquiring a 2nd language, to professional development for teachers. Take a peek at some of the pages of your fellow researchers as the ideas are really well thought out. (this is not an assignment yet). A few of you were confused about the idea of action research.
 * General Group Feedback **
 * 1) This project must be an intervention study. This means that you must do something! The study is quantitative. All of you are doing an action research intervention study.
 * 2) You need to try something to see if it will improve some aspect of your educational practice or teaching. In a very rare case it is possible for some of you to get special permission to conduct a qualitative or descriptive study due to your special circumstance. This is an exception and NOT the rule.
 * SOME OTHER ISSUES AND PROBLEMS: **
 * 1) **Please slow down.** We have only covered variables and research questions as topics so far in this course. Session 5 only wanted you to describe your problem, state and support your research questions and fully describe the intervention (what are you trying out?). We are not yet ready to discuss data collection or research design. We will be discussing those topics in later sessions. Only then will you be ready to describe how you will measure your variables and choose the appropriate research design.
 * 2) Some of you mistakenly believe that you can start your study now. **No data can be collected until the end of this course.** We still need to talk about instrumentation, research design and more. You are not ready to start yet.
 * 3) **The actual research study is implemented during EDU690 - this is your master’s project.** This cannot be done until this course is completely finished. We anticipate that this will happen in the next semester.
 * 4) Finally, please make sure to read directions carefully. There are times when you need to post on your group’s discussion board and comment on their ideas. The remainder of our sessions will also have you posting on your page. Notice that Hank and Sue make comments that you must address. Use another color font so we can easily see how you addressed the comments. Sometimes we ask you to contact us directly through email so we can clarify any misunderstandings in a timely manner.

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px;">4. Description of Sample (Research sheet #2) **

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px;">5. Data Collection Matrix **

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px;">6. Likert Scale **

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px;">7. Research Design **

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px;">8. Threats to Validity **

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px;">9. Data Analysis Plan (research sheet #3) **

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px;">10. Summary of one article (Summary sheet will be provided) **

Article Summary Sheet: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20.8px;">Name of Article

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20.8px;">Author: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20.8px;">Date: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20.8px;">Source: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20.8px;">Research Question? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20.8px;">Sample? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20.8px;">What did the researcher do? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20.8px;">Results? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 20.8px;">Implications according to author:

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 21px;">11. Final Action Plan **