Reflection
For me, action research was a very rewarding learning experience. I learned so much about my students and how they perceived life in my classroom. When performing action research a big piece of my data came directly from my students through class discussions, focus groups, feedback forms, and journals. As teachers we spend so much time planning lessons and designing activities and assessments that we believe are pedagogically the best for our students. We have certain theories of action that inform our teaching practice which may or may not be accurate for our students. We are often so busy doing school to our students that we often don’t stop and ask our students if what we are doing is working. Action research really forced me to evaluate my theories of action. I held certain beliefs about the wants, needs, and knowledge my students had that, when I actually stopped to ask my students, were not always on target.
One of the clearest examples of this was the difference between how I believed my students perceived science and scientists and their actual perceptions. Going into this research I felt like my students didn’t understand the nature of science. However, as I began this research and started having conversations with my students I came to find that they had a very solid grasp on the nature of science, they just didn’t see themselves as scientists. The way scientists are depicted to our students, as labcoat wearing, Nobel Prize winning intellectuals, has excluded our students from thinking that they can be scientists right now. In phase 2 I sought to break down these conceptions of what scientists are and are not by having my students play the role of a scientist. And it worked, somewhat. However, even after having that experience some of my students still did not feel like scientists, commenting that, “Scientists solve real problems that need fixing,” and “The teacher dictates assignments.” I wonder what my students would say if I asked them what I could do to make transform them into scientists. Perhaps I do dictate too much. Over and over throughout our discussions my students mentioned experimenting to solve real world problems. They were crying out for authenticity and all I gave them, all most of their teachers gave them, were problem sets and measures of how well they could follow directions. This research, giving my students choice, listening to what they thought, revealed what I didn't know: that my students weren't lazy or unmotivated but that they wanted meaningful learning experiences not teacher dictated assignments. In the future I would like to change the way I approach the classroom because I do want my students to be scientists and have opportunities to engage in authentic problem solving. I want them to feel like their time spent in school is valuable, not just an exercise in completing a worksheet.
Action research was also empowering to me as a teacher. When I started at my student teaching placement I felt so helpless. The mentality of so many of the teachers was such a deficit thinking model. From day one I heard, "These kids can't..." "They don't have the skills..." "They don't have the drive..." "They don't care..." The grading system was set up to pass students that didn't show proficiency by flooding the gradebook with assignments based on completion rather than competency. My classroom was no different. It was so disheartening to see nearly half of my students failing exams (even after studying and getting extra help) or grading 12 lab reports with, word-for-word, the exact same responses. My students were doing what they had to to pass but they weren't getting much value from the class.
Action research empowered me to make a change. It gave me the opportunity and the tools to step back and analyze the experience my students were having. The tools action research gave me, especially connecting with my students and getting their feedback, allowed me to recognize that the problem was not with the students, it was with a model of thinking that failed to challenge students because of preconceptions about their ability. If not for action research I would have continued to reinforce the norms of low expectations for the students, but because action research required me to make a change and respond to the needs of my students I changed the culture of my classroom. I took the emphasis off completion rather than content, pushed my students to create something of value to them by giving them choice, and challenged them to meet a high standard of quality. The changes I made as a result of action research unlocked potential within my students that I had not previously seen. I was amazed by what my students could do. They far exceeded the expectations that myself and other teachers had for them and in the process they felt like they learned so much more.
Action research allowed me to learn more about how to best serve my students by listening and responding to their needs.
At the end of the year my classes each made me a goodbye card. One student wrote, "You are like the only teacher that actually taught me something this year." It broke my heart that this student didn't feel like her teachers actually educated her, but it also made me realize that as a teacher researcher I am powerful. I can analyze a situation that's not working make changes in my classroom based on evidence to positively impact my students' learning. Action research is a tool I now have that I will continue to use throughout my teaching career so I may become the best teacher I can be for my students.
One of the clearest examples of this was the difference between how I believed my students perceived science and scientists and their actual perceptions. Going into this research I felt like my students didn’t understand the nature of science. However, as I began this research and started having conversations with my students I came to find that they had a very solid grasp on the nature of science, they just didn’t see themselves as scientists. The way scientists are depicted to our students, as labcoat wearing, Nobel Prize winning intellectuals, has excluded our students from thinking that they can be scientists right now. In phase 2 I sought to break down these conceptions of what scientists are and are not by having my students play the role of a scientist. And it worked, somewhat. However, even after having that experience some of my students still did not feel like scientists, commenting that, “Scientists solve real problems that need fixing,” and “The teacher dictates assignments.” I wonder what my students would say if I asked them what I could do to make transform them into scientists. Perhaps I do dictate too much. Over and over throughout our discussions my students mentioned experimenting to solve real world problems. They were crying out for authenticity and all I gave them, all most of their teachers gave them, were problem sets and measures of how well they could follow directions. This research, giving my students choice, listening to what they thought, revealed what I didn't know: that my students weren't lazy or unmotivated but that they wanted meaningful learning experiences not teacher dictated assignments. In the future I would like to change the way I approach the classroom because I do want my students to be scientists and have opportunities to engage in authentic problem solving. I want them to feel like their time spent in school is valuable, not just an exercise in completing a worksheet.
Action research was also empowering to me as a teacher. When I started at my student teaching placement I felt so helpless. The mentality of so many of the teachers was such a deficit thinking model. From day one I heard, "These kids can't..." "They don't have the skills..." "They don't have the drive..." "They don't care..." The grading system was set up to pass students that didn't show proficiency by flooding the gradebook with assignments based on completion rather than competency. My classroom was no different. It was so disheartening to see nearly half of my students failing exams (even after studying and getting extra help) or grading 12 lab reports with, word-for-word, the exact same responses. My students were doing what they had to to pass but they weren't getting much value from the class.
Action research empowered me to make a change. It gave me the opportunity and the tools to step back and analyze the experience my students were having. The tools action research gave me, especially connecting with my students and getting their feedback, allowed me to recognize that the problem was not with the students, it was with a model of thinking that failed to challenge students because of preconceptions about their ability. If not for action research I would have continued to reinforce the norms of low expectations for the students, but because action research required me to make a change and respond to the needs of my students I changed the culture of my classroom. I took the emphasis off completion rather than content, pushed my students to create something of value to them by giving them choice, and challenged them to meet a high standard of quality. The changes I made as a result of action research unlocked potential within my students that I had not previously seen. I was amazed by what my students could do. They far exceeded the expectations that myself and other teachers had for them and in the process they felt like they learned so much more.
Action research allowed me to learn more about how to best serve my students by listening and responding to their needs.
At the end of the year my classes each made me a goodbye card. One student wrote, "You are like the only teacher that actually taught me something this year." It broke my heart that this student didn't feel like her teachers actually educated her, but it also made me realize that as a teacher researcher I am powerful. I can analyze a situation that's not working make changes in my classroom based on evidence to positively impact my students' learning. Action research is a tool I now have that I will continue to use throughout my teaching career so I may become the best teacher I can be for my students.