In my experience, beginning something new always seems hard. Preparing for a race, getting into a new routine, or even coming to this program: the start is always one of the most challenging times for me. Research is much the same, and as a previous-science-now-English major, I should be ready for it. At the same time, I'm worried about the question that will guide my research. I know just how important that question is to having a good paper, a strong study, and an enjoyable time carrying out either.
Mirroring what others have said so far in their blogs, I'm worried about having a study that can be measured at least somewhat meaningfully in only 40 classroom visits. I also wonder if we do need to limit ourselves to just those 40, or if we can (and should) extend our studies beyond that time frame. If not, some of my ideas for studies go right out the window -- mostly qualitative studies. However, I still have some ideas.
As a potential teacher, I know what interests me particularly at this point is class management and encouragement. I want to see what works well for keeping kids involved in the learning experience. How do other teachers keep their kids from "checking out" mentally? On the list of potential topics Dr. Milner provided the English table at our initial meeting, I'm most interested in the questions teachers ask their students, the responses the students give, and how teachers respond to questions that students might have. I know those are all three very broad, but I also realize that this is our first blog entry, and we're just starting out. It's OK for the task to look daunting and to seem somewhat lost or overrun with possibilities. We've got a way to go yet.
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4 comments:
Sean, you are right that the research question is very important. That is why we are taking our time in selecting a topic and a question... You can do additional observations or interviews. I like your interest in encouragement. Lots of people talk about student apathy, but we don't know enough about it to keep them engaged in academic matters. It would be a very interesting topic, either from the perspective of teachers or students.
Sean, classroom management is a really great topic. I think it is something every teacher struggles with at some point in their career. When I student taught I used a lot of active learning to keep the students involved. I have also found that Problem based learning keeps students focuses. I would give them a broad problem and we would have mini lectures everyday that helped build on the subject. There is some neat research on that subject being conducted here in Winston Salem. I think that anytime you give student real life examples you keep them engaged. Encouragement is key too. Some of my best teachers are motivators. They make me want to learn and do the best I can. I think that your research could be really interesting looking at teacher encouragement or positive feedback.
You're right, Sean--you and I are interested in very similar aspects of the classroom. :)
I'll second Dr. McCoy's comment about the examination of encouragement--I think this is one of the integral aspects of the teacher/student relationship, and a study on such a topic would make a significant contribution to the existing literature on instructional techniques. I'm actually starting to lean towards doing something in that line, myself, so I'll be interested to see if our trains of thought continue down parallel rails. ;)
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