Blog #2

After reflecting on the comments and suggestions I have received, I feel that I have made some progress in narrowing my topic into something more manageable and practical to me as a teacher. That's not to say that the broad topics of single-sex classrooms and the differences between public and private schools no longer interest me! Reflecting further on my own experiences as a student, I realize that there are some types of tests I tend to do better on than others. I also know that I generally prefer to write a paper than take a test. That said, I have begun to think about researching student assessments in the social studies classroom. What kind of tests to social studies teachers typically give? Multiple-choice tests, essay based test, or some combination of the two? What variety of tests do students prefer? I would imagine there are similar characteristics among students who prefer multiple-choice test to writing based test. Also, what kind of tests prove the most effective in preparing students for college or E.O.C. standardized test?

By surveying teachers and students alike, I could produce some quantitative data that could prove insightful into understanding the effectiveness of testing. I am aware of several studies on this topic as well and am in the process or reading through them. If I do go forward with this research idea, I realize that importance of constructing surveys that would produce the quantifiable data that I want. However, I might choose to blend the qualitative approach of interviewing teachers and/or students in order to obtain more specific information that could prove useful. There's still plenty to think about for sure, but at least I feel like this topic would prove more useful to me as a teacher.