One of the reasons that I enjoy the subject of math is due to its objectivity. In contrast, educational research is entirely subjective despite the incorporation of operational definitions, reliability, validity, and statistics. Even quantitative research studies are not conclusive nor have one interpretation of results. This aspect of research makes me uncomfortable. I am also wary of the research process for other reasons that include the short amount of time to conduct our research, the variability of the environments we are studying, and the legality that is involved with dealing with student characteristics such as achievement or socio-economic levels.
However, I am also excited about learning more about math classrooms which will help me become a better teacher. Specifically, I would like to research the relativity of specific math lessons to real world applications. For example, how often the teacher states how this particular lesson is useful or beneficial to the student or the amount of times that the teacher gives problems that involve practical applications of concepts and not just computational assignments. Secondary math has the potential to become abstract and distant from everyday tasks that one performs. In actuality, math is everywhere from the prediction of the stock market to cost analysis in business to the building of skyscrapers. I believe that if students know the value or significance of what they are learning, they will be more motivated.
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Sarah, I think you will find that the research project is not so intimidating once you get into it. I really like your topic idea....real world applications are very important to us. There are any number of good ways to study this and I believe you will get interesting results.
I guess I should have read this before I made my second blog because I had a very similar idea this week! I think that this is a really interesting topic, because I definitely agree that it is so important to try to link what we are teaching to the real world. You mentioned that you thought students who realize the significance will be more motivated...I think that studying motivation as opposed to achievement would be really interesting!
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