I have a running list of possible topics that I jot notes onto when the ideas show up and upon review I see a common theme in reading, student's attitudes towards it and mechanisms/techniques for teaching literature. Although they still cover pretty diverse areas I am starting to think in terms of the "instructional dynamic" from Ball/Forzani article inthe quiz and our Content/Learner/Pedagogy triangle. A worthwhile topic will be one that investigates/sheds light on how the learning takes place. I'll need to think about how to do so efficiently but I plan to consolidate those ideas for my topic (somehow).
As I flail about to choose this topic, considerations of methodology may actually be helping me narrow in somewhat. A mixed method seems inevitable. While I will collect a fair amount of data through observation (student response to teacher techniques and content being covered) I think I could bring light to that qualitative data through surveys of students and teachers (covering attitudes towards reading in school/out of school and teachers' perceived efficacy using various techniques). Finally, focused interviews from a stratified sample (the strata representing achievement) after I have been able to digest the data collected in observation and survey. Hopefully I will be able to construct more informed questions for this sample based on the data I collect through observation and sample.
I still have a ways to go towards topic selection (refinement) but I'm certainly closer to it than I was last week!
2 comments:
Ted, I think you are making good progress. I am glad you are thinking in terms of the "instructional dynamic." I think you will find lots of related literature on reading in the literacy field. You will have to make sure you screen out the lower grades because they will focus on beginning readers. Your first task will be to identify an exact research questions that you wish to study. You might be interested in reading strategies for older students. This will include teaching and learning, both from the teacher and the student perspective. Look through some studies in ERIC to get a feel for how to phrase the question(s). You have several good possibilities for data collection. You will have to decide which and how many of them are feasible in our time frame. Good progress.
Ted, you have a lot of good ideas, and I want to read your notes when you are finished! (I am already practicing that tried and true teacher tactic of stealing everything that looks good...) I think that your interest in stratifying your survey sample based on achievement will be particularly enlightening, as lower level readers will respond to different teaching methods than the higher level readers. Good luck to you!
Post a Comment