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Depth Over Breadth: Were Going In

Teaching Fewer Topics in Greater Depth to Improve Science Education

An Action Research Project by Thomas Harmon Lincoln Public Schools Fall Semester 2012

Research Methods, EDU 603, 604 Doane College Dr. Marilyn Johnson-Farr

Lincoln Public Schools

P.O. Box 82889 Lincoln, NE 68501 402-436-1000 July 12, 2012 Bill Schulenburg, Principal Schoo Middle School 700 Penrose Dr. Lincoln, NE 68521 Dear Mr. Schulenburg, As part of my masters program at Doane College I have prepared and action research study titled Depth over Breadth: Were Going In - Teaching Fewer Topics in Greater Depth to Improve Science Education. The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of a depth over breadth curriculum on student learning. Ill measure both retention of facts and development of problem solving and critical thinking skills. I will be working on this project during 1st semester and I hope it will grow these essential skills while increasing interest in science. I also hope to show that students taught in more depth do not lack fact knowledge that is emphasized in breadth curricula and often assessed in standardized tests. I will collect data through the use of pretests and posttests, writing, dialogue with students, journals, and surveys. Students and parents will be asked for permission to use the data collected from them or their children. Participation in project is voluntary. All data that I collect will be kept anonymous; no student or parent names will be used in my research. I am requesting your permission to collect this data and use it for the creation of my research project. Sincerely, Thomas Harmon

Lincoln Public Schools

P.O. Box 82889 Lincoln, NE 68501 402-436-1000

Thomas Harmon has my permission to collect data from students at Schoo Middle School and use it to complete his Action Plan project.

Bill Schulenburg, Principal`

Date

Table of Contents
Parent Information and Request for Permission Letter Parent Permission Form Context of the Study Purpose of the Study Significance Relevance Primary Question and Guiding Questions Literature Review Innovation Connection Interested Audience Tradition Ethical Principles Verification Plan to Gather Plan to Analyze Timeline References Readings

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5 6 7 8 9 9 10 10 14 15 15 15 16 16 16 17 18 19 20

Lincoln Public Schools

P.O. Box 82889 Lincoln, NE 68501 402-436-1000

Dear Parents, One of my goals as a teacher is to always continue growing and learning to improve my instruction and myself. Since 2010 Ive been working on my Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Doane College and Im nearing the end of my journey. (Hooray!) This semester, as a part of my program and with your permission, I will be gathering data to write a research paper. In the age of smart phones and instant Internet access, I feel the value of learning facts has greatly diminished. Anyone with access to Wikipedia can become a semi-expert on any topic rapidly. As part of this project, I will move away from fact-heavy teaching on many topics and instead teach only a few topics more in-depth. Heres where you come in: As part of this study I will be gathering data from your children. This will be in the form of pretests and posttests, writing, dialogue with students, journals, and surveys. Participation if voluntary, and all data collected will be kept anonymous. Absolutely no names or identifying data will be included in my research. In most cases I will not even know whose comments or responses I am looking at. My goal is to increase the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills while encouraging curiosity and interest in science. Please fill out the enclosed permission slip and have your child return it to me.

Thanks in advance for being a part of my project! Mr. Harmon

Lincoln Public Schools

P.O. Box 82889 Lincoln, NE 68501 402-436-1000

I understand that Mr. Harmon is working on a research project and may be using information gathered from my child. I understand that the data he collects will be kept anonymous and that neither comments nor his research findings will have any bearing on my childs grades. I give him full permission to use this data for the purpose of completing his research project.

_________________________________ Students Name

____________________________________ Parent Signature

___________ Date

Context of the Study

Schoo Middle School is one of eleven public middle school in Lincoln, NE. The building is named after former superintendent, Dr. Phillip Schoo, and is located in extreme northwest Lincoln. 779 students in grades six through eight attend Schoo. One quarter of them, about 200, are minority students and 7%, about 55, are English language learners. 14%, or about 110 students are labeled gifted, with about fifteen of those students labeled highly gifted. 16%, about 125 students, are participating in Special Education. Socioeconomically, 42% about 330 students are on free/reduced lunch. Of the minority population at Schoo, about half are Hispanic while African Americans and those students who are two or more races make up less than one quarter each. Students of Asian and Native American heritage make up less than 5% and 1%, respectively. Technologically, Schoo is well equipped. We have four computer labs that are able to be reserved plus one more in the media center that is used when coteaching with the media specialist. We also have a pair of mobile carts with laptops for use in the classrooms. Several Schoo teachers have smart boards in their classrooms and the use of clickers (small remotes used for student feedback, great for formative assessments) is widespread. There are three major neighborhoods that feed into Schoo: the Highlands, Airpark, and Fallbrook. Highlands consists of mostly middle class families where the majority of the parents work in skilled, blue-collar jobs like construction or white-collar jobs like middle management. The second neighborhood, Airpark, is mostly working

 class and the majority of the parents work unskilled or semi-skilled jobs. Many work in nearby manufacturing plants. The third area is Fallbrook where Schoo is located. It is an affluent neighborhood with large six or seven figure houses lining beautiful landscaped streets. A good number of the parents are doctors, lawyers, engineers, and executives. Visitors to Schoo often mistakenly assume that because our building is in a wealthy neighborhood, many of the students are also wealthy. There are 63 teachers at Schoo and 104 total staff. This includes three full-time counselors, a school social worker and specialists in library media, art, both vocal and instrumental music, physical education, computers, family consumer science, industrial technology, business, drama, and reading. Last year was Schoos third year after opening in the fall of 2009. I am a 2005 graduate of Beatrice High School and a 2009 graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University where I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Music. My certification is through Doane College and Ive taught one year of 7th grade science (2011 2012).

I believe science education should build thinking skills and provide students with the tools to seek their own learning. Science education should cultivate curiosity about the natural world, and I believe this curiosity is crucial in motivating students.

Purpose of this Study

The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of a depth over breadth science curriculum on student learning, their development of critical thinking skills, and their retention of facts.

Significance
This study is important to my students because the methods that I will use encourage the development of critical thought and cultivate curiosity. A Depth over Breadth science curriculum will also liberate the students from the tyranny of rote memorization. Endless vocabulary will be replaced by thought provoking projects where the students will struggle, adapt, and persevere.

Relevance
This study has personal importance to me because it is my greatest desire to create students who can think properly. This is a mix of critical thinking skills, problem solving abilities, cultural awareness, empathy, creativity, and the ability to communicate. Thinking properly is the skill that will serve students best because it supplies them with the tools critically assess the world around them and seek their own learning. In my experience, we as educators have created students that may be able to list Presidential names and dates but are unable to thoughtfully choose for whom theyll case their vote. Weve created students who can rattle off a hundred muscles with insertion points and innervations, but still take cure-all herbal supplements and ingest harmful substances because theyre not able to critically think about health and the consequences of why they put in their bodies. Weve created a workforce that instead of being selfsufficient and self-monitoring requires vast amounts of management and oversight. Weve created a society that is dominant in Trivial Pursuit because we have been pursuing the trivial. We need a nation of intelligent thinkers, and I believe teaching my students fewer topics but in greater depth is part of the solution.

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Primary Question
How does teaching fewer topics in more depth affect how students think critically?

Guiding Question
How will depth over breadth curriculum affect what facts students are able to retain? What types of activities are middle school students most engaged in? How will this method help students relate to the topic?

Literature Review
We conclude that teachers should use their judgement to reduce coverage in high school science courses and aim for mastery by extending at least 1 topic in-depth over an extended period of time. (Schwartz et al., 2008)

There is a debate among science educators that has been going on for a long time. Should we teach our students the greatest variety of topics, or go into great depth with only a few topics? This debate is often simplified as depth versus breadth which categorizes the two competing ideals. One side says educators should teach as many topics as possible to expose the students to the greatest amount of facts to learn. The other extreme believes in fewer topics with much greater depth giving students a greater understanding of systems and concepts.

 Most schools and educators will chose a point somewhere in the middle of the continuum in order to meet standards and deadlines. Where this point lies also depends on the teachers goals for his students. If the goal is only increased test scores then breadth may be the answer. Yong Zhao studied depth vs. breadth in Chinese and Japanese math curricula and argued that the rigorous, coherent, systematic math and science curriculum of East Asian systems have produced excellent knowledge bearers, but it is also generally agreed that these systems may be responsible for stifling creativity (2005). Instead of breadth, I and much of the literature encourage a more depth based approach because, apart from standardized test scores, almost all other goals of education are easier to attain with a depth over breadth curricula. Schwartz, Sadler,

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Sonnert, and Tai completed the most recent, most comprehensive study of teaching depth over breadth in the secondary science classroom. Their goal for students was achievement in college. Consider the following: Students who reported covering at least 1 major topic in depth, for a month or longer, in high school were found to earn higher grades in college science that did students who reported no coverage in depth. Students reporting breadth in their high school course, covering all major topics, did not appear to have any advantage in chemistry or physics and a significant disadvantage in biology. (2008) The results of the study are hard to overlook. The authors found that students who experience deeper coverage in high school biology performed as if they had received a full year more preparation than students who experienced more breadth. For chemistry,

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the depth-taught students performed as if they had received more than an extra semester of instruction, and for physics, an extra quarter (Schwartz et al., 2008; Cavanagh, 2009). This hard-hitting data shows that if science educators are not teaching topics indepth then theyre not reaching the potential of the students and, frankly, wasting time. A yearlong biology class taught in-depth produces the same students as a two-year biology class taught with less breadth. To further support this view, John Murdock preformed a study of breadth, depth, and recurrence of the typical physics curricula in the United States: The results show that the U.S. curriculum has low breadth, low depth, and high recurrence. The only statistically significant correlation is between achievement and depth. Depth of curriculum is the only curricular variable that is closely related to physics achievement, so the U.S. physics curriculum should add depth. (2008) Additionally, a study on AP US Government students found that a course of indepth, content-rich project cycles can lead to same or higher scores on the AP exam along with deeper conceptual learning. (Parker et al., 2011) In review, deeper teaching has been shown to markedly increase achievement at both the college and high school level. Breadth teaching may hold a slight edge in standardized test scores but later Ill discuss why that may soon change. Teaching fewer topics in-depth is not as simple as it sounds. Educators much create rich and engaging lessons that facilitate the students learning. So, what does this look like in the classroom?

 One of the most common ways to teach with greater depth is problem based

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learning or PBL. A lesson taught using the PBL method is student centered and learning occurs while the students solve complex and realistic problems (Gallager & Stepien, 1996). It takes more time than most traditional pedagogies but it develops intrinsic motivation, problem solving skills, and deep flexible knowledge. (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998) Blake, Hosokawa, and Riley (2000) reported on an implementation of PBL as a major component of the medical school curriculum at the University of MissouriColumbia. They compared the performances of six classes (from 1995 to 1999) on the United States Medical Licensing Examination. They found that the classes from the PBL curriculum performed substantially better than the classes from traditional, breadth-based curriculum, even on the fact based tests. Hung, Bailey, and Jonassen studied the efficacy of PBL and found that it emphasized higher-order thinking among students and developed group processing skills (2003). The authors noted that both the students attitudes and classroom environment were affected positively. One way to monitor student engagement and excitement is how often they show up for class. Attendance in PBL classrooms is significantly higher than attendance in lecture classes (Lieux, 1996), so there seems to be a link between deeper learning and student engagement. In my experience, Ive seen students lose motivation when the topics are too scattered and they have to start with little or no prior knowledge several times a week. In-depth teaching solves this problem with fewer topics and longer projects. Most days

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the students will know what is happening in class before they arrive. This makes science much less intimidating and much more accessible. Teaching fewer topics more in-depth has been shown to increase student achievement, and develop group-processing skills and deep intellectual thinking. Deeper teaching also increases student engagement in science and school. The only downside may be decreased standardized test scores, but this may soon change. In a interview, Trevor Packer, a vice president of The College Board which creates AP exams said that his organization has been criticized for promoting what some say is a diffuse approach on its Advanced Placement science exams. In response, The College Board is redesigning the exams to emphasize depth and scientific reasoning (Cavanagh, 2009). The first of those revisions came out in September of 2010. There has not been enough data collected since the new exams were introduced but it would seem that depth based learners would have an advantage on the new tests.

Innovation
I want to teach a science curriculum with fewer topics much more in-depth. Our current system covers around ten major topics a quarter and this breadth is unnecessary. Instead, I will emphasize a few concepts and spend a majority of classroom time on them. In so doing, I hope to increase student achievement and motivation while developing critical thinking and problem solving skills.

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Connection
Most students in Nebraska will take the ACT at some time in order to apply for college. The test has a science section that requires no prior knowledge. Instead of testing facts it asks students to interpret writing, charts, and graphs then answer questions about them. I hope that through this project my students will be better prepared for critical thinking tests like the ACT.

Interested Audience
To teachers, students, and administrators the impact of this study could be enormous. If depth truly is the best pedagogy for science education then its possible this is true for other disciplines as well. Teachers want to improve their teaching, and the methods described here might inspire some new ideas. Students should be intrigued because this will increase their learning and their enjoyment. Administrators will be interested because this definitely affects how they assign standards and establish curriculum.

Tradition
This study can be categorized as a triangulated data study. Many different sources of data will be used to ensure consistency and validity of data. Through this method, I hope to understand and account for any biases among the data producers (students) and my own thinking.

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Ethical Principles
I will be gaining permission from my Principal to complete this research project and I will also be asking parent and student permission to collect data from their responses. I will keep all data confidential by collecting data anonymously and changing names to protect identities.

Verification
Student surveys, student comments, journaling, and other data will be completed and gathered in a way that protects anonymity and encourages candid and honest responses. I will also keep and journal and will devote five to ten minutes daily to this endeavor.

Plan to Gather: Data Triangulation

Research Question Data Source 1 Data Source 2 Pretest/Postest using 2003 LPS 7th Grade Science CRT A Notes from dialogue with students. Student surveys of interest in topic, curiosity, and motivation. Notes from dialogue with students. C Student surveys of interest in topic, curiosity, and motivation. Classroom observation by teacher or administrator. Parent survey. Data Source 3

How will depth over ACT Science breadth curriculum affect what facts students are able to retain? What types of activities are middle school students most engaged in? B How will this method help students relate to the topic? Sample Questions

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Plan to Gather Data

Data will be gathered in several ways. At the beginning of the year I will use student surveys and classroom dialogue to gauge student interest and motivation. Then I can establish a baseline or initial reading of student motivation for comparison later in the semester. I will also use the CRT science section as a pretest for fact knowledge. Throughout the course, data will be gathered in more informal ways as well. I will keep a daily journal of personal notes and any notes from dialogue with students. Teacher or administration observation notes will also be kept and analyzed as data. To gather data about whether a growth in critical thinking has occurred I will use parts of the ACT science section and essays and dialogue from students about in-depth topics. At the end of the study a more surveys and posttests will be administered to determine the effectiveness of my methods.

Plan to Analyze
Data will be collected and analyzed as it is created during the project. It is important that the analysis is timely and constant. This will give me the most accurate data to inform my decisions and guide me in further lesson planning. This will give me the best opportunity to alter my methods during the project.

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Timeline of Events
July 2012 Resource Methods Class EDU 603 Create Research Proposal August 2012 Get administrative permission, send home parent permission slips, give initial student surveys and pretests. Start teaching in-depth! September October 2012 Monitor progress and effectiveness of methods through ongoing data analysis. Use of student dialogue notes and observational data will be key. Adjust methods as needed. November 2012 Analyze and evaluate data. Create summary of Action Research and presentation - EDU 604.

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References
Blake, R.L., Hosokawa, M.C., and Riley, S.L. (2000). Student Performance on Step 1 and Step 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination Following Implementation of a Problem-Based Learning Curriculum. Academic Medicine, (75), 66-70. Cavanagh, S. (2009). Depth Matters in High School Science Studies. Education Week, 28(24), 1-17. Gallager, S., & Stepien, J. (1996). Content acquisition in problem-based learning: Depth versus breadth in american studies. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 19(3), 257-275. Hung, W., Bailey, J. H., & Jonassen, D. H. (2003). Exploring the Tensions of ProblemBased Learning: Insights from Research. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (96), 13-23. Lieux, E. M. (1996). A comparative study of learning in lecture vs. problem-based format. About Teaching. (50). Murdock, J. (2008). Comparison of curricular breadth, depth, and recurrence and physics achievements of TIMSS population 3 countries. International Journal of Science Education, 30(9), 1135-1157. Parker, W., Mosborg, S., Bransford, J., Vye, N., Wilkerson, J., & Abbott, R. (2011). Rethinking advanced high school coursework: tackling the depth/breadth tension in the AP US Government and Politics course. Journal of Curriculum Studies,43(4), 533-559.

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Schwartz, M. S., Sadler, P. M., Sonnert, G., & Tai, R. H. (2009). Depth versus breadth: How content coverage in high school science courses relates to later success in college science coursework. Science Education, 93(5), 798-826. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. (pp. 131-133). ASCD. Zhao, Y. (2005). Increasing Math and Science Achievement: The Best and Worst of the East and West. Phi Delta Kappan, 87(3), 219-222.

Readings
Carroll, K. (2011). What if they believed us? How well prepared are art educators to deliver on the promises of are education? Arts Education Policy Review, 112(1), 9-25. Fischer, C., Bol, L., & Pribesh, S. (2011). An investigation of higher-order thinking skills in smaller learning community social studies classrooms. American Secondary Education,39(2), 5-26. Hilberg, N., & Bankert, J. (2011). Extra breadth and depth in undergraduate education: The institutional impact of an interdisciplinary honors research fellowship. Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council, Fall/Winter 2011, 75-77. Martin, J., Blennerhassett, J., Hardman, D., & Mundy, J. (2009). Development of the surgical science examination of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons surgical education and training programme: Putting the chicken before the egg. Surgical Education, (79), 169-174.

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Sorensen, P., Newton, L., & McCarth, S. (2012). Developing a science teacher education course that supports student teachers thinking and teaching about the nature of science. Research In Science & Technological Education, 30(1), 29-47. SURN Staff. (2009, March 13). Depth vs. breadth for addressing course content. SchoolUniversity Research Network, DOI: www.surn.com Thiry, H., Laursen, S.L., & Hunter, A. (2011). What experiences help students become scientists? A comparative study of research and other sources of personal and professional gains for STEM undergraduates. Journal of Higher Education, 82(4), 357-388. Wineburg, S. S. (1997). Beyond "breadth and depth": Subject matter knowledge and assessment. Theory into Practice, 36, 255-261.

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Findings and Discussion Student Surveys The data collected from the entrance and exit questionnaire provided the majority of the information regarding the students disposition and motivation concerning science class. The following pie charts depict the control and experimental groups answers. The questionnaire was administered twice during the data collection phase: at the beginning of the school year and at the end of the project. The survey questions were grouped into two categories. The first category was about how the students felt about their success and motivation in science class. The second category summarized the students feelings about their participation in science in the future and its importance to their education. For clarity the categories were named Present and Future. Control Group: Present Feelings

The control group showed no significant gains or losses in how they felt about their success and motivation in science class over the course of the project.

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Experimental Group: Present Feelings

The experimental group did show a significant gain in their motivaion and how they felt about their success in science class. The pre survey showed that 41% of students felt positively or very positively about their success and motivation in science class. This increased to 65% by the end of the study. Both of these results were supported by my personal notes about each group. During the course of the study it seemed that the experimental group were much more engaged in the learning process and more excited about the material. The Future survey data showed a similar trend. Control Group: Future in Science

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Experimental Group: Future in Science

The survey showed that the students in the experimental group feel much more positively about their future in science and its importance to their education than the control group. The difference between the two groups is not as striking in the Future category, but the difference is significant. The control group became more polarized about their future in science. The neutral percentage shrank and both positive and negative percentages grew. However, in the experimental group negative percentages shrank and positive percentages grew. The extra time spent on single topics and the freedom granted to experimental group students to explore their own interests in those topics most likely led to the positive increases in both Present and Future survey categories. Again, this is supported by my personal notes from student comments during class. Classroom Observation

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Parent Survey

Summary of Motivation, Engagement, and Relatability

ACT Science Sample Questions

LPS Criterion-Referenced Tests (CRT)

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Appendix STUDENT SURVEY Please circle the answer that best describes how you feelings. This survey is anonymous and your answers will not affect your grade or how much Mr. Harmon likes you. 1. I like learning about science. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree

2. Science is important to the world around us. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree 3. I would like a job that uses science. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree 4. I am good at science. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree

5. Doing science makes me nervous or upset. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree 6. Knowing science will help me get a job. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree

7. I usually understand what we are doing in science. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree 8. Working as a scientist sounds boring to me.

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Strongly Agree

Agree

Disagree Disagree Disagree Disagree

Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree

9. Science is difficult for me. Strongly Agree Agree 10. Science is fun. Strongly Agree Agree

11. I could be a scientist. Strongly Agree Agree

Depth over Breadth Classroom Observation

Encouragement to Engage in Critical Thinking ***Primary Question for Observers: During the observed class session, to what extent did the learning processes encourage students to engage in the following cognitive processes? 1. Memorizing facts, ideas, methods so that they can be repeated in pretty much the same form: Very Much Somewhat Minimally Not at all Comments: 2. Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience or theory: Very Much Somewhat Minimally Not at all Comments: 3. Synthesizing and organizing of ideas, information, and experiences in new ways: Very Much Somewhat Minimally Not at all Comments:

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4. Judging value or soundness of information, arguments, or methods: Very Much Somewhat Minimally Not at all Comments: 5. Applying theories or concepts to practical problems in new situations: Very Much Somewhat Minimally Not at all Comments: 6. Did the instructor create an engaging learning experience? Please answer on back of sheet. Thanks for your help!