ED509753
ED509753
ED509753
Abstract:
Planning effective instruction for a classroom full of learners demands that the
educator know what works and more importantly what works better for the group of
people residing in the educator's classroom today. This action research study tested the
adoption at the researchers school and that of guided note taking. Each strategy was
The researcher used student growth, which was determined by the difference
observed between a student's pre-test percentage score and their final unit test
Measurable growth was observed with both strategies. The All Assessments strategy
showed greater and more consistent growth among learners than that which was
observed during the Notes strategy. These findings indicate that more research is
needed on the effectiveness of using assessments for learning and a need for further
study to evaluate the efficacy of guided note taking. Findings in this study should be
considered as illuminating but not conclusive as the sample used is not generalizable.
Robert Ojeda
May, 2010
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by
Robert Ojeda
A project
submitted in partial
May, 2010
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Scores ...................................................................................................14
Figure 2 Notes Pre-Test and Final Test Raw Percentage Scores .......15
Test.......................................................................................................16
V. Conclusions ........................................................................ 18
REFERENCES......................................................................... 21
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I. The Problem
and abilities are brought together with the expressed purpose of developing knowledge
and skills that will assist students in growing as individuals while preparing them for the
next level in their academic lives. The classroom where this study took place embodies
these conditions and strives towards these intentions. To effectively realize success as
measured by today's formal assessments this researcher recognizes the need to find,
specialize and implement a system of instructional strategies which will help assure that
each of these groups of learners are engaged, challenged and trained to use their skills
The students comprising the sample in this study class are energetic, curious and
reside in a supportive and peaceful mountain community. In pre-algebra the half are
performing at grade level with about 25% below and about 25% or so above. Are there
ways challenge each learner and teach them in a way that best meets their needs while
doing so for all learners? Are there instructional strategies that could be implemented
that would yield better results for more students? Can this be accomplished within the
confines of the time currently used to plan? A safe assumption is that there is likely to
be many permutations of strategies that can be implemented in this classroom that will
purpose of this action research study will be to evaluate the specific effectiveness of
The study sample of students are distributed by their performance on the 2009
California Standards Test for Math as, Advanced 24%, Proficient 29%, Basic 41%, Below
Basic 6%, Far Below Basic 0% (CST Report, 2009). It has been observed by the
researcher that this group of students are generally encouraged to keep up with their
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academic work. The group is comprised of fifteen students, most of whom have been in
the same class together for the duration of their school years.
Finding the right strategies for todays students is important, but so is developing
strategies that can be used as a base program from which to specialize for the next year's
Purpose of Study
This action research study sought to locate and evaluate instructional strategies for
use in teaching pre-algebra to a specific group of seventh grade students. The purpose
Definition of Terms
In this study I will be using the term "self-contained" which is define as a group of
students who are taught all core academic subjects, physical education and art by the
same teacher. When referring to the subject I will at time use the term "diverse
by the 2009 CST test and formative assessments administered by this groups regular
school teacher, myself. The abbreviation CST stands for the California Standards Tests.
The term STAR refers to the California's Standardized Testing and Reporting.
Research Questions
What strategies can I use in my self-contained classroom during math that will allow
me to meet the needs of my advanced, grade level and low performing students? Can an
when used result in an improvement in the consistency and quantity of growth each
summative assessment?
A person's ability to reflect on his/her work is important for the process of learning to
be successful. McMillan and Hearn explain, "Evaluating what they learned, what they
still need to work on, and how they can get there can all support deeper understanding
rather than superficial knowledge" (2008). Reflection can take many forms including,
students grading their own assessments which are then used to guide them in their
Campos and O'Hern, "feedback from... assessments can be used to help students with
goal setting. This allows the students to take responsibility for their learning and
become more independent learners" (Campos, 2007). Developing students into self-
motivated learners likely requires shifting the reins of their learning into student hands.
Access to control over their learning appears to motivate personal responsibility and a
achievement. Evertson and Neal discuss the use of assessment, "ongoing formative
assessment [is] a means for determining what [has] been learned and what else [is]
facilitates learning and can substantially raise student achievement" (2006). Students
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who receive regular and specific feedback in the form of formative assessment should
this classroom study" (2003). The group who are being taught must be carefully
considered when determining what type of feedback will aid them in developing their
The objective of assessment must be consistent with the nature of it's implementation,
"the goals for developing diagnostic item models for formative assessment are
quite different from... [research] goals... First, we are less concerned with generating
instances with psychometric parameters that can be predicted very accurately, and more
the information that will aid in planning effective instruction in addition to supporting
When construction assessment which will determine the efficacy of certain strategies
instruction in the classroom is not geared toward the same objectives as those measured
on the assessment, or the assessment may, in fact, fail to provide information about
student's strengths and weaknesses as real targets for further instruction" (McDivitt,
2003). What is assessed is what should be instructed or the results cannot be trusted as
when notes are involved as a tool for recording new information and during the process
students copy and pasting notes from internet sources Igo, Bruning and Riccomini
explain that, "students might not learn much during the encoding phase if they do not
engage in deep mental processes as they take notes... in the external storage phase of
note learning, students learn as they study a set of notes that already have been created"
(Igo, 2009). It is important that when notes are used as a tool for study that they should
be created carefully so as to assure their legibility and accuracy. One of the concerns the
study raised was that when students reviewed using their own hand created notes they
often reinforced errors and omissions that were recorded or missed in the encoding
phase.
choose items to include while note taking. Igo suggests that educators, "teach students
how to evaluate which ideas to include in their notes, [as it] could have positive
consequences for both the encoding and the external storage phases of note learning"
(Igo, 2009). If taught to strategically consider the content they include in their notes,
students should benefit by having both less to study which will be more time and energy
efficient and the information they will be reviewing will be of a higher quality.
In a study by Neil Toporski and Tim Foley the need for a streamlined interactive
approach is indicated. The researcher studied the unique needs of the modern distance
education class setting. In this report it was explained that there exists a trend towards
providing "theatrical" and "diverse... presentation methods." The authors list strategies
formulated during the study that promote a successful schooling experience, they,
provide adequate scaffolding" (Toporski, 2004). Mr. Toporski and Mr. Foley's
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conclusion validates the conclusions of similar studies that a more effective classroom
can be created in the physical space of a classroom or within the e-classroom by using
differentiated approaches that stimulate the many people take in new information.
Katherine Gibson studied how teachers perceive strategy based reading instruction
and its affect on comprehension. Her study was based on a small sample of teachers
who had a positive attitude going into the study about using strategy based reading. She
discovered that, "[teachers] surveyed have positive feelings towards strategy based
reading instruction... [and] find strategy based reading instruction an effective way to
improve reading comprehension," (Gibson, 2009). Ms. Gibson's study supports the idea
second chance (Guskey, 2003). This researcher is curious if modifying the current
method of assessment to include several "chances" to hit the mark will yield higher
reports study results that show a average 34 point percentile gain and a 0.50 standard
deviation from the mean for a subject who uses the strategy of note taking and
summarizing (Marzano, 2003). In this study I will evaluate the effectiveness of, "asking
summaries,... asking students to revise their notes, and/or correcting errors and adding
notes after first taking them. They should be regarded as a malleable model which
represents the learners current understanding of and needs for the focus content.
attitudes and methods of implementation. Some have advocated for diving in where the
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whole system is transformed rapidly, while many more have called for a gradual
adoption process with a long term more is better philosophy. Sondergeld and Shultz
advise: "use content you feel comfortable teaching; do not attempt to differentiate every
lesson you teach—you will get frustrated and feel burnt out; begin slowly, with maybe
only one or two differentiated units a year; invite parents or classroom aides into the
classroom to assist with" (Sondergeld, 2008). Change in the classroom routine and
lesson design should be gradual so as to maintain the energy and vigor of learners as
well as educators.
Self evaluation is key to understanding what is working and what can be improved.
Friend and Pope outline what each teacher needs to focus on in and some simple
guidelines for success, "First, sometimes the most successful way to go about changing is
to do so in small increments... Second, find colleagues with whom to share your efforts...
Third, set goals for yourself and celebrate when you accomplish them... Finally,
(Friend, 2005). This descriptive report reinforces what has been stated by the Center
the expected response from students as initiated by the nature of the relationship
Motivation as a Basic Educational Praxis," Steven Van Hook examines the nature of this
relationship. The term "andragogy" is used to describe the paradigm shift that is and
must happen in education. Whereby "pedagogy" is rooted in the concept of the teacher
guiding the child in learning, andragogy instead views the learner in terms of
participating in their own self-actualized learning experience (Van Hook, 2008). This
calls to mind the concept of "ownership" often used to describe when students are
observed applying the concepts they have learned in new novel ways.
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Summary and note taking when properly executed require extracting the essence of
the information being studied. Marzano explains, "students must analyze the
about and information that is not, students must be able to mentally sift through and
component of learning will likely result in the development of students abilities to pick
out the information they will most likely need to know for later use. Motivating students
to use this strategy to in a meaningful way might be accomplished by allowing the use of
III. METHODOLOGY
Each strategy selected for evaluation in this study was implemented in this
researchers classroom for two weeks in the following manner. Each new strategy was
isolated from influence by the other strategies during evaluation to the degree practical
in this real classroom environment. Students were instructed using in the researcher's
normal teaching style that included working problems as a group until it was clear to the
researcher that the majority of students were able to continue independently. At this
point instruction continued on a case by case basis as the need presented itself. This
was determined through teacher observation or through the direct request of students.
administered. During the course of the unit, quizzes were administered. The number of
quizzes was determined by the strategy being evaluated. Each quiz was given the
afternoon the day reteaching for the lesson being quizzed had been completed. A mid-
chapter quiz was given after the sixth or seventh unit lesson had been corrected and
described. The unit was completed with a final chapter test consisting of questions from
the whole unit. During testing students were directed to move into "test mode" where
they moved their desks so they had a one foot gap between their desk and their nearest
neighbor. This was done to minimize distractions that might impact assessment results.
Students were not allowed to talk to each other during quizzes and tests. They were
allowed to ask the researcher for clarification on questions. Each quiz and test was
corrected in class by the students and then reviewed by the researcher. This was done to
All unit assessments included with the textbook adoption were used. After each
assessment was given and corrected, either a quiz or test, students were offered the
chance to correct the problems they missed, while displaying their work, for additional
credit. In the case of quizzes, students were offered the chance to earn back all credit by
working the problems out again and resubmitting their corrected quiz. On tests
students were offered the chance to correct their missed problems for half the credit
the opportunity to correct assessments for additional credit. Only raw uncorrected
scores were used in this study. The improved scores were used only for calculating
student grades.
During instruction students were asked to divide a page down the middle. In the left
margin students were directed to take notes that included lesson examples and
vocabulary. In the right margin students were directed to expand on notes with their
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own examples and explanations. A pre-test assessment was given the first day before
instruction. Midway through the unit a mid-chapter test was given. At the end of the
Data used to evaluate the instruction strategies was collected through formative
assessment, observation and summative assessment. Each strategy received a one unit
time frame, which generally worked out to a two week period. The first day of each unit
a complete chapter test was be administered. The score of these assessments was
converted to a percentage mean for the whole class and compared on an individual basis
with mid-chapter assessment scores and the chapter summative assessment scores.
Unit formative assessments consisted of several lesson quizzes given the day after
formal instruction on the quiz content had been completed and only after a session of
homework correction and reteaching. Copies of all assessments were kept to allow for
each section of each assessment. These were used to determine any changes in
To compare the two strategies it was necessary to find a way to measure the efficacy of
each strategy for the class as a whole. The researcher chose to compare growth in scores
from the pretest to the final test (Figure 1 and 2). A mean of this set of differences was
calculated for each strategy as was the standard deviation for each. The justification for
comparing the two strategies in this manner was that this measure quantified the
growth students made during each strategy and provided a clear picture of how
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consistently this growth was seen over the population (as shown by the standard
deviation).
Figure 1 All Assessments Pre-Test and Final Test Raw Percentage Scores
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The subjects showed a mean growth of 55 percentage points in the All Assessments
unit of the study. Individual scores fell within a standard deviation of 14.21 percentage
points of the mean. The highest growth in percentage points observed was observed in
subject 7015 at 79 percentage points of growth. The lowest observed growth was
During the Notes unit subjects showed a mean growth of 31 percentage points. In this
unit scores fell within a standard deviation of 22.86 points from the mean value. The
highest growth was observed with subject 7006, who showed a 67 percentage point
growth from their pretest score. The lowest growth observed during this unit was that of
subject 7005, who showed a -5 percentage points loss from their pre-test score to the
Differences were observed with the two strategy unit mean growth measures (Figure
5). A difference of 24 percentage points separate the two strategy growth means. Data
consistent growth from this population of students. Conversely the Notes strategy
showed less growth and less consistency in the growth students experienced during that
unit.
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V. Conclusions
endless variables to consider that may or may not have a significant impact on the
different strategies. Prior to this study, using all the included assessments that come
with a given curriculum adoption had not seemed, to the researcher, to be of obvious
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benefit. However, the results of this study are convincing enough for this researcher to
consider more carefully the role assessment can play in aiding student learning.
The results of the note-taking unit came as a surprise. It was assumed that the notes
unit would show at least as good a growth as the unit using all assessments. After all,
the strategy of guiding students to expand on their notes both during and after
instruction is frequently and widely encouraged. During the All Assessments unit,
students were not asked to do anything with their notes beyond recording what was
necessary for them to get started on their assignments. If these findings illuminate
anything it is that it is highly beneficial for the educator to have a measure for
determining and to reflect on what kind of growth is occurring during each instructional
units. It is also important to consider carefully what is being included in lessons and
whether or not each of those things is worth the planning and instructional time.
Student motivation may have played a significant role in why the All Assessment
strategy showed greater success. The ever present pressure of a coming formal
assessment coupled with the imediate feedback offered by each student's correcting of
his or her own paper and immediately being given time to correct their errors for
additional credit may be a motivating force. In many ways having frequent assessment
is like the immediate feedback individuals receive when they play a video game. If a
mistake is made the player knows right away and begins looking for ways to complete
the task successfully. Subjects in this study were observed to be highly motivated to
correct their mistakes for additional credit, which in turn provided needed review for
This study was conducted with a very small sample of students and should not be
considered generalizable. As is the nature of action research, in many ways the study
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was designed and redesigned while the units were being instructed. Where it casts light
it exposes even more shadows. Comprehensive and comparable pre-tests were not
available so final chapter tests were given in there place. Growth was assessed based on
the differences between the pre-test score and the final unit test score. In the case of the
all assessments unit it is the researcher's belief that the pre-test given was of greater
difficulty than the final test for that unit. Which if true could mean that the benefits of
established where neither strategy was in use and a larger data set compiled to compare
each strategies performance as averaged over several units time. This study should be
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