Data
Collection Efforts
Many of my fellow educators struggle with student
motivation towards writing as well as the quality of writing that is produced,
even after vast efforts to get the needed production. Much of my planning time is spent on how I
can use writing in my content area, what ideas I can use from my colleagues,
and how to break through the motivational barrier. The purpose of this study is to analyze the
effects that implementing a school newspaper will have on student motivation
towards writing as well as the growth in quality of their writing pieces. This school newspaper will serve as a tool
for the participants to report on happenings in the school that matter to
them. These participants will be the
voice of their fellow students within the school community and will be able to
communicate their thoughts, needs, and wants to the student body as well as to
the teachers. This school newspaper will
have a great connection to culturally responsive instruction due to its content
being taken directly from the participants, select students from the
school. This content will be based on
events and concerns, “hot topics,” within school. In my school, my students love to talk about
what went on the day before in their community, but especially about what went
on at school, this newspaper will provide an avenue for those conversations to
take place, while also addressing the writing need that was previously
mentioned. This newspaper will be
considered as culturally responsive because its content will be what matters to
the students of the school and what they are concerned about, what is important
to them, and any other thoughts that are directly from them. Culturally responsive instruction is, “a
pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and
politically by using culturally referents to impart knowledge, skills, and
attitudes,” (Ladson-Billings, 1994, p.382).
The implemented school newspaper research project will allow students to
communicate what matters to them, the content, and the discussions will be from
them based on what’s going on at the school.
Action research, mentioned by Mills (2011) is, “defined
as any systematic inquiry conducted by teachers, administrators, counselors, or
others with a vested interest in the teaching and learning process or
environment of the purpose of gathering information about how their particular
schools operate, how they teach, and how their students learn (as cited in
Mertler, 2012, p.4). As a part of my
action research, project I have made use of the Garfield Writing Attitude
Survey (Kear, Coffman, McKenna, & Ambrosio, 2000). The Garfield Writing Attitude Survey was used
to gather useful information about the participants’ feelings towards writing,
the writing process, what they write about, how they may feel about their own
writing, etc. I will also employ
interview questions for the participants as well as their regular classroom
teacher in regards to the participant.
Other tools that will be utilized for this action research project are: the ReadWriteThink Writing Rubric (2004), interviewing participants and their respective teachers, and results from the 2014 Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (KPREP) test. During the interview processes I took on the role of participant-observer, where I not only took field notes and recorded responses to the interview questions, but I also actively participated in the discussion with the participant and with their respective teachers. The Writing Rubric as well as the KPREP would help to measure quantitative data, gains or vice versa in the actual pieces of writing by the participants in comparison to prior pieces.
Other tools that will be utilized for this action research project are: the ReadWriteThink Writing Rubric (2004), interviewing participants and their respective teachers, and results from the 2014 Kentucky Performance Rating for Educational Progress (KPREP) test. During the interview processes I took on the role of participant-observer, where I not only took field notes and recorded responses to the interview questions, but I also actively participated in the discussion with the participant and with their respective teachers. The Writing Rubric as well as the KPREP would help to measure quantitative data, gains or vice versa in the actual pieces of writing by the participants in comparison to prior pieces.
“Observation
is a fundamental and highly important method in all qualitative inquiry,”
(Marshall, 2006, p.99). Throughout the
process of beginning the research project, specifically the interview process,
I have made it a point to take observation notes.
These observation notes are reflective of what the participants and their
respective teachers said as well as how they interacted with myself and within
the environment. Because participant
observation involves immersing oneself into the environment that is part of the
study, it is also a cultural learning opportunity. For example, my action research project
involved inquiring about what topics, occurrences, etc. were meaningful and
important to them and their peers.
“Participant observation demands firsthand involvement in the social
world chosen for study,” (Marshall, 2006, p.100). Direct involvement in the social context
allowed for a better understanding of my participants, their thought process,
and how both of these elements relate to the area of writing.
An interview process took place during the initial stages
of the action research project.
Kahn and Cannell (1957)
mentioned that interviewing was, “a conversation with a purpose,” (as cited in
Marshall, 2006, p. 101). For instance,
the purpose of my interviewing of the participants as well as their respective
teachers was to gain information and insight into the inner workings of behind
the thought process of young writers and their feelings towards writing. Throughout the research process, my chosen
methods will offer perspective and insight into the thought process of young
writers and their attitudes towards writing.
References
Kear, D.,
Coffman, G., McKenna, M., & Ambrosio, A. (2000). Measuring attitude toward
reading: A
new
tool for teachers. The Reading Teacher,
Vol. 54, No. 1.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful
teachers of African American children. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Marshall, C. & Rossman, G.B. (2006). Designing
qualitative research, (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage
Publications
Mertler,
C. A. (2012). Action Research: Improving
Schools and Empowering Educators, (3rd Edition).
Los
Angeles: Sage Publications.
ReadWriteThink
(2004). Writing Rubric. Retrieved
from:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson782/Rubric.pdf on January 24, 2014.
Rossman, G. B. & Rallis, S. F. (2003). Learning in the field: An
introduction to qualitative
research (2nd.ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
(169-206).
