Data Collection Methods

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.

“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, (3^rd 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).