Measurement Strategy & Connecting and Communicating Your Ideas
Over the past eight weeks, I’ve had the chance to delve into the topic of Action Research. When I used to hear the term "research," I associated it with something impersonal, typically undertaken for a mandatory assignment or a work project. The benefits of such traditional research are rarely experienced by the researcher themselves. However, Action Research is quite the opposite. It is personal and immediately beneficial to both the researcher and others within the organization. The topics for Action Research stem from an individual's current position and a need that is deeply personal and motivating. This type of research is an intensive study where educators assess the effectiveness of their own practices. Based on the results, they plan for improvement, and the research proceeds in a cyclical nature.
Throughout the course of this journey, I have been given the chance to refine my Innovation Plan and measure the results. I identified a situation that I felt needed improvement and started to develop my action research plan. This plan will be conducted in order to get valuable data to make a significant change within my district's science department. I aim to expand to other content departments after evaluating data from this first stage. My research sought to answer the question, “How does optimizing station rotations in a blended learning environment impact student engagement and achievement? With this question in mind, I outlined a plan for my research.
Action research is divided into four stages: planning, acting, developing, and reflecting (Mertler, 2017).
The infographic to the left breaks the action research process into four stages with steps in each stage.
Action research extends beyond traditional research methods by enabling individuals to critically examine their own teaching practices and actively transform situations, rather than just analyzing them. This process empowers educators to enhance their practices through a continuous cycle of planning, acting, developing, and reflecting.
The initial stage of action research is the planning phase, where the researcher identifies and narrows down the topic. Creating an outline assists in this process by organizing and streamlining information. This outline allowed me to focus on my fundamental research question and design, as well as the methods and measurements for data collection. As I advance in my research, it's essential to address several important questions. The outline has been instrumental in organizing my thoughts and ensuring that my plan remains focused and comprehensive.
With a plan in place, I then reviewed existing research on blended learning rotational models. The findings from this review are compiled in my Literature Review.
Examining the related literature provides a deeper insight into the research topic, helping the researcher understand what to look for and comprehend the subject matter. Equipped with the knowledge I gained from the Literature Review; I was prepared to develop my comprehensive action research plan for the upcoming months.
The action research plan, an integral part of the planning stage, outlines each step the researcher will take during the action research process. It evaluates the effectiveness of the blended learning rotation model in the science classroom. This involves surveying and interviewing students, making observations, analyzing data, and communicating and reflecting on the results. Action research empowers educators to scrutinize their teaching practices, identifying areas of strength and those needing improvement.
What is the topic of your action research?
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This study examines the impact of optimizing station rotations in blended learning: Enhancing student engagement and achievement through teacher-led, online, and offline stations.
What is the purpose of your study?
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The purpose of this study is to explore how optimizing station rotations in a blended learning environment can enhance student engagement and achievement. Specifically, it aims to examine the effectiveness of teacher-led, online, and offline stations in providing a balanced and engaging learning experience. The goal is to identify best practices and strategies that can be applied to improve the rotational model and, ultimately, student outcomes.
What is your fundamental research question?
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How does optimizing station rotations in a blended learning environment impact student engagement and achievement?
This question directly targets the core of my study, looking to understand the relationship between well-structured station rotations and the outcomes they have on student performance and involvement.
What is your research design? Qualitative, quantitative both (mixed methods) Why?
- For my research topic on optimizing station rotations in blended learning, a mixed-methods approach would be ideal. This combines the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative research. Quantitative data could provide measurable evidence of student engagement and achievement through test scores, attendance records, and other metrics. On the other hand, qualitative data could offer deeper insights into the student and teacher experiences, capturing perspectives through interviews, focus groups, and observations. This holistic view would allow you to thoroughly explore how different station rotations impact learning outcomes.
- These are valuable qualitative research methods, but they have some key differences between them:
- Focus Groups leverage group interaction: These involve group discussions (typically 6-12 people) where participants interact with each other and the facilitator while discussing a topic together. The emphasis is on the group dynamic and how participants influence each other’s perspectives. The interaction between participants can generate new insights as they build on each other’s ideas. This method is great for exploring a range of perspectives and understanding how group dynamics influence opinions on a topic.
- Interviews offer in-depth insights from individuals: These are one-on-one conversations between the researcher and a participant. Interviews provide a deeper dive into individual thoughts, experiences and opinions. There is no influence from others in the group, so the responses are more detailed and personal. They can be more flexible and allow for follow-up questions tailored to the participant’s responses.
- Observations: Happen when you are watching and recording behaviors and interactions in a natural setting. It’s about capturing what people actually do rather than what they say they do. The “actions speak louder in words”. This method is useful for understanding real-time behaviors, routines, and contexts.
Each method offers unique insights, so they can complement each other in a comprehensive study.
What is the most appropriate type of data to collect?
- For my mixed-methods approach, I will use a variety of data to get a full picture.
- Quantitative Data: Test scores, attendance records, engagement metrics (like how much time was spent on tasks), and completion rates. These provide measurable evidence of student achievement and participation.
- Qualitative Data: Include interviews and focus groups with students and teachers, observational notes, and reflective journals. This helps capture personal experiences and insights that numbers alone can't show.
Combining these will give me a well-rounded view of how the station rotations are impacting my learners.
What types of measurement instruments will you use?
- Surveys and Questionnaires: These can measure student engagement, satisfaction, and perceptions of the station rotations. I will use Likert scales for quantitative data and open-ended questions for qualitative insights.
- Tests and Assessments: These include standardized tests, quizzes, and formative assessments. All of these can provide quantitative data on student achievement and learning outcomes.
- Observation Checklists/journals: I will use these to systematically record behaviors and engagement levels during station activities. This can be a mix of quantitative (frequency of behaviors) and qualitative (notes on interactions) data.
- Interviews and Focus Groups: Conduct these with students and teachers to gather in-depth qualitative data on their experiences and perceptions.
Reflective Journals: Encourage students and teachers to keep journals that reflect on their experiences, which can offer rich qualitative data.
What is the focus of your literature review?
- My literature review summarizes what blended learning is, explores the effects of the blended learning model, and discusses student rotation options, and student choice.
***Communicating & reflecting are done throughout all stages as needed and when appropriate.***
The faculty, staff, administration, and stakeholders were chosen because they are the ones who will help continue making changes within the district. They are the ones who will continue to embrace and implement a blended learning rotation model within their own classrooms. The administration will help with supporting the teachers in the process and helping with resources, and training as needed. The stakeholders within the district will help financially to ensure that students have the technology and supplies needed in the classroom to make the station rotations successful.
Upon completing my action research study, I will be able to utilize the results to assist other disciplines in our organization in developing blended learning programs for their subject areas. The findings should provide them with the necessary information to create a well-structured curriculum, which they can further refine using their own research questions tailored to their specific content area. Additionally, I can leverage the insights and data collected to refine survey and interview questions, ensuring other teams gather the most relevant data and information.
As I continue to implement my Innovation Plan in my new district, I am confident that the research conducted during this course will facilitate a successful transition to blended learning rotation models in science classes, creating a rewarding experience for both my colleagues and students.
Mertler, C. A. (2020). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators. SAGE Publications, Inc.
