Classroom Research & Research Question

Goals Introduce education research terminology Problem Question Taxonomy of questions Draft a research question Begin to think about and start to develop a strong research design

Defining the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) Write a list of words you would use to define the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) - A Brief History According to Boyer: "Excellence in the classroom is all too often undervalued." SoTL involves planning, assessing, and modifying one's teaching. SoTL means applying to teaching the same exacting standards of evaluation that are used in research.

The Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Many definitions Some are discipline, institution specific Systematic investigation of a selected aspect of student learning where data is gathered and analyzed Results are made public

Problem In scholarship and research, having a “problem” is at the heart of the investigative process. …. But in one’s teaching, a “problem” is something you don’t’ want to have and if you have one, you probably want to fix it.” Randy Bass “The Scholarship of Teaching: What’s the Problem?” Inventio

Moving from Problem to Question “ Changing the status of the problem in teaching from terminal remediation to ongoing investigation is precisely what the movement for a scholarship of teaching is all about.” Randy Bass “The Scholarship of Teaching: What’s the Problem?” Inventio

Taxonomy of SoTL Questions What works? -measurement of efficacy What is? -examination of a process What’s possible? -exploration What unifies? -defining models & conceptual frameworks that influence practice

Example

Activity- Examining Articles Hoskins, Lopatto, & Stevens (2011). “The C.R.E.A.T.E. Approach to Primary Literature Shifts Undergraduates’ Self-Assessed Ability to Read and Analyze Journal Articles, Attitudes about Science, and Epistemological Beliefs”. CBE-Life Sciences Education. 10: What is the research problem? What is the research question? Taxonomy of question?

Activity- Examining Articles Darland & Carmichael (2012) “Long-Term Retention of Knowledge and Critical Thinking Skills in Developmental Biology”. JMBE. 13(2): What is the research problem? What is the research question? Taxonomy of question?

Your Turn….. What is your teaching/learning problem? What is/are your research question(s)?

Steps Towards Defining the Problem Ask yourself: 1.What learning/teaching problem do I have? 2.What is the evidence that the problem exists? 3.Is this evidence strong? Are my assumptions few? 4.Is my problem local, nationwide, or global?

Properties of a Good Research Question Something you care about Connects with things others care about Helps open “the black box of student learning” Focused and manageable Leads to other questions

Checklist of things to think about when identifying your research question  Is the scope of your project reasonable?  Is the question one that can be answered?  How much time can you realistically devote to this research?  Have you done a literature review that helps further define your research question?  Do you have expertise in the methods you plan to use?  Do you have colleagues to support you?  Who can help you if you get stuck?

Places to find your answer Exams Reading of student papers Student reflections Student portfolio Classroom assessments Think alouds Survey Focus groups Case study of a single student over time Tracking patterns or achievement