Title: Researching K16 Mathematics and Science Classrooms: Considerations and Challenges to Conducting Clas
1Researching K-16 Mathematics and Science
Classrooms Considerations and Challenges to
Conducting Classroom-Based Research
- Kathryn Chval
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- March 23, 2007
2Overview of the Session
- Current Context
- Added Conflict for Research/Practice
- An Illustration from One Research Study
- Strategies for Addressing the Conflict
- Illustrations from Research Studies
3Todays Context
- No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
- (NCLB, 2002).
- Opportunities or Burdens
4Scientifically-based Research
NCLB (2002) also requires that schools receiving
Title I funds use effective methods and
instructional strategies that are based on
scientifically based research, defined as
research that involves the application of
rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to
obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to
education activities and programs.
5Schools Requesting Research?
- For example, They want to know which of the
commercially available mathematics curriculum
sic are effective in enhancing student
learning (p. 5).
6The Good News
These federal requirements and the resulting
requests from practitioners for research have led
political leaders and funding agencies to
encourage and support research intended to
provide guidance for schools efforts to enhance
student achievement.
7The Bad News
- The current context of high-stakes accountability
and public access to information may, in fact,
impede active collaboration between practitioners
and researchers.
8An Illustration
- The following case discusses the current climate
and illustrates several key challenges that we
encountered in organizing and conducting research
on the impact of school mathematics curriculum
materials on teacher practice and student
achievement.
9Challenges
- Acquiring Consent and Student Achievement Data
- Capturing Teacher Practices
10Student Achievement Data
The purpose of standardized tests has
changed. With the publics renewed interest in
mathematics achievement, the politicians cry for
increased student performance, and the demand by
both for more accountability, it is not
surprising that schools are less inclined to
participate in research involving the
administration of tests or the release of student
data.
11Teacher Responsibilities
- In the current educational context, additional
pressures and responsibilities, such as preparing
students for high-stakes assessments and
documenting alignment with state and district
standards, have placed additional time
constraints on teachers schedules. It is not
surprising that participation in research
activities that do not provide clear, direct, and
immediate benefits for improving teacher practice
or student learning is not at the top of a
teachers priority list.
12Observing Classrooms
- In our study, the greatest intrusion was the
requirement that unknown investigators observe
teachers mathematics instruction. Some teachers
felt uneasy and uncomfortable about being
observed. One teacher confessed to us that the
scheduled observations caused sleeplessness and
nausea. That reaction led us to ponder, Why
should teachers open their classrooms to
researchers?
13Symptomatic of a Larger Issue
- The obstacles we faced in designing and
conducting one study are echoed countless times
by other researchers in other settings (e.g.,
DeBoer et al., 2004 Shafer, 2004 Weiss, Pasley,
Smith, Banilower, Heck, 2003). - As Whitehurst (2003) indicated, 77 of the
school superintendents and local education
officials in a recent survey spontaneously
criticized existing research for its overly
theoretical and academic orientation. A typical
response was There may be less than one percent
of the existing research thats really meaningful
to teachers. (p. 5)
14Widening the Gap
- Educational research is not embedded in school
cultures or the decision-making practices of
teachers, and many educators are indifferent
toward research (Hiebert, Gallimore, Stigler,
2002 Whitehurst, 2003). Although this problem
was identified many years ago (Fennema, 1981
Kilpatrick, 1992), the education field does not
appear to be making progress in addressing the
problem.
15Need Strategies to Address the Problem
- If researchers explicitly demonstrated the
benefits of collaborative research to
practitioners, then practitioners might become
more likely to collaborate with researchers. - For educational research to have the opportunity
to benefit both researchers and practitioners, it
is imperative that researchers identify and
implement strategies to address the gap between
themselves and practitioners, build trust with
school district personnel, provide attractive
incentives for research participation, support
schools in collecting relevant data, and better
inform practitioners about the work that they do.
16Strategies
- 1. Establish new venues for interactions between
practitioners and researchers, including forums
for practitioners to discuss and share specific
problems of practice.
17Example I Wonder
- What research regarding the organization and use
of mathematics curriculum (standards, textbooks,
assessments) would provide school administrators
and teachers needed information to make
well-informed decisions?
18What do you wonder?
- Do you think researchers, teachers, and
administrators wonder about different things? Why
or why not? - What do you wonder about?
19Responses from Our Group
- Underrepresented Groups
- Math Specialists
- Relationship between reading and mathematics
- Impact of Different Tracks on Student
Learning/Success/Retention in Mathematics - Influence of State Testing
20Strategies
- 2. Demonstrate how educational research is
conducted, how research can serve practitioners
interests, and how they can play a role in
accumulating professional knowledge to advance
the field.
21Example
Play Video
22Another View
Play Video
23Intervening
Play Video
24Strategies
- 3. Develop partnerships and long-term
relationships between researchers and
practitioners (including future teachers) that
enhance practitioner participation and
collaboration in research studies.
25Strategies
- 4. Communicate questions, findings, and
implications to the broader community (parents,
general public, and policymakers).
26Thank you!
- Thank you for your interest and hopefully your
willingness to continue the conversation with
others.