Action Research Outline

I. Introduction:

I teach 7th and 6th grade math and I have the opportunity to loop with the students who are not honors students. My innovation plan was blended learning in the math classroom through the station-rotation model. I noticed after the summer how my students have appeared to forget everything they had learned last year while I was working to implement my innovation plan.

I couldn’t help but ask, “Why is this happening?” and “How can I support students in making the connections to different math concepts strong enough to last our 7 week summer?” I want to know if a deep conceptual understanding is supported by the methodology. The “Why Process” template was a great help in determining what I could actually do to support myself in the struggle. After learning about Building Thinking Classrooms by Peter Liljedahl, I want to try to implement some of those findings to enhance the blended learning environment I am creating.

A. Action Research Topic: Enhancing conceptual understanding in the blended learning environment 

B. Purpose of Study: The purpose of the study is to determine whether or not using vertical surfaces and randomized groupings supports students’ conceptual understanding in mathematics. I want to see if the collaboration aspect of learning supports students in deeper, more memorable understandings of content. My question falls under the category Mertler (2020) describes as “Trying a new teaching method” (p.56). 

C. Fundamental Research Questions: 

1. How is conceptual understanding affected when students experience randomized groups writing on vertical surfaces to solve introductory math problems over new content? 
2. What perceptions do students have regarding the blended learning environment and their current levels of conceptual understanding in the blended learning environment?

II. Research Design: Mixed Methods

1. Quantitative
2. Qualitative
3. Why? My research will need to be a mixed methods approach. I want to collect data from my three 7th grade math classes. Prior to experiencing the random groupings and collaborating on vertical surfaces, I want to give students a pretest that requests they model/ explain the concept. I will then have a rubric that measures the depth of their understanding of the concept prior to the collaborative exploratory thin-slicing of a topic, and then I’ll provide the same question in the post-test and use the rubric again to assess. I also plan to give the students a survey regarding their experience.

III. What is the Most Appropriate Data to Collect

1. Types of Measurement Instruments

1.  Student pre-test on conceptual understanding 
   1. Rubric usage to score (Quantitative)
2. Student post-test on conceptual understanding 
   1. Rubric usage to score (Quantitative)
3. Student survey regarding personal understanding of concept and perceptions of the experience
   1. Pre-test and post-test (Qualitative)

IV. Focus of Literature Review

The focus of my literature review will be analyzing how to implement and promote conceptual understanding. When I was learning about blended learning, the student-paced opportunities were emphasized, but possibly can lean too heavily on promoting mimicking mathematics strategies and skills without truly developing deep, memorable understandings. Creating a way to use writing on vertical surfaces and randomized groupings to introduce topics within the blended learning environment might be able to support this area the station rotation model that I was implementing lacked. 

References: 

Mertler, C. A. (2019). Action research: Improving schools and empowering educators (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.