Memo 4- Possible Research Questions

Memo 4 - Possible Research Questions

When considering possible research questions, I found it most useful to consult my teacher journal. In my past entries I found five major themes: empathy, ideas of success, cellphones, music, and goal setting. Below is an explanation of how the research topic was determined and why it is important to study.

Research Question 1: What is the effect of empathy activities on student relationships.

              Throughout the last year and a half of teaching, I have witness several behaviors and situations where I have wondered if my students have a strong sense of empathy. For instance, I have watched students break keys off school laptops, write and draw on laptops and desks, break apart provided classroom pens, and break each other’s belongings. When I see these actions I find myself asking, “why” and “did he/she consider how this would make someone feel?”. Usually the answers to my questions are, “I don’t know”, and “probably not”, respectively.

              Having the opportunity to research these questions and possibly seek answers would be incredible. This research question is important because as a teacher it is my responsibility to not only teach my students content but also teach them social and emotional skills they can use to navigate life outside the classroom. Empathy is an important skill to have for building relationships, understanding different perspectives, and problem solving. If my students do not have a strong sense or understanding of empathy, they could potentially struggle succeeding in their everyday lives. Therefore, researching empathy and its effect on student relationships could be a beneficial experience for my students and myself.

Research Question 2: What is the effect of inquiry on students’ idea of success.

              Last spring the science department made science fair part of the curriculum. Each student was responsible for creating, designing, and conducting their own experiment. The science fair was incredible, students were engaged, excited, and ended the year feeling successful! This year our school has changed from a “traditional” school to a “self-directed” learning environment. In this self-directed learning environment there is little room for inquiry-based learning and I have found that student engagement and feelings of success have disappeared. I find myself constantly wondering what was it exactly about inquiry that worked so well for my students? Why did they end the year feeling so successful?  

              Inquiry-based learning is known for providing students the chance to explore their interests and determine their own strengths. Therefore, it can be suggested that students will be more engaged, and in turn, will find more success from their learning. It would be interesting to implement inquiry-based learning in tandem with the self-directed curriculum to determine what types of success my students find important? Is it academic growth represented by letter grades? Is success the ability to ask a question and find the answer? I’m not sure what success means to my students but, I do believe that if I knew, I would be able to adapt my teaching style to better support my students and their needs.

Research Question 3: What is the effect of cellphone usage on student relationships.

              Over the year a half of teaching I have struggled enormously with cellphones in my classroom. Students refuse to put their phones away and typically become incredibly upset and emotional when their phones are eventually confiscated. What I find more interesting is that my students do more communicating with each other through their phones than they do verbally in class. Students in the same class will be texting each other on their phones but won’t talk to one another face to face. If the students do communicate, the conversations are surface level and simple. I also find that because of cellphones my students struggle with managing conflict and struggle with building relationships or friendships with one another.

              From witnessing this behavior consistently for almost two years, I wonder how student relationships would change if cellphone usage was to decrease in my class. Would my students start to speak to one another more, would they learn more about each other, would they become more accepting of each other, would they start to manage conflict face to face instead of behind a screen?

Increasing student interactions is important because it will help my students learn how to effectively communicate. Furthermore, it will provide my students the chance to grow from one another and begin to learn how to build healthy friendships and relationships. Therefore, understanding if there is a connection between cellphone usages and student relationships is important, and can help inform my teaching practices for the future.  

Research Question 4: What is the effect of listening to music on academic outcomes.

              The fourth theme of my teacher journal is music. My students are constantly listening to music. They try and listen to music from the moment they enter my classroom to the moment they leave. They even try to listen to music while a friend or teacher is talking. Music has become a vital element of my students’ everyday lives and therefore could be a great research topic. How is music affecting my students, and more importantly, how is music affecting my student’s academic outcomes?

              Most of my student’s claim that they need music to do work and to stay focused, they state that they are dependent on it and can’t work without it. What I find interesting is that when I was a student I was incapable of doing work with music and still am to this day. So why are my students so dependent on something that caused me such disruption? This tension makes me wonder, are my student truly benefitting from listening to music while they work? Are there certain types of work my students can do when paired with music? What will happen to my students’ academic success if they don’t listen to music?

              I find this research question exciting because it will not only help me understand music’s place in my classroom, but it could also help my students reflect on their learning and their needs. This research question provides an opportunity for my students to understand why they want to having music with them always, is that music helpful or harmful for their academic success, and when is it appropriate to play music in an academic setting. I am excited for this research questions because it will provide insight for my classroom rules and teaching pedagogy, while also providing my students the chance to reflect on their needs.

Research Question 5: What effect will goal setting have on student engagement?

              The last theme of my teacher research journal is goal setting. This theme arose from several passages in my research journal where I mention that students are claiming they don’t remember what we did the day before and, in fact, need help remembering what work was completed and where to go to find that work. When I have these conversations I am astonished, confused, and frustrated. How is it, that my students can’t remember what they did just the day before? When I consider the possible answers or solutions I can’t help but think about goal setting? Is goal setting the answer? Will my students be more invested in their learning if they set goals, and therefore, would they remember what to do day-to-day and not need so much guidance remembering.

              Goal setting and remembering what has been done and what needs to get done is a very important skill for my student to develop. This skill will help my students both in and out of the classroom. Successful individuals can set goals, plan how to accomplish those goals, and keep themselves on task. As a teacher it is my responsibility to help my students build skills they can use outside of the classroom and I believe that implementing goal setting could have a positive effect on student engagement and academic success.