Teaching as Research (Jason)

Posted by on February 16, 2010 
Filed under Uncategorized

Ever since we discussed teaching as a research process (design, deliver, gather results, analyze results, etc.)  I can’t help but see the classroom in this way.  Today was my first real exam day for my morning classes and I felt like I was handing out my data collection tool, not a test.  I designed the course, the discussions, the video’s, the group work, the writings to prepare students to be able to think sociologically.  I then designed a measurement (my test) to see if the course design is working as expected.  I hypothesized that these methods would lead to a specific set of learning outcomes, and now I am gathering the data.  That “research” analogy has made me look at grading in a very different light.

This made me think about a study conducted in Montgomery County.  As in most schools, students had to “test into” the higher level math classes.  So if you weren’t ready for algebra you didn’t get an Algebra class.  Well in this experiment they did the exact opposite.  Students that tested poorly on the math section got a double dose of algebra class.   The standardized math test was now being viewed as a way to gauge student needs, not a way to gauge IQ, personal ability, work ethic, worthiness, etc.  So the appropriate response to a low math score was MORE math, not LESS math.  Approaching grading in this way is much more productive process because it can lead to self reflection and becoming a better teacher.

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