Action Research Project
Teacher-Student Relationships: The Effect on Student Learning and Discipline Occurrences
Background Information Throughout my career, I have witnessed the effectiveness of a positive teacher-student relationship wherein it resulted in fewer office referrals and, more importantly, higher student achievement. It seems that many times the hardest working teacher on the campus is actually less effective than some of the other teachers who seem to be working almost effortlessly. The hardest working teacher spends many more hours working on grading and planning, but still has a higher failure rate and highest number of referrals. The other teacher who seems to be working without much extra time spent after school and far fewer office referrals has a higher success rate in student achievement. What is the correlation?
Design of the Inquiry I will analyze the office referrals from the last school year to see if there is any pattern or trend that corresponds with teacher-student relationships. I will also conduct a survey with all students regarding their perception of the faculty and their relationships with them. As the year progresses, all students referred to the office will complete a survey for my analysis and comparison to those collected last year. Classroom walk-throughs will be conducted to measure levels of respect in the classroom environments. Finally, at the close of the year, I will compare the data from this school year’s referrals to that of last year’s referrals to see if there has been a decline in the number of referrals, and has it had an impact on student achievement in those classes.
Outcomes from the Research I will create charts that will demonstrate the data on number of referrals from the 09/10 school year when compared to the 10/11 school year. I will also create a chart to show the failure rates from the two years to compare any progress that has been made. I will also include narratives from my field notes that will demonstrate issues that have been witnessed and hopefully how they are being resolved in a more respectful manner as the year progressed.
Conclusions As I look toward the completion of my research, I hope that the data will support my supposition that the teacher-student relationship is critical in increasing student achievement. As we value our students as individuals more, they should reciprocate that respect in such a way that the classroom is a much more productive environment for everyone with fewer instances of conflict to serve as distractions.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Eight Steps in Action Research Project
Action Research Project
Teacher-Student Relationships: The Effect on Student Learning and Discipline Occurrences
1. SETTING THE FOUNDATION---In conversations with my site supervisor, the principal of my school, we have had numerous conversations exploring why some teachers seem to be more effective than others. Many times, it seems that the teachers who are working the absolute hardest and are most capable are the ones that seem to be the least effective with the students. They have higher failure rates and also the highest number of office referrals as well. I want to better understand if there is a breakdown in the teacher-student relationship that is leading to the decline in performance and more discipline issues.
2. ANALYZING DATA---I will collect data from last year’s office referrals and also from office referrals as they occur this year as to why the student is being referred and how well are they performing in the class they are having discipline issues and also their other classes. I will also conduct a survey of all students on campus about their performance in school and their perception of their relationship with the faculty. Walk-throughs focusing on respect between teachers and students will be conducted in October and February of all secondary classes. Field notes will be taken as I witness various interactions between teachers and students throughout the year. At the conclusion of the school year, I will conduct a study of the 10/11 referrals in comparison to the 09/10 referrals to determine any areas of improvement or further identify areas where improvements are still needed.
3. DEVELOPING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING---As I begin my research at the beginning of the school year, I will need to focus on specific aspects of the teacher-student relationship.
• Discipline strategies of the classrooms will be one area I compare between the faculty members. How do they handle similar circumstances? Which one seems to be more effective?
• Where is the line between trying to be “friends” with our students and showing legitimate concern and compassion that will show them we care?
• How do teachers effectively manage their classrooms and still maintain good respect for their students and not manage with fear?
4. ENGAGE IN SELF-REFLECTION---With my fifteen years experience in the classroom, I have witnessed first-hand very effective teachers at work and those who are not effective. One element the successful teachers had in common was a love and respect for their students. Some were more touchy-feely than others, but there was always respect. As I continue with my research, I am aware that I must be very sensitive and careful so that my work is not interpreted as a “witch-hunt” seeking to point a finger at teachers who may not be successful in maintaining respect for their students. By surveying all students, conducting walk-throughs with all teachers, and offering professional development to all teachers about teacher-student relationships, I believe that my work will be ethical and well received by most students and faculty members.
5. EXPLORING PROGRAMMATIC PATTERNS---I believe that one outcome of my research will be that at each teacher’s summative conference a summary of discipline referrals should be discussed with his/her referrals compared to those of all other teachers. I believe that raising their awareness to how well they are able to manage their classrooms in comparison to their peers will create more change in their style of discipline. This study is an abstract study where the data is mostly qualitative with the walk-throughs, surveys that are biased based upon the perceptions of the students, and my field notes. The only concrete data will be in the referrals themselves. So there is great risk that people will not respect my conclusions. I will have to continue to solicit input from my principal and superintendent as I begin to analyze the data. They will be able to make suggestions on how to alter my survey or my summary sheets to optimize the validity of my research.
6. DETERMINING DIRECTION---I fell confident that my research question is one of great value because I have witnessed how much of an impact the teacher-student relationship has on the performance of our students. The resources needed for my research is already provided through PEIMS data where all referrals must be reported. The process of my research is a collaborative process where all faculty members, students, and the administration will be involved with input, and all teachers will be informed of the collective results as well as their own personal statistics on an individual basis. My timelines are well established to correspond with the school year, and they require at least one school year’s monitoring for comparison. I will be monitoring the project by completing a summary at the end of each six-weeks grading period. I will consider my research a success if I can see a reduction of office referrals by at least ten percent and a continued increase in student performance of two less failures to receive graduation credits for the year. If my plan is not successful, then the first thing that I will look to revise will be my survey. A survey instrument is ineffective if it is not asking the right questions of the right people, and it is a large component of my research.
7. TAKING ACTION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT---I will conducting an in-service in August with the faculty and staff where teacher-student relationships are a focus from the Understanding the Framework of Poverty information as many of our students are from economically disadvantaged homes. Teachers will be aware of the walk-throughs that I will conduct, the surveys of the students, and the data I will be collecting from them. As they meet with the principal for their summative conferences, they will discuss how their relationship with the students has improved this year or how it needs to improve for the next year.
8. SUSTAIN IMPROVEMENT---As office referrals are a part of PEIMS information reported each year, it will not be difficult to track trends in the number of referrals made. As students arrive at the office for their referral, they almost always have some waiting time before they see the principal, so they can complete the surveys during this time and be collected by the secretary for my analysis at a later time. The survey can also be a tool for the principal to have documentation of the incident in the classroom from the student’s perspective to be attached to the referral from the teacher’s perspective. As the research continues, I believe that it can be useful to the principal to determine if more staff development is needed in the area of classroom management.
Teacher-Student Relationships: The Effect on Student Learning and Discipline Occurrences
1. SETTING THE FOUNDATION---In conversations with my site supervisor, the principal of my school, we have had numerous conversations exploring why some teachers seem to be more effective than others. Many times, it seems that the teachers who are working the absolute hardest and are most capable are the ones that seem to be the least effective with the students. They have higher failure rates and also the highest number of office referrals as well. I want to better understand if there is a breakdown in the teacher-student relationship that is leading to the decline in performance and more discipline issues.
2. ANALYZING DATA---I will collect data from last year’s office referrals and also from office referrals as they occur this year as to why the student is being referred and how well are they performing in the class they are having discipline issues and also their other classes. I will also conduct a survey of all students on campus about their performance in school and their perception of their relationship with the faculty. Walk-throughs focusing on respect between teachers and students will be conducted in October and February of all secondary classes. Field notes will be taken as I witness various interactions between teachers and students throughout the year. At the conclusion of the school year, I will conduct a study of the 10/11 referrals in comparison to the 09/10 referrals to determine any areas of improvement or further identify areas where improvements are still needed.
3. DEVELOPING DEEPER UNDERSTANDING---As I begin my research at the beginning of the school year, I will need to focus on specific aspects of the teacher-student relationship.
• Discipline strategies of the classrooms will be one area I compare between the faculty members. How do they handle similar circumstances? Which one seems to be more effective?
• Where is the line between trying to be “friends” with our students and showing legitimate concern and compassion that will show them we care?
• How do teachers effectively manage their classrooms and still maintain good respect for their students and not manage with fear?
4. ENGAGE IN SELF-REFLECTION---With my fifteen years experience in the classroom, I have witnessed first-hand very effective teachers at work and those who are not effective. One element the successful teachers had in common was a love and respect for their students. Some were more touchy-feely than others, but there was always respect. As I continue with my research, I am aware that I must be very sensitive and careful so that my work is not interpreted as a “witch-hunt” seeking to point a finger at teachers who may not be successful in maintaining respect for their students. By surveying all students, conducting walk-throughs with all teachers, and offering professional development to all teachers about teacher-student relationships, I believe that my work will be ethical and well received by most students and faculty members.
5. EXPLORING PROGRAMMATIC PATTERNS---I believe that one outcome of my research will be that at each teacher’s summative conference a summary of discipline referrals should be discussed with his/her referrals compared to those of all other teachers. I believe that raising their awareness to how well they are able to manage their classrooms in comparison to their peers will create more change in their style of discipline. This study is an abstract study where the data is mostly qualitative with the walk-throughs, surveys that are biased based upon the perceptions of the students, and my field notes. The only concrete data will be in the referrals themselves. So there is great risk that people will not respect my conclusions. I will have to continue to solicit input from my principal and superintendent as I begin to analyze the data. They will be able to make suggestions on how to alter my survey or my summary sheets to optimize the validity of my research.
6. DETERMINING DIRECTION---I fell confident that my research question is one of great value because I have witnessed how much of an impact the teacher-student relationship has on the performance of our students. The resources needed for my research is already provided through PEIMS data where all referrals must be reported. The process of my research is a collaborative process where all faculty members, students, and the administration will be involved with input, and all teachers will be informed of the collective results as well as their own personal statistics on an individual basis. My timelines are well established to correspond with the school year, and they require at least one school year’s monitoring for comparison. I will be monitoring the project by completing a summary at the end of each six-weeks grading period. I will consider my research a success if I can see a reduction of office referrals by at least ten percent and a continued increase in student performance of two less failures to receive graduation credits for the year. If my plan is not successful, then the first thing that I will look to revise will be my survey. A survey instrument is ineffective if it is not asking the right questions of the right people, and it is a large component of my research.
7. TAKING ACTION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT---I will conducting an in-service in August with the faculty and staff where teacher-student relationships are a focus from the Understanding the Framework of Poverty information as many of our students are from economically disadvantaged homes. Teachers will be aware of the walk-throughs that I will conduct, the surveys of the students, and the data I will be collecting from them. As they meet with the principal for their summative conferences, they will discuss how their relationship with the students has improved this year or how it needs to improve for the next year.
8. SUSTAIN IMPROVEMENT---As office referrals are a part of PEIMS information reported each year, it will not be difficult to track trends in the number of referrals made. As students arrive at the office for their referral, they almost always have some waiting time before they see the principal, so they can complete the surveys during this time and be collected by the secretary for my analysis at a later time. The survey can also be a tool for the principal to have documentation of the incident in the classroom from the student’s perspective to be attached to the referral from the teacher’s perspective. As the research continues, I believe that it can be useful to the principal to determine if more staff development is needed in the area of classroom management.
Action Plan Timeline
Action Planning
Goal: Determine what components of teacher-student relationships are conducive to optimal student learning and fewer discipline referrals.
Action Step(s) Person(s)
Responsible Timeline:
Start/End Needed Resources Evaluation
1. Create list of discipline referrals from 09/10 school year. I will create a list of student who received referral from last school year. I will record the number of referrals for each student, which teacher referred them, and then record the students’ grades in those courses. Traci Bellomy, principal intern 08/02/10-
08/06/10 Referral data from 09/10 school year and summary sheet I will watch for any trends between their academic performances in the classes where they received referrals in comparison to the classes where they did not receive referrals if that is even the case.
2. All students of the school will complete a survey where they share their view of their relationship with the faculty of our school. I will pay close attention to making this survey very general to all of their teachers so that it is an ethical survey not meant to target any specific teacher. Traci Bellomy, principal intern 08/30/10-08/31/10 Survey and survey summarization sheet to tabulate findings I will be looking for patterns of negative attitudes towards faculty and higher frequency of office referrals. I will also be interested to learn if they feel any responsibility for their referral or do they put all of the responsibility on the referring teacher.
3. As students are referred to the office in the 10/11 school year, they will complete a survey pertaining specifically related to their current referral. Traci Bellomy, principal intern 08/25/10-06/03/11 Survey for each referral incident and survey summary sheet to complete at end of each six weeks. I will be summarizing the surveys at the end of each six week to see the trend of who, why, and by whom are the referrals are occurring.
4. Walk-throughs will be conducted twice a year to survey all secondary classrooms to identify the respect level between teachers and students. Traci Bellomy, principal intern October 2010 and February 2011 Walk-through rubrics dedicated to respect in the classroom have been ordered from Ruby Payne materials.
Summary sheet to tabulate the trends of each round of walk-throughs. When the walk throughs have been completed, I will compile a summary of the data to learn how well we as a staff and student body are doing in establishing positive teacher-student relationships.
5. Maintain field notes throughout the year cataloging examples of positive and negative teacher-student interactions. Traci Bellomy, prinicipal intern August 201-June 2011 Journal I will record incidences that I witness throughout the year for me to compare and analyze as to how it matches up to the student success rate in those relationships and/or the number of referrals.
5. Create a list of all referrals of 10/11 school year to compare to the results of 09/10 school year. Traci Bellomy, principal intern June 2011 Referral data from 10/11 and summary sheet I will watch for any trends between their academic performances in the classes where they received referrals in comparison to the classes where they did not receive referrals if that is even the case. Also I will complete a comparative study so that the determination can be made as to whether or not our staff and students have made progress in developing better relationships.
Goal: Determine what components of teacher-student relationships are conducive to optimal student learning and fewer discipline referrals.
Action Step(s) Person(s)
Responsible Timeline:
Start/End Needed Resources Evaluation
1. Create list of discipline referrals from 09/10 school year. I will create a list of student who received referral from last school year. I will record the number of referrals for each student, which teacher referred them, and then record the students’ grades in those courses. Traci Bellomy, principal intern 08/02/10-
08/06/10 Referral data from 09/10 school year and summary sheet I will watch for any trends between their academic performances in the classes where they received referrals in comparison to the classes where they did not receive referrals if that is even the case.
2. All students of the school will complete a survey where they share their view of their relationship with the faculty of our school. I will pay close attention to making this survey very general to all of their teachers so that it is an ethical survey not meant to target any specific teacher. Traci Bellomy, principal intern 08/30/10-08/31/10 Survey and survey summarization sheet to tabulate findings I will be looking for patterns of negative attitudes towards faculty and higher frequency of office referrals. I will also be interested to learn if they feel any responsibility for their referral or do they put all of the responsibility on the referring teacher.
3. As students are referred to the office in the 10/11 school year, they will complete a survey pertaining specifically related to their current referral. Traci Bellomy, principal intern 08/25/10-06/03/11 Survey for each referral incident and survey summary sheet to complete at end of each six weeks. I will be summarizing the surveys at the end of each six week to see the trend of who, why, and by whom are the referrals are occurring.
4. Walk-throughs will be conducted twice a year to survey all secondary classrooms to identify the respect level between teachers and students. Traci Bellomy, principal intern October 2010 and February 2011 Walk-through rubrics dedicated to respect in the classroom have been ordered from Ruby Payne materials.
Summary sheet to tabulate the trends of each round of walk-throughs. When the walk throughs have been completed, I will compile a summary of the data to learn how well we as a staff and student body are doing in establishing positive teacher-student relationships.
5. Maintain field notes throughout the year cataloging examples of positive and negative teacher-student interactions. Traci Bellomy, prinicipal intern August 201-June 2011 Journal I will record incidences that I witness throughout the year for me to compare and analyze as to how it matches up to the student success rate in those relationships and/or the number of referrals.
5. Create a list of all referrals of 10/11 school year to compare to the results of 09/10 school year. Traci Bellomy, principal intern June 2011 Referral data from 10/11 and summary sheet I will watch for any trends between their academic performances in the classes where they received referrals in comparison to the classes where they did not receive referrals if that is even the case. Also I will complete a comparative study so that the determination can be made as to whether or not our staff and students have made progress in developing better relationships.
Action Research Plan-Problem Statement
Teacher-Student Relationships
I have been told by many wise and gifted teachers that the kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care. Of all of the advice given to me, I believe this one holds the most wisdom. However, there is also an expression given to new teachers that recommends that they not smile until Christmas. These expressions are polar opposites of one another, so they both cannot be true.
Throughout my career, I have witnessed the effectiveness of a positive teacher-student relationship wherein it resulted in fewer office referrals and, more importantly, higher student achievement. It seems that many times the hardest working teacher on the campus is actually less effective than some of the other teachers who seem to be working almost effortlessly. The hardest working teacher spends many more hours working on grading and planning, but still has a higher failure rate and highest number of referrals. The other teacher who seems to be working without much extra time spent after school and far fewer office referrals has a higher success rate in student achievement. What is the correlation?
Jan N. Hughes and Timothy A. Cavell, psychologists from Texas A&M University, conducted a study that shows that a “warm, close relationship between a child at risk for behavioral problems and his or her teacher reduces the chances of aggressive behavior in the future” (2007). When the students are not feeling defensive and aggressive they are better able to focus on the content of the curriculum and make connections in their learning. Hughes goes on to explain that when students are in conflict with the teacher they feel less motivated to please the teacher and therefore less motivated to follow the classroom rules.
Cindi Rigsbee, author of Finding Mrs. Warnecke, writes, “Students who are humiliated, especially in front of an audience, are rarely receptive to learning” (Jossey-Bass, 2010). She goes on to explain that students who are angry, afraid, or humiliated cannot be reached in the classroom. She asserts that students must have an atmosphere of respect where they can learn not only the curriculum, but also those very valuable social skills involving respectful interaction (2010).
The questions that I am researching are then involving the teacher-student relationship and it effect on student learning. They are as follows:
• What are successful strategies to improve teacher-student relationships?
• Will improving the teacher-student relationship reduce the number of office referrals?
• How does the teacher-student relationship impact student learning and achievement?
• What components of teacher-student relationships are conducive to optimal student learning and decrease discipline referrals?
Hughes, J. N., & Cavell, T. A. (2007). Teacher student relationships: a supportive one can
reduce aggression. Family Corner, Retrieved from http://www.familycorner.com/cgi-
bin
Rigsbee, C. (2010). The Relationship balance. Educational Leadership, 67. Retrieved from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer10/vol67
I have been told by many wise and gifted teachers that the kids don’t care what you know until they know that you care. Of all of the advice given to me, I believe this one holds the most wisdom. However, there is also an expression given to new teachers that recommends that they not smile until Christmas. These expressions are polar opposites of one another, so they both cannot be true.
Throughout my career, I have witnessed the effectiveness of a positive teacher-student relationship wherein it resulted in fewer office referrals and, more importantly, higher student achievement. It seems that many times the hardest working teacher on the campus is actually less effective than some of the other teachers who seem to be working almost effortlessly. The hardest working teacher spends many more hours working on grading and planning, but still has a higher failure rate and highest number of referrals. The other teacher who seems to be working without much extra time spent after school and far fewer office referrals has a higher success rate in student achievement. What is the correlation?
Jan N. Hughes and Timothy A. Cavell, psychologists from Texas A&M University, conducted a study that shows that a “warm, close relationship between a child at risk for behavioral problems and his or her teacher reduces the chances of aggressive behavior in the future” (2007). When the students are not feeling defensive and aggressive they are better able to focus on the content of the curriculum and make connections in their learning. Hughes goes on to explain that when students are in conflict with the teacher they feel less motivated to please the teacher and therefore less motivated to follow the classroom rules.
Cindi Rigsbee, author of Finding Mrs. Warnecke, writes, “Students who are humiliated, especially in front of an audience, are rarely receptive to learning” (Jossey-Bass, 2010). She goes on to explain that students who are angry, afraid, or humiliated cannot be reached in the classroom. She asserts that students must have an atmosphere of respect where they can learn not only the curriculum, but also those very valuable social skills involving respectful interaction (2010).
The questions that I am researching are then involving the teacher-student relationship and it effect on student learning. They are as follows:
• What are successful strategies to improve teacher-student relationships?
• Will improving the teacher-student relationship reduce the number of office referrals?
• How does the teacher-student relationship impact student learning and achievement?
• What components of teacher-student relationships are conducive to optimal student learning and decrease discipline referrals?
Hughes, J. N., & Cavell, T. A. (2007). Teacher student relationships: a supportive one can
reduce aggression. Family Corner, Retrieved from http://www.familycorner.com/cgi-
bin
Rigsbee, C. (2010). The Relationship balance. Educational Leadership, 67. Retrieved from
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer10/vol67
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Caution for Action Research
Not too long ago, I had a conversation with my principal about how difficult it must be to be the administrator over a teacher who did not manage his/her classroom in any way like he/she thought it should be. I catch myself being the "back-seat" driver who second guesses how other teachers should or should not conduct their classes.
In our text, Leading with Passion and Knowledge from 2009, Nancy Fichtman Dana cautions the action researcher to "be careful not to focus your wondering on controlling or changing other people's practice." An administrator can only truly have control over himself/herself. In my research, I will have to ensure that my focus is on how that I can foster the concept of positive teacher-student relationships that will build the learning environment necessary for student achievement.
Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
In our text, Leading with Passion and Knowledge from 2009, Nancy Fichtman Dana cautions the action researcher to "be careful not to focus your wondering on controlling or changing other people's practice." An administrator can only truly have control over himself/herself. In my research, I will have to ensure that my focus is on how that I can foster the concept of positive teacher-student relationships that will build the learning environment necessary for student achievement.
Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Blogs and Educational Leaders
I believe that a blog would be a great way to ensure the efficacy of a PLC when the schedule of a school campus absolutely prevents meetings of its members. It is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and some members will be more comfortable to share ideas in this format. It also marks the journey of learning as well.
Action Research
If one of our goals as educators is to develop life-long learners in our students, then the concept of action research is a logical conclusion for the principal as the instructional leader of the school. As professionals, we should seek to learn more about our profession and how to improve ourselves and by doing so, increase student achievement.
Action research is not simply a book study or a workshop that may or may not apply to the context of your school. Action research is instead driven by "wonderings" that directly apply to your situation or an observation you have made (Dana, 2009). By seeking more information in professional literature that relates to your "wonderings", then you apply that knowledge to the methods or approach you have been using, make comparisons as to what improvements you should make.
Then, measure the effect of any changes that you make to evaluate if it indeed contributes to an increase in student achievement. If so, how so? If not, then why not? Then as a professional in education, you should share your experiences. If you are successful, then help other teachers to become successful as well so that the students benefit from the process. And likewise, if your efforts prove to have little to no effect, or if they are a detriment to students, then this information should be shared as well in order to spare any other setbacks than what have already been made.
Action research is not simply a book study or a workshop that may or may not apply to the context of your school. Action research is instead driven by "wonderings" that directly apply to your situation or an observation you have made (Dana, 2009). By seeking more information in professional literature that relates to your "wonderings", then you apply that knowledge to the methods or approach you have been using, make comparisons as to what improvements you should make.
Then, measure the effect of any changes that you make to evaluate if it indeed contributes to an increase in student achievement. If so, how so? If not, then why not? Then as a professional in education, you should share your experiences. If you are successful, then help other teachers to become successful as well so that the students benefit from the process. And likewise, if your efforts prove to have little to no effect, or if they are a detriment to students, then this information should be shared as well in order to spare any other setbacks than what have already been made.
Dana, N.F. (2009). Leading with passion and knowledge: The principal as action researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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