**Data collection was set to begin the week of 2/17/15, but I needed to wait for board approval.

The board meeting was held 3/9/15 and my research was approved. All changes from my
original plan (including changes in dates) are listed in the Notes section of this document.**
Data Source
Timeline
Purpose
Notes
This date had to be shifted (from the week of 2/17) until after school board approval. I chose to
distribute and collect the surveys during a Monday faculty meeting where all teachers were present. I
To gain information from NG teachers on
Distribute and
was also able to encourage teachers to fill out the surveys by assuring them, in person, that their
Teacher Surveys
preexisting and current time in green space
collect 3/16
responses would remain anonymous. To further encourage participation, any teacher who turned in a
with students
survey was entered to win one of three small classroom plants. I was also able to be in contact with
any teachers who wanted to discuss the surveys further.
Student Surveys

Distribute and
collect week of
3/10

To gain insight into students preexisting

This date also had to be shifted (from the week of 2/17) until after school board approval. I chose to
connections with and perceptions of the
use the student surveys as a brainstorming page for a writing prompt. I was hopeful that the students
natural world, as well as, student time spent in
would put more thought into their responses if they knew the survey was for multiple purposes.
green space across the seasons

Parent Surveys

Distribute and
collect week of
3/10

To gain insight into students families

preexisting connections with and perceptions
of the natural world, as well as, student time
spent in green space across the seasons

Student Work
Samples

Daily-Weekly
Basis

To look for themes of nature

Literature

On-going

To gain knowledge on the impact of exposure

to the natural world

On-going

To reflect on my observations, or student

choice during indoor brain break time,
student interactions, student behavior during
outdoor brain break time, and other notable
moments

On-Going

To gather artifacts reflective of the context,

and student experience

Informal
Interviews and
Conversations

On-going

To gain further insight into student, teacher,

and parent experience and connection to
nature.

Student Surveys

Due week of
4/6

To gain further insight into possible themes

Personal Notes
and Reflection
Journal

Photographs

This date also had to be shifted (from the week of 2/17) until after school board approval. It worked
out nicely as a field trip permission form went home on the same day.
Originally, I was going to collect student writing notebooks to gather quantitative data (scores and
number of sentences). I chose to eliminate the collection of notebooks from my data collection as it
was not a practice I currently had in place. It would have felt artificial to myself and my students.
Additionally, I felt student scores could be influenced by too many variables. In its place, I collected
student work samples as I normally would over the course of a unit. Rather than analyze student
writing for quality and quantity, I looked for themes of nature/empathy towards the natural world.
My original plan had literature solely focused on the effects of green space on student attention. As
my research progress, I observed many more themes than what my original focus had been. I shifted
my review of literature as themes emerged.
My observations broadened as did my research. I found there were unplanned moments where I was
making observations (especially during independent work time and the morning) that were important
to my research.
I had planned to use photographs of only the setting outside of my classroom, but as my research
broadened, so did my use of photography as data. Some excepted moments were best described
through a picture rather than words in my reflection journal.
This was not an original part of my data collection plan, but conversations and interviews happened
naturally through the course of my research. I recorded this quotes and information in my reflection
journal.
This was an original part of my data collection plan. The questions for this survey were modified to
match the themes found during the course of the study.