Running Head: IMPACTS OF STUDENT LED LEARNING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEST

RESULTS 1

Impacts of Student Led Learning on Environmental Science Test Results

April 4, 2017

Cynthia Shepherd
Running Head: IMPACTS OF STUDENT LED LEARNING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEST
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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

.p 3-8

a. Objectives

b. Literature Review

2. The Study..p 8-18

a. The Context (provide a brief description of your site.)

b. Data Collection

c. Data Analysis

d. The Findings

e. The Plan of Action

3. Conclusions..p 18-21

a. Outcomes

b. Implications

4. References.....p 22-24
Running Head: IMPACTS OF STUDENT LED LEARNING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEST
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Introduction

The purpose of this action research study was to answer the question: Does student led

research result in higher test scores than a teacher led lecture approach to learning environmental

science?

As a first-year teacher, I had not yet had any pedagogy training and was teaching on a

community expert license. Without formal training, my teaching strategy defaulted to my own

experiences as a student, learning from a teacher led lecture style approach to environmental

science. During my second year of teaching, in continuing with a community expert license, I

began my pedagogy and curriculum training and was introduced to different methodologies,

including Problem Based Learning (PBL) and student led learning.

Objectives

The general idea of student led learning is, when students study a topic of their choosing

they will ultimately learn and retain more information which should be evident from unit test

results. Lecturing to students the necessary facts and correlations to pass a test creates an

environment in which individuals will memorize for now and forget the information when it is

no longer needed. I asked myself the question: How can I encourage students to want to learn

environmental science and to find it relevant to their experience? With the suggestion of mentors

and research from college classes, I settled upon the idea of incorporating a student led project

into the environmental science unit of biology class.

Running Head: IMPACTS OF STUDENT LED LEARNING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEST
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This attempt to determine, with comparative evidence, that student led learning results in

better retention of information and therefore better test scores, would result in incorporation of

more student led learning activities into other units and science classes as well. The main

aspects of my research focused on the idea that if students are empowered to choose a topic of

personal interest, will they take more ownership in their learning and therefore retain more

information that will ultimately result in higher test scores. Therefore, I propose the following

hypothesis: Student led research of environmental science will result in higher test scores than

the previous years students test scores based on teacher led lecture approach to learning.

Literature Review

I first began my research by understanding the origins of student led learning, beginning

with the Constructivist Theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Constructivist learning theory

and student led learning are well researched and well applied in classrooms from early

elementary through university levels of education. The history of Constructivism began with

Jean Piaget, a clinical psychologist who studied cognitive development in children to understand

how they learn best (Board, 2013). Amongst Piagets studies, he described the necessity of

interaction with environment to child development (Board, 2013). Piagets Constructivism is

also known as Cognitive Constructivism as it focuses on connecting new knowledge to prior

knowledge, asking questions, and ownership of the learning process (Park, 2001).

Concurrently, Russian psychologist Lev Vygotskys introduced his Zone of Proximal

Development describing how learners move through the three zones: what they can do

independently, what they can do with help, and what they cannot yet do (Board, 2013).

Vygotsky asserted that giving learners a task that they cant successfully complete without help

will push them to strive for achievement with the help of an adult or advanced peer. This type of
Running Head: IMPACTS OF STUDENT LED LEARNING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEST
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Social Constructivism is frequently demonstrated in small group work within the classroom and

can be used in a variety of ways to encourage problem solving without the assistance of an adult

mentor.

The term Constructivism comes from the word to construct, meaning to make or form

by combining or arranging parts or elements and the suffix -ism, meaning a distinctive

doctrine, cause, or theory (Meriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2017). John Dewey expands on

these ideas of learning from social and natural environments by postulating that students learn

best by ownership of the education process (Board, 2013). In his book Democracy and

Education Dewey detailed the learner as a growing, developing organism and that a one-size-

fits-all method is counterproductive to the individual (Dewey, 2015). He essentially states that

general methods of education are a good place to start, however,

What is required is that every individual shall have opportunities to employ his

own powers in activities that have meaningIf we act upon this conviction, we

shall secure more originality even by the conventional standard than now

develops. Imposing an alleged uniform general method upon everybody breeds

mediocrity in all but the very exceptional. (Dewey, 2015).

John Dewey specifically mentions that in instances of physicians, their need of knowledge and

treatment methods are standardized, however,

cases are like, not identical. To be used intelligently, existing practices,

however authorized they may be, have to be adapted to the exigencies of

particular cases. (Dewey, 2015).

Additional to Deweys educational philosophy, Doctor Howard Barrows implemented

this PBL approach to better prepare physicians for real-life medical practice rather than the
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controlled environment of the classroom (Delisle & Association for Supervision and Curriculum

Development (ASCD), 1997).

1. The problem is encountered first in the learning sequence, before any preparation or

study has occurred.

2. The problem situation is presented to the student in the same way it would present in

reality.

3. The student works with the problem in a manner that permits his ability to reason and

apply knowledge to be challenged and evaluated, appropriate to his level of learning.

4. Needed areas of learning are identified in the process of work with the problem and

used as a guide to individualized study.

5. The skills and knowledge acquired by this study are applied back to the problem, to

evaluate the effectiveness of learning and to reinforce learning.

6. The learning that has occurred in work with the problem and in individualized study is

summarized and integrated into the student's existing knowledge and skills (Barrows and

Tamblyn 1980, pp. 191192). (Delisle & ASCD, 1997)

Implementation of this method demonstrates continual assessment and reevaluation throughout

the learning process, thereby facilitating retention of the learned material.

A study by Freeman, Eddy, McDonough, Smith, Okoroafor, Jordt & Wenderoth (2014)

showed an increase in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) student performance

when comparing active learning to exposition centered course designs. Active learning, being

defined as constructivist or student-led learning, models the following:

results indicate that average examination scores improved by about 6% in

active learning sections, and that students in classes with traditional lecturing
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were 1.5 times more likely to fail than were students in classes with active

learning. (Freeman, Eddy, McDonough, Smith, Okoroafor, Jordt & Wenderoth,

2014).

While this research was performed utilizing college students at two universities with a

multidisciplinary sample including biology and ecology, the practice of active student learning is

easily adapted to middle and high school student populations.

Conversely, a 2010 study conducted by Wuppermann and Schwerdt indicated that lecture

style instruction increases test scores when compared with problem-solving activities, showing

that:

a shift of 10 percentage points of time from problem solving to lecturing is

associated with an increase in test scores of almost 4 percent of a standard

deviation

Despite this alternate view of testing outcomes, it is pertinent to explore the overarching positive

results in the learning process of new information as weighed against possible positive outcomes

from supporting evidence for problem-solving thought processes. Given these conflicting

studies, completion of classroom trials support the determination to implement student-led

learning and compare the students unit test results to the previous years, lecture-based learning,

unit test results.

There are many aspects of the educational process which teachers struggle to incorporate

into their classrooms, from student engagement to meeting state standards. By focusing on a

student led research project for the environmental science unit of the biology class, key emphasis

is placed upon empower the students to take ownership of their learning. The article Learning,
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Leading, and Letting Go of Control: Learner-Led Approaches in Education summarize exactly

what I was looking for as the focus of my action research project, in stating:

LED [learner-led education] is based on the assumption that all students have

their own unique approach to learning and therefore have the potential to design

learning processes that are meaningful for themThe methods applied in LED

change over time, as different learners and teachers together co-create and

design methods and approaches appropriate at that particular time, in that

particular context and for that particular student or group of students.(Iversen,

Pedersen, Krogh, & Jensen, 2015).

The Study

While there are numerous ways to implement learner-led education, I wanted to engage

the students by giving them the opportunity to research a topic of their choosing within the

environmental science unit. According to research, increased student engagement is a natural

effect of student led learning.

Students learn not just by listening and discussing but also by doing. It is

imperative that as educators we focus not just on telling students about our

discipline or the formulas and techniques we use but also on giving them

opportunities to use those tools themselves and learn through their own

investigations. (Strangfeld, 2013).

The context of the educational setting to be utilized is a challenging one. I teach in a

rural, southeastern Minnesota school with a population of approximately 300 students from pre-

K through 12th grade. Per the Minnesota Department of Educations fall 2017 data, Lyle

Secondary School has a 59.8% free and reduced student lunch rate, 17% of students receive
Running Head: IMPACTS OF STUDENT LED LEARNING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEST
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special education, and 6% are English Language Learners. The students home environments

vary greatly and follow unexpected patterns which run the spectrum from passively supportive to

apathetic to mildly hostile to formal education. It is, unfortunately, the case that many family

structures live in a constant state of dysfunction which diminishes the students ability to place

adequate energy and focus into classroom learning as a whole. This presents a unique

opportunity in conducting the proposed action research in that it will provide students the ability

to make determinations about their focus in learning about environmental science, with intention

to spur greater retention of subject matter and elevation of related test scores.

With these parameters in mind, there remains one large variable to this action research

over which there is no control or ability to alter: students presented in this action research are

two classes of biology students from differing academic years. The following compares the

environmental science unit test results of biology students from the fall semester 2016-2017

school year with those of students from the previous school year, spring semester of the 2015-

2016. The high school biology class is held during a 90-minute block which meets for one

semester, 16 weeks, per school year. Whether this class is taught in the fall semester or spring

semester is determined by the master schedule for each academic year. Going forward, the

classes will be differentiated as Class A (2015-2016) and Class B (2016-2017) for greater

continuity in referencing. Please note the choice to review the MCA scores from 8th grade

comparatively for math and reading for each class to provide consistent sampling as well as

prevent skewed information as 2017 MCA results are not yet available. In future comparisons,

10th grade MCA test scores can be utilized for these groups respectively.

Class A demographics:

19 students (four 9th graders; fourteen 10th graders; one 11th grader)
Running Head: IMPACTS OF STUDENT LED LEARNING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEST
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8th grade MCA math and reading scores (17)

No IEP or ELL students

56% parents married/living together; 44% parents single/divorced

Class A Results: Math MCA percentage Reading MCA percentage

Exceeds 0% 9%
Meets 41.6% 27.3%
Partially Meets 25% 45.5%
Does Not Meet 33.3% 18.2%

Class B demographics:

18 students (eighteen 10th graders)

8th grade MCA math and reading scores (17)

3 students with IEPs; 1 student ELL

39% parents married/living together; 61% parents single/divorced

Class B Results: Math MCA percentage Reading MCA percentage

Exceeds 0% 22.2%
Meets 30.8% 22.2%
Partially Meets 38.5% 22.2%
Does Not Meet 30.7% 33.4%

Based on the context of the setting, the goal of the research is to determine the best way

to increase the test scores of these students. Can student led research empower students enough

to overcome the challenges of the context of their environment? Given the freedom to study a
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topic of their own interest as it relates to environmental science, will the students make the leap

from being told what to do to wanting to learn on their own terms? Ultimately, does student led

research of environmental science result in higher test scores than a teacher led lecture approach

to learning environmental science? A multi-faceted approach was needed to support the plan of

action for addressing these questions.

With MCA data clearly indicating that students are achieving at levels below the expected

average of their peers statewide, there is substantial room for growth in this area of their

learning. At the outset, biology students had only basic knowledge of environmental science.

Due to this it is important to mention that though the purpose of the action research is

determining the effectiveness of student led research, there was the need for teacher led

introduction of some basic information in creating a workable foundation of understanding. I

used a combination of PowerPoint presentations and classroom assignments to emphasize key

points of ecological communities and their interactions (biomes, organismal niches,

biogeochemical cycles, and human influence).

Additionally, in intentionally pairing environmental science presentation with topics

commonly known by students, the potential for engagement may increase.

As the class moved beyond the basics, I wanted to introduce an environmental topic to

which the students could relate from their personal experiences. Studies completed by Buehl

(2011) and Alvermann, Phelps, and Gillis (2010) discuss the importance of connecting content

with students personal experiences. Adolescents in general and my students in particular, have

very little depth of experiences. Presenting them with unconnected, esoteric information will get

the teacher little more than an uninterested stare in the direction of the whiteboard. When

presenting to students an issue like pesticide run off, Im more likely to pique their interest if it
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affects their favorite place to swim and fish, than by simply saying, Water pollution is bad.

Having taken the time to get to know my students interests and their relationship within their

community, I felt that I could introduce a learning experience that would encourage them to

expand upon those interests. My goal is to sell them an education that is more than state

required knowledge standards. If I want them to buy into this education it has to be something

with which they want and that they choose to cooperate. In congruence with approaches utilized

by these authors, I gave the students a pre-research thinking activity to brainstorm several

questions using their everyday knowledge (Alvermann, Phelps, & Gillis, 2010). These six

questions were given with the purpose of encouraging them to think about the environment of

rural southeastern Minnesota where they live, in which the environment most directly affects

them:

1. List three environmental issues that are of interest to you:

2. What do you already know about each of these issues?

3. What questions do you have about each of these issues?

4. What type of outdoor activities do you like to participate in? Why?

5. What three careers are you most interested in considering pursuing? Why?

6. What are your three favorite foods?

With this information fresh in their minds, students were to choose their own cooperative

learning groups for the self-directed research project. During this time, students shared their

responses to the brainstorm activity (Alvermann, et al., 2010). Knowing that many students

already had experience with farming or other agricultural activities and enjoy outdoor activities

such as fishing and hunting, I felt that choosing a general topic linking agriculture and
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environment would increase student engagement in the upcoming research activity. The general

topic was: What impact does modern agriculture have on our environment?

I planned the next couple of lessons to introduce activities in a chunking method so as not

to overwhelm the students with such a broad topic (Minnesota Department of Education, 2009).

First, a large group brainstorming activity was implemented to determine what students already

knew about environmental and agricultural science, and was successful in boosting student

confidence. This further facilitated the opportunity for students to begin forming new

connections between differing aspects of this information as they began to look at it from a

different perspective.

After this brainstorming activity, each cooperative learning group narrowed the broad

topic regarding the impact of modern agriculture on our environment down to a more specific

topic of interest to each specific group. For example, one groups topic was What impact does

commercial chicken farming have on the environment? From there, everyone within the group

chose one aspect on which to concentrate his or her individual portion of research. The

commercial chicken farming group divided their topic into two sections: (1) effects on the

environment of raising commercial egg layers; (2) effects on the environment of raising

commercial meat birds. The small groups made choices based on personal interests and/or areas

with which they were already familiar, as was expected for this student led learning project. The

greatest degree of success a student realizes in their own educational discovery lies in evaluating

and asking questions of that which they are already familiar; an opportunity to push against what

is known as the norm to determine greater knowledge and better practices (Stranfeld, 2013).
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While students spent time in the computer lab researching their various topics, I gave

them a series of questions as formative assessment for my purposes to both see how they were

progressing, and as a way to encourage focus on the task at hand.

Individual Topic Initial Research Assignment - Due Monday Dec. 12, 2016

Environmental things to keep in mind: water usage, atmosphere, soil, pollution, use of

resources, geo-biochemical cycles

Answer the following questions:

1. What is your research topic question? Ex: What impact does [commercial chicken

egg] have on the environment?

2. What is the major part of the environment effected by your topic? (water, atmosphere,

soil, resources)

3. What are the positive effects? What are the negative effects?

4. When did this become a major concern? (timeline of noticeable effects)

5. Are there any efforts being made to change something about your topic? (laws/

regulations, innovations/technology, social consciousness) (Shepherd, 2017).

Additionally, when several students appeared to be overwhelmed or stuck with their research

tasks, a series of website links was provided via a folder on Schoology; Schoology is an online

learning management system that I use to post information and communicate with the students.

The summative assessment of student led research was a group PowerPoint presentation

covering the individual aspects of their group topic and culminating in a comprehensive

understanding of the topic by all. This included group interpretation of the relevance of each

topic to the impact on the environment, either positive or negative, moving into the future. Each

group was required to submit their PowerPoint for grading as well as prepare an oral presentation
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for their classmates. PowerPoint presentations were graded based upon how thoroughly they

answered the questions presented in the formative assessment outlined previously. Furthermore,

students were asked to describe any personal lifestyle changes they would consider given their

understanding of the topic chosen. Oral presentations were graded on peer rubric questions

developed for this project. The purpose of the peer grading in addition to the teacher grading

was to further encourage the students to think critically about other topics chosen which have an

impact on the environment as well as the one they personally researched.

Peer Rubric:

Group Members:

Overall Topic:

Directions: Did each individual cover the following? Write a few details as to WHY you

think they clearly and completely covered the topic. For each item below also

rank their completeness on a scale from 1 (poor quality), 3 (average), 5 (exceptional)

Person 1 [2,3,4] Topic:

1. Was the topic explained in detail that you could easily understand?

2. Was the topic explained completely so that you didnt have any unanswered questions?

3. Did the presenter have both positive and negative impacts on the environment

as related to their agricultural topic?

4. Did the presenter indicate changes in their perspective given the information they

found?

5. Given the information youve learned, what changes might you make in your life?

The fall semester 2016-2017 timeline of the environmental science unit proceeded thusly:

11/28 Geo Biochemical Cycles Group Jigsaw assigned

Running Head: IMPACTS OF STUDENT LED LEARNING ON ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TEST
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11/29-12/2 Geo Biochemical Cycles Jigsaw Presentation due20 pts

11/29 Water Cycle Teacher Led

11/30 Nitrogen Cycle Teacher Led

12-1 Carbon and Phosphorus Cycles Teacher Led

12-2 Carbon and Phosphorus Cycles Teacher Led

12/2-12/7 Environmental Science Individual Textbook Chapter and Worksheet Assignment

(student led learning)

12/7 Environmental Science Worksheet due66 pts

12/5 Pre-research thinking activity, choose project groups, group brainstorm activity

12/6 Group narrows group and individual topics to manageable level

12/6-12/19 Research topic and write PowerPoint presentation

12/12 Individual Topic Initial Research Assignment.15 pts

12/19-12/20 Project/presentation due (7 groups, 2-3 members/group)

Environmental Ag PPT50 pts

Oral Presentation of Environ Ag PPT.10 pts

12/20 Environmental Science Test Review

12/21 Environmental Science Unit Test60 pts

The data collected was a combination of formative and summative assessment activities

that were performed throughout the environmental science unit. Some of the assessments

measured objective data such as how well students could explain the steps of various geo-

biochemical cycles or definitions of environmental science terms. For the purposes of this action

research project, the objective final assessments are the only way to directly compare the content

competencies of Class B vs Class A due to the format of each class being vastly different.
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Additionally, because this action research was done within the scope of an actual class of

students bound by an expectation of competence of state academic standards, it was necessary to

grade students on their own individual capacity rather than solely on a standardized assessment.

Other assessments of Class B for this unit were subjective based on determination of how well

students relayed their understanding of the newly, self-learned material. The subjective

assessments were based the final presentation, as well as one-on-one discussions with the

students throughout the student led researching and writing phases of the project. In an effort to

maintain continuity, the subjective assessment scores are not included in the data report due to

the lack of corresponding assessments from the previous year which would incorrectly skew

results.

Regarding the proposed question, Does student led research of environmental science result in

higher test scores than a teacher led lecture approach to learning environmental science? and the

following hypothesis, Student led research of environmental science will result in higher test

scores than the previous years students test scores based on teacher led lecture approach to

learning, the data would be expected to show overall improvement in the distribution of student

scores by letter grade.

Data has been organized by the quantity of students whose test scores showed A, B, C, D,

or F level achievement on a scale where: 90-100 equals A, 80-89 equals B, 70-79 equals C, 60-

69 equals D, and anything below 59 equals F. Students in Class A, having learned the

information in a teacher led lecture-style format, represent the control data found in columns one

and two of the table. Class A data was then adapted by adding to it a 6% increase, as was

outlined by Freeman, Eddy, McDonough, Smith, Okoroafor, Jordt, and Wenderoth in their study

regarding the increase in examination scores in active learning sections (2014). This expected
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increase can be seen in the third and fourth columns of the data table. The fifth and sixth

columns show the results of Class Bs test results after learning the same information in a student

led research project.

Freeman, Eddy, McDonough, Smith, Okoroafor, Jordt, and Wenderoths study indicates

that with active learning, it would be reasonable to expect to see 8 out of 18 students perform at

A level (2014). Following the increase of the A level quantity, assuming the increase was a B

student moving up one position, there then would have been one C level students moving up to B

level to maintain the quantity of 5 out of 18 students. Continuing the pattern, two D level

students would have moved up to C level equaling 3 out of 18 students, and the one F level

student would have moved up to D level which would now balance out to 2 out of 18 students.

Unfortunately, the actual data gathered for Class B does not demonstrate this correlative

relationship as described above in accordance with a 6% increase (Freeman, et al., 2014).

Between the two classes, the number of students performing at an A level remained the same,

possibly indicating that the highest achieving students will perform so regardless of learning

techniques. There is seen a decrease of B level students by a quantity of two, and a concurrent

increase of quantity two for C level students. Finally, there is a decrease of D level students by a

quantity of one, with a concurrent increase of quantity one for F level students.

Class A - 18 Class A - % Freeman Study Freeman Study Class B - 18 Class B - %

students letter grades expected 6% expected 6% students letter grades
# of letter per class increase # of increase % of # of letter per class
grades letter grades letter grades grades
per class
A (90-100) = 7 39% A (90-100) = 8 44.5% A (90-100) = 7 39%
B (80-89) = 5 27.8% B (80-89) = 5 27.8% B (80-89) = 3 16.6%
C (70-79) = 2 11.1% C (70-79) = 3 16.6% C (70-79) = 4 22.2%
D (60-69) = 3 16.6% D (60-69) = 2 11.1% D (60-69) = 2 11.1%
F ( < 59) = 1 5.5% F ( < 59) = 0 0% F ( < 59) = 2 11.1%
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It can be concluded that the objective data does not support the research or the hypothesis that

student led research of environmental science will result in higher test scores than the previous

years students test scores based on teacher led lecture approach to learning.

Based on these findings, I intend to repeat this action research project from the opposite

position to determine whether a teacher led learning style would result in higher results than

Class B and whether the results would be higher, lower, or comparative to Class A. This

assertion comes from another study, as mentioned previously, which found a 4% increase in test

scores for every 10 percentage points of time that was reallocated from student led learning back

to lecture style learning (Wuppermann & Schwerdt, 2011).

Conclusions

Ideally, action research of this type should be repeated over many class sections to

eliminate and account for discrepancies in student ability, attitude, and other fixed attributes.

Working in a small school with one section of each subject makes this type of repetition within

the same school year impossible; therefore small sample sizes are inevitable. The crux of this

being that a sample size that is too small makes it difficult to reach a definitive conclusion as to

better methods of learning environmental science. Repeating the action research over a span of

several years will yield more accurate data, however, the difference in students and the gained

experience of the teacher would need to be considered as the data is analyzed.

Ultimately the outcome of this study is that the data does not support the hypothesis.

Reflecting on methodology, there have been many flaws found which I would want to eliminate

as I continue to experiment with student led research projects. The first and most glaring

explanation of the results achieved is misinterpretation of the students capabilities regarding

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self-led learning throughout the research project. As the project progressed I became more

attuned and attentive to the students lack of experience with self-directed activities. The

individual coaching and direct support taking place each day ultimately amounted to one-on-one

teacher led instruction of 18 different topics as students were either unwilling or unable to

accomplish the tasks set before them. Due to these unexpected difficulties, students were

provided credible and reliable sources specific to their individual topics to reduce the

overwhelming nature of research. Self-led learning proved to be simply too overwhelming for

many of the students, resulting in a data pool which was not aligned purely with the intent of the

studies surveyed.

Other difficulties encountered that were, perhaps, handled naively as a new teacher were

how to encourage students to use their class time productively, and how to not become

discouraged and give up at the first sign of a challenge. Knowing that many of the students dont

have access to technology resources at home, the student led learning research project was

designed to include ample time and access to school resources, computers, internet, etc. The

number of students who needed constant redirection back to the task at hand exceeded 70% of

the class and included students who would typically be described as hard workers. The amount

of anger and hostility directed towards me, and an unwillingness to do anything was much

greater with this approach than with a unit which is being teacher led through lecture from

PowerPoint presentation while students take notes. The student led learning attempt resulted in

an unexpected outcome with overarching negative expressions of student behavior and

educational product.

While I have not learned as much about the advantages of student led learning as

expected, I have gained valuable insight into the personalities and abilities of the students which
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were previously unknown. This insight will allow adaptation to tailor future classes in a way that

better fits student needs and learning styles, perhaps allowing for a more successful student led

learning project.

The purpose of this action research study was to answer the question: Does student led

research of environmental science result in higher test scores than a teacher led lecture approach

to learning environmental science?

In summary, the design and execution of the action research project was not well tailored

to the needs of the students and therefore yielded data results that were contrary to the stated

hypothesis. The goal was to set out to provide my students with a very specific framework to

follow to reach various conclusions regarding the effects of agricultural practices on the

environment. The accomplishment reached was a group of students rebelling against an

admittedly difficult task, and taking the easiest possible route to a poor-quality product.

For anyone considering an action research study of a similar variety it would be

recommended to evaluate the students learning by way of a pre-unit test compared to a post-unit

test rather than comparing one group to another. Additionally beneficial would be including the

various aspects of the intended project during the time leading up to it as a means of introducing

the students to the expectations. This will help to eliminate student reactivity and overwhelm

associated with too much new information and too many new expectations at one time.
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References

Alvermann, Donna E., Phelps, Stephen F., & Gillis, Victoria R. (2010) Content Area Reading

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