Action Plan

Check out my research plan. It's a little rough but workable.

Goal: The intent of this inquiry is to consider whether student responsibility and/or motivation predicate a comparable level of academic performance.

Action Steps(s):
- Define personal responsibility,self-motivation, and academic performance.
- Collaboration with all stakeholders to ascertain what the above definitions look-like
- Design survey to measure personal responsibility, self-motivation, and academic performance.
- Survey to parent, teacher, student
- Meet with PEIMS and site supervisor to facilitate computer generated sample meeting criterion. Draft, review and create invitation letters to potential participants
- Send letters to parents, potential participants, and teachers with return date within two weeks. - Also provide information meeting during this time
- Identify participants, gather data in regards to student performance for 09-10 school year
- send survey to participating stakeholders
- disaggregate data from survey
- gather data in regards to student performance for 10-11 school year for all MP ,
- If necessary, provide social skills and academic skills coaching for students/parents
- send survey to participating stakeholders
- disaggregate data and complete research report

Timeline for the entire project is 10 months.

What About Student Responsibility?

The intent of this research based inquiry is to consider whether student responsibility and/or motivation predicate a comparable of academic performance. Within the change of societal views in regards to parent expectation of educators, teachers are to ensure the academic success of all students. Sometimes unrealistic responsibilities are placed upon the educator, the school, and the school district to ensure that "no child is left behind." Has this mentality shifted the responsibility, as well as the burden of education solely upon the shoulders of unsuspecting teachers who long for students who "want to learn", thereby relieving students of their personal responsibility to participate, perform, and produce within the classroom? Will this lack of personal responsibility and self-motivation come back to haunt this society when these same students become adults with poor, non-viable work ethics in this global marketplace?

While investigating this possible correlation, the following questions will be examined:

1. Are high levels of self-motivation and/or personal responsibility prerequisites for better academic performance?
2. Do family and/or societal views effect student attitudes towards personal responsibility and/or self-motivation?
3. Are student attitudes towards personal responsibility and self-motivation learned behaviors? If so, how do we as educators affect change in these areas?

I welcome feedback from parents, teachers, and students.

A Bit Much!

WOW! I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I am extremely interested in the corelation between student responsibility and motivation in relationship to academic performance. Trying to figure out how to begin is huge. I have tons of inquiry based questions. But haven't been able to meet with school staff for student pop data for pop sample. Maybe I should take a breather and relax or change my topic. In either case, this is week three and the class is over at the end of week 5! Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Action Research

I have learned that action research is a form of research that is inquiry based, cyclical in nature and relfective; yet data-driven. The main objectives are continuous improvement in a specific area/practice or to derive to achieve a better understanding of relationships or correlations that may lead to effective change to promote best practices. It is not theoretical. However, because changes are data-driven or experienced-based, validity can be substantiated. Thereby suggesting the process maybe repeated or expound upon given factors are simliar in nature.

Action research differs from traditional research typically has one of three objectives: 1) informational or theoretical research on a person or theme/subject, problem-solving/problematic, and/or lastyly, investigations as to answer "why". Traditional research may not strive to affect change, It may corroborate the "status quo" or authenticate trational practices.

Action research, on the other hand, seeks to improve, empower and to better understand. It cannot be narrowly positioned into a well-formed box. The is because each level of questioning or inquriy leads to another and so and so forth.