The Role Performing Undergraduate Research plays toward Becoming a Reflective Practitioner

1
The Role Performing Undergraduate Research plays
toward Becoming a Reflective Practitioner

• Dawn Del Carlo
• Leah Isbell
• Holly Hinkhouse
• 19th BCCE, Purdue University
• August 1, 2006

2
Undergrad Research in Science

• Research on the effects and benefits of
  undergraduate research in the sciences is gaining
  in popularity (Seymour, 2004).
• However, a similar trend does not exist in
  teacher education.

3
The Reflective Practitioner

• Teaching and learning are sciences that use
  (Dewey, 1910)
• Grounded theory
• Quantification
• Observation
• Learning to teach and learning to inquire are
  inseparable (Cochran-Smith Lytle, 1993)
• Leads to the idea of Teacher-as-Researcher

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Teaching the act of Reflection

• Analyses of current status in teacher ed.
• Valli, L. Ed. (1992) Reflective Teacher
  Education Cases and Critiques
• Pedro, J. (2005) Reflective Practice 6(1), 49-66
• Jay, J.K. Johnson, K.L., (2002) Teaching and
  Teacher Education 18, 73-85
• Clarke, A. (1994) Int. J. Sci. Educ. 16(5)
  497-509
• Textbooks
• Henderson (1992) Reflective Teaching Becoming
  an Inquiring Educator
• Reagan, Case, Brubacher (2000) Becoming a
  Reflective Educator How to Build a Culture of
  Inquiry in the Schools
• Parsons Brown (2002) Teacher as Reflective
  Practitioner and Action Researcher
• Academic texts
• Schon (1990) Educating the Reflective
  Practitioner
• Schon (1991) The Reflective Turn Case Studies in
  and on Educational Practice
• Zeichner Liston (1996) Reflective Teaching An
  Introduction
• Russell Hugh, Eds. (1992) Teachers Teaching
  From Classroom to Reflection

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Types of Reflection
From Valli, L. (1997), Peabody J. of Ed. 72(1),
67-88.
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Grounded Theory Approach to Qualitative Research

• Purpose is to specify the conditions that give
  rise to specific sets of action/interaction
  pertaining to a phenomenon and the resulting
  consequences. (Strauss Corbin, 1990, p. 251)
• Techniques and procedures include
• Planning
• Observing
• Questioning (e.g. surveys, interviews)
• Coding and making connections
• Drawing Conclusions

7
Summer 2005 Students

• Leah
• Senior Student teaching Fall 2005
• Chemistry/Spanish double major with teaching
  certification
• Participated in chemistry research the previous
  summer
• Holly
• Jr/Sr Student teaching Spring 2006
• Chemistry teaching major with Physical Science
  endorsement
• First research experience
• Both excellent and highly motivated students
• I supplied selected readings on qualitative
  research methods and our specific projects at the
  beginning of the summer

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The Projects

• General Chemistry laboratory development/modificat
  ion
• Development of a study of science teacher
  graduates
• Researching the undergraduate Summer Research
  Experience in Chemistry (SREC)

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Study of Teaching Graduates

• UNI science teacher preparation heavily based in
  methods of inquiry.
• Studies show that most new teachers do not
  implement inquiry methods.
• This study is meant to determine what methods our
  graduates are using in their first few years and
  why.

Adams Krockover, 1997 Black, 2004
Brickhouse, 1992 Eick Reed, 2001 Loughran,
1994 Volkmann Anderson, 1997
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Project development Methods

• Review literature and determine existing themes
• Chose a theoretical perspective
• Develop guiding research questions
• Examine and select research methods
• Obtain contact information for alumni

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Undergraduate SREC

• Recent call for more authentic classroom
  experiences for undergraduates majoring in
  science.
• First step is to determine what makes an
  experience authentic.
• What is the essence of the undergraduate research
  experience in chemistry from the students
  perspective?
• Project design and methodology pre-determined.
• Holly and Leah carried out data collection,
  analysis and presentation.

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Research Methods for SREC

• Nature of Science Questionnaire given at the
  beginning and end of the 10 week summer research
  session
• Electronic Journal questions sent weekly to each
  participant
• Semi-structured Interviews conducted during weeks
  one, five, and ten.

Adapted from NOS survey used by Cartrette, D.,
Miller, M. South Dakota State University, NSF-REU
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Technical Reflection

• Description in Teaching Practices
• Dominant mode of reflection taught in teacher ed.
  programs
• Outside expert researchers voice is dominant
  teacher tries to match it
• Evident in Research Practices
• I supplied background literature, goals of
  project, and for the SREC project the methods to
  be used
• Planning strategy for Teaching Grads study
• Developing questions
• Choosing theoretical framework
• Determining appropriate methods

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Reflection-in- and on-action

• Description in Teaching Practices
• Reflection pertaining to ones actions after the
  fact (on-action) or while they are happening
  (in-action)
• Stems from ones own personal experience and
  unique situation
• Own voice is considered the expert
• Evident in Research Practices
• Interviewing (in-action) Semi-structured so some
  spontaneous questioning
• Transcription (on-action) Forced to re-hash
  their own questioning skills and content of
  interviews

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Deliberative Reflection

• Description in Teaching Practices
• Decisions based on multiple sources research,
  experience, advice, personal beliefs, etc
• No one voice dominates weigh competing
  viewpoints
• Evident in Research Practices
• Coding and re-coding
• Must stay focused on original questions
• We as a group discussed personal/professional
  domain

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Personalistic Reflection

• Description in Teaching Practices
• Reflection not limited to professional issues but
  also the personal growth of students
• Requires listening to own inner voice and the
  personal voice of others
• Evident in Research Practices
• In this case, Holly and Leah knew the
  participants of the SREC
• Often act as sounding board/therapist for
  participants
• Understanding their own lens vs. those of their
  participants

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Critical Reflection

• Description in Teaching Practices
• Goes beyond simply understanding but to improve
  the quality of life of others
• Examines even simple action and conflicting
  points of view with regard to broad moral and
  ethical social goals
• Evident in Research Practices
• Comes into play with conclusions drawn from the
  data and implications for future practice
• Goes beyond simply reporting what the data says

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Research and Reflection

• Not really the same thing? (i.e. because the
  content is different, the practices will be
  compartmentalized)
• When asked neither Holly nor Leah felt that the
  coding a data analysis processes were useful for
  teaching
• Both agreed that the interviewing helped them
  with their questioning and listening skills
• So far, only student and substitute teaching
  experiencesfollow up after this fall

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Acknowledgements

• Holly and Leah
• Participants in the UNI-SREC