Task III: Design the Methodology:
Study Setting and Scope:
This study will be conducted at Mount Saint Joseph High School during the 2012-2013 school year. It will examine 200 randomly-selected students (50 from each grade, 9-12) and all 85 faculty members of the school. The study will be conducted over a two-month period, beginning in February, and the findings of the study will be presented during an in-service day in April. With the approval of the school administration, we will then create student and faculty surveys, organize student and faculty focus groups, and schedule and record in-class observations.
Study Design:
Using surveys, focus groups and case studies this study will be both qualitative and quantitative in nature. It is a cross-sectional descriptive study in that it will address a number of age groups, both of students and faculty. Student and faculty surveys will have closed ended responses (answering agree, disagree or neutral) with respect to the current usage of PBL at Mount Saint Joseph. We will use video recorded focus group discussions to provide qualitative insights which we can compare to the quantitative data gained through our surveys. In order to ensure data triangulation, PBL lessons performed by volunteering faculty will be videotaped and analyzed for common practices.
Study Timeline:
At the beginning of the second semester of the 2012-2013 school year, roughly the first week of February, student and faculty surveys will be administered. In the subsequent two weeks, classroom observations will be recorded, and focus groups will be organized. In the last week of February, the focus groups will be conducted. The month of March will be dedicated to data analysis, and our findings will be presented to the faculty during the April in-service professional day.
Study Resources:
- Online surveys will be conducted in computer labs at Mount Saint Joseph through the free service of www.surveymonkey.com
- Classroom observations will require the use of a FlipCam, provided by Mount Saint Joseph
- Focus Groups will require multiple classroom spaces, arranged and organized through the faculty
- All data analysis will be conducted through personal computers and Mount Saint Joseph computer labs
| Activity | Timeline | Person Responsible | Resources | Evaluation Evidence |
| Administer student and faculty surveys designed to examine perceptions and identify current uses of PBL at Mount Saint Joseph High School | 1st week of 2nd Semester: Early February, 2013 |
200 Randomly Selected Students, All Faculty | Student Survey;Faculty Survey; Computer Labs | Quantitative data will be generated and evaluated by the Action research Team |
| Observe classroom lessons that are perceived by the teacher to be PBL in nature | 2nd and 3rd weeks of February, 2013 | Action Research Team | Recording Device; Lesson Observation Form |
Recording of PBL-based lessons will provide qualitative documentation of the process |
| Organize and Conduct Focus Groups to examine perceptions and identify current uses of PBL at Mount Saint Joseph High School | 2nd-4th weeks of February, 2013 | Action Research Team | Student Focus Group Questionnaire; Faculty Focus Group Questionnaire; |
Focus Groups will provide the Action research team with qualitative evidence that expands upon the survey results |
| Analyze the Data | Month of March | Action Research Team | Microsoft Excel, Survey Monkey, Computer Lab | Relevant graphs and charts will be generated and put in presentation form. |
| Present the Data | April Professional Day (All-Faculty) | Action Research Team; Administration; Faculty | Presentation Room; projector; relevant copies of presentation | Feedback from faculty and administration |
Study Tools:
Subject Taught:
Years Teaching:
Please check one of the following:
Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree
1. My personal understanding of Project-based learning (PBL) is clear.
2. I feel confident in my knowledge of the procedures involved in PBL.
3. PBL will increase my students' academic success.
4. PBL makes learning more enjoyable for my students.
5. I feel comfortable assessing students' achievement using PBL.
6. My role as a teacher in a PBL classroom is clear.
7. I have the resources needed to practice PBL in my classroom.
8. I frequently use PBL lessons in my class.
9. PBL is an excellent learning method for the students.
10. My students are comfortable using the PBL method in my classroom
Grade:
Please check one of the following:
Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree
1. My personal understanding of Project-based learning (PBL) is clear.
2. I feel confident in my knowledge of the procedures involved in PBL.
3. PBL will increase my academic success.
4. PBL makes learning more enjoyable for me.
5. PBL assignments are graded fairly.
6. My role as a team member in group PBL assignments is clear.
7. I have the resources needed to participate in PBL in my classroom or school.
8. My teachers frequently use PBL lessons in our classes.
9. PBL is an excellent learning method for the students.
10. My teachers use PBL effectively in the classroom.
Faculty Focus groups broken into 5 groups of 15 teachers, led by one of the action team members.
1. What is your definition of Project-based Learning?
2. What are some examples of how you use PBL in the classroom?
3. What are some advantages of PBL?
4. What are some disadvantages of PBL?
5. What are some problems you've encountered in trying to implement PBL into the curriculum?
6. If you haven't used PBL, what are some possible lessons in which you could incorporate it into your classroom?
7. What professional development would help in using PBL more effectively?
8. If you have used PBL, has it affected student achievement in a noticeable way?
Student Focus Groups will consist of 5 groups of 15 students chosen randomly from the group that took the surveys, led by one of the action team members.
1. What do you understand Project-based learning to be?
2. How does PBL benefit your learning of the material?
3. How does PBL detract from your learning of material?
4. Describe an example of PBL that you have enjoyed?
5. Describe an example of PBL you didn't think worked well?
6. How can teachers use PBL more effectively?
7. Do you think the use of PBL works better in a certain subject area? If so, describe which subjects.
8. Do you feel PBL is a good way to learn? Explain why or why not?
Teacher:
Description of the Lesson:
PBL Techniques Observed:
Student Engagement:
Overall Impression:
Similarities to other PBL lessons:
Differences compared to other PBL lessons:
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