Reflections on Research

In reflecting on my last five weeks of taking the course Research 5301, several things come to mind.  In the beginning I contemplated several different topics before deciding on one.  At first I wanted to focus my attention on curriculum differentiation.  I have always been interested in this method of teaching which leads teachers toward working to create different learning experiences for different students.  But after consultation from mentors and my site supervisor I decided to focus on something involving student-athletes because of my desire to be an Athletic Director at some point in my career.  I decided to base my action research on the premise that students involved in athletics and other extra-curricular activities are motivated to be more focused in their classroom therefore leading to better grades.  In discussing this topic with other students in my class, I have found that there is quite a bit of interest and support to the research.  One classmate pointed out that he had the experience of seeing how several athletes he knew during his career that quit a sport, also quit trying in class and received much lower grades from that point on.  This is great evidence toward my hypothesis.  Another classmate reported in a comment on my blog that she had seen how athletes’ grades were greatly affected by their coaches handing out grade sheets to their players.  The attention this placed on knowing their grades and putting more responsibility on knowing exactly what their status was in class, also led to higher grades. 

I reflection on Action Research itself, I have learned how administrators and teachers can gain huge insights to their profession and enhance their leadership skills in education system improvement efforts.  I have learned that the research process is a step by step process that consists of developing a question, collecting and analyzing data, sharing the results with stakeholders, and assessing the quality of the inquiry.  Through the reading I also became familiar with the nine topic areas around which most research is done.  These include: staff development, curriculum development, individual teachers, individual students, school culture, leadership, building management, school performance, and social justice.  In studying these nine topics it was very helpful to document one idea concerning each one and then explaining how that chosen idea could benefit a school or school district. 

I was able to start creating a plan for my research by following an outline of things that needed to be done.  First I stated my objective as to what I would like to accomplish.  The following steps included documenting activities designed to achieve that objective, gathering resources for collecting data, developing a timeline, designating people responsible for helping my implement the plan, creating a process for monitoring the achievement of objectives, and then developing instruments for assessing and evaluating the progress of the research.  Concerning my project specifically in reflection, I do feel that athletics and EA’s (extra-curricular activities) can work toward preparing students for success in the classroom by building confidence and creating a positive attitude.  It helps students learn time management and prioritize.  I believe that parents who are supportive and realistic can help their child to achieve success and that some parents pay more attention to their children’s grades when they know that contributing to their chosen activity is on the line.  This of course brings in the “No Pass, No Play” ruling which states in general that a student that does not pass cannot participate in their activity until the proper grades are maintained.  This will play a big part in my research.  The evidence should show that students will work harder in the classroom to maintain eligibility in their respective activities.

Lastly on my reflection I have realized that there will be many challenges.  Such things as to how many focus groups I should have and the activity group to choose from.  I need to develop a firm timeline and contemplate on how to make sure the data is accurate.  I will need help from parents and administrators and will have to find the time in their schedule to take advantage of their consultation.  I will need to put much thought in what questions to put on a questionnaire to gather data that fully encompasses all the material. 

During this course I did my best to fulfill the blog requirements.  I had never been involved in a blog before so it did take a while to become acquainted with the requirements.  Trial and error is always a good way to learn.  Overall I believe this class will be beneficial to me as a future administrator.  I plan to use my research project as an opportunity to interview some present day athletic directors which will no doubt help me understand their perspective and start to become more aware of the many responsibilities of their profession.