Action Research Paper Draft #1

Deal or Dud? Do Extrinsic Motivation Strategies Improve Student Academic Performance and/or Increase Positive Behavior?

Needs Assessment

Each school year academic performance and positive behavior decreases as the year progresses, especially following Christmas and Spring break. I found myself constantly nagging and redirecting students all day long. By always focusing on the negative behavior, unhealthy relationships between the students and myself would sometimes develop. After talking to several teachers they all agreed and seemed to have the same problems, especially toward the end of the school year when it gets close to state testing time. I once read that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. I asked myself “Why do I continue to implement the same management systems in my classroom year after year, but expect different results?” I must be insane. This year I finally decided to change things up in my classroom and try implementing several positive behavior management techniques that will hopefully improve student behavior and grades.

Objectives and Vision of the action research project

I will research classroom positive behavior management systems to see if they improve student motivation and overall academic performance. I will chart the amount of conduct folder write-ups and office referrals in my classroom each week during the first semester. During the second semester I will implement my findings and continue to chart the amount and reason for conduct folder write-ups and office referrals. At the end of the 2011-2012 school year I will compare the number of conduct folder write-ups and office referrals from the first semester to the second semester. Hopefully, I will see a decrease in a number of write-ups.

Every week throughout the first semester I will also chart the amount of failing papers in my classroom. During the second semester I will implement my findings and continue to chart the amount failing papers each week.  At the end of the 2011-2012 school year I will compare the number of failing papers from the first semester to the second semester. Hopefully, I will see a decrease in a number of failing papers as well. 

Review of the Literature and Action Research Strategy

When coming up with an idea for my action research project I brainstormed several options with my assistant principal and principal. After much discussion we decided to focus on implementing several positive behavior management ideas only in my classroom to gain knowledge on their effect on student behavior and academic success. Once my classroom research is complete and the data can be analyzed we will, depending on the outcome of the data, discuss implementing and trying school wide behavioral management strategies next year. When looking into the research concerning motivational factors and their influence on student learning I found several articles that were very interesting and eye opening. According to American Psychological Association and their Learner-Centered Psychological Principals,  “Educators need to be concerned with facilitation motivation by strategies that enhance learner effort and commitment to learning and to achieving high standards of comprehension and understanding.” I also read a journal entry where Ryan and Deci suggest, “Because many of the tasks that educators want their students to perform are not inherently interesting or enjoyable, knowing how to promote more active and volitional (versus passive and controlling) forms of extrinsic motivation becomes an essential strategy for successful teaching.”

Resources:

Learner-Centered Principals Work Group of the American Psychological Association’s Board of       

      Educational Affairs. (Novemeber, 1997). Learner-Centered Psychological Principals: A

      Framework for School Reform and Redesign. American Psychological Association.  

      Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/ed/governance/bea/learner-centered.pdf

Ryan, R. & Deci, E. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New

      Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology 25, 54-67. Doi: 10.1006/ceps.1999.1020

Articulate the Vision

When coming up with an idea for my action research project I brainstormed several options with my assistant principal and principal. After much discussion we decided to focus on implementing several positive behavior management ideas only in my classroom to gain knowledge on their effect on student behavior and academic success. Once my classroom research is complete and the data can be analyzed we will, depending on the outcome of the data, discuss implementing and trying school wide behavioral management strategies next year. I plan on communicating my findings several ways. I will maintain an updated action research blog where other educators and administrators can utilize the information and apply it to their school, classroom, or students. I also plan on posting my action research paper on my teacher website. Posting it on my teacher website will allow easy access for both teachers within the district and community members who are interested in the research. I will also create and host a professional development session where results can be analyzed, broken down and discussed. Depending on the outcome, I’m hoping teachers will leave with several strategies to use with specific students or ideas to apply in their classroom. During the professional development session I would also like to brainstorm campus wide behavioral management plans and vote/discuss on a few that will be implemented 2012-2013 school year.

Manage the organization

I have relied heavily on my action research template that I created during my EDLD 5301 course. This has helped me organize my thoughts and ideas as well as the organization of the research as well.

Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
I will conduct a student survey and see what ideas students describe and/or which motivation techniques they prefer.	Angie McLeod	September / October	A student motivation assessment survey.	I will compile the findings and see what ideas I can implement into my classroom.
I will conduct an informal/verbal teacher survey and find ideas that I could implement into my classroom positive behavior management plan.	Angie McLeod and 3rd – 5th grade teachers.	September / October	A teacher questionnaire designed to make it easy for the teachers to share their ideas.	I will compile the results and decide on which ones to implement into my classroom.
I will put together a focus group where we can bounce motivation techniques and positive behavior management ideas and thoughts off of each other.	Angie McLeod and focus group of at least 6 other teachers.	October / November	Table and chairs to accommodate up to 8 teachers. Compiled list of ideas from teacher and student surveys.	I will list suggestions and concerns about each student motivation and positive behavior management techniques.
I will conduct a search on the internet to discover/analyze various methods on student motivation and positive behavior management plans.	Angie McLeod	September / October	Computer with internet service	I will list other ideas for student motivation and positive behavior management techniques.
I will post blog reflections where I can process and log my thinking about how some of my actions in my classrooms are working.	Angie McLeod	September 2011 – May 2012	Computer with internet service	This will allow me to look at and analyze my thought throughout each step of the research.
I will create and develop an excel spreadsheet to input data found. (Number of write-ups and failing papers each week.)	Angie McLeod	September 2011 – May 2012	Computer with excel program.	This will help organize the data so that I can easily compare and analyze my findings.
I will also include claims and assertions from my students and myself as a form of data collection.	Angie McLeod and students	May 2012	Round table, pencil and paper.	I will provide claims and assertions in the final summary of my action research topic.

Manage Operations

My action research project relies heavily upon me. I am implementing these motivation strategies and keeping up with the data each week. By focusing on the needs of the students in my classroom I have adjusted various strategies to fit certain students personalities.  the strategy used to lead the operations of the project and set priorities. Since I am the only person involved in my action research I haven’t used group process skills or come across any conflicts.

Respond to Community Interest and Needs

These classroom strategies can be modified to best fit the needs of not only a class, but a specific student as well. As educators, we all know that every class and every student responds to reward and punishment systems differently. It is important to keep this in mind during implementation. On a larger scale the community could contribute and support the program by offering various discounted items to the school such as; discounted ticket prices (Yesterland, local movie theatres, Splash Kingdom), ice cream treats (Dairy Queen, Brookshires, Wal-Mart), free snowcones (Bahama Mama’s), or free pizza (Pizza Hut).