Click Here to Return To Standards Alignment Page...
Click The Button Below To Return To Graduate Course Work.
Final Reflection: MAT 733
Student Goal Setting Research Project
1. What were your initial premise statements? Discuss your premise statements now that they have been refined and revised as a result of your action research.
Initially, my belief was that I do all I can for my students. I felt that because I work hard and try hard that the classroom environment is at its best each year. I also believed that students fall in line and do the right thing simply because I love them. After reading and researching classroom management and classroom environments, I discovered there is a significant piece missing in my classroom and because of this, the environment cannot be called student centered. Students have not been given opportunities to set their own learning goals and take pride and ownership in their learning.
Currently my belief is that students need to be actively engaged in the classroom to ensure the highest learning potential. By allowing students to set goals before lessons, they are becoming part of their own education. I feel this will keep students on task and help them perform at a higher level overall. Judy Willis’s article Preserve the Child in Every Learner: Help your students hold on to their childhood curiosity and passion for learning by employing brain research-based teaching strategies expresses the importance of student centered classrooms. Teachers who allow and foster student goal setting show that they are conscious of the needs of the students, making the classroom a student centered environment. According to Willis, “Students invest more attention in activities and lessons to which they feel an emotional and personal connection” (2007). Without those connections, students may feel lost or indifferent to the lessons being presented, and in turn, may not take much away each day. Being a student centered classroom and using goal setting makes learning relevant and meaningful to students.
2. Your “practical argument” is the professional knowledge and language you use to support the decisions you make in your classroom. What were the key concepts and ideas from these courses that define your new practical argument in professional practice?
We cannot change what we do not acknowledge. Once my research began, I saw a clear need for change in my classroom that I had not noticed before. In a student centered classroom, students need to be the focus. It seems that I was spending a great deal of time running the show and being in charge, and not enough time allowing students to take ownership of what they were learning. Because they did not feel connected to the lessons, there were always students at any given point engaging in off task behavior. This simply shows a lack of motivation. My new practical argument is that if students are motivated and engaged in learning, they are less likely to be off task and they are more likely to make academic gains in the classroom.
McMillan and Hearn’s article Student Self Assessment: The Key to Stronger Student Motivation and Higher Achievement details how student goal setting and self assessment play an important role in student achievement in the classroom. The key concepts for my new practical argument in professional practice can be found in this article. The authors discussed studies conducted by Schunk and Zimmerman and state that in these studies “students achieved more when they set specific goals for themselves” (2008). They also give ideas about how student goal setting can occur. “Teachers can allow students to make choices from a predetermined range of activities, which individualizes instruction while allowing students to work at their appropriate levels. Restricting the range of choices ensures that the activities align with the curriculum and balances the cognitive challenge with opportunities for success” (2008). I believe that student achievement has a direct link to staying on task and being self confident in the classroom. Therefore, student goal setting can be a direct link as well. Regarding classroom motivation, McMillan and Hearn believe “students who believe that they can successfully complete a task are more motivated and engaged. Teachers should therefore maintain high expectations of performance as students establish goals and work through their self-evaluations” (2008). I absolutely agree, and I plan to use these ideas to change my classroom accordingly.
3. What additional questions might be raised (or not fully answered) during the implementation of your action research that might lead you to further research?
Once implementation of my plan is underway, I may encounter trouble with students setting superficial goals, especially in the beginning. I want student goals to pertain to my state learning standards but still be relevant to what each student would like to learn or gain from lessons. I will probably have to look for more in depth information about how to teach goal setting to students to combat this problem. I hope that students will take the goal setting process seriously and truly care about the goals they set. If this becomes an issue, the question would then be how do I help students create quality goals for themselves?
4. How has the semester’s work change you as a teacher? How has your study impacted your role in your school?
This semester has helped me become more thoughtful teacher. It has helped me see that I was not doing everything in my power to motivate students in my classroom. This coursework has given me the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in various roles in my building, which proved to be a valuable resource for me. In my school, I plan to consult my colleagues for feedback more often when I am having joys and concerns with my students. I will also be more available to do the same for my colleagues. I have been asked by my principal to present my research and share my findings with the other teachers in my building at our annual retreat. I am active on several school committees, but I have never been asked to present to colleagues. This is both an honor and a great challenge for me, but it will be exciting to share all the wonderful information I have found on student goal setting, classroom management and student motivation.
References
McMillan, J.H. & Hearn, J. (2008) Student Self Assessment: The Key to Stronger Student Motivation and Higher Achievement. educational HORIZONS, 40-49.
Willis, J. (2007). Preserve the Child in Every Learner: Help your students hold on to their childhood curiosity and passion for learning by employing brain research-based teaching strategies. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 33-37.
Initially, my belief was that I do all I can for my students. I felt that because I work hard and try hard that the classroom environment is at its best each year. I also believed that students fall in line and do the right thing simply because I love them. After reading and researching classroom management and classroom environments, I discovered there is a significant piece missing in my classroom and because of this, the environment cannot be called student centered. Students have not been given opportunities to set their own learning goals and take pride and ownership in their learning.
Currently my belief is that students need to be actively engaged in the classroom to ensure the highest learning potential. By allowing students to set goals before lessons, they are becoming part of their own education. I feel this will keep students on task and help them perform at a higher level overall. Judy Willis’s article Preserve the Child in Every Learner: Help your students hold on to their childhood curiosity and passion for learning by employing brain research-based teaching strategies expresses the importance of student centered classrooms. Teachers who allow and foster student goal setting show that they are conscious of the needs of the students, making the classroom a student centered environment. According to Willis, “Students invest more attention in activities and lessons to which they feel an emotional and personal connection” (2007). Without those connections, students may feel lost or indifferent to the lessons being presented, and in turn, may not take much away each day. Being a student centered classroom and using goal setting makes learning relevant and meaningful to students.
2. Your “practical argument” is the professional knowledge and language you use to support the decisions you make in your classroom. What were the key concepts and ideas from these courses that define your new practical argument in professional practice?
We cannot change what we do not acknowledge. Once my research began, I saw a clear need for change in my classroom that I had not noticed before. In a student centered classroom, students need to be the focus. It seems that I was spending a great deal of time running the show and being in charge, and not enough time allowing students to take ownership of what they were learning. Because they did not feel connected to the lessons, there were always students at any given point engaging in off task behavior. This simply shows a lack of motivation. My new practical argument is that if students are motivated and engaged in learning, they are less likely to be off task and they are more likely to make academic gains in the classroom.
McMillan and Hearn’s article Student Self Assessment: The Key to Stronger Student Motivation and Higher Achievement details how student goal setting and self assessment play an important role in student achievement in the classroom. The key concepts for my new practical argument in professional practice can be found in this article. The authors discussed studies conducted by Schunk and Zimmerman and state that in these studies “students achieved more when they set specific goals for themselves” (2008). They also give ideas about how student goal setting can occur. “Teachers can allow students to make choices from a predetermined range of activities, which individualizes instruction while allowing students to work at their appropriate levels. Restricting the range of choices ensures that the activities align with the curriculum and balances the cognitive challenge with opportunities for success” (2008). I believe that student achievement has a direct link to staying on task and being self confident in the classroom. Therefore, student goal setting can be a direct link as well. Regarding classroom motivation, McMillan and Hearn believe “students who believe that they can successfully complete a task are more motivated and engaged. Teachers should therefore maintain high expectations of performance as students establish goals and work through their self-evaluations” (2008). I absolutely agree, and I plan to use these ideas to change my classroom accordingly.
3. What additional questions might be raised (or not fully answered) during the implementation of your action research that might lead you to further research?
Once implementation of my plan is underway, I may encounter trouble with students setting superficial goals, especially in the beginning. I want student goals to pertain to my state learning standards but still be relevant to what each student would like to learn or gain from lessons. I will probably have to look for more in depth information about how to teach goal setting to students to combat this problem. I hope that students will take the goal setting process seriously and truly care about the goals they set. If this becomes an issue, the question would then be how do I help students create quality goals for themselves?
4. How has the semester’s work change you as a teacher? How has your study impacted your role in your school?
This semester has helped me become more thoughtful teacher. It has helped me see that I was not doing everything in my power to motivate students in my classroom. This coursework has given me the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in various roles in my building, which proved to be a valuable resource for me. In my school, I plan to consult my colleagues for feedback more often when I am having joys and concerns with my students. I will also be more available to do the same for my colleagues. I have been asked by my principal to present my research and share my findings with the other teachers in my building at our annual retreat. I am active on several school committees, but I have never been asked to present to colleagues. This is both an honor and a great challenge for me, but it will be exciting to share all the wonderful information I have found on student goal setting, classroom management and student motivation.
References
McMillan, J.H. & Hearn, J. (2008) Student Self Assessment: The Key to Stronger Student Motivation and Higher Achievement. educational HORIZONS, 40-49.
Willis, J. (2007). Preserve the Child in Every Learner: Help your students hold on to their childhood curiosity and passion for learning by employing brain research-based teaching strategies. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 33-37.