Lesson 13: Strategy 5 - Using Research as a Teaching Strategy

• Give the students guidance and practice in helping one another to learn.

• Specify clearly what outcomes you want the learners to achieve.

• Decide what content (issues, problems, theories) the students w ill focus on as they try to achieve the outcomes.

• Select what you th in k w ill be the most appropriate form o f cooperative learning to use.

• Prepare the materials.

• Decide how to form the groups.

• Explain to the students in detail how the cooperative learning sessions w ill operate, what you expect from them, how you w ill assist them , and how they w ill be assessed.

• Develop a system of recognizing and rewarding the learning o f individual students as well as the achievement of the groups.

• Prepare appropriate assessment instruments so that the students w ill be able to demonstrate their mastery and retention o f academic content and skills after the cooperative groups have completed th e ir work.

• Develop a system for keeping records of the group and in dividual achievements of the students and for publicly acknowledging the achievements of the group.

• Plan a period of reflection so that after the groups have completed th e ir tasks and received th e ir feedback, the students can analyze th e ir achievements and th e ir group process.

Im plem enting Cooperative Learning

The teacher is expected to plan, manage, and m onitor the learning environm ent so that the students can maximize learning together as a team.

After doing the suggested steps for preparation, the teacher can proceed w ith the follow ing (Killen, 2009):

• Assign the students in groups. It makes the students more alert to the instructions to be given to them.

• Explain clearly the outcomes that the students are to achieve and provide clear directions about the academic tasks that each group w ill undertake.

• Explain how the learning of in dividual students w ill be assessed.

• Remind the students of your expectations from them (particularly in relation to helping one another learn) and of the cooperative goal structure (the rewards for learning).

• Provide the students w ith resources if necessary.

• Remind the students how long they have for the cooperative learning and get them started.

• Move around, visit each group to provide assistance, and m onitor the activities and learning of the students to make notes of matters that w ill need to be dealt w ith once the group activities have finished.

• Bring the lesson to a logical conclusion.

• Evaluate the student achievement and help them assess how well they collaborated w ith one another.

II. Sample Lesson Plan

Topic: Weather Patterns in the Philippines

Grade Level: Grade 6

Learning Competencies

The learners should be able to:

1. describe the different seasons in the Philippines and

2. discuss appropriate activities for specific seasons of the Philippines.

i ENGAGE

Ask the students about th e ir prior knowledge/experience of different seasons in the Philippines.

EXPLORE

Show a video clip or a news coverage about a recent typhoon. Instruct the students to list down their observations.

EXPLAIN

Discuss the different seasons in the Philippines and appropriate activities for the seasons. Show video clips.

ELABORATE

Divide the class in groups of 5 -6 members. Ask them to collaboratively develop a proposal on m itig a tin g damages brought about by typhoons across different areas o f the country as if they are policymakers, lawmakers, administrators, or leaders. They should be able to consider different aspects such as safety, livelihood, and health of the citizens.

EVALUATE

Give each group at least 5 m inutes to share th e ir proposal in class. Use a rubric to assess the students. Give your comments and suggestions regarding th e ir output.

Answer the fo llow ing questions completely.

1. What are the advantages of using collaborative learning as a strategy in class?

2. What are the lim itations of collaborative learning as a strategy in class?

3. Given the learning competencies below, develop a sample lesson plan incorporating cooperative learning.

Topic: Other Members of the Solar System: Comets, Meteors, Asteroids

Grade Level: Grade 7

Learning Competencies

The learners should be able to:

1. compare and contrast comets, meteors, and asteroids;

2. predict the appearance of comets based on recorded data of previous appearances; and

3. explain the regular occurrence of m eteor showers.

ENGAGE

EXPLORE

ELABORATE

EVALUATE

I. What is Research?

The word research has its roots in the old French word "recherche", meaning to investigate thoroughly. Books on educational research often go a little fu rth e r and define research as, "Seeking through methodical processes to add to one's own body of knowledge and, hopefully, to that of others, by the discovery of non-trivial facts and insights" (Howard & Sharp, 1983). This d e fin ition conveys the idea that research has two im portant components (Killen, 2009):

1. in quiry that is carried out systematically and purposefully

2. in quiry that focuses on revealing some new knowledge.

We can note, then, that there are several very im portant steps in any research. First, there must be a clear purpose-w e must form ulate a question that we w ill answer. Second, there must be a detailed plan for trying to answer that question so that the research w ill be systematic. Third, data must be gathered and analyzed in an attem pt to answer the question so that new knowledge can be revealed. Finally, some conclusions must be reached-either to answer the original question or to explain why we could not find an answer.To use student research as a teaching strategy, you have to help the students understand and work through each of these stages so that they learn how to investigate, experiment, relate inform ation, and draw logical conclusions.

There are different approaches to research, and these are used relatively to the field of specialization of the teacher. In general, there are three approaches to research that are useful for the teachers and the students (Killen, 2009).

For example, a research that located historical accounts of the Boer War (e.g., some written by Boers, some by English soldiers, and some by Australian soldiers) and compared them would be a research that used existing inform ation even though that inform ation m ig h t be re-interpreted to provide a new perspective.

2. Research based on gathering, interpreting, and using inform ation that did not exist before the research was conducted.

This could be exem plified by a research that involved interviewing Australians who had served in the Gulf War and drawing conclusions about the impact of the war on th e ir lives would be generating new data.

3. Research based on some form of experimentation.

For instance, a research that investigated the effects of applying different amounts and types of fertilizer to roses to see how it influenced their blooms.

All research should set out to answer one or more research questions. It is the systematic attem pt to irs w e r a research question that changes an "activity" or "project" into research. When student research is .sed as a teaching strategy, the research questions should focus on im portant issues to which the students t-n relate, but which the students do not fu lly understand (otherwise there is no point of doing research). 5: r e tim e s a useful way to get the students to focus on an im portant issue is to have them develop th e ir own research questions.

Furthermore, teaching the students on how to do research is necessary, but not sufficient, in helping tnem learn about the subject through research. Whenever you use this strategy, you must emphasize to the students that the purpose of the research is for them to gain some specific knowledge. Often, you w ill not ■ant to tell them exactly what the knowledge is, because discovering it w ill be the focus of their research. - : .vever, they need to understand that they are not ju st doing an exercise; they are engaged in a search to reepen th e ir understanding.

When and Why Should Research Be Used as a Teaching Strategy?

A prerequisite for using this strategy is that your learners must be capable of working effectively in ;-oups or individually. If they can work in groups, you can use this strategy in conjunction with group work, tDoperative learning, or problem-solving. The fo llow ing are the advantages of using student research as a teaching strategy according to Killen (2009).

• Research encourages the learners to ask questions, to investigate, to discover, and to create answers fo r themselves, rather than w aiting for someone else to provide the answers for th e m -it helps them to be more independent learners who believe they are capable of understanding complex issues and of discovering im portant new knowledge themselves.

• Research can enable the learners to develop a deeper level of understanding of the subject in comparison w ith using teaching strategies such as direct instruction or discussion-it encourages them to strive for more than superficial learning.

• Research helps the learners to progress from what they already understand to what they need to understand-deliberately b u ild in g on th e ir existing knowledge. It encourages them to be metacognitive.

• Research can challenge, engage, and extend all the learners, not ju s t the more capable learners.

• Research encourages the learners to be skeptical about ideas that others present as facts. It encourages the learners to view knowledge as problematic, to appreciate th a t knowledge in the area they are studying is lim ited, and to recognize th a t there are still unresolved problems and unanswered questions.

• Research encourages critical th in k in g and reflection, both of which are extremely im portant in the context of the increasingly extensive amounts of inform ation that are available (especially from the Internet) w ith o u t having passed through any appraisal, censorship, or review process.

• Research can provide a m eaningful context for the learners to use and develop th e ir communication skills. It can help the learners develop th e ir reading skills, note-taking skills, w ritin g skills, and oral communication skills, particularly if they are required to discuss th e ir work, present th e ir findings, and propose courses of action based on th e ir research.

• Research can help the learners develop th e ir organizational and tim e management skills.

• Research can be a fun and m otivating way to learn, particularly fo r the gifted learners.

• Research can give the learners experience working in the way professionals work. For example, it can help children to become young scientists (Heckman et al., 1994).

• Research can help the learners understand the essential nature of a fie ld o f study. For example, it can help them understand th a t science is "a process o f creating laws, models, and theories th a t enable one to predict, explain, and control the behavior of the w o rld" (W hite & Frederiksen, 200 0) or th a t mathematics is more about the study of patterns and relationships than it is about num bers and calculations.

• Research that requires the students to th in k in different and deeper ways can help them understand and remember im portant ideas because the inform ation they are grappling w ith is embedded in a meaningful context.

• Research can teach the learners on how to make use of the sources of in form ation that are available in th e ir local community.

• Research can be an effective way of getting the parents involved in their child's education. This can start with simple things such as having the students interview their parents on a designated topic and then sharing the data so that the class can analyze the pooled data to answer a research question.

• Research provides the teachers w ith an opportunity to stand back and observe the learners, to

analyze the ways in which they interact w ith one another, and to reflect on th e ir learning styles. W ith this new knowledge, the teachers' primary role should be to help the students learn how to think, rather than teaching them how to remember.

• Research projects provide an ideal opp ortunity for you to help the learners develop their com puting skills and th e ir fa m ilia rity w ith modern technologies such as the Internet. In turn, these technologies provide very useful tools to assist the learners with th e ir research.

Student research is not always appropriate in all occasions. There are some lim itations to this strategy. The a : e oelow shows the advantages and lim itations of student research as a teaching strategy.

Use student research if:

• The outcomes you want the students to achieve are readily related to issues beyond the classroom.

• The learners have sufficiently high prior knowledge to guide th e ir own learning. • The students are self-motivated and can learn w ith m inim a l assistance.

• You want to encourage the students to take a deep approach to learning. • You want the students to learn how to enjoy learning. • You want to encourage the students to be independent learners. • You want learning to be driven by the students' curiosity.

Do not use student research if:

• The students lack the basic skills to work independently or in small groups.

• The students have very poor literacy skills.

• The students do not have access to the equ ipm ent or inform ation they need to produce w o rthw hile data from their research.

• You cannot allow the students sufficient tim e to complete the research task.

How to Use Research as a Teaching Strategy?

Research is very much a student-centered approach to learning, but it is not something that you should expect your students to do totally independently. It w ill not be sufficient to sim ply give the students a research question and leave them to th e ir own devices to find the answers. Instead, you w ill have to plan each phase of the research carefully and prepare your students by making sure that they have all the prerequisite skills or that the research project is structured in such a way that the students w ill develop these skills as they work through the research.

You have to plan carefully for each of these things. You m ig h t proceed as follows:

• Decide exactly what you want the students to learn. You should have clear learning outcomes.

• Identify what prior knowledge and skillsth e students w ill need in ord e rto cond uctthe ir research.

If necessary, teach that prior knowledge.This may involve teaching for research (developing the students' understanding of the subject) and teaching about research (developing the students' understanding of how to do research).

• Identify a num ber of strategies that the students m ig h t use if they are to be successful in their research and be prepared to recognize and encourage the students who use these approaches.

• Plan the lesson in which you w ill introduce the students to the research exercise. Decide how you w ill explain what you want the students to learn and what you expect from them during th e ir research.

• Plan how you w ill m onitor the students' progress. This should involve at least being able to identify the parts of the research exercise that are likely to cause the most difficulties fo r the students, decide what these difficulties m ig h t be, and develop some strategies for m inim izing these difficulties.

• Make sure that you have arranged for the students to get appropriate access to equipm ent, documents, or people so that they can gather the data necessary for th e ir research.

• Plan how you w ill assess what the students learn from the research.

• Plan how you w ill evaluate the research activity.

It isalso im p o rta n tth a tyo u prepare the students fo rth e ir research. You can considerthese guidelines:

• Explain carefully to the students why you are using this teaching strategy and what/how you expect they w ill learn from it.

• Spell out your expectations, and check th a t the students understand such thing s as when they w ill be doing the research, how much tim e it w ill take, what sort of things they w ill be doing, what type of product you expect them to produce, how you w ill assess th e ir learning, whether you expect them to work in teams or individually, and what you w ill be doing w hile they are engaged in th e ir research.

• Ensure that the students have the necessary com munication and social skills to work effectively together.

Get the students enthusiastic about the prospect of doing som ething w orthw hile. As much as possible, involve the students in the planning process so that they feel that they are doing something they want to do and that they consider m eaningful. If possible, motivate the by showing them research that has been done by your previous students or students from other batches in the campus.

1. clarify the purpose of the research so that they understand exactly why they are doing the research and what outcomes they are supposed to achieve. 2. develop th e ir research questions. 3. develop a research strategy. 4. filter, organize, analyze, and evaluate the in form ation or data. 5. locate inform ation or gather data that w ill be used to answer the research questions. 6. develop an answer to the research question. 7. report the results of th e ir research in an appropriate way. 8. evaluate the effectiveness of th e ir research strategies, including the way th e ir results were presented, so that they are better prepared for th e ir next research project.

To help the students do these things, you w ill have to provide a carefully structured learning environment, : e ticularly if your students have not had much experience with this learning strategy. The m inim um guidance : u will need to give the students if you want them to learn through research is:

• A well-defined and realistic issue or problem to be investigated.

• Assistance with developing and/or refining th e ir research questions.

• Suggestions about how they m ig h t get started. Teach them how to delegate tasks for each m ember o f the group.

• Assistance w ith developing a research plan.

• A clear timeframe for the research. Set deadlines by which key parts of the research must be completed.

• Some self-checking guidelines so that they can m onitor their progress.

• Guidance on data gathering and data analysis.

• Suggestions about the presentation of the research findings. Insist that the students develop th e ir research report as they gather in form ation and in terpret it, rather than leaving it all until the research is complete.

• Guidelines about participation and collaboration so that they can effectively exchange in form ation through reading, w ritin g, speaking, and/or listening.

• Details like a rubric to show the students how th e ir learning w ill be assessed.

Structuring the Learning Experience for Students

When using student research as a teaching strategy, you w ill need to give your students clear inform ation about what they are required to do and what your expectations are. If the students are working in groups, you could give them a handout sim ilar to the follow ing: