The Action Research Experience

During the past year I have embarked on a timely journey that will hopefully never come to an end. I have been exposed to other teachers who love what they do and are constantly seeking out ways in which they can do it better. It would be difficult to find a more positive setting in which to explore new and sometimes old ideas.

Meeting on a monthly basis to dialogue, vent, share, and support each other in this process has been the greatest aspect of the research to me at this point. I sat in a room flowing with ideas and purpose. I have found myself feeling excited and inadequate at times. I was excited to hear the various ideas and challenges being tackled. I felt inadequate not knowing how I would tackle my own research project and feeling like I was seeded incorrectly in this race.

Over the course of the year I have begun to wrap my mind around this process of action research.I would describe it as a process because it is not as much about the end product as it is about the process of arriving at a product . We publish our results but that is the sharing of what has already happened to us. The process itself is where we problem-solve, investigate and grow. When we share our completed projects we confirm our growth and nurture the growth of others.

I had a consultant speak to me and offer some wonderful advice. As a rookie teacher I was concerned about meeting the needs of a new curriculum (this has not vanished). He told me to relax and focus on my practices as a teacher. He accurately predicted that it would take about five years before I (justifiably) felt comfortable with my teaching style and class management skills. I arrived there last year.

Action Research has served as a release agent to set me drifting and searching for new and more effective ways to meet the needs of the children that pass through my classroom.

Concerns

Children will completely immerse themselves in reality based games, books and television shows. They become the character they see on the screen or in the pages before them. Surviving the struggles that are presented to the hero in the story or game requires great effort and problem solving. Hours will be invested in getting to the next level in a complex game.

I often find that students show very little interest, however, in solving a math problem or puzzle. They are easily defeated and prefer to seek assistance from myself or a parent rather than tackle the problem themselves. There is little sense of accomplishment or pride in being able to conquer a difficult math problem.

I have seen student enthusiasm during our annual participation in the Hamilton Spectator Stock Market Game. Students who find reading at grade level very challenging manage to read the business section or internet files to research their company. Because of their engagement, reading a newspaper page covered with thousands of numbers is not a daunting task to students who have problems with numbers. The prospect of losing $10,000 (although fictional) is too much to bear and the class seems to overcome their inhibitions.

A typical period would include looking up the closing price of eight stocks on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) page of the business section. This page is covered with thousands of fractions and decimals. Students would then have to graph these results. The final step is to multiply the stock price by the number of shares to calculate net worth. This could typically look like the question below.

It seems that the students are willing to problem solve when they are interested in the outcome. How to make them interested in the outcome of their math problem solving leads to my question.

The Question

Can reality-based programming be used to motivate students and parents to engage the learning process thereby favourably affecting levels of achievement?

The Process

My first and continuing struggle is with the phrase "reality-based programming". In today's reality-based TV programming, this concept is often distorted. For the purposes of this project I am including material that can be directly applied to a situation outside of the classroom. This may include a job, home or leisure pursuit. Calculating the area of carpet for a new home being built up the street would be a reality-based exercise in my eyes. It would be even more effective if the students actually went and measured the home for their calculations as the carpet installer would be required to do.

I am not sure as to whether I am using my action research process to explore my finance programor vice versa. They have gone wonderfully hand in hand. It was necessary to have a program base that was closely connected to a real world situation that fit the curriculum as well as the needs and interests of my students.

Program

• The math program upon which my research is focused is "Taking Stock In Your Future" (OISE). This program was a joint venture between Ontario Institute of Studies In Education and the Toronto Stock Exchange. It was a logical marriage of interests and resources. The final product is available through the TSE. I participated in the summer institute course in Toronto put on by OISE and the TSE.
• The program contains a series of lessons that cover a wide range of money-oriented topics. Topics range from the history of currency to calculating the volatility of stocks. The program builds towards an understanding of the stock market and its function in society.

Structure

• Students would be involved in a comprehensive study of finance, once a week for 6 months. The culminating event would be the participation in the Hamilton Spectator Stock Market Game in March for 8 more weeks.
• Every Thursday was finance day. We wore ties and carried briefcases (novelty wore off half way through and we stopped).
• One topic was covered a week with a homework assignment.

Home Connection

• Notices were sent home informing the parents of the program and asking for comments before we began. Comments were also requested throughout the duration of the program.
• Homework assignments relied on some degree of parent involvement.
• Written comments on the third page of the report card by both students and parents.
• Final questionnaire/ oral exam to be given by parents to students (include parent questionnaire)
• Updates regarding the program were included in monthly newsletters produced by the students

Data Collection

• Collection of the above materials was essential to the data collection process. They served to involve the parents in this process but also served as valuable feedback. Notable comments were copied, saved and reflected upon.
• Video was used in a limited fashion as well as a digital collection of still images.
• Reflections in my journal were strained and at times forced. I did not find that I would sitdown on a regular basis and freely record observations. I fond myself using it more as a notebook than a journal. I would record dates and "how to" information and not reflections. Oddly, I have grown fond of them in my classroom over the course of the year and regularly instruct the class in their usage.
• Observations of the class were instrumental in this project. Observations of comments made and actions of the students were recorded in the journal and elsewhere during the project.
• Assessment of student learning was accomplished through observations, completed assignments and a final oral exam conducted by parents.

The Classroom

My students are a wonderful collection of various abilities, backgrounds and interests. Standards of living range from subsidized housing to very affluential neighbourhoods. The parents' involvement in their child's learning varies but I would say that this group of parents had taken a more active role than most. This was clear before I began my project and has been the case in previous grades.

How it Unfolded

I approached my project with rose-coloured glasses and prepared myself for the overwhelmingly favourable response. The students and parents would surely approach the project with the same excitement I had. I was partially correct.

I received responses from the usual parents who were on top of the events at the school and were already keen supporters of their children's learning. Comments returned from parents typically provided favourable remarks.

"I think it is never to early to teach children about finance."(Parent)

"It is important to teach children about money at an early age."(Parent)

It became obvious as to where the litmus test would be. Without discarding the keen participants I would have to see a response from those children who did not presently respond to the math program and interest from the parents who were difficult to involve.

The initial stages of the program did not carry the level of interest with the students that I had hoped it would . I am assuming that this was due to the nature of the material covered in the beginning of the program. "Taking Stock In Your Future" builds the students understanding of the financial world in a very logical and well paced manner. Issues such as the history of currency, debit and credit cards and defining wealth are dealt with early. The stock market is left to the final lessons of the program. There are questions that involve research with every chapter.

Halfway through the second term I began to realize that I was calling my base program "regular math". It was apparent that I was not applying myself fully to the "Quest 2000" program that we focused on during the other four days of the week. This was driven home when the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) program ceased occupying Wed. mornings. Two children approached me at the D.A.R.E. Graduation and expressed their disappointment with returning to the "regular math". In this atmosphere it was not difficult for Finance Day to be a hit.

A focused effort was made to resurrect the "regular program". It was not long before math soon became an enormous burden of time during the week. In an effort to keep the program manageable we shortened some of the finance lessons and tried to focus on preparation for the now looming stock market game.

I began to question the effectiveness of the finance program at the grade 6 level. Was it helping us meet the expectations of the grade or hindering them by adding unnecessary material into an already full program? I knew that a number of expectations were being met but the necessary terminology and background information to allow the students to function in a finance world was cumbersome at times.

It was time to refocus on my question. Can reality-based programming be used to motivate students and parents to engage the learning process thereby favourably affecting levels of achievement? I decided to go straight to the students and ask them what they thought of the finance program.

On Feb. 5 after school I received a call from a parent in an unrelated matter. During the discussion we came around to the math program. She mentioned had she had been amazed on the weekend by her 11 yr. old son's understanding of net worth and his terminology in financial matters. A similar remark was made by another parent the following week.

During the following week we had a school assembly which featured a trivia contest between the different grades. A finance question came up related to interest. My class all looked at me with that "hey, I know this !" look. We gave the correct answer and felt good about our math . My confidence in the material and the effectiveness of it as a learning opportunity was increased.

The students gave strong efforts to complete the assignments given regularly in the finance program. They were called on regularly to access data bases , STATSCAN, TSE and other resource sites on the internet. It was interesting to see their responses when they realized that they were accessing business information that was at times current up to the minute. The students felt empowered to be using this information and making conclusions with it.

During one assignment the students were asked to access STATSCAN on the internet and research the probable success of opening a babysitting service in their area. The downloaded information included the number of 1 to 6 year old children in their neighbourhood and the service providers in the area. Sample of responses from the students included: (taken from video of session Dec., 13, 2001)

"Is this really my neighbourhood!"

"Am I counted in this (statistics)?"

"Could I use this for my dad's garage?"

The Stock Market Game

We began the Hamilton Spectator Stock Market Game with a base understanding of the market and how it works. The game gave the class a $10,000 theoretical fund to invest at the TSE. We tracked our results over an eight-week period and then sold the stocks we purchased to determine a winner.

Students quickly learned how to read the finance pages and research their stocks. Twice a weekwe do updates and graph our results. On the second day of the week they update their stocks and calculate their net worth. Each student was expected to keep a portfolio containing record sheets graphs and relevant information regarding their companies.

The students became very self-motivated at this point. On Tues. and Thurs. of each week my toughest task was to hand out the business section of the paper. Students tore into the paper with highliters and rulers looking to see how we were doing. They were reading very difficult information, multiplying and adding decimals, graphing results and noting various career choices in the business world. It was not unusual for a student to approach me on yard duty to discuss stock issues.

The students definitely had a desire to learn, practise their skills and solve problems. This same approach was not evident in the "regular program". Math issues other than homework did not leave the classroom. I was know curious to see how much of the finance program went home.

A need existed at this point to assess what has been learned. I also wanted to allow my students a chance to showcase their financial knowledge to their parents. The result was a take-home test administered by the parents. Parents would ask the questions and discuss the answers with their child. A written report would be returned by the student. A parent questionnaire was also included to gauge their summative evaluation of the program.

The students answered questions regarding the calculating of wealth, financial planning, and the stock market. I was pleased with the responses and most showed some vocabulary growth. The parent responses were more interesting.

Summary of Parent Questionnaire

20 responses

1)

• 75% (15) of parents found the finance unit to be valuable or somewhat valuable
• 16% (3) of parents found the finance unit to be of little or no value
• 4% (1) of parents found the finance unit to be of no value
• 4%(1) of parents had no opinion

Comments:

"It is never too early to teach kids about money" (3 similar comments)

"It (finance unit) should be done at a higher grade"

2)

• 90% (18) of parents saw evidence that their child was influenced by the finance unit at home
• 10% (2) of parents saw no evidence that their child was influenced by the finance unit at home

Comments: none

3)

• 60%(12) of parents felt that the stock game was valuable or somewhat valuable
• 15% (3) of parents felt that the stock game had little or no value
• 25% (2) had no opinion

Comments:

"students should have some finance at every grade level"

"they are never too young to learn about money"

Conclusions

Over the course of my project my enthusiasm has risen and fallen with the students (or vice versa?). I strongly believe that the closer our teaching reflects the lives that our students are leading, or may lead, the easier it is for the connections to be made. Finances are a reality of home life. Bills are paid, homes purchased, and trips and purchases postponed because of a lack of finances. It is already a part of their life. Many will assume positions later in life that will involve budgets, sales and purchasing.

My students now read the business page. They are beginning to understand the editorial cartoons. They realize that there is a purpose to huge pages of numbers. They also think that $100,000 buys a mansion!

I am convinced that programming that incorporates life around us is easier to connect to and that students appreciate understanding the world around them. Their enthusiasm for the world of business was very encouraging. As stated earlier, the program was, at times, self-motivating.

"I think finance is interesting because we are learning the stock market. It's fun seeing which stocks are going up or going down."(Student-report card comment)

It is difficult to say unequivocally that this program increased parent and student interest to a point that results were increased. I can say that I have had more interest from parents in this aspect of my program this year than any others. It would be natural to question if my enthusiasm and focus in this area was a greater contributor to this increased effort.

Student interest in math during the finance unit was measurable in different ways. There was no need for pushing students to get their work done in a majority of cases. For the students to see how their financial picture looked at any time they had to do the work to get it done. You could not get a sense of your net worth without doing all of the necessary calculations. They had a desire for the results and so they needed to do the work to get them.

It keeps coming back to the video game mentality. Why do they sit and keep working at a game like RIVEN which requires the use of codes and trial and error to move along in the game? They have a desire to see the results of successfully completing that level.

One of my conclusions is that this program may be better suited to the Intermediate panel. A modified program that includes the stock market game might be more appropriate in the junior grades. Next year's program will have finance units in it where we focus on money matters but not to the same extent that I did this year. Several parents returned comments on their questionnaires indicating that they thought the finance was not suitable to grade 6 students.

"I would not have this at this grade level. I think kids should be concentrating more on basic Math and English skills. The program itself sounds very good, I just think my child is too young right now to be learning this." (Parent)

The focus on "real world situations" does serve to heighten the interest of students and parents. They are able to see their successes in worldly terms ie., making $ 1,000 on the stock market. Next year I would address the parents' concern that they seem to think that their child's regular learning has been put on hold because of the finance unit.