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My Action Research
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Driving Question: What are the effects of teaching critical thinking skills on standardized test performance?
Subquestions:
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Design Process
Support and Next Steps
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Evolved Driving Question: How might educators harness the power of digital tools to personalize learning in order to support the development of critical thinking skills and content mastery?
Introduction to my second round research: The second round of my research was built off of the first round and it aimed to investigate how I could support all students on their journey to mastery learning by developing their metacognitive thinking skills. Based on the study before, teacher feedback is crucial in supporting the development of metacognitive thinking skills. With one of me and 30+ of them, it was obvious that I would never be able to provide each student with the amount of one-on-one time they so needed and deserved. I thought that an answer might lie within the technology of the 21st century. There is one of me but with technology, I can be on the screen of each and every one of my students--anytime, anywhere! Thus my second round of research focused on how to use digital assessment tools to differentiate instruction, allowing students to work at their level and pace while still mastering content and developing critical thinking skills. |
Round 1 Research Presentation
CLICK on the video see and overview of my round 1 research.
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Round 1: Background and Need
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Introduction:
There is no doubt that the collective world values critical thinking skills. One survey done by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) indicated that 93% of business and non-profit leaders believe that the demonstrated capacity to think critically and solve complex problems is more important than a college degree (Su, Ricci, Mnatsukanian, 2016). That begs the question, where is the U.S. in terms of preparing their students for this outcome? Context: As you can see from the data on the right, international and national assessment data all say the same thing. Students are not demonstrating the capacity to think critically. Based on the data from Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 2015, only 10% of our nation's 8th grade students have demonstrated the capacity to think critically in mathematics in contrast to Singapore's 54%. The data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2015 echoes similar results, indicating that only 33% are meeting the proficiency level meaning 67% are being left behind. Data is also similar at the the state and district level. That begs the question, what should be done in response to such poor results? |
Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), 2015
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2015
CLICK on the images to enlarge.
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Problem:
And thus we have shifted from traditional rote learning to Common Core and 21st Century learning, and as a result critical thinking has really come to the forefront. Problem-based learning or PrBL is an instructional approach that American Canyon Middle School math teachers are implementing within their classrooms as a viable solution in response to the poor test results. In PrBL students engage in authentic rigorous tasks that evoke student interest. However, an approach that includes authenticity, motivation, and rigor does not automatically ensure that critical thinking skills are being taught. To be sure, critical thinking skills are necessary to complete the tasks but it is crazy for teachers to expect students to apply a skill they were never taught. One researcher emphasized that while critical thinking skills are a desirable proficiency, the behind the scenes and often time, messy thinking processes are rarely shared or discussed in the classroom (Conrady, 2015).
This problem can be observed in my own classroom. In my classroom, the dilemma I was faced with was how was I going to help my students develop the ability to attain content mastery and be autonomous learners. To elaborate, when faced with a test, my students became crippled without the assistance of notes while some even needed the practice test in front of them. When presented with a word problem or more cognitively complex tasks that require critical thinking, I noticed that my students picked out numbers and performed computations with no thought to what was being asked of them, what strategies might be most effective, and whether their answers made sense in the given context.
And thus we have shifted from traditional rote learning to Common Core and 21st Century learning, and as a result critical thinking has really come to the forefront. Problem-based learning or PrBL is an instructional approach that American Canyon Middle School math teachers are implementing within their classrooms as a viable solution in response to the poor test results. In PrBL students engage in authentic rigorous tasks that evoke student interest. However, an approach that includes authenticity, motivation, and rigor does not automatically ensure that critical thinking skills are being taught. To be sure, critical thinking skills are necessary to complete the tasks but it is crazy for teachers to expect students to apply a skill they were never taught. One researcher emphasized that while critical thinking skills are a desirable proficiency, the behind the scenes and often time, messy thinking processes are rarely shared or discussed in the classroom (Conrady, 2015).
This problem can be observed in my own classroom. In my classroom, the dilemma I was faced with was how was I going to help my students develop the ability to attain content mastery and be autonomous learners. To elaborate, when faced with a test, my students became crippled without the assistance of notes while some even needed the practice test in front of them. When presented with a word problem or more cognitively complex tasks that require critical thinking, I noticed that my students picked out numbers and performed computations with no thought to what was being asked of them, what strategies might be most effective, and whether their answers made sense in the given context.
Round 2: Background and Need
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Introduction:
How many teachers have observed frustrated or disengaged students in their classroom because the lesson is either too challenging or not challenging enough? In a diverse classroom where abilities are varied, a "one size fits all" prescription is not going to remedy the fact that students are not mastering the content and are thus being left behind, behind their peers, and behind the rest of the world. Context: As you can see from the graphs on the right, the results from the first round of research demonstrated that 100% of both groups scored far below basic on the pre-test. However, the post-test showed both groups gained. The treatment group improved by 109% while the control group only improved by 27%. The paired t-test showed that the treatment contributed to the growth and thus that the development of metacognitive thinking skills positively impacts problem-solving abilities and achievement. Moreover, similar studies to mine also concluded that teacher feedback, prompting, and questioning is crucial for the development of metacognition. Problem: My measures had not tested whether students attained mastery or whether the concepts were fresh in their mind. Thus I needed to investigate this further. Also, there is one of me and 30+ of them so how could I provide EVERY student with the proper feedback that the studies suggest? Treatment: Thus, in my treatment, I had one group of students use a competency-based digital assessment tool that personalizes learning and provides feedback features to investigate the effects of it on content mastery. After 6 weeks in which most students who did not have content mastery would have already forgotten the concepts, both groups took the post-test without the aid of notes. |
Round 1 Research Data
CLICK on the graph to enlarge.
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Results:
After 6 weeks of using Khan Academy to practice and master content, the treatment group took the post-test without the aid of notes. Even without a crutch like notes, the post-test scores show that they improved 21%, from 12.39 to 14.97 points. After 6 weeks of traditional instruction, the control group also took the post-test. However, the post-test scores showed that the average scores declined by 5%, from 11.19 to 10.68 points. A paired t-test was also used to analyze the data on the two groups from pre- to post-test. The p-value for the treatment group from pre- to post-post showed a statistically significant difference with p-value less than 0.0001 showing that there is a 99% confidence level that the treatment contributed to the difference. However, the results from the t-test showed no statistical significance based on the pre- to post-test data of the control group. Moreover, an independent measures test was run to compare the treatment to control group pre- and post-test. Comparing the pre-test scores between the two groups, there was no difference in their scores before the treatment. However, the test did show a statistically significant difference between the scores of the two groups at the end of the treatment. Conclusion In conclusion, the use of digital assessment tool to personalize learning for the individual and help them master content at their pace and level was beneficial and contributed to higher academic achievement. Even after 6 weeks from the pre-test, the treatment group performed well. Within those 6 weeks, students were not necessarily using the tool because of the north bay fires. Even with the limited exposure to Khan Academy, it showed a positive impact. |
Round 2 Research Data
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Literature Review
CLICK the expand button to see the literature review from my research paper.
Research Paper
SCROLL to read my research paper on critical thinking skills.
Research Poster
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