Research Questions Data Source #1 Data Source #2 Data Source #3
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What problems dealing Observation Student Journal Survey
with the information Checklist
process do students
exhibit during research?
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Will the use of journal Student Journal Student Work Survey
writing improve the ability
of students to integrate
research skills into
independent research?
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Data Collection Plan:
I will collect my data from four sources.
The source that will begin immediately and follow through the project is the student journal. Students will be given a prompt each day and asked to respond the prompt in their journals. The prompt is intended to encourage them to write about their difficulties; I will respond to their concerns in the journals.
I will utilize an Observation Checklist tailored to each research activity. After I have given a detailed explanation of the activity for the class, I will be available to answer any questions they have. For each question, I will mark off the area that deals with the student's question.
Students will produce a packet of work during the course of the project which will include the topic selected, a bibliography of sources used, a printout of an article, important ideas highlighted, and a notecard with information about the book selected. My evaluation sheet is attached to their packets and specifies that grades will be based on selection of an appropriate topic, sources, bibliography, highlighting of important ideas, and the proper use of classroom time.
My final data source will be a survey in which students are asked to rank seventeen statements about their research skills between 1 and 5: a ranking of 1 indicates that they do not agree with the statement at all and a ranking of 5 indicates that they agree with the statement completely.