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32206642 – Kristen Riches Wednesday 1st April

Assignment 1 EDN470 PROJECT RATIONALE AND PLAN

Student Name: Kristen Riches

Tutor’s Name: Sandra Hesterman2000 words-30 marks Due: Wednesday 1st April

Please ensure Appendices A and B are attached The Project Progress Report marks are allocated on the extent to which the student does not meet, meets or

exceeds the following criteria:

1) A clear statement of why this topic is important, why you chose this project, and how you think it will improve your teaching practice

0-4 Does not meet requirements5-7 Meets requirements8-10 Exceeds requirements

2) The aim/s and focus questions are clearly stated

0-1 Does not meet requirements1-2 Meets requirements

3) The strategies/methods used are well connected to the aims and focus questions


4) The main ideas of action research are discussed and used to justify the project approach (including strategies, items of evidence, and draft time line)

0-4 Does not meet requirements5-7 Meets requirements8-10 Exceeds requirements

5) Demonstration of extensive use of relevant literature to support the project.


6) Professional Presentation

Work is presented in a scholarly fashion using APA referencing, correct punctuation, spelling & grammar, clear headings. Assignment adheres to word limit, and includes a total word count (not including Appendices).


General Comments: Mark: /30

□ Your rationale and plan have been approved by your tutor. □ Your rationale and/or plan require amendment before you can commence fieldwork.

Edn470 – Assignment 1 Project Rationale & Plan


Contents

Project Title 1

Rationale 1

Aims 5

Focus Research Questions 5

Project Plan and Strategies 5

Use of Literature 7

Proposed Items of Evidence 8

Timeline

References 9

Appendix 10



Page 1

Project Title

FINDING A WAY FOR YEAR THREE STUDENTS TO LEARN ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION

THROUGH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

(WORKING TITLE)

Keywords: Experiential learning, year three, addition, subtraction.

Project Rationale

McNiff and Whitehead state that ‘action research is a form of enquiry that enables practitioners

everywhere to investigate and evaluate their work’ (2006). The topic that I have chosen for my

action learning project was chosen through reflecting upon previous practicum reports, my

philosophy of learning and teaching, my experience in classrooms, and consultation with my

current mentor teacher. Originally I had numerous topic ideas in mind, including the following;

‘How can I encourage my students’ motivation so that they can improve their

learning?’ (McNiff & Whitehead, 2006, p. 123).

How can I teach early childhood students mathematics through play?

How can I teach students mathematics through doing?

However, after critically reflecting on my previous practicum reports and lessons, it came to my

attention that I would benefit from more confidence when teaching mathematics, to achieve this I

believe that it is essential to make mathematics lessons engaging to help increase student

participation and extend their learning. My philosophy of learning and teaching involves my belief

that children learn best through hands-on activities and relating content or problems to real-life


32206642 – Kristen Riches Wednesday 1st AprilPage 2

situations. Kolb (1984) states that ‘learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through

the transformation of experience’ (p. 38). I feel that this topic for my action research project will

improve my teaching by giving me the confidence needed when teaching mathematics, while also

improving my ability to teach in a way that allows students to learn through experience; something I

intend to use a great deal in my practice.

In 1984, David Kolb, an American educational theorist, published his experiential learning theory;

consisting of a four stage cycle of learning. Here he explains that effective learning occurs when the

learner progresses through the following four stages:

Concrete Experience – Learning from an experience

Reflective Observation – Observing from different perspectives

Abstract Conceptualization – Thinking about and analyzing new ideas

Active Experimentation – Acting upon new ideas

(McLeod, 2010).

Throughout my project I intend to regularly refer back to Kolb’s learning theory to help guide me

through teaching through experience with my students.

My action learning project will be implemented at Lennox head Primary School which consists of

three hundred and twenty eight students, and fifteen teachers, in a small coastal town.

The class in which I will be conducting my learning project with is a year three class, consisting of

twenty seven students where I currently volunteer once a week.

During the planning of my project I consulted with my current mentor teacher who advised me of

the learning areas within mathematics that the students will be learning next term;

Addition and subtraction

Multiplication



Three dimensional shapes

Data and graphs

From here I thought about the above learning areas, and which I feel I need the most confidence with

when teaching. In the past I have taught lessons in all four of the above areas, however I specifically

recall my lesson on addition and subtraction needing improvement, therefore I chose that to be my

focus. I feel that it will challenge me to think of new and engaging ways to teach addition and

subtraction through experiential learning, while also giving me more confidence when teaching

mathematics. It will also cement my thought that mathematics can be fun and engaging for children

and is not only subject to worksheets and drills.

My action research topic also has a clear correlation with AITSL’s Professional Standards

for Teachers. Here it states that educators are required to;

1.2 Understand how students learn

2.1 Know the content and how to teach it

3.3 Use teaching strategies

(AITSL, n.d.).

My topic relates to the professional standards listed above. I understand how children learn and

intend to implement engaging, hands-on activities to support that during the project. ‘Students in

experiential learning situations cooperate and learn from one another in a more semi-structured

approach’ (Northern Illinois University, n.d.).

My project is aimed at providing me with the strategies and confidence I require to teach children

mathematics through hands-on activities that relate to real-life situations. Experiential learning ‘is

designed to engage students in direct experiences which are tied to real world problems and



situations in which the instructor facilitates rather than directs student progress’ (Northern Illinois

University). This will help engage students in learning and will raise the numbers of participation

rates during mathematics lessons. If student participation levels are raised and students are involved

in the learning process they will actively seek the knowledge and answers. Both Piaget and Vygotsky

view the child as a ‘busy, self-motivated explorer who forms ideas and tests them against the world’

(Berk, 2009, P. 264). If all students were taking an active role in their learning I would feel a lot more

capable and confident during mathematics lessons.

Vygotsky also emphasizes the importance of social interaction and collaboration, a concept that I am

eager to utilize in my future classroom and project. Another aim of my project is to use class

discussions and group work to help teach addition and subtraction; something that I hope to do in all

learning areas. I believe that social interaction; cooperation and collaboration contribute to children’s

intellect, allowing them to see other people’s viewpoints and ways of thinking. If children encounter

an idea or concept that they are struggling with I also intend to use questioning to get them past the

zone of proximal development.

Justifying my project and myself I asked myself the following questions; how will I do this? What

will I use as evidence? My intention with this project is to provide students with addition and

subtraction lessons where children learn through experiences that are related to real-life while

facilitating their learning. Boud, Cohen and Walker state that ‘learning requires interaction either

directly or symbolically, with elements outside the learner… It is only by counterposing experience

with something which is external to the learner that meaning can be created’ (1993, P. 2). They will

also get time to discuss their findings with their peers and I will use careful questioning throughout

the learning experiences. I also intend to gather evidence such as photos, videos, student feedback,

observation reports and critical reflections.



Aims

To gain more confidence when teaching mathematics

To develop my ability to engage students and raise participation rates during mathematics

lessons – I believe that it is through engaging activities that student participation rates rise;

resulting in a more confident teacher.

To develop skills in relating content and lessons to real-life situations, and teach through

“doing”

Focus Research Questions

These focus questions were developed in line with my aims and strategies to help with my reflections

throughout my project:

What strategies can I use to help me gain more confidence when teaching

mathematics/addition and subtraction?

How can I make mathematics lessons engaging and help raise student participation?

How can I teach mathematics through experiential learning?

How can I ensure I act as a facilitator for learning?

Project Plan and Strategies

Collect literature that is relevant to experiential learning to deepen my understanding

By collecting quality literature throughout my action research project, I will learn more about

experiential learning, hands-on addition and subtraction activities, and how to gain more confidence

when teaching mathematics.

Collect quality evidence to support my progress and reflections

Evidence needs to be collected during action research ‘so that the claim does not appear as opinion

or supposition’ (McNiff & Whitehead, 2006, p. 130). I will collect evidence such as photos and

videos, student feedback, field notes and student work samples to support my progress.


32206642 – Kristen Riches Wednesday 1st April Discuss my topic with my mentor teacher and other teaching professionals to learn more

about experiential learning and gaining confidence when teaching mathematics

I believe that collaboration and discussion is essential during action research. During collaborative

work and discussion it is here where you receive other opinions and ideas that may assist you with

your project and development.

Page 6

Keep a journal on a blog to reflect on my project and topic

I intend to keep a journal where I will reflect on my project frequently. I believe a blog is a great

avenue to do so as it posts the dates along with it and it is easily accessible. I will reflect on the

students’ learning experiences, my literature research, and discussions with other education

professionals, and my progress.

Conduct engaging hands-on addition and subtraction activities with students that relate to

real-life situations

Confucious once said “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I

will understand.” This, concept aligns with my philosophy of learning and teaching as I believe that

children learn best through doing and discovery; experiential learning.



Page 7

Use of Literature

Preliminary reading list

Grundy, S. (1995). Action research as professional development. West Perth, Australia: Arts Accord.

Hine, G. (2012). Exploring the need for improvement in a student leadership program. Journal of Catholic School Studies, 84 (1), 12-22.

Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of development and learning (2nd ed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

NSW Department of Education and Training. (2010). Action research in education guidelines (2nd ed). NSW, Australia: State of NSW Department of Education and Training Professional Learning and Leadership Development Directorate.

Stringer, E. (n.d.). Listening to families: Improving communication between the school and the community. Retrieved from http://moodleprod.murdoch.edu.au/course/view.php?id=3653&section=3


http://moodleprod.murdoch.edu.au/course/view.php?id=3653&section=3


Page 8

Proposed Items of Evidence

Throughout my action research project I will use different forms of quality evidence to assist with my

reflections and judgements and to help develop my strategies, these include:

A reflective journal; this will allow me to stay on track and reflect along the way.

Student feedback; this will allow me to gain insight into what the students found engaging

and what they may have learnt during the activities. I intent to do this through a group circle

at the end of each activity.

Field notes ‘to observe and record the action’ (McNiff & Whitehead, 2006, p. 139) during my

implementation of learning activities.

Photos; evidence of activities and students learning through experience.

Video recordings; this will help me with my reflections as I can watch the activities back to

ensure I didn’t miss anything along the way. It will also show me the rates of student

participation.

Student work samples; this will show me if the students have understood the tasks and have

participated.

Page 9References



Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership. (2014). AITSL Pofessional standards for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.myschool.edu.au/SchoolProfile/Index/83733/LennoxHeadPublicSchool/42340/2014

Berk, L. E. (2009). Child development (8th ed.). Illinois, USA: Pearson.

Boud, D., Cohen, R., & Walker, D. (1993). Using experience for learning. Ballmoor, Buckingham: SRHE and Open University Press.

Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

McLeod, S. (2010). Kolb – Learning styles. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html

McNiff, J., & Whitehead, J. (2006). All you need to know about action research. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage publications.

Northern Illinois University. (n.d.). Experiential learning. Retrieved from http://www.niu.edu/facdev/resources/guide/strategies/experiential_learning.pdf

Standards - AITSL, Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list

Page 10


http://www.aitsl.edu.au/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/standards/list

http://www.niu.edu/facdev/resources/guide/strategies/experiential_learning.pdf

http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html

http://www.myschool.edu.au/SchoolProfile/Index/83733/LennoxHeadPublicSchool/42340/2014

32206642 – Kristen Riches Wednesday 1st AprilEDN470 Action Learning for Reflective Practitioners

Appendix A- attach to Assignment 1

ETHICS CHECKLIST

Must be submitted by all students. Information must be typed not handwritten.

Student Name: Kristen Riches Student Number: 32206642

Please answer the following questions;

1. Is your Professional Action Learning Project being conducted with students whom you normally have teaching responsibility?

YES NO

2. Is your research based around activities that are the normal learning/teaching activities of the program that you are involved?

YES NO

3. In the box below please indicate who your students are (use pseudonyms if relevant) including their age, what you want to research, and one sentence about how you want to do it.

The students I will be conducting my action research project with are 6 students from a year 3 class at Lennox Head Primary School.

I will be researching how to Find a way for year 3 children to learn addition and subtraction through experiential learning.

If you answer NO to either question one or two listed above and your research involves interview, questionnaire or survey of students you will need to obtain written consent from

the parents or legal guardian. See Appendix C for an example of a consent letter.

Page 11



Assignment 1Action Learning for Reflective Practitioners

PROJECT RATIONALE & PLANAppendix B: attach to Assignment 1

Must be submitted by all students. Information must be typed not handwritten.Your Name: Kristen Riches Student No: 32206642

Your Email Address: [email protected]

Your Education Course Code: B1081

Classroom Details/Year Level (where the project will occur): Year 3

Name of School: Lennox Head Primary School

Name of Mentor Teacher: Karen Armstrong

Email of Mentor Teacher: [email protected]

Number of students involved in your project (no less than six): 6

Your Previous Teaching Experience/Teaching Background

Area of teaching experience (list previous Murdoch University teaching practicums):Second year practicum – Year 3 – Willeton Primary SchoolThird year practicum – Year 1 – Silvertree Steiner School

Identify any other professional or other information that is relevant to your project:



Appendix C

Timeline

Cycle One (10hrs) – 5th May – 14th MayTues 5th May Thurs 7th May Tues 12th May Thurs 14th May

Time: 9:30 – 11:30 Time: 9:30 – 1:00 (30 minutes for recess)


Plan, observe, reflect Act, observe, reflect Act, observe, reflect Act, observe, reflect, plan

Plan: Talk to my mentor teacher and other teaching professionals about experiential learning and what they find engages students, engage in professional reading and plan accordingly.

Observe: Observe how my mentor teacher engages students. Observe students.

Reflect: Reflect on my observations.

Act: Experiential learning activity on addition and subtraction relating to real-life. Use open-ended questioning and act as a facilitator for learning.

Observe: Observe students throughout learning activity. Take field notes and collect student feedback through a group circle at the end of the activity.

Reflect: Reflect and critique teaching and learning in journal using field notes, student feedback and observations.


Observe: Observe students throughout learning activity. Take field notes and photos and collect student feedback through a group circle at the end of the activity.

Reflect: Reflect and critique teaching and learning in journal using field notes, photos, student feedback and observations.


Observe: Observe students throughout learning activity. Take field notes, record video and collect student feedback through a group circle at the end of the activity.

Reflect: Reflect and critique teaching and learning in journal using field notes, video recording, student feedback and observations. Talk to mentor teacher and other teaching professionals about the learning experiences. Conduct further research on my topic.

Plan: Plan learning activities for cycle two that builds on from student learning in cycle one. Plan how I will improve my teaching from what I have learnt throughout cycle one. Undertake


32206642 – Kristen Riches Wednesday 1st Aprilprofessional research on topic.

Cycle Two (10hrs) –Tues 19th May Thurs 21st May Tues 26th May Thurs 28th May



Plan, act, observe, reflect

Act, reflect, plan Act, reflect, plan Act, observe, reflect, plan

Plan: Discuss my project progress and experiential learning with my mentor teacher and other teaching professionals. Refer back to Kolb’s theory and plan accordingly.

Act: Experiential learning activity on addition and subtraction. Act as a facilitator for students’ learning.

Observe: Observe students throughout learning experience and collect data including photos, field notes and student feedback at the end of the lesson.

Reflect: Reflect and take a critical approach on the learning experiences using the evidence collected. Enter in journal.


Observe: Observe students throughout learning experience and collect data including video recordings, field notes, and student feedback at the end of the lesson.


Plan: Plan future learning experiences based on my reflections and data collection.



Plan: Plan future learning experiences based on my reflections and data collection. Discuss my project progress and topic with my mentor teacher and other teaching professionals.


Observe: Observe students throughout learning experience and collect data including photos, field notes, and student feedback at the end of the lesson.

Reflect: Reflect and take a critical approach on the learning experiences using the evidence collected.Enter in journal.

Plan: Plan future learning experiences for cycle three, based on my reflections and data collections from both cycle one and two. Discuss my project progress and topic with my mentor teacher and other teaching professionals. Conduct further research on my topic.

Cycle three (10hrs) –


32206642 – Kristen Riches Wednesday 1st AprilTues 2nd June Thurs 4th June Tues 9th June Thurs 11th June






Act, observe, reflect, plan

Plan: Discuss my project and topic with my mentor teacher and other teaching professionals and plan accordingly. Undertake professional research and refer back to Kolb’s theory.

Act: Experiential learning addition and subtraction activity. Relate it to real-life situation and act as a facilitator for learning.

Observe: Observe students throughout learning experiences, take field notes, photos, and collect student feedback through a group circle at the end of the activity.

Reflect: Reflect and critique on today’s learning experience in journal using the evidence collected.

Plan: Discuss my project and topic with my mentor teacher and other teaching professionals and plan accordingly.




Plan: Discuss my project and topic with my mentor teacher and other teaching professionals, undertake professional research, and plan accordingly.






Reflect: Reflect and critique on all learning experiences throughout project in journal using the evidence collected. Take note of how my confidence teaching mathematics has improved and why.

Plan: Discuss my overall project and my progress from start to finish with my mentor teacher and other teaching professionals. Take note of how my confidence teaching mathematics has improved and why. Plan how I will implement experiential learning in my future classroom.


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