EDLD 5397 "Action Research Progress Report"

Gender Based Participation in Physical Education

 

 

Ronnie F. Fenton

EDLD 5397 Progress Report

Furr High School

October 28, 2012

Needs Assessment:

     During my nine years of teaching at my school we have always had co-ed PE. My wonderings are: Does lack of participation come from being embarrassed around opposite gender?  Does self-esteem play a factor in participation of the student’s full potential? I feel there is a lack of participation between boys and girls due to the fact they are required to be in co-ed physical education at my current school. I feel separating them for a period of time will raise the student’s self-esteem, dress out rate and participation levels. There are a lot of activities we do that one gender or the other are intimidated by playing around the opposite sex. I also this will allow me the focus on gender based activities that the oppostie sex are not interested in.

 

Objectives and Vision of the action research project. (ELCC 1.1)

     As we all know, every student does not respond to the same method of instruction or participate activily in all activities. It is the teacher’s responsibility to find various avenues to reach each and every student. According to Tracey Hall, senior research scientist for the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum, “To differentiate instruction is to recognize students varying background knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in learning, interests, and to react responsively” (Hall, 2002). Differentiated instruction is a method of changing teaching and learning for students with different abilities within the same classroom environment. My objective is to determine if gender separation in PE will enhance the participation, skill and dress out rate in a HS environment. My vision is to see an increase in skill development, participation without low self-esteem due to embarrassment from harassing students.

 

Review of the Literature and Action Research Strategy

 

     As a professional educator it is one's duty to try to find ways to reach every student. One way that may bring more interest to the subject area, and gain physical education teachers more respect from their peers, may be to show competency in the use of instructional technology. "Progressive physical educators embrace technology for a plethora of reasons." (JOPERD, 2001, p. 12) Many find that technology allows for the instructor to gain accurate feedback as to the fitness of students through the use of heart rate monitors. Others find that having students create multimedia presentations on the health enhancing aspects of an active lifestyle are productive to facilitate student learning and internalization. Still others find that , "a website that promotes a physical education program to students, parents, administrators, and colleagues also serves as a well-intentioned and informed validation of the teacher's philosophy and praxis." (JOPERD, p. 13). The new framework calls for an effective physical education program that balances and contributes to children's academic learning. It also expresses the conviction that educators, working together with students, the family, and the community, can successfully guide our children and youths to discover their talents and develop the knowledge and skills needed to use those talents in achieving personal goals. (O'Malley, 1994, p. v)  Literature and action research states, "technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means" (Edutopia, 2008).  According to the AAPARD Report,  using technology to teach reading is a relatively new field.  The number of studies published in this field are very small, approximately 21 studies, but all have reported positive results (NEIRTEC, 2004). The limited research suggests that using computer technology to enhance reading instruction is worth further study. "In particular, the NRP notes seven studies found positive effects from the capability of computers to provide spoken versions of written text, which indicates that this may be a promising use of technology in  learning new skillinstruction" (NEIRTEC, 2004).

 

O' Malley, E. (1994). Physical Education Framework. California Department of Education, Sacramento, California.

 

Should k-12 physical educators make more use of technology in their classes? (2001, February). Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. 72 (2). 12.
Articulate the Vision (ELCC 1.2)

     I spoke with the principal and the campus curriculum coordinator about my idea for action research.  They were both supportive and were looking forward to the results. The students were give a very brief overview of the project. Parents were notified with a letter regarding the project and were invited to contact us if they had any questions. A copy of the action plan was submitted to the principal, counselors, and curriculum coordinator for comments and concerns.

 

Manage the organization (ELCC 3.1)

     The action research project is an individual effort. I sat down and discussed my action research plan with my principal and scheduling councilor to discuss what I needed to be done to implement, monitor and evaluate it. Once the outline of the plan was done, I sat down with the councilor to discuss my PE classes. First, we discussed how we were going to assign classes with just boys, girls and co-gender. My responsibilities focused on developing the survey, group questions and analyzing the results. To ensure the parents were aware of the project and to protect the student’s safety, we sent home a letter outlining the purpose of the research project along with a permission form for the students to participate in the research.

Manage Operations (ELCC 3.2)

     The student's progress through this study was based on various criteria.  I have monitored the skill level between the boys, girls, and co-gendered classes. I’ve  monitored the participation rates between the three groups. I have assessed the student's willingness to participate in class, thus showing increased confidence in his or her skills. I also have looked at the dress out rates from preivious years to determine if gender separation improves the dress out rates in physical education.

 Respond to Community Interest and Needs (ELCC 4.2)

     The action research project will serve the needs of all students and students with diverse backgrounds (cultural, ethnic, economic, or special interest groups) is that it is helping the child build confidence in his or her activity skills.  They are able to master each activity component at their own pace.  By building confidence, they are more willing to try in class and thus improving their grades.  As the child's grades improve, they are less likely to lack participation or dressing out during class.  The student’s confidence will grow with success through physical activity.

Action Research Progress

     Last year, I requested to have all girls’ class, all boys’ class, and mixed classes so I can evaluate the participation, dressing out rate, and over all activity of the classes. The school has met these requests and I have started documenting the levels of participation between the different gender groups. To date, I have noticed similar dress out rates but participation rates have favored the boys in all three settings. I have noticed a bunch of girls together have become more of a gossip class that an activity class at times. So far I see the boys only class having the better attitudes and participation rates. Hopefully over time the action will take shape and my analysis will be more understood.

My Action Research Adventure Reflection

     Wow, we are finished with EDLD 5301 Action Research! This class has been very demanding but at the same time very informative.  I know it’s not over since action research is an ongoing process.  I really look forward as I go fourth with my action research to discover if my wonderings are true and beneficial to the school and student body.

     As a lot of my classmates have stated, I too did not know what to expect at the beginning of this action research class but I was under the wonderings that is was going to be very time consuming and very detailed to say the least. When I read the syllabus, I was a little besieged and called my buddy who is also taking the same program to bounce ideals off of each other. When I listened to the videos and began reading the assigned reading it all started to fall into place and my anxiety faded a little. I really enjoyed the lectures, readings, discussion board and blog entries which were very helpful in understanding the expectations of this course.
    

     As I began the first week of this course, I started watching the lecture videos from Dr. Jenkins and Dr. Arterbury, even though they sound a little intimidating they explained everything to expect about your journey towards your action research. What was it and how do we do it? Dr. Arterbury suggested some tips which included, “staying on topic, create a visual road map for the reader, begin my outline with an introductory statement, general-to-specific flow works best, create a varied blend in writing and conclude with summary statements”.  As I progressed through the lectures during this course, the lectures became more informative and helped me feel at ease when creating my Action Research plan.

     We also had readings to look over and gain additional insight on the development of a quality action research project that would benefit the school and students. I found the readings that were included with this course were interesting and helpful throughout the process, these included:  Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as an Action Researcher, by Nancy Dana Fichman and Examining What we do to Improve our Schools: 8 Steps to Improve our Schools, by S. Harris, S. Edmondson, and J. Combs. Harris (2010) stated that, Leaders who want to improve their schools need to “engage in meaningful improvement in their schools, empower their teachers to willingly and collectively participate in improvement, broaden the definitions of performance indicators and understand the skills and tools necessary to lead effective change” (Harris, xiv).  I also liked, Discovery is rarely about creating something new, but is most likely about seeing what was already there with a new understanding.

    The assignments for this course were very time consuming but with the help of the discussion board I was able to see how others were approaching their topics which made me more comfortable with my own findings. The discussion board is truly a beneficial tool when working on assignments and activities.  It allows for current feedback from other students in the class to make positive and effective changes to my assignment or activity. Another great resource for this class was the creation of the blog this allowed me to be creative and careful with displaying my work. I really enjoyed viewing my classmates’ postings as well. This allowed for another way to receive feedback for comments and suggestions from fellow classmates needed to improve my action research plan.  I can see me using blogging as a tool throughout my teaching career.

     This course gave me the knowledge needed to understand the steps and time consumption needed to complete an action research plan. With the help of each useful tool and resource made available to me throughout this course, I feel a successful action research plan will shine through.

Revised Action Research Adventure

     With the help of a few classmates and my supervisor, I made adjustments to the dates for my action research. I was under the impression we had to have this all done a lot sooner. Now that I know this is a process over time I can relax a little.

Action Planning Template
Goal: “Coeducational and single-sex physical education in high school: Impact on physical activity, self-esteem, dressing out, and skills learned.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Get approval from principal.	Ronnie Fenton	March 13, 2012	Develop a question. Develop a plan of action.	Approval/ Disapproval
2. Analyze data: Research available literature and products regarding PE gender separation.	Ronnie Fenton	April 2012	Internet websites,  education literature.	Interview/survey faculty and student members.  Observation of current system.
3. Survey for boys, girls, and teachers.	Ronnie Fenton Thomas Land Ms. Villa	May 2012	Survey monkey Hand Made
4. Separate random classes between boys and girls.	Ronnie Fenton Ms. Villa Random Teachers	September 2012	Roster of class Volunteer teacher.	Compile results from survey.
5. Plan of action for hand selected activities gender based for boys and girls.	Ronnie Fenton Ms. Villa	September 2012	Equipment Projector White board Gym	Positive attitudes Skill knowledge.
6. Monitor students, dressing, participation levels, and self-esteem issues during separate gender participation.	Ronnie Fenton Ms. Villa Coach Land	September 2012- October 2012	Evaluation sheet, Grade book,	Documentation
7. Re-take survey after 3 weeks of gender separation.	Ronnie Fenton Ms. Villa	October 2012	Post survey questions.	Compile pre survey and post survey results.
8. Evaluation- Collect all data submitted and logged in grade book.	Ronnie Fenton	November 2012	Data collected through observations,	Compile all data from observations on participation, dressing out, skills learned, and self-esteem, surveys, and grade book.

I have to admit week 3 has been a challenge, but I finally have a plan of action to follow. I have learned there are a lot of strategies to follow to have a successful action research. I hope mine will make a difference in gender based physical education participation and skill development with in sport activities.

Action Planning Template
Goal: “Coeducational and single-sex physical education in high school: Impact on physical activity, self-esteem, dressing out, and skills learned.
Action Steps(s):	Person(s) Responsible:	Timeline: Start/End	Needed Resources	Evaluation
1. Get approval from principal.	Ronnie Fenton	March 13, 2012	Develop a question. Develop a plan of action.	Approval/ Disapproval
2. Analyze data: Research available literature and products regarding PE gender separation.	Ronnie Fenton	March 14, 2012	Internet websites,  education literature.	Interview/survey faculty and student members. Observation of current system.
3. Separate 4th period class between boys and girls.	Ronnie Fenton Thomas Land Ms. Villa	March 19, 2012	Roster of class Volunteer teacher.
4. Survey for boys, girls, and teachers.	Ronnie Fenton Ms. Villa Random Teachers	Mar. 20-21, 2012	Survey monkey	Compile results from survey.
5. Plan of action for hand selected activities gender based for boys and girls.	Ronnie Fenton Ms. Villa	Mar. 22, 2012	Equipment Projector White board Gym	Positive attitudes Skill knowledge
6. Monitor students, dressing, participation levels, and self-esteem issues during separate gender participation.	Ronnie Fenton Ms. Villa Coach Land	Mar. 26-30, 2012	Evaluation sheet, Grade book,	Documentation
7. Re-take survey after 1 week of gender separation.	Ronnie Fenton Ms. Villa	April 2-6, 2012	Post survey questions.	Compile pre survey and post survey results
8. Evaluation- Collect all data submitted and logged in grade book.	Ronnie Fenton	April 9-14,2012	Data collected through observations,	Compile all data from observations on participation, dressing out, skills learned, and self-esteem, surveys, grade book,

Week 2 Reflections

     I have learned a lot from this week regarding action research. There are a lot of topics that can help or change the dynamics of a school. The topics range from discipline to school climate and culture. I really look forward to starting my own action research within the physical education department. I also have learned that whatever your topic is it should benefit the school and students.