Researching Enjoyable Geography GA Conference Manchester 2009 Teresa Lenton, Megan Davies Alexis Roberts.

Researching Enjoyable Geography

GA Conference Manchester 2009

Teresa Lenton, Megan DaviesAlexis Roberts

The Presenters• Teresa Lenton

Geography Lecturer Secondary Geography Course Leader University of Cumbria

• Megan DaviesGeography Teacher at Archbishop Temple School, Preston

• Alexis RobertsGeography Teacher at Matthew Moss High School, Rochdale

What is the Purpose of Research?

To develop more

engaging

enjoyable

effective

Vibrant Geography?

Personal?

accreditation

interest

What is the Purpose of Educational Research?

Think, Pair, Share……

2 minutes each partner

What is the Purpose of Research?

• To create new knowledge / theories• To analyse and gain an understanding of the nature

of a phenomena or problem• To solve a problem• To influence or challenge practices • To “prove” something; i.e. promote a particular

approach• To examine relationships• To predict events• It should be grounded in a philosophical position

Action/Practitioner Research?

“Action research is simply a form of self-reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own practices, their understanding of these practices, and the situations in which the practices are carried out”

(Carr and Kemmis 1986: pp162)

Kurt Lewin’sCircle of Planning

Reflecting

Planning

Acting

Observing

Lewin, K. 1948 Resolving Social Conflicts; Selected Papers on Group Dynamics

Conducting Practitioner Research

Through• radical reading to ‘expose the purpose and

position of both texts and practice’ (Clough, P. and Nutbrown, C . 2002/7, pp 99)

• research in your classrooms:- Listening to the student voice to interpret events in our classrooms. Considering the opinions and views of our students can provide invaluable insights and implications for teaching and learning

• expert reflections

What is Enjoyable Geography?

The teacher view ?

Place the cards in rank order

Fun lessons (videos, PowerPoints, games,

the teacher...)

Doing lots of different activities (group work,

writing, drawing)

Learning about the earth’s features (e.g.

volcanoes, rivers)

Learning about how different people live

(e.g. how people shop)

Learning about problems in nature

(e.g. global warming)

Interesting lessons where we learn useful

facts

The fact that the classroom is exciting with lots to look at

The fact I am good at geography and think I

will do well

Praise and rewards from the teacher for

good work

Being able to understand the work because it is broken

down and well explained

Having time to present my work nicely

My friends being in the class

The teacher treating us with respect

Learning about things which mean something

to me

Other people (friends, family...) say I am good

at geography

Researching Enjoyable Geography

• Case Study 1 Alexis Roberts

Action research: What do Year 9 pupils enjoy about Geography?

Why enjoyable? - It is one of the few factors affecting subject choice at KS4 which teachers can have influence over (unlike option columns, future careers, etc.).

What were the research methods?

Pupil (rather than teacher) perceptions – due to unique context: the Year 9 pupils used in this study had chosen to learn Geography during Year 9 (rather than other Humanities subjects); therefore it was assumed they found some enjoyment in the subject.

•Random generation of ‘enjoyment factors’ – all Year 9 geography pupils anonymously wrote down what they enjoyed about their geography lessons during a starter.

•All Year 9 geography pupils completed a questionnaire ranking the enjoyment factors (see slide 3)

•Small, semi-structured group interviews were held with Year 9 pupils who both had and hadn’t chosen Geography at KS4.

What were the findings?

•Learning processes were perceived to be more important than subject content (see table of initial statements below).

•Factors of most importance from the questionnaire results were fun lessons; ability to understand; interesting lessons; personal relevance; and respect from the teacher (see slide 4).

•Respect from the teacher was ranked as either very important or importance by all pupils; the interview confirmed this as important to pupils, regardless of subject.

•Boys ranked subject content factors as more important than girls, perhaps suggesting an intrinsic interest in the subject (more research would be needed to fully justify this).

Fun lessons

Initial statements made by pupils

Total for subject content: 7 out of 118

Total for subject content and lesson processes combined:

37 out of 118

Total for teacher specific comments: 28 out of 118

Total for lesson processes (including teacher specific comments):

74 out of 118

Implications:The teacher has a huge impact on enjoyment of a subject.

Researching Enjoyable Geography

Why enjoyable?

Why pupils’ perceptions?

What were the research methods?

What were the outcomes?

What now?

Why do students enjoy geography?

Fun lessons

Variety of activities

Physical geography

Human geography

Environmental geography

Interesting

Classroom presentation

Pupil confidence in own abilities

Teacher praise and rewards

Ability to understand

Presentation time

Friends in class

Respect from teacher

Personal relevance of topic

Other people praise ability

Why do students enjoy geography lessons?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Fun lessons

Variety of activities

Physical geography

Human geography

Environmental geography

Interesting

Classroom presentation

Pupil confidence in own abilities

Teacher praise and rewards

Ability to understand

Presentation time

Friends in class

Respect from teacher

Personal relevance of topic

Other people praise ability

Rea

son

wh

y st

ud

ents

may

en

joy

geo

gra

ph

y

How important reasons are to pupils enjoyment (%)

Very important Quite important Not very important Not at all important No answer

Respect from teacher

Ability to understand

Interesting

Fun lessons

Personal relevance

Questionnaire results:

Case Study 2: Megan DaviesResearching Global vs Local“What has it got to do with me?”

• Aim: to assess pupils’ feeling of relevance to local and global issues, and modify schemes of work to reflect this

• Setting: Mixed 11-16 Comprehensive• Curriculum area: Year 9 QCA Unit 11 ‘Investigating Brazil’

• Research Step 1: Reflective Journal• Research Step 2: Questionnaire of wider Year 10 sample• Research Step 3: Focus Group of Year 10 Geographers• Research Step 4: Semi structured interviews with staff

Research Findings: Questionnaire

1 2 3 4 5

Recycling 30%

Unemployment 60%

Saving Energy 50%

UK Population 60%

Clearing natural land for housing

60%

Deforestation 40%

Global Poverty 30%

Global Population 73%

Research Findings: focus group comments

“Why do I need to know about somewhere I will never go to?”

“Our recycling gets taken away…so I can do something about it, what can I do about deforestation? I can hardly stop poverty”

“I don’t need a job yet so I don’t need to worry (about unemployment)”

Implications?

Other Possible Areas for Practitioner Research?

• Boys v girls the gender gap in GCSE Geography• Introducing new ICT strategies in Geography lessons • The value of peer assessment for enhancing learning • How becoming an eco school changes attitudes of students to

sustainable issues• Curriculum development:- revision of a short scheme of work

through action research• Enhancing the value of a fieldwork exercise• Introducing fieldwork:-the impact on students and teachers• Student attitudes towards geography in a cross- curricular

humanities curriculum• Option Choice at GCSE or A level Geography• Transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage Three Geography

Where Next?

In pairs and taking the title

Curriculum development:- revision of a short scheme of work through action research

Identify the following struts or strategies

I need to……?

I need others to….?

I need these resources….?

Ethical Issues For Your Research?

• Informed consent

• Not harmful or damaging to the participants

• Anonymity

• Power

• Complexities of your particular position as a teacher/researcher

A Mystery ?

Why is there a dead frog in an aquarium surrounded by dead flies?

References

• Carr, W. and Kemmis, S. (1986) Becoming Critical. Education, Knowledge and Action Research, Lewes, Falmer

• Clough, P. and Nutbrown, C. (2002) A Students' Guide to Methodology: Justifying Enquiry: London Sage

• Geographical Association, (2009) A Different View a Manifesto from the Geographical Association, Sheffield: GA

• Lewin, K. (1948). Resolving social conflicts, selected papers on group dynamics [1935-1946]. (1st ed.). New York : Harper. HM251.L474

Bibliography

• Bryman, A., (2008) Social Research Methods, Oxford: Oxford University Press

• Cohen,L. Manion, L. Morrison K., (2007) Research Methods in Education, London: Routledge

• Mcniff, J. and Whitehead, J., 2006, All You Need to Know About Action Research: An Introduction, London: Sage

• Mason, J. (2nd ed.), (2007) Qualitative Researching, London: Sage

• Smith, J.A. (ed.) (2003) Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods, London: Sage

Web Links

• http://www.teachers.tv/video/4883

Three case studies  which highlight the way in which action research projects can work within a school and provide an insight into the problems that various schools have faced.

• http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-lewin.htm

• www.geography.org.uk