Action Research Preview Review

1. What is the title of the project?
Chemistry in Art: Crossing the Curriculum

2. What is the problem?
Chemistry scores in the high school were very low. The instructor, Mr. Kopchains, felt that what would help to improve these scores was to make new connections between curriculum, primarily through art and chemistry.

3.Describe the instructional intervention.
Mr. Kopchains relied heavily on research done by Barbara Greenberg and Diane Patterson in their book, “Art in Chemistry; Chemistry in Art" to design lesson plans to be implemented into the classroom. He relied mainly on personal insights and journaling to gather information on progress during the course. He also asked his students to respond to questionnaires at different times.

4. What kind of strategy is the instructional intervention?
Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers is the instructional intervention implemented.

5. What evidence is presented that the strategy will work?

"Advance organizers, including graphic ones, help students learn new concepts and vocabulary (Stone, 1983). Presenting information graphically as well as symbolically in an advance organizer reinforces vocabulary learning and supports reading skills." (Brookbank Grover, Kullberg, & Strawser, 1999; Moore & Readence 1984).

6. How will data be collected to determine if the strategy will work?

Mr. KopChains gave various assessments throughout the year and also kept track of absences to determine students interests in the topic.

 

7. How was the data analyzed?

Mr. Kopchains compared his students grades and attendance to students from the past year who also took the class. He also talked about his observation and opinion of the students interest and moral; however, because these things cannot be directly measured they are purely speculative.

8. What were the results?

"My most important insight was that the curriculum took much longer to teach than I had planned.  From the beginning I missed planned dates on the calendar and fell behind trying to cover the topics that are required to be covered for the Regents examinations.  I had fallen so far behind by March that I had to decide whether to keep to the curriculum or close down the art connection.  I chose to concentrate solely on covering the remaining material in the traditional manner.
The students generally liked the art projects and their connections with the science.   Motivation remained high throughout the year. The art projects kept many students coming to class.  I noted a general decrease in the number of cuts and absences as compared to a year ago."