CREATE – MOTIVATE – LEARN – CreMoLe

502374-LLP-1-2009-1-RO-GRUNDTVIG-GMP

Grundtvig Multilateral Project

Action research report

Partner organization: Orava Association for Democratic Education

Authors:

Alica Petrasová and Marcela Maslová

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

1. BACKGROUND

Improving of the quality of education is one of the fundamental goals of the European educational policy and a substantial part of a wider framework of school quality and educational system. Among the major goals of education is to assist learners to become thinking individuals who would be able to solve the problems of the society and contribute to the creation of the society’s values. Thinking is the highest form of learning, contains a number of thinking operations, depends on social and cultural conditions, and is closely related to the language and speech. Promoting of thinking, especially critical thinking, is considered as one of the priorities of European education.

According to M. Scriven a R. Paul (1993), critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.

How to assure that a collectively oriented education, from both, contentual and procedural aspects would contribute to a better development of the individuals, respecting their individual differences? How to project learning activities regarding the fact that not only the content, but also the form of the knowledge demonstration plays an equal role at the development of psychological functions of an individual, his relation to a reality and planning of his own activities? How to create such learning environment that promotes individual thinking and developing of one’s own philosophy of the world, and at the same time, mutual discussion, sharing of opinions and beliefs?

The following contribution concerns the problem of adults’ LLL, in our case teachers of primary, middle, and secondary schools and teacher trainers.

2. SPECIFIC PROBLEM

2. 1 Action Research Goals

The main goal of ARwas to verify, how the interventionprogram “ERR framework applied with a movie”, that was developed and carried out by the ORAVA ADE trainers, will motivate adults to create learning environment promoting critical thinking and discussing.

The above main goal was specified in the following partial goals:

To assess, how our intervention program will affect the capability of the adult learners

a)to create an environment promoting critical thinking and discussing in the course of training,

b)to master the strategy of asking questions and ways of question formulation in the course of training,

c)to plan and project educational instructions in context of active learning and critical thinking (to use a movie as an educational/instructional tool)

The secondary goal of our AR was to contribute to the development of communication skills of the learners.

For the purpose of our action research we identified the following problem:

What is the relation between the ERR framework and the ability of the adults, participating at LLL, to contribute to the creation of the environment promoting critical thinking and discussing?

Implementation of the action research required to tackle the following partial problems:

  1. To develop an intervention program „ERR framework applied with a movie”, so that it was applicable at common situations and conditions of adult learning and brought expected effective and qualitative changes.
  2. To carry out and apply the intervention program „ERR framework applied with a movie” by the certified lecturers of the Orava ADE.
  3. To choose such measuring instruments that would measure the ability of the participants of the adult education to contribute to the creation of the environment promoting critical thinking and discussing.

Based on the above problems, the following tasks were specified:

- To choose the participants of the adult learning suitable for carrying out of the intervention program.

-To guide the participants of adult learning so that some qualitative changes occurred while carrying out of the intervention program „ERR framework applied with a movie”.

-To analyze in both ways, qualitatively and quantitatively, the outcomes of the intervention program of the action research and draw the conclusions and recommendations.

3.PARTICIPANTS

The participants of the action research were teachers of basic/high schools (8/5) and lecturers of adult learners (5). Total number of the participants was 18, out of which were 14 women and 4 men. (Further in the text referred to as „Participants of adult leasing“Both groups participated at the training specialized at adult LLL.

4.PROCESS

4.1. DESCRIPTION OF INTERVENTION PROGRAM „ERR framework applied with a movie“

4.1.1 Description of ERR framework (Meredith, Steele, 2011)

ERR framework (E- Evocation, R- Realization of Meaning, R- Reflection) is a conceptual foundation for teaching and learning that can be applied systematically with learners of all ages and with multiple learning contents.

First phase Evocation (E)

During the evocation phase, learners are introduced to new material or new learning experience through questioning. The first purpose of the evocation is to motivate students to learn. During this phase, the learners actively recall what they already know about the theme.

Second phase Realization of Meaning (R)

In this phase the learner first encounters the new, e.g. new information, new ideas or experiences. It can be encountered through a text, a movie, a presentation, an experiment, a DVD, a discussion, etc.

Third phase Reflection (R)

During this phase, learners consolidate new learning by restructuring their schema to accommodate new learning. In this phase, learners really make new knowledge their own.

4.1.2Description of the methods implemented as part of the intervention program “ERR framework applied with a movie” and placing them in the framework of the ERR framework

A) Evocation

  • Brainpooling

Trainer:„On a separate sheet of paper please write what you think of the possibility of using a movie in education. Please, write readably and clearly. Support your ideas with the reasons, proofs, or examples.

Over the time of 3 minutes the participants wrote their ideas on a sheet of paper which they placed on the trainer’s desk, when finished. Then each participant took one sheet (not written by him/her.)

Trainer: „Read the text and write underneath if you agree or disagree with the opinion. Explain your response using your own words to refer to the text written by the participant before you.”

Over the time of 5 minutes the participants wrote their responses and when finished, placed their sheets on the trainer’s desk. Then each participant took one sheet again (not written by him/her.)

Trainer: „Read the first and the second opinion and regardless which one you agree with, write, which opinion is according to you better with respect to the used arguments. Give reasons.

Over the time of 10 minutes the participants wrote their statements and the sheets of paper placed on the trainer’s desk. Each participant then took his/her original sheet of paper. The follow-up discussion was held on the importance of the tasks focused on deliberation and assessment. The participants reflected on the activity generally, as well as they considered the symbiosis of the particular tasks (especially the possibility of guiding, controlling, and correcting of the acting, and the quality of the performance). At the end they read some opinions and assessed the work done.

B) Realization of Meaning

At this stage we used the movie (Jim Jarmuch: „Coffee and Cigarettes“, episode: “Cousins?“). We will describe the method Story Predicting and will introduce the table used and filled by the participants in the course of the activity.

  • Story Predicting (modification of the method: Guided Reading)

When planning to use the method Story Predicting, it is necessary to determine the most suitable moments of the story, where the watching of the movie will be interrupted, the question/s will be asked and the Table p Predictions will be filled in. We ask the questions like: „What according to you will happen next?“, „What do you thing about (a movie character)?“, „What are your feelings about a character or an event from the story?”, “What would you do next?”, „What do you think about the other participants’ opinions?“

Determining of the breaks for the questions requires some practicing, because these should be placed naturally in the story. We prefer such moments, where the participants can gain some impulses for their thinking and can make the predictions on what will happen next.

Table of Predictions

What do you think will happen? / What evidence do you have? / What has really happened?
1.
2.
3.
4.

C) Reflection

  • Questions to the Director (modification of the method: Questions to the Author)

We placed the method Questions to the Director to the last part of ERR framework, to the Reflection. At first the participants led their dialogues with the director individually and they put down the results of “their communication”. Then they discussed it together.

Examples of the questions:

What is the movie’s main idea? What was the director’s intention? Did the director express his idea clearly? Is not director contradictory? Why did director conclude the film this way? What did director want from the viewer to think about? What should the viewer understand?

At the end, the participants of the workshop expressed through the free writes their opinions on the possibilities of using of the movie methods in their practice.

4.2. ACTIVITIES

Action research had been carried out from October 2010 thru January 2011.

Task / Beginning / End
1. / Orava ADE trainers think of improving adult learning. Based on their experiences, they find out that the method of the work with a narrative text called “Guided Reading” demonstrated at adult trainings as part of the ERR framework, has not been applied sufficiently in the further participants practice. This was the reason why they decided to modify the method using an educational audiovisual medium: a movie. / 10. 2010 / 10. 2010
2. / Proposingof the innovation, consulting with the colleagues and researchers.
Projecting of the action research – verification of the effectiveness of the developed innovation. / 10. 2010 / 10. 2010
3. / Developing of the intervention program “ERR framework applied with a movie”. Modification of the selected methods (Guided Reading and Questions to the Author) for the work with a movie as: Story Predicting and Questions to the Movie Director. / 10. 2010 / 10. 2010
4. / Implementation of the intervention program “ERR framework applied with a movie” as part of adult LLL. Place: Innovation in Education conference, Podbanske, High Tatras.
Implementation of the action research instrument: Observation
Observing, analyzing, and evaluating of the participants capability to contribute to the creation of the environment promoting critical thinking and discussing.
Observing, analyzing, and evaluating of the participants capability to master the strategy of asking the questions and ways of the questions formulating.
Implementation of the action research instrument: free writing
Acquisition of the participants’ views on the possibilities of applying of the method “Story Predicting” at their practice. / 11. 14.2010 / 11.14. 2010
5. / Implementation of the action research instrument: Interview
Acquisition of the participants’ views on the possibilities of applying of the method “Story Predicting” at their practice. / 1. 2011 / 1. 2011
6. / Processing of the AR outcomes, quantitative and qualitative analysis and making conclusions and recommendations. / 1. 2010 / 1. 2011

4.3 INSTRUMENTS

To verify the intervention program „ERR framework applied with a movie”, the methodological approach of action research was selected. It was carried out by the certified lecturers directly in their pedagogical practice (in our case as part of adult LLL). Our goal was to response to the current needs of the pedagogical practice and to propose such solution that would be verifiable in adult LLL (in our case LLL of teachers and teacher trainers).

To verify the intervention program „ERR framework applied with a movie”, the instruments of observation, interview, and free writes were selected.

4.3.1 Observation Sheet

Observation sheet includes two standards:

A: Capability of the participants to initiate and motivate critical thinking and discussion in the course of a training.

B: Capability of the participants to master the strategy of asking questions and ways of question formulation.

Each area is specified with quality indicators that need to be observed, analyzed, and evaluated.

Evaluation scale:

+2: very good; positive features significantly prevail, small negative features

+1: good; positive features prevail, less significant negative features

0: satisfactory; positive and negative features are balanced

-1: less satisfactory; negative features prevail, significant negative features

-2: unsatisfactory; negative features significantly prevail, fundamental defaults.

-2 -1 0 +1 +2

Standard A: Capability of the participants to initiate and motivate critical thinking and discussion in the course of a training.

  1. Participants express and prove their ideas and opinions.

-2 -1 0 +1 +2

  1. Participants are involved in discussion

-2 -1 0 +1 +2

  1. Participants contribute to their mutual communication.

-2 -1 0 +1 +2

  1. Participants carefully follow multiple ideas and share their ideas.

-2 -1 0 +1 +2

  1. Participants support their ideas with thoughtful reasons, proofs, or examples.

-2 -1 0 +1 +2

  1. Participants form their own ideas and express them together with the emotions and needs that accompany them.

-2 -1 0 +1 +2

Standard B: Capability of the participants to master the strategy of asking questions and ways of question formulation.

  1. Participants form the questions of a higher level of thinking.

-2 -1 0 +1 +2

  1. Participants contribute to the change of the interaction pattern.

-2 -1 0 +1 +2

4.3.2 Interview

Themes:

Planning and projecting of the teaching methods promoting active motivation of learners to the learning process.

Application of the method of the work with a film “Story Predicting”

4.4 FINDINGS / RESULTS

4.4.1 Observation

Goal:

Observing, analyzing, and evaluating of the participants capability to contribute to the creation of the environment promoting critical thinking and discussing.

Observing, analyzing, and evaluating of the participants capability to master the strategy of asking the questions and ways of the questions formulating.

In the course of the intervention program “ERR framework applied with a movie”, through the observations, we have been following, analyzing, and evaluating the capabilities of each participant. The following is an average of the outcomes of the whole group.

A: Capability of the participants to initiate and motivate critical thinking and discussion in the course of a training.

Overall evaluation of the standard:

0 +1

Evaluation of the particular indicators:

  1. Participants express and prove their ideas and opinions +1
  2. Participants are involved in discussion +1
  3. Participants contribute to their mutual communication. +1
  4. Participants carefully follow multiple ideas and share their ideas. 0
  5. Participants support their ideas with thoughtful reasons, proofs, or examples. 0
  6. Participants form their own ideas and express them together with the emotions and needs that accompany them. +1

B: Capability of the participants to master the strategy of asking questions and ways of question formulation.

Overall evaluation of the standard:

0 +1

Evaluation of the particular indicators:

  1. Participants form the questions of a higher level of thinking. +1
  2. Participants contribute to the change of the interaction pattern. 0

As an important outcome of the observation was the fact, that the participants shared their ideas, which led to the broadening of their vocabulary and the multiple schemes of understanding were presented. They realized, that the created thinking scheme does not have to be definite, indeed it is possible to accept and include in their reflection also the ideas of the others.

H. Grecmanová, E. Urbanovská a P. Novotný (2000) indicate that when a learner realizes and controls the meta-cognitive processes, he/she better accepts, understands, and arranges the new ideas in their connections. Moreover, upon their multiple findings they state, that the learners, who are able to watch and reflect their own thinking processes, do not subject to the manipulations, current trends or temporary indulgences. They are more open to the new ideas and influences, which they are able purposefully and fruitfully process. They are generally better prepared to creatively solve the problems and formulate their own ideas, opinions, and views (compare: Steel, Meredith, Temple, Walter, 1997, p. 15; Kovaliková, 1995, p. 66; Fisher, 1997, p. 22; Fontana, 1997, p. 167; Grecmanová, Holoušová, Urbanovská, 1997, p. 71).

We state that in the course of the training, the participants through their active involvement, initiated and motivated critical thinking and discussion. Some minor problems had the participants when distinguishing between the strong and essential arguments and the weak and unessential ones (in regard to the particular problem) as well as when identifying untold hypotheses or presumptions from a series of statements.

In the course of the training, especially in the second stage focused on work with a movie (method: Story Predicting) the participants formulated the questions of a higher level of thinking (mainly analysis). They partly contributed also to the change of the interaction pattern (asking questions to the trainers and among themselves).

4.4.2 Free writing

Goal:

Acquisition of the participants’ views on the possibilities of applying of the method “Story Predicting” at their practice.

Free writes of the workshop participants

Will you use the presented methods? Where and how?

  1. Yes, definitely at the reading lessons, to read with stops, try to predict and to finish stories, how the story should continue and why. It can be done at the Science or Social Science lessons.
  2. It can be used in practice. Excellent example from afilm, stopping of the story and an opportunity t thing what will happen next. Thanks to this strategy, the students have to thing independently and look for the answers.
  3. It can be used at multiple areas to develop critical thinking. Thank you for the opportunity to learn this strategy, Iwill definitely use it.
  4. The strategy can be used to teach ecology: e.g. an example of acatastrophe – what precedes it and what it causes; or with afilm showing afood web. At mathematics it can be used to show interconnection of mathematics with real life (trade: +,-,:,., etc.)
  5. The strategy can be used at multiple areas, mainly at the humanities, to develop students critical thinking.
  6. This strategy can be used very well when analyzing narrative texts. Predicting of the next events and acting of the characters upon their present acting, imagining to be in their positions, how I would act. It develops vocabulary, identifying relations between the words, synonyms, antonyms, comparing, which of the possibilities would be better and why. To create your own end of the story or to connect the story with the current situation. To look for the ideas that are not understood at the first sight, to work with then and connect them with each other.
  7. Very interesting. I like films like this. I call them “films with a message”. I am glad that my predictions were correct.
  8. I can use this strategy at multiple areas with the goal of personal development, multicultural or media education. At my work, I often concentrate on students’ behavior and the students’ overall progress and development. This strategy is absolutely appropriate / at least to diagnose the level of students’ critical thinking and ambitions.
  9. I can use it at various areas, when expressing the opinions, think critically, assess and predict.
  10. I see the problem in the students’ unwillingness and resistance to express their opinions. It looks as if they did not have any, and they also have difficulties to justify their positions. Critical thinking development is a long-term process and the outcomes can be seen later.
  11. I don’t know at this moment. I will need to review it later. Participating at this activity fully engaged me and I could not compare it with my work.
  12. Reflecting this workshop, I found few philosophical messages for me – it is necessary to develop thinking, expressing the opinions, listen to the opinions of others, talk about virtues substantial for life.

From the responses of the participants ot is evident, that they realized, how the new learning changed their thinking, opinions, values, attitudes, etc. Immediately after the workshop they had been planning and projecting their educational work in context of active learning and critical thinking. Some comments indicated using of the film as an educational instrument.