| Description |
The goal of this action research project was to determine the most effective methods of pre-lab instruction to give students the highest level of independence and confidence within their learning. I used my 5th-grade classroom to collect data through interviews, observations, a researcher's journal, and student questionnaires. I looked at three different pre-lab methods: 1) video instruction, 2) video instruction with a check-for-understanding component, and 3) a step-by-step instruction model. Each method was used for one to two science lab lessons. After analyzing the data, I found the main findings to support the self-regulated learning framework. This meant students were able to seek help without the teacher, and use the pre-lab instructions to autonomously solve problems during the in-person lab. The data supported a flipped classroom model as a way to introduce these self-regulated learning strategies. Finally, students reported a high level of comfort with the online instruction and as the action research project went on, a stronger sense of metacognition of their understanding. I believe this connection was due to the ease of use in the step-by-step model that differentiated the instructions for students within the activity with both visual representation and written instructions. |
