Karolinka Peterka EDS 205A 2/24/14 Classroom Survey Assignment The other student teachers who are placed

at my school site and I decided to collaborate and create a joint survey that we could then give to our students and see how the results compare within and across grade levels. The same survey was given to four classes ranging from second to fourth grade. However, I did not receive the results from the fourth grade class so I will only be comparing the results of the second and third graders. As student teachers, we were most interested in finding out about the various learning styles present in our classes. We could use the information from the data to plan lesson that would be most effective for our particular classrooms. We also wanted to know if learning preferences tend to change over time as the students progress from grade to grade or if they tend to stay the same. We decided to create a survey that would be appropriate for all the students, grades two through four, so we made it multiple choice. We used the second graders as a baseline for the difficulty of the survey because we wanted the second graders to be able to answer it just as reliably as the other students. Being placed in a second grade classroom, I knew that the students were familiar with multiple choice answers that finished the sentence in the question. I can only speak for myself when it comes to administering the survey. Before I handed out the survey, I read the entire questionnaire out loud to the class. I would stop after each question and clarify what the question was asking and what the answer choices meant. I even provided examples of what it would look like in the classroom. This was especially applicable to the last two questions where we asked if students like to see, hear, read, or interact with new material. After I explained all the questions I answered questions that the students had about the survey. Only then did I pass out the survey and allow the students to complete it. All the students completed it individually except for one student. I sat with him and simply reread all the questions to him out loud, one by one. After I read all the answer choices, he circled his answer. There was no discussion. I believe that because we had reviewed the survey beforehand, the students were able to complete it very quickly. This helped because I did not need to answer individual questions while the students were working.

Generally, the results of the survey did not surprise me. Because I have been working with these students for the past couple of months, I anticipated the general trend of the results. What was interesting to see was how the second grade results compared with the third grade results. The second graders said they pay most attention in the morning, but a close second choice was after lunch. The majority of the third graders said that they pay attention in the morning, with no close second choice, but nearest being after recess. I wonder if this is because the second graders are able to refocus after they have eaten while the third graders generally fade as the day continues. Another interesting comparison was that in math second graders like to work on their own, but prefer working with a partner on language arts. I think this is because the students in the class are more confident in math and therefore feel like they can work successfully on their own. The third graders, however, overwhelmingly prefer to work in partners in both subjects. I suspect that this is because the material becomes much more demanding in third grade as opposed to second especially with the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Finally, the most interesting observation is related to how students feel they work best. There was a much wider range of answer choices among the second graders than there was with the third graders. Third graders prefer to see the material in both language arts and math when they are learning something new. It seems that second graders prefer a combination of seeing the material, hearing it, and being able to do it themselves. I wonder if this is because the second grade students have not yet developed a concrete learning style and benefit from many modes of instruction. As they get older, they either do not need to see the material presented in various ways or they have found their preferred learning style. This was a very interesting assignment that allowed me to get to know my students more, both individually and as a class. Knowing what time of day they are more likely to be paying attention and in what ways the students learn best will help me schedule the day and plan lessons in the future in order to help the students learn in the best possible way I can.

Class Learning Survey

Second grade - Out of 22 (a few students chose more than one answer so totals may not add up to 22) Third grade - Out of 30 Third Grade - Out of 26 1. I pay more attention a. in the morning. b. after recess. c. after lunch. d. after school. 2. During math, I like to work a. on my own. b. with a partner. c. in a group. d. as a whole class. 11 4 8 2 16 8 5 1 15 5 2 4

8 4 7 3

6 15 4 5

10 14 1 5

3. During language arts, I like to work a. on my own. 6 10 b. with a partner. 8 12 c. in a group. 5 6 d. as a whole class. 3 2

9 9 6 2

4. When I learn something new in math, I like to a. see it. 6 18 b. hear it. 6 4 c. read it. 6 4 d. do it myself. 8 4 5. When I learn something new in language arts, I like to a. see it. 6 15 b. hear it. 7 6 c. read it. 6 3 d. do it myself. 6 6