Academic
Exchange Quarterly Fall
2004: Volume 8, Issue 3
Student Co-Researchers
Maryann Byrne,
Byrne, M.Ed., is a high school World History
teacher.
Abstract
For this action research
project, I invited students to join me as co-researchers inquiring into the
relevance of the study of history. The
results have been improved student learning and classroom management outcomes.
Introduction
“Why do I have to know this
stuff?” Without realizing it, my action research
question was coming at me early and often as I began my teaching career in a
ninth grade World History classroom in September 2003.
I responded to the students in
a number of ways. I told them that
history can teach us how to be better citizens, how to appreciate diversity,
how to develop critical thinking skills, how to construct an argument, and how
to learn from the past. Drawing on my
education courses and from the advice of other teachers, I worked on making my
classes “engaging,” “interesting” and “fun.”
My classes became more enjoyable, but still the question kept coming
back.
“Why do I have to know this stuff?”
I soon realized that it was easy to make
history lessons entertaining, but if they held no relevance for students’ lives,
they would not retain the crucial concepts I was trying to teach. I was telling students why I thought they
should know this stuff. I wasn’t
listening to the “I” of the question that represented each student, and how
each individual student was asking why this stuff was important for them to
know. Not in the “need to know” sense of
necessary for next week’s test or future MCAS exams, but as critical information
essential to their lives. My research
question developed from this connection with the individual “I” of each student.
“How can I make the study of history
relevant to my students?”
My question has a number of
implications for classroom practice. Before
addressing relevance for students, I first
need to define what makes history relevant for me, always remembering that my
definition may be different from my students’.
In addition, for history to have relevance for students, they need to construct
this understanding for themselves. Finally,
in an era of standards-based education, accountability and budget constraints, why should students learn this stuff if we
can’t help them distinguish for themselves that the habits of mind developed
through the study of history are crucial skills necessary for enhancing their
lives?
Literature Review
It quickly became apparent as
I undertook my literature review that I was not the only educator dealing with
the question of how to make history relevant for students. In my readings, I found practical advice about
how to implement instructional methods which promote relevancy alongside theories
of history and practice. It was encouraging
to see that techniques I had already attempted, such as the use of controversy,
narrative and role-plays, were recommended by some authors (Kennedy, 1998;
Rosenzwieg, 2003; Stanley, 2003).
One article directly confronted
assumptions that I brought to the classroom.
Meyerson and Secules (2001, p. 267) note that “the first prerequisite to
the creation of a meaningful and relevant social studies learning environment
for students is to ensure that social studies learning is meaningful and
relevant to its teachers.” For the first
time I realized that to help make history relevant for my students, I would first
need to determine what made it relevant for me.
Despite differing approaches,
two themes came through in almost every article I read. First was a consensus on the value of
constructivism – for history to be real for students, they must construct this
reality for themselves. Second was the understanding
that for students to construct relevance, they must be active participants in
authentic historical inquiry. For
students, “Involvement in historical study leads them to become ‘creators’ of
history and to discover the power, potential, and excitement that the study of
the past can engender” (Foster & Padgett: 1999, p. 364).
My Students
I teach ninth grade World History
to honors and college-level students. My
students are mostly white; I have one African-American and three Asian-American
students in my classes. While my honors
classes are more than three-quarters female, my college classes are more evenly
balanced along gender lines.
Over the course of the year,
I have come to know my students on a deeper level. Many live in single-parent homes. Most are comfortable discussing issues of
sexuality, substance abuse, and other topics that would not have been open for
discussion when I was a freshman.
Although in some ways these students may have lost some of the innocence
my generation had, they are also more accepting of differences than my
classmates were, including such areas as ethnicity, sexual orientation,
religious affiliation, and the inclusion of special education students in
general education classes.
Methodology
Collaborating with my students
was a natural development. I had no
first-hand knowledge of young adults in their age group and relied on my
students to introduce me to their interests, their concerns and their thoughts about
school and history in particular. In
addition, we were all new to
This partnership deepened as inconsistencies
confronted me. Curriculum guidelines ask
me to teach students to construct arguments based on evidence, enter into
debate, and appreciate diverse perspectives; yet, most students are not encouraged
to exercise these skills in the arena of classroom decision-making. The school promotes collaboration with teachers
and administrators, but not with those upon whom our actions have the greatest
impact, our students. Although I have
been evaluated by a number of school administrators, my students have no input
into this process. Finally, if we want students
to fully participate in class, we should then respect the knowledge, ideas, and
suggestions that they bring to it.
Data Sources
1.
History teachers were surveyed to see how they responded
to the question, “Why do I have to know this stuff?”
2.
Interest
Inventories and Multiple Intelligences Surveys were used to design
lessons that directly addressed student interests and learning styles.
3.
A brainstorming
session was held with students to come to an agreement on how we would define
relevance.
4.
Students were
surveyed about which activities made history relevant or irrelevant.
5.
Student-driven discussions
about the personal impact of historical events were documented to see if
students were constructing their own understanding that history is a dynamic story
in which they play a part.
6.
History Progress
Reports reflected our ongoing redefinition of the relevance of history.
7.
Students wrote a report
about an event we had studied, explaining why it was significant both in
history and for themselves, and suggesting a teaching method that would make
the event interesting to freshmen. Students
made connections to their own lives, and reflected on what teaching methods helped
make history relevant for them.
8.
Observational notes
were reviewed to determine if collaboration with students promoted an
understanding of historical relevance.
9.
Students responded
in writing to a number of quotes from famous writers on whether the study of
history is relevant.
10.
In keeping with
the spirit of collaboration, students were asked to anonymously evaluate my
performance by writing me a letter of recommendation based on the categories
that my university supervisor rated me on: Plans Curriculum and Instruction; Plans
Effective Instruction; Manages Classroom Climate and Operations; Promotes Equity;
and Maintains Professional Standards. The
intent was to determine whether the methods used had resulted in actual student
learning outcomes.
Our data supports the notion
that for students to feel that the study of history is relevant, they must
build this knowledge themselves by actively doing
history, engaging in authentic interactions that rely on the interpretation
of evidence, appreciation of multiple perspectives, analysis of cause and
effect relationships, and the examination of the assumptions we all hold about
issues of historical importance. Teachers
can assist, but students must feel that they have ownership of the process or
it will not be real to them.
How do students do
history? Two examples follow.
One class that relied on the
interpretation of evidence focused on the mysterious decline of the Mayan
civilization. Students groups were given
pieces of evidence that pointed to one possible cause: either famine, war,
disease or natural disaster. Each group
made a case based on their evidence, followed by a class discussion designed to
determine the most likely circumstances.
Was there just one cause or could there have been a combination? The discussion was guided into who has
interpreted history in the past and what can be done to encourage more varied
perspectives to be incorporated into accepted history.
In another project designed
to promote the appreciation of multiple perspectives, students imagined that
they were a famous director writing a proposal to a
Results
What is relevance? We came up with the following definition
of the relevance of the study of history.
To be relevant, it must be real, it must be beneficial to our lives, and
we must feel connected with the topics we are studying.
Did our results show that our interactions had made
history real? There was agreement on activities that made
history come alive for students, particularly role-plays and simulations, discussions
focused on connections to current events, narratives based on the lives of
historical figures, interactive hands-on activities, and games such as “Who
Wants to be a Legionnaire?” and “Feudal Jeopardy.” Students also commented on the activities which
made history irrelevant. Receiving the greatest mention were activities that
relied on the textbook, and lectures which did not include some level of student
interaction.
Did our results show that our interactions helped us appreciate
the study of history as beneficial? Representative student comments which point
to this conclusion include:
·
“Who we are is
history.”
·
“Learning about
the past has helped me understand the present.”
·
“History teaches
us to make better decisions than people did many years ago.”
Did our results show that our interactions created a
personal connection to the topics studied? This appears to be the case, as
students noted:
·
“I learned things
about myself that I did not know.”
·
“Her teaching has
depended on what we think about history.”
·
“Before I had you
as a teacher I never had a good understanding of how the people who lived in
the past felt.”
Finally, did our results show that our interactions
helped students learn? The overwhelming response was yes.
·
“She gets the job
done by teaching us the content, but sometimes it happens in a different
way. It’s not busywork, it’s just plain
learning and teaching.”
·
“The classwork is
done in a way that we learn in new ways.
It’s more hands-on. I don’t mind
learning in that class.”
·
“Getting students
involved makes the students pay attention and understand the topic more.”
Analysis and Interpretation
In retrospect, I can see how
the collaborative environment my students and I established has transformed our
classroom. What began in an atmosphere
of trepidation has become an honest, open space where the curriculum is actively
explored.
At the start of the year,
what did I see? Students who were bored,
students who were hesitant to participate, students who were classroom
management issues, students who were unsure of what was expected of them,
students who missed handing in assignments, students who underperformed on
assessments and evaluations, and a teacher anxious to prove that she could
teach them.
What do I see now? Students who come to class prepared to do
history. In an atmosphere of trust, the
students challenge each other and me, probing statements that might go unquestioned
elsewhere. This sense of empowerment has
proved infectious, slowly building as students have seen the benefits in both their
grades and in their enjoyment of the class.
By encouraging students to become active participants in their learning,
I have improved my students’ learning.
An unforeseen benefit of
these interactions has been their positive effect upon classroom management
issues. As students were given a greater
say in classroom procedures, these challenges have lessened considerably. The students know I respect their opinions
and concerns, and they are reciprocating.
We have established that our purpose is to teach and learn from each
other, and we enjoy tracking this process of discovery. It is easy for me to point out when behaviors
are not facilitating this, and often that is the only action I have to take to
maintain order.
There have been some
disappointments. Despite my efforts,
there are still students who find history boring. While continuing to explore ways to engage
them, I realize that there are some students who will never have the passion
for history that I have. I believe I
have at least fostered an appreciation of why the study of history is included
in their curriculum, although it may never be a study which they enjoy.
Our classroom has become a
site that embodies a number of the theories of why history is relevant. Some students see the study of history as
crucial in promoting democratic citizenship:
·
“Without history,
a nation would have no purpose; it would be impossible for a nation to exist
without it.”
·
“History is
important; you should know what happens where you live.”
·
“We need to know
what went on years and years ago. Many
things that went on during our history affect us today because they relate to
events that occur these days.”
Others see the study of
history as essential for promoting social justice:
·
“There has been
so much conflict. When will we start
taking care of each other?”
·
“I actually paid
attention. I had no idea women were
treated so badly.”
Finally, the majority see history
as an ongoing, unfinished story of the human condition in which we all play a
role.
·
“I now see
history is a cycle of recurring events, not just a bunch of facts.”
·
“Sometimes we are
in the same place as people from the past.”
·
“Anything that
happened in the past helps you move forward now.”
Recommendations for Practice
This action research project
has been a wonderful experience. I hope
my students will continue to do history in all areas of their lives for the
best reasons: to become active members of our democratic society, to strive to
promote social justice, and to become life-long learners examining the world
around them.
In
future classes, I will have new students with different conceptions about
history. Most will probably think history
is a boring bunch of facts about dead people with no relevance to their lives. Drawing upon what I have learned this
semester, I will try to replicate the experience while realizing that the
dynamics will inevitably change with the introduction of new participants. While success is not guaranteed, there are a
number of factors that I can put in place to facilitate the process. Acting on the definition we developed for
relevance, I believe to make history real, I need to be real. To help students connect with history, I need
to connect with my students. And
finally, to make history beneficial, I need to be beneficial.
When I make it real, they remember
it. It is not enough to model
collaborative constructivist teaching methods.
Students must perceive that I believe in them in my instructional
methods. In order to embrace this
realism, it will be crucial to constantly reexamine my own beliefs and biases,
and what works in my classes and what doesn’t and why.
Second, I will need to connect
with my students’ knowledge in order to access the information that they bring
to class, adding value to my own and their classmates’ education. Connecting students’ interests, needs and
concerns with lives of the people we were studying made history relevant to my
current students and I hope will do so for future classes.
Finally, for true
teacher-student collaboration to take place, students must feel that the
classroom is a safe place for them to express their views and to take risks
without fear of failure or ridicule. I
hope I can continue to establish a beneficial level of discourse and classroom
structure, open to negotiation, that will allow all my students to feel
empowered as active participants in their own education.
At the start of the year,
“Why do I need to know this stuff?” seemed like a challenge. I now see it as an invitation to enter into authentic
collaborations with my students, and am looking forward to continuing to do so
in the future.
References
Foster, Stuart J., and Padgett, Charles S. (1999).
Authentic historical inquiry in the social studies classroom. The Clearing House, 72 (6): 357-364.
Kennedy, David M. (1998). The Art of the tale: Story-telling and history
teaching. The History Teacher, 31 (3):
319-330.
Meyerson, Peter, & Secules, Teresa (2001). Inquiry circles can make social studies
meaningful. The Social Studies, 92 (6):
267-272.
Rosenzweig,
Stanley, Gregory (2003). Warts and All: Exposing history to high
school students. Educational Horizons,
(Winter): 86-91.