Presentation
Buddy Science K-2-5: Action Research through Cross-Grade Explorations
Paper presented at the 2014 International Conference of the Association of Science Teacher Educators (ASTE)
(2014)
Abstract
We will share how three elementary school teachers (one fifth grade, one second grade, and one kindergarten) participated in a year-long action research project as continual professional development in a high-poverty school of color. Session participants will learn about both action research overall and our specific project. For our project, we collaborated across grade levels to make science instruction meaningful to our respective students in a grade-appropriate fashion through cross-grade student partnerships. Each week, two classes met and explored a concept together, with the older students guiding the learning of the younger students. After every buddy meeting, we, the three teachers, would have a follow-up meeting to discuss the day’s events and reflect on data collected. Data collected included: student activity and experimentation sheets, teacher observations, student quotations from buddy discussions, and reflection sheets completed by the older students about what they observed and experienced. We want to share with participants the fun and value of action research conducted by classroom teachers and our action research project. We will share how we planned, executed, evaluated, and disseminated our project. We will also share student work samples, photographs of the project in action, and practical suggestions on how teachers can conduct action research in their own schools.
Keywords
- Cross-grade explorations,
- Elementary school,
- Action research,
- Buddy Science
Disciplines
Publication Date
January, 2014
Citation Information
Katie L. Brkich and K. Shumbera. "Buddy Science K-2-5: Action Research through Cross-Grade Explorations" Paper presented at the 2014 International Conference of the Association of Science Teacher Educators (ASTE) (2014) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/katie-brkich/11/