Mixed_Feelings_of_Frustration_and_Enthusiasm_for_Action_Research

Theme: Mixed feelings of frustration and enthusiasm for action research The Action research course has built up mixed feelings in me. I carried out research in high school while I was preparing for the CXC exams. Because of my previous experience, I expected the course to have similarities to what was done in high school. Throughout the course, I covered concepts taught in high school and much more. I was exposed to new and interesting things in the course. I am looking forward to start the research, but I am still frustrated to a large extent. This frustration has led to fearful feelings about carrying out this research. Throughout the course, I have learnt many new interesting concepts. I did not know that action research is carried out in schools where teachers collaborate and carry out investigations. Teachers engage in this type of research to investigate ways to help students learn and ways to develop the teaching profession. Because some teachers do not capture the attention of their students, As a result, the students do not grasp the concepts. According to theorist Robert Gagne's in his Nine Events of Instruction, he identified mental conditions for learning. Gagne encouraged teachers to gain and maintain the attention of learners. If teachers are able to achieve this, students will be interested in learning any concept being taught to them. Also, Lev Vygotsky stresses the importance of looking at each child as an individual who learns distinctively. At the class, I also learnt that critical thinking and analysis will be crucial in order to make sense of the data collected. The class looked at how to analyze data. Analysis involves breaking up or separating materials into pieces or parts. In my area of studying mathematics, I used critical thinking and analyzing skills to break down complex problems in order to solve them. In the field of research, it will require me to break up the data into small parts, the parts are coded using letters or numbers. The coded parts are then sorted out and sift through in order to make sense of the data. A summary of data is then written to understand the essence of it. In the school base assessment completed some years ago, I graphed the information using bar graphs which are usually easy to read. Interpretation of the graph is done to make sense of the problem under investigation. Theorist Vygotsky promoted the development of higher level thinking and problem solving in education. If situations are designed to have me utilize critical thinking skills, my thought processes are being challenged and new knowledge will be gained. The knowledge achieved through experience also serves as a foundation for the behaviors of every individual. On the other hand, I am still confused and frustrated about areas that must be included in the research paper. This frustration has also caused me to develop fear to write this paper. In writing this paper, I will need the constant guidance from my supervisor to really write a good paper. vygotsky interprets this assistance and guidance as scaffolding. He maintains that at this stage, I interact with my supervisor to accomplish the task writing the paper which could possibly not be completed independently. "In Vygotskian perspective, the ideal role of the teacher is that of providing scaffolding (collaborative dialogue) to assist students on tasks within their zones of proximal development."During scaffolding the first step is to build interest and engage the learner. Once I am actively participating, the given task should be simplified by breaking it into smaller subtasks. During this research paper, the supervisor will needs to keep the me focused, while concentrating on the most important ideas of the assignment. One of the most integral steps in scaffolding consists of keeping me from becoming frustrated. The final task associated with scaffolding involves the teacher modeling possible ways of completing tasks, which the learner can then imitate and eventually internalize. Presently, I am not really motivated to write this research paper. I want to overcome this frustration and fear of writing the paper. Motivation is something that energizes, direct, and sustains behaviors. I want to be intrinsically motivated. This would mean that I have to develop an internal desire to write the research paper because it will give me satisfaction. Abraham Maslow has concluded that before I can be intrinsically motivated I must first satisfy some basic human needs. Maslow maintains that motivation in education can have several effects on my learning and my behavior towards the subject matter. Motivation can lead to me developing and showing effort and energy towards writing the research paper. It can also lead to me improving my performance in writing the paper that will benefit me, my students and my country in the near future.