In Theory

The word theory is tossed around in a variety of contexts. I often use it when discussing policy and procedures with colleagues to compare what we are doing in practice as opposed to the ideal. "In theory we're using the GLCE to drive our curriculum but we're really sticking to the scope and sequence of our math program." Recently as I've reflected upon the practices and choices I make in the classroom, I've realized I formulate theories in the scientific sense of the word. I create theories in order to describe or account for the causes behind the behaviors and phenomena I observe in order to anticipate and plan for the future. Identifying a group of behaviors and asserting the cause of those behaviors, I create theories that I test and confirm or dismiss almost daily in my classroom. Often applying established thought from theorists such as Piaget or theories posed by researchers to observations and data collected in my classroom, I form theories that dictate classroom practices.
Theories I formulate usually stem from a problem I’ve encountered or an interesting set of common observed behaviors. Recently, as we enter our annual “March is Reading Month” activity where we ask first graders to read stories and record their titles on cars to be displayed in the hall, I’ve noticed a drop in participation compared to past years. One student, however, has made a goal to read as many books as she possibly can over the month. Several students at her table have recently taken notice of the large number of cars she brings in daily. Interestingly, the other students at her table have increased the number of cars they’ve been bringing in. A parent of one of those students mentioned how motivated he was to “get more cars than H---.” I wondered if I could replicate the friendly, competitive spirit displayed at table five with the rest of the class. Displaying a graph of the number of books read by students, I hoped to create a friendly, competitive spirit within the class and motivate the students to read more books.
After the students had left for the day, I displayed the graph on the classroom door. The next morning without drawing attention to it myself, I allowed students to discover it and spread the word. My goal is to keep my approval or disapproval of the graph results from becoming a motivating factor. I am curious to find out if peer motivation is enough to encourage more students to read. When the graph was first displayed, groups of children were crowded around the graph marveling at how “far ahead” H--- was from the rest of the class and who was beating who. On a side note, I enjoyed listening to the students use “math language” when discussing the graph. Many students were making comparisons and generalizations and predictions using the information on the graph. Notably absent were comments regarding a desire to read more books. I am anxious to see if the number of books read increases in the next week.
As I read through chapters five and six from Researching Children’s Experiences, I found myself curious about the process of interviewing young children and how that process applies to my classroom context. The authors discussed the ethical and procedural difficulties researchers encountered while interviewing children with whom they are unfamiliar. Particularly, how the ambiguity of questions or directions affects children’s understanding of and willingness to participate in research. It seemed, from the author's descriptions, that children were more willing to participate when they understood the purpose and process of the research and when they were allowed some choices in the research process or to even become co-researchers. The authors discussed some difficulties with controlling behaviors and participation. I wonder if I would have an easier time interviewing my students because I have already established a rapport with my class along with behavioral procedures and expectations. However, it's interesting to consider if my familiarity with my students and established role as an authority figure would influence their answers. After completing the “March is Reading Month” activity, I would be interested in conducting some group interviews to discover their thoughts, feelings and attitudes towards the activity. Perhaps I can use that information to influence the structure of the activity next year and increase future participation.
As an educator of young children, I am constantly observing phenomena and collecting data in which to formulate theories. In an effort to continually fine-tune my craft by testing and confirming or dismissing those theories, it is important to consider the theories and experiences of my peers. Bouncing my theories and thoughts to a group of peers can be a productive way to gather and integrate experiences otherwise unavailable to me. As each member of the group applies their experiences and expertise to my theories, they are reflected back more refined. Thus far I have based my theories on observations, previously established theory and data. I have as of yet to involve my students in this research. Using an interview process to involve my students in the research process, I should be able to construct more accurate theories that drive more efficient classroom activities, experiences and procedures.