Research

Action Research

📃Action Research: Implementing Math Centers in a 4th-Grade Classroom

1. Identify a Problem or Area of Need

After 12 years of using a traditional, teacher-centered math approach, I felt limited in my ability to differentiate instruction and noticed gaps in student engagement and performance.

2. Research and Plan an Intervention

Inspired by training in a new math curriculum (i-Ready Mathematics), I explored math centers as a strategy to promote student-centered learning, differentiation, and engagement.

3. Implement the Strategy

Math centers were integrated during the “Refine” session of each weekly math lesson. Students rotated through four stations focused on skills practice, technology, hands-on games, and partner work. This structure was followed consistently for 12 weeks.

4. Collect Data (Quantitative & Qualitative)

Quantitative: Compared 3rd-grade trimester 1 report card math grades with 4th-grade trimester 1 grades for the same students.

Qualitative: Conducted student surveys and interviews about their experiences with math centers, using questions focused on engagement, understanding, collaboration, and confidence.

5. Analyze & Reflect on Results

• 19 out of 25 students showed improved or significantly improved performance.

• Students expressed overwhelmingly positive attitudes toward math center rotations.

• The teacher noted increased collaboration, deeper engagement, and better understanding among students.

6. Refine and Plan Next Steps

Based on my findings, I plan to:

• Continue refining center activities and expectations

• Compare data across additional trimesters (e.g., 2nd trimester scores)

• Share results with grade-level team and consider school-wide application

• Investigate why some students performed better under traditional methods

Click on the button below to access my Action Research Paper 👇

Action Research is a practical way for educators and instructional designers to study and improve their own teaching and professional practices. It’s research with a purpose—done by you and for you, in your own setting, to make a difference right away.

📃Research Project: Empowering 4th-Grade Parents to Help with Math Homework

1. Identifying the Problem
Many parents struggle to help their children with math homework due to unfamiliar methods, math anxiety, and language barriers. This study addresses whether structured training can empower parents and improve student outcomes.

2. Reviewing the Literature
I conducted a literature review on parental involvement, math anxiety, structured interventions, and homework support strategies. This background helped shape the research questions and guided the design of the training program.

3. Developing Research Questions and Hypotheses

• Main Question: What is the effect of structured parent training on parental confidence and student math success?

• Hypotheses: Trained parents will feel more confident, and their children will show better performance and attitudes toward math.

4. Designing the Study

• Design: Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest model

• Participants: Parents of 4th-grade students from diverse backgrounds, recruited through local schools

• Instruments: Custom surveys, student academic data, and parent focus groups

5. Data Collection

• Pretest surveys to measure parental confidence and collect baseline student data

• Training modules delivered online over 4–6 weeks

• Posttest surveys and updated student performance data collected after training

• Focus groups to capture parents’ experiences and strategies used

6. Data Analysis

• Quantitative: Paired t-tests to measure changes in parental confidence and student performance

• Qualitative: Thematic coding of focus group discussions to identify effective parental strategies

7. Addressing Validity and Reliability

• Surveys reviewed by experts for content validity

• Standardized data collection methods to ensure reliability

• Ethical considerations include informed consent, confidentiality, and accessibility for diverse participants

8. Reporting Results
Findings will highlight whether structured support boosts parental confidence, student performance, and attitudes toward math. Results will also identify strategies that were most useful for parents.

Expected Impact

This research aims to strengthen the home-school connection, inform best practices for parent training programs, and provide actionable insights for educators looking to better support families in math education.

Click on the buttons below to access my Research Steps 👇

Quasi-Experimental Research

Quasi-experimental research examines cause-and-effect relationships, but unlike true experiments, it does not randomly assign participants to groups. Instead, it uses existing groups or self-selected participants. Researchers still apply an intervention or treatment and compare outcomes before and after, making it a powerful option when random assignment isn’t practical or ethical. Quasi-experimental designs are commonly used in real-world educational settings where controlling all variables isn’t possible, but meaningful comparisons are still needed.

Why Use Quasi-Experimental Research?

• Real-world practicality: Perfect when random assignment isn’t possible in schools, workplaces, or communities.

• Ethical flexibility: Respects natural groupings without denying participants access to beneficial programs.

• Cause-and-effect insights: Still allows researchers to study the impact of an intervention.

• More accessible: Easier and faster to implement than a true experimental design.

• Stronger than observational studies: Provides more control over variables and comparison groups.

• Useful for educational research: Ideal for studying programs, policies, or trainings already happening in real settings.

Reflection

Throughout this course, I have had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of what it means to conduct research as both an educator and an instructional designer. Completing one action research study and currently working on another has given me firsthand insight into the rigorous, multifaceted nature of educational research and its direct impact on the field of instructional technology.

Engaging in the full research cycle—from selecting a researchable issue to designing the study, developing instruments, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting results—has shown me the importance of intentionality and precision at every step. In my current study, Empowering 4th-Grade Parents to Effectively Help Their Children with Math Homework, I have experienced the challenge of moving from a broad educational problem to focused, researchable questions. This step demanded a deep understanding of both the literature and the practical needs of the community I am studying. Conducting a comprehensive literature review not only grounded my study but also revealed important gaps that my research could address.

Designing my research using a quasi-experimental approach taught me the value of choosing the appropriate methodology to match the research questions. I also learned how crucial it is to develop and validate reliable instruments—such as surveys and questionnaires—to ensure that the data I collect accurately reflect participants' experiences and outcomes. Applying principles of sampling, managing ethical considerations like informed consent and confidentiality, and analyzing data using statistical methods (paired t-tests and thematic analysis) all pushed me to think critically about the rigor and validity of my work.

Importantly, this experience has also reinforced the collaborative and self-directed nature of research. Working alongside peers, exchanging critiques, and learning from one another’s designs has strengthened my ability to think flexibly and offer constructive feedback. At the same time, I found that successful research requires strong self-motivation and a willingness to keep learning independently, especially when navigating new statistical software or adjusting designs based on unforeseen challenges.

Conducting educational research is not merely an academic exercise; it is a way of systematically improving practice. Through this process, I have developed a deeper appreciation for how research findings can guide decision-making, inform instructional strategies, and ultimately contribute to meaningful change. I am excited to continue developing my skills as a researcher, knowing that each study I complete not only advances my own understanding but also has the potential to empower educators, learners, and communities.