CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Statement of the problem This study will explore the problem of insufficient student engagement in secondary schools. Specifically, the ideas presented in William Glasser’s Choice Theory in the Classroom (1988) will be applied as an attempt to motivate students in a freshman biology classroom. While the intent is to measure all students’ response to specific classroom methods, particular focus will be placed upon student groups for which state test data indicate a trend of not exceeding standards or not meeting standards. The Georgia End of Course Test data for 2009-2010 left me wondering what could be done to push more students beyond their current levels of performance. Across the board, it seemed that many of the students were capable of scoring higher than they did. Data also indicated a significant achievement gap between males and females as well as between Caucasians and African Americans. Aware of the fact that I cannot control out-of-school factors, I began to wonder, “Are some students bringing preconceived negative ideas about learning science into the classroom, and if so, can something be done in class to counteract the factors that brought them to these notions?” Glasser (1988) estimates that American public high schools typically have about fifty percent of their students successfully engaged in learning, while the other half either disengage or drop out of school altogether (p. 3). He adds that this truth persists even in affluent areas. Erwin (2005), a former teacher and current staff development specialist and educational consultant asks, “What do we do in education that turns exuberant little learning sponges into haters of all things educational?...Why is this happening? What can we do about it?” (p. 16).
The subjects of this study were public high school biology students. Subjects were a fair representation of the general population of the setting, as biology is a required subject for all students and is not a subject area in which classes are ability leveled. Subjects were selected by default due to the fact that they were assigned to the researcher’s class rosters for the current academic year. Additional participants included my mentor administrator, department chair, and fellow biology teachers. My mentor during this research was an assistant principal at my school of employment and research who agreed to monitor my study and assist me in gaining experience as a teacher leader. Other participants were chosen due to the fact that we taught the same subject. Procedures & Methods All data gathered during this project were applied toward the goal of evaluating Choice Theory’s effectiveness as employed in the school learning environment. Table 3.1 Data Shell Focus Question Literature Sources Type of Method and Data Why these data provide valid data How these data are analyzed Rationale Strengths/ Weaknesses Did the application of Glasser’s Choice Theory have a positive effect the students’ EOCT performance for the Growth & Heredity domain? Glasser, W. (1998) Shillingford, M., and Edwards, O. (2008) Zeeman, R. (2006) Method: Data: 2010 & 2011 Biology EOCT scores from the Growth & Heredity Domain Type of validity: Content Quantitative: Independent T Test Quantitative: Provides evidence of significant differences in test performance Validity Reliability Dependability Bias