DATA COLLECTION REPORT, WP6.9, AU
The data collection for the WP6.9-AU-STEAM-project has been outlined in our project plan described in our
Methodology and Evaluation report. Table 1 originating from this report demonstrates how the data
collection process in our case is far more complex than anticipated in the WP6- timetable and reporting
structure. Most importantly our data collection is somewhat out of sync with the invented time structure.
Further, we collect data for a mix of different purposes transcending the generic STEAM-description, these
are:
1) Establishing the need to enhance teachers’ capacities to motivate (student perspectives and/or
teachers’ perspectives)
2) Providing new source material for our training package (TPver1 & TPver2)
3) Documenting and evaluating of the first version of our training package (TPver1)
4) Studying teachers’ professional development as a consequence of participation in the first training
package
The first three purposes lies within the domain of the STEAM case study report, but the last purpose reach
beyond the obligation described in the STEAM project. However, purpose number 2 expresses that the first
version of the training package also generates new source material useful for a redesign of the training
package (TPver2). Consequently, some of the data collected during the implementation of the first version
of the training package are not just intended for evaluation (or research), but may be seen as extending the
base of background knowledge and resources for our TP-design.
This Data Collection Report is about collection of background and resource data. This excludes data
collection undertaken for evaluation or research purposes alone (purposes 3 and 4). The relevant elements
of data collection are indicated with arrows at the right side of Table 1. The background data collected in
2004-2007 (data 1) has informed the design of our training package, as elaborated in our method report. In
addition we have collected some background data in January 2010 (data2) also having an influence on the
design of our workshops (TPver1). Finally, there will also be a collection of video material useful for the
final version of the training package during the field trail of the first version of the training package (data 3).
Time
Phase
Activities
Data collected
20042007
Pre-investigation
Studies to establish current
needs for the Training package
AND providing hints to
emphases and design of TPver1
Empirical data from
researchers’ PhD. Projects Data1
Design &
development
Recruiting teachers
Literature study
2009
AugustOctober
OctoberNovember
December
2010
January
Design of Training package structure and context (TPver1)
Development of teaching
activities for TPver1
Data-collection
JanuaryApril
Application
Investigation of developmental
teachers’ conceptions of
motivation in the classroom
Field-trial of TPver1
 5 workshops
 4 application periods
Teachers’ reflective essays
Data2
on motivation
Workshop videos
Evaluation of individual
workshops
Classroom videos
Lecture plans
April
Evaluation
Teachers evaluation of Training
package and Material
MayDecember
2011
JanuaryMarch
April
MarchJune
Revision
Revision of Training package
and Teaching Material
Revision
Revision of Training package
and Teaching Material
Revision
Reporting
Teachers evaluation of TPver2
Writing of Case Study Report
Data3
Interviews with teachers,
evaluating the TP
&
revisiting essays,
classroom videos and
incidences from
application period
Interview
Table 1 Timeline for data collection
Data1 collection
Data collection in relation to recent PhD-studies have informed our TP-design (Andersen, H. M., 2007;
Krogh, L. B., 2006).
-
Andersen (Andersen, H. M., 2007) collected data in relation to an interdisciplinary (chemistry,
biology) development project in upper secondary school (htx, “Technical Gymnasium”) in DK.
Students from 10 classes (N approx. 250) were followed through one academic year. The full
sample completed questionnaires on interests, perceptions of instruction and thematic content,
conceptions of learning etc. A thick description of students and instructional practices were
established for three classes. This included repeated student interviews, classroom observation,
and video-takes of students’ IBSE-oriented practical work and project work.
-
Krogh (Krogh, L. B., 2006) integrates a series of studies from physics in upper secondary school (stx,
“General Gymnasium”):
o longitudinal survey-study of physics students (N=781) in first and second year of upper
secondary school. Emphasis on students’ attitudes, and how these are shaped by
instructional choices and cultural border crossings. Results have been reported in (Krogh, L.
B. & Thomsen, P. V., 2005)
o web-based survey study of students’ general value-structure (N= 341), pursuing valueorientations as motivational filters and drives.
o Integrative study of The Ethos of School Physics, using multiple data sources, including
textbook analysis.
o Two years of action research inquiring how students’ values/other life worlds influence
their engagement with science, their instructional preferences etc. Thick description of
students from one class in upper secondary physics (N=26).
These data collections have informed our TP-design in the following aspects:
-
-
-
School sciences come in different motivational flavors, merging teachers’ orientations towards
teaching with traditional subject subcultures. Biology-teachers tend to design for motivation
through social and varied learning opportunities, while physics teachers would rather provide
challenge and cognitive drives. This suggests that teachers may benefit from discussions with
teachers from other science subjects. Also important for our TP-design is the fact that teachers’
arguments/decisions about motivational issues and their relation to instructional practice seem to
be based on craft-knowledge only. This suggests that introducing them to some propositional
knowledge (“motivational theory”) may be beneficial.
Emphasis should be given to motivational theories facilitating students’ sense of autonomy,
competence, relatedness, as well as providing experience and stimulating experiences. This
suggests that Self-Determination Theory and the competence-oriented Efficacy-theory of Bandura
(Bandura, A., 1997) should have a major role to play.
The ways in which teachers organize their learning environment, their communicative approaches,
and the epistemological practices they implement in school sciences are major influences on
students’ sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Roughly speaking, well-turned IBSE
oriented approaches may be used to the benefit of these motivational needs. Improving teachers’
motivational awareness, reflexivity and practice in relation to these issues might be the best way to
improve students’ interest in school sciences.
Data2 collection
These data were collected prior to the first workshop in our training package (TPver1). Our sample of 8
upper secondary school teachers from physics, chemistry, and biology subjects handed in reflexive essays
on motivational issues, and case stories about instances where they succeeded/failed to motivate students.
These data influenced the content of our TPver1-design in one important way. They made it clear how
much science teachers tend to focus on interesting topics, and exciting activities, when they discuss
motivational issues. These would seem to be the elements of craft knowledge on students’ motivation. As a
consequence of this massive teacher emphasis we did re-consider the planned content of motivational
theories in our TPver1, and made room to enter propositional knowledge about task value (from
Expectancy-Value motivational theory (Wigfield, A. & Eccles, J., 1992)) and elements from theories of
intrinsic interest (e.g. Catch & Hold from (Mitchell, M., 1993).
Data3 collection:
Video-data was collected all through the first application round in order to provide new source material for
the final TP. Consequently our developmental sample of 8 teachers was video-taped at various instances
and contexts during the project:


Videos of teachers’ motivational practices and trials of new approaches in their own classroom.
Each teacher was video-taped at two instances, approximately a total of 3 hours. Half of the videosessions were filmed using two cameras, allowing the recording of both teacher’s and students’
actions.
Videos of teachers participating in video-clubs in the context of TP-workshops at Aarhus University.
Teachers selected and presented video-clips from their own trials, and these were subsequently
discussed in the group of participating teachers. Both teachers’ presentations and the groupdiscussion were recorded.
Furthermore, teachers prepared lesson plans and reflexive papers in relation to their class-room trials.
These materials were also collected on a web-based platform.
These data were collected as a deliberate attempt to provide new source material for the final training
package. The application round clearly demonstrated the value of using video-clips in science teacher
training:



It draws authentic teaching practice and context into workshop discussions
It provides a shared starting point for reflection and exchanges of experiences
It provides Vicarious Experiences and acts like a source of teacher Self-Efficacy (e.g. Palmer, D. H.,
2006)
The intention is to use the collected data material in the design of thematic units for the final training
package. We expect that these thematic units will comprise of a few short video-clips to illustrate different
instructional approaches, students with different types of motivation and/or reactions in the classroom,
instances of best/critical practice etc. The video-clips will be selected and combined to elicit discussion, and
illustrate new possibilities and aspects of students’ motivation.
Thematic units combining video-clips, teachers’ lesson-plans, teachers’ post-reflections and discussions in
videogroups are intended as case-study material for the final training package.
Reference List
Andersen, H. M. (2007). Veje til motivation og læring. Steno Department, Aarhus University.
Bandura, A. (1997). Efficacy - the exercise of control. New York: W. H. Freeman.
Krogh, L. B. (2006). 'Cultural Border Crossings' within the physics classroom – a cultural perspective
on youth attitudes towards physics. Steno Department for Studies of Science and Science Education (In
Danish).
Krogh, L. B. & Thomsen, P. V. (2005). Studying students´ attitudes towards science from a cultural
perspective but with a quantitative methodology: border crossing into the physics classroom. International
Journal of Science Education, 27, 281-302.
Mitchell, M. (1993). Situational Interest: Its Multifacetted Structure in the Secondary School
Mathematics Classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85, 424-436.
Palmer, D. H. (2006). Sources of Self-efficacy in a Science Methods Course for Primary Teacher
Education Students. Research in Science Education, 36, 337-353.
Wigfield, A. & Eccles, J. (1992). The Development of Achievement Task Values: A Theoretical
Analysis. Developmental Review, 12, 265-310.