EDUC 5204 Contemporary Practice in Education Research

Research Proposal
110016034

Table of Contents
Introduction...page 3
Aims...page 5
Underpinning Literature....page 7
Methods and Analysis..page 9
Outcomes..page 12
References...page 14
Appendices..page 16
Appendix One: Feedback and Observation Sheet..page 16
Appendix Two: Student Self-Assessmentpage 17

Introduction
Feedback and assessment are profoundly powerful components of the teaching and
learning process (Black & William 1998; Fluckiger, Tixier y Vigil, Pasco & Danielson 2010;
Hattie & Jaeger 1998; Hattie & Timperley 2007; Hattie & Yates 2014). The form and
delivery of feedback and assessment has the capacity to enhance metacognitive
performance and improve academic understanding and achievement (Barker & Graham
1987; Black & William 1998; Hattie & Jaeger 1998; Hattie & Timperley 2007; Nota, Soresi &
Zimmerman 2004). However, the extent of its influence is dependent on its relation to
learning goals visible to the student (Hattie & Yates 2014).
According to Hattie and Yates (2014), educators claim they provide students with quality
feedback and assessment, however student interviews suggest emphasis should shift from
past performance to future progression. Ultimately, it is critical feedback and assessment is
task-directed and context-specific, diverging from self-focus to task progression (Bourke &
Mentis 2013; Fluckiger, Tixier y Vigil, Pasco & Danielson 2010; Hattie & Yates 2014).
Furthermore, through engaging students as partners in the teaching and learning process
it will inadvertently foster self-regulated learning, enabling students to realize learning
outcomes within and beyond mandatory educational contexts (Bembenutty 2009; Nota,
Soresi & Zimmerman 2004).
From my previous experience in schools, it was apparent the learning objectives were rarely
made transparent to learners and subsequently the feedback and assessment lacked
contextual grounding. Based on my observations, students were typically disengaged and
detached from the learning activity and associated feedback. Furthermore, there are
currently few methodological studies that explicitly examine the most effective pedagogical
feedback and assessment strategies for enhancing student learning outcomes within the
primary years. Consequently, it is imperative I undertake action research to improve my
pedagogical practice concerning feedback and assessment, as well as the learning
outcomes of my students.
Educationally directed action research is a form of systematic and disciplined inquiry
constituted by continual action and reflection to reform pedagogical practice (Cohen,
Manion & Morrison 2011; Pine 2009b). Thus, the underlying focus of my action research
proposal is to explore the implications of various feedback and assessment techniques to
improve the effectiveness of my pedagogical methods and practice. More broadly, the
study may reveal universally transferrable feedback and assessment strategies, which may
be applicable across multiple educational contexts. Ultimately, it will enable me to employ

more effective pedagogical practices that reflect student learning needs and foster selfregulated learning, to improve the overall learning outcomes.
Contemporary understandings regarding feedback and assessment methods reflect
existing theoretical principles. However, educators must continuously engage in critical
reflection to evaluate the convergence of these principles with their pedagogical practice,
whilst adhering to standardized curriculum and assessment requirements (Graham &
Spandagou 2011). Ultimately, through exploring relevant literature and research that
centres on the power of feedback and assessment, it will offer a foundation to conceive and
implement practical pedagogical strategies that will enhance student learning outcomes
within educational contexts.

Aims
The underlying purpose of this action research is to determine the most effective feedback
and assessment strategies to enhance teachers pedagogical practices, as well as student
learning outcomes. The fundamental research questions that will guide the research were
developed through engaging with previous research and literature pertaining to existing
feedback and assessment techniques, these include: how can feedback and assessment
influence my students learning outcomes; which feedback and assessment strategies are
more effective for enhancing student learning outcomes; and which strategies foster
greater self-regulated learning in students.
According to Hattie and Timperley (2007), the form and delivery of feedback will have
either positive or negative implications for improving student academic outcomes. Both
feedback and assessment must be consistently disseminated throughout the learning
process, relating to clearly identified learning objectives and contexts (Black & William
1998; Fluckiger, Tixier y Vigil, Pasco & Danielson 2010; Hattie & Timperley 2007; Rucker &
Thomson 2003; Van den Bergh, Ros & Beijaard 2014). Whilst the literature reiterates the
interrelation of assessment, learning and feedback, there are currently limited studies that
examine the most effective type and frequency of feedback and assessment within
educational contexts, particularly during the primary years (Black & William 1998; Bourke
& Mentis 2013; Box, Skoog & Dabbs 2015). Moreover, the complexities identified further
highlight the criticality of developing pedagogical strategies that engage, rather than
disenfranchise learners.
Through critically analyzing these resources, it became apparent that few methodological
studies directly examine the positive and negative implications of various feedback and
assessment strategies within primary years educational contexts. It is critical educators
develop learning content that integrates constructive and corrective feedback and
assessment opportunities, whilst adhering to curriculum requirements (Hattie & Yates
2014). Subsequently, students may be presented with a more transparent understanding
of their learning and development, whilst educators may develop instructional content
reflective of their students progression. It is predicted the most effective feedback and
assessment strategies will be an amalgamation of various styles, forms and delivery
methods, which center on task-specific instructional strategies that align with stipulated
learning objectives.
The research will be conducted during a pre-service teacher placement in a South
Australian primary school. The study will be conducted over a period of five weeks, utilizing

a mixed methods analysis during allocated observational time and active teaching time. At
present, greater contextual variables including student age, gender, race, ethnicity or
socioeconomic background are unknown. Whilst these extraneous variables will have few
implications on the validity of the study, further methodological studies will be required to
increase the reliability of the research. This study is critical to my professional
development, as establishing more effective feedback and assessment strategies and
techniques will improve my teaching practice, offering students more directive and
progressive instructional responses and learning activities.

Underpinning Literature
To determine the central focus of this research, I explored existing literature and studies
concerning to the power of feedback and assessment for improving student learning
outcomes. Ultimately, this information will provide a foundational base to apply action
research in a practical educational environment, to develop and implement more effective
and assessment pedagogical strategies.
According to the general consensus in academic discourse, feedback and assessment are
fundamental to increasing students academic understanding and performance during the
teaching and learning process (Black & William 1998; Fluckiger, Tixier y Vigil, Pasco &
Danielson 2010; Hattie & Jaeger 1998; Hattie & Timperley 2007; Rucker & Thomson 2003).
However, there are currently few studies that assess the most effective degree, type and
frequency of feedback and assessment in primary educational contexts (Black & William
1998; Bourke & Mentis 2013; Box, Skoog & Dabbs 2015).
However, learner attitudes regarding the form or delivery of this feedback and assessment
may have adverse implications on student learning, particularly if negatively received
(Ahmed, van der Werf, Kuyper & Minnaert 2013; Barker & Graham 1987; Black & William
1998; Hattie & Jaeger 1998; Hattie & Timperley 2007; Nota, Soresi & Zimmerman 2004).
The research suggests younger students are less likely to develop correlational
relationships between effort and ability, whilst older students will assume lower ability
when praised (Meyer et al 1971, cited in Barker & Graham 1987). Thus, it is critical
educators modify the form and delivery of their feedback to reflect the age of their
students (Barker & Graham 1987).
Additionally, the literature indicates the most effective feedback is progressive, contextspecific and delivered consistently throughout the learning cycle (Fluckiger et al 2010;
Hattie & Timperley 2007; Nota, Soresi & Zimmerman 2004; Rucker & Thomson 2003;
Zimmerman 2000). Furthermore, the feedback generates directly translates to transparent
learning objectives and criterion-referenced resources (Black & William 1998; Fluckiger et al
2010; Hattie & Timperley 2007; Nota, Soresi & Zimmerman 2004; Rucker & Thomson 2003;
Zimmerman 2000). Bourke and Mentis (2013) suggest educators utilize feedback and
assessment to direct the development of learning programs and support students during
learning activities. They further reiterate the value of integrating students within the
teaching and learning cycle, fostering self-regulated learning, which has positive
implications for improved learning outcomes (Bourke & Mentis 2013; Fluckiger, Tixier y
Vigil, Pasco & Danielson 2010; Nota, Soresi & Zimmerman 2004).

According to Nota, Soresi and Zimmerman (2004), students who employ behavioural,
cognitive and motivational self-regulative strategies will not only achieve in formal
educational environments, but in wider contexts (Bembenutty 2009; Nota, Soresi &
Zimmerman 2004). Students initially develop skills through observing and emulating
proficiencies performed by social models, before applying those abilities in varied contexts
(Zimmerman 2000). Subsequently, it is critical educators strive to develop self-regulatory
strategies in their students, to facilitate deeper involvement in their current learning, as well
as future academic resilience and achievement (Ahmed et al. 2013; Bembenutty 2009;
Nota, Soresi & Zimmerman 2004; Tay 2015).
Ultimately, through reviewing the existing literature, it provided me with a foundation to
develop research questions and a methodology that would help improve my pedagogical
practices in relation to feedback and assessment. From engaging with this academic
discourse, it is apparent that feedback and assessment must be developed in a way that
offers information to both educators and students on students academic progress,
centering on their existing knowledge to tailor subsequent learning programs (Black &
William 1998; Hattie & Jaeger 1998). Furthermore, it is imperative educators monitor the
implications of their feedback and assessment on students, offering goal-directed and
context-specific feedback that is future focused.

Methods and Analysis

This action research proposal will examine the influence of different feedback and
assessment strategies on enhancing student learning outcomes. Data will be collated
through applying a qualitative research design within a South Australian primary school,
over five weeks during the 2016 academic year. Each week, students will experience a
distinctive style of feedback or assessment. During the first week of the study, students will
only receive negative feedback on their academic performance, which will directly contrast
with only positive feedback in the second week. A combination of positive and negative
feedback will be utilized during the third week. During the fourth week, students will
complete a self-assessment worksheet, reflecting on their own perceptions of their
academic ability, without any teacher coercion. In the final week, feedback will be
instructional, focusing on future progression rather than past performance.
Participants will be selected by means of a purposive sample from a narrow target
population of students aged between four and thirteen years, drawn from a South
Australian primary school (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011). Currently, greater details
regarding extraneous participant variables, including age, disposition, socio-economic
status, and cultural and ethnic background, are unknown. Whilst the data extrapolated
from this study will be valuable for the purposes of this action research, further studies
utilizing a broader and more representative sample group will increase the validity and
applicability of the data in a diversity of primary education settings.
The research will incorporate a mixed method analysis, utilizing reflective journals, studentdirected worksheets, observational checklists and document analysis, to determine the
most effective feedback and assessment strategies. Ultimately, this will increase the
richness, breadth and depth of the data, facilitating the triangulation of data and enabling
the research questions to be approached from different perspectives (Cohen, Manion &
Morrison 2011). Through engaging in observational and visual analysis, it will facilitate
deeper self-reflection on the application of feedback and assessment techniques within
practical educational contexts and improve future pedagogical practice. This self-reflective
process is synonymous with action research, instigating collaboration, internalization of
theory and practice and reflexive critique (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011; Winter 1996).
Teacher-generated reflective journals will be used to critically reflect upon student
behaviors and dispositions in response to pedagogical practices applied throughout the
teaching and learning process. The journals will be analyzed utilizing subjective, qualitative
thematic analysis, isolating underlying themes and patterns within the data. Alternatively,

content analysis will be applied to a qualitative observational checklist, observing and

documenting each students behavioral response in relation to the feedback or assessment
technique utilized (Appendix One). Through counting features of the content, it will
highlight the effectiveness of each strategy explored in the research. Students academic
work will be visually analyzed and used in conjunction with the observational checklist,
establishing any correlations between academic performance and responses to feedback.
The document analysis will provide concrete evidence of academic progression and
development. Alternatively, a qualitative student-directed worksheet will be utilized to not
only facilitate content and thematic analysis of students preferred feedback and
assessment techniques, but also to illustrate how students perceive themselves
academically (Appendix Two).
This naturalistic research will be undertaken in a primary school setting, relying on student
participation to generate data that will inform pedagogical practice (Cohen, Manion &
Morrison 2011). As such, there are critical ethical considerations to address prior to
engaging in the research. Every endeavor will be taken to minimize the risk of
psychological distress, physical harm or social disadvantage to students, with methods of
data collection emulating a typical school day. Whilst identification numbers will not be
allocated, anonymity and confidentiality will be sustained through the removal of student
names during thematic, content and visual analysis of the data (Zeni 1998).
As participants will be under the age of sixteen, it is imperative each student and their
respective guardians are provided with an overt description of the purpose, methodology
and potential outcomes of the research, as well as the researchers contact details, prior to
the commencement of the research (Zeni 1998). Furthermore, students and guardians will
be notified of any alterations to the methodology, to minimize the risk of deception.
Students will be advised of their collaborative role in the investigation, reiterating their part
in informing future pedagogical practice. However, as all students will be required to
participate in the research, it will relinquish their right to withdraw. At the conclusion of the
research, students will have the opportunity to offer feedback and commentary on the
applied research, in an environment free of intimidation (Zeni 1998).
The validity and reliability of the data is critical to sustain effective action research (Cohen,
Manion & Morrison 2011). Whilst the implications of certain variables may never be entirely
eradicated, researchers may strive to minimize the impact on the data generated during
the research (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011). Validity is the extent to which the research
measures what it purports to define, elucidate or theorize (Winter 2000). Students will be
selected through a purposive sample within a South Australian primary school, with the

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effects of this selection and setting reducing the external and ecological validity of the
research (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011; Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011). As the
research will be conducted in each students natural educational setting, the data
generated will be contextualized both socially and culturally (Cohen, Manion & Morrison
2011). However, unavoidable extraneous variables, such as the time the feedback is
delivered, the students personal life, or the students general disposition, may influence the
accuracy of the data. Additionally, students may behave differently in the presence of the
researcher, further influencing the ecological validity of the results (Cohen, Manion &
Morrison 2011). Each set of qualitative data will be analyzed inductively to establish
connections between the research questions and a greater understanding of the responses
in the data (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011). The mixed methods analysis facilitates
methodological triangulation, increasing the depth and richness of data, as well as the
overall validity of the research (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011).
Alternatively, reliability addresses the precision and accuracy of data and its capacity for
longitudinal replication (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011). Whilst it is difficult to maximize
measures of reliability in qualitative research, it would be imperative to seek consistency in
the students, status of the researcher, context, methodology applied and analytic
constructs in future studies (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011). Ultimately, it is unknown
whether the research will generate consistent results if replicated utilizing the same
variables and contextual setting.
Furthermore, it is critical to identify sources of bias or subjectivity that may influence the
reliability of the data (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011). From the outset, my preconceived
attitudes, personality and demeanor as an educator, may influence the practical application
of the research and analysis of the data (Plummer 1983, cited in Cohen, Manion & Morrison
2011). Whilst the application of critical content and thematic analysis will reduce the
implications of any preconceived notions formed through previous experience or existing
literature, it is important to acknowledge that the analysis will be conducted from a
positivist perspective (Cohen, Manion & Morrison 2011). Despite the research being
conducted in a naturalistic setting, student knowledge about the research may alter the
usual idiosyncrasies within the classroom setting it is pertinent to recognize that student
behaviors or responses may differ to the usual idiosyncrasies within the classroom setting,
thereby affecting the reliability of the study (Plummer 1983, cited in Cohen, Manion &
Morrison 2011).

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Outcomes
The focus of this action research is to determine the most effective feedback and
assessment strategies to enhance an educators pedagogical practices, as well as student
learning outcomes. Through utilizing a mixed methods analysis, the data will be analyzed
to answer the predetermined research questions to ultimately identify the pedagogical
practices that will aim to foster greater self-regulated learning, thereby enhancing student
learning outcomes.
Based on existing literature and research, it is predicted students will elicit a more positive
response to feedback that is instructional, task-directed and context-specific, focusing on
future progression rather than past academic performance (Hattie & Yates 2014).
Furthermore, it is expected that students will respond positively to self-assessment
activities, as it will provide them with greater autonomy and engage them further in the
learning and teaching process. However, it is highly probable student learning outcomes
will be enhanced through combining self-assessment activities with instructional feedback
from the teacher. Additionally, the feedback and assessment should connect to distinctly
identified learning objectives, generated by a student-teacher collaboration. However, due
to progressive centralization of educational policy and curriculum, it is increasingly
challenging for educators to provide a differentiated learning program and feedback that
adequately reflects student needs (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2010). Educators must
therefore develop their own pedagogical principles in accordance with the standardized
curriculum and assessment requirements (Graham & Spandagou 2011).
From a practical perspective, the research will enable me to further develop the teacher
proficiencies outlined by the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, particularly in
adherence to graduate Standard 5.1, [demonstrating] understanding of assessment
strategies, including informal and formal, diagnostic, formative and summative approaches
to assess student learning (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 2015).
Subsequently, this reiterates the value of developing feedback and assessment strategies
founded through empirical evidence, to effectively assess student progress to then inform
pedagogical practice.
Classrooms are very contextualized environments and each presents its own unique
complexities. Consequently, it will be imperative to identify all the variables that may affect
the application of the research findings in practical learning context, such as the teacher,
students, parents, classroom, as well as the wider school community and social values (Pine
2009a). However, through undertaking this action research, it will provide me with a deeper

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theoretical understanding and practical application of effective feedback and assessment

strategies, improving my professional practice through developing learning activities that
foster self-regulation and subsequent learning outcomes for my students. Additionally, the
research will also inform my planning and preparation, developing more directive and
progressive learning content and activities that integrate opportunities for constructive
feedback. Through refining my pedagogical practices in this area, my students will have a
more transparent understanding of their academic progress and may therefore focus more
directly on these areas for improvement.

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Appendices
Appendix One Feedback and Observation Sheet

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Appendix Two Student Self-Assessment

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