kitchen table math, the sequel: a variety of research methods

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

a variety of research methods

An Integrated Study of Children's Construction of Improper Fractions and the Teacher's Role in Promoting That Learning

Ron Tzur

July 1999, Volume 30, Issue 4, Pages 390 - 416

Abstract:
In this constructivist teaching experiment with 2 fourth graders I studied the coemergence of teaching and children's construction of a specific conception that supports the generation of improper fractions. The children's posing and solving tasks in a computer microworld promoted a modification in their fraction schemes. They advanced from thinking about a unit fraction as a part of a whole to thinking about it as standing in a multiplicative relationship with a reference whole (the iterative fraction scheme). In this article I report an intertwined analysis of the children's construction of this multiplicative relationship and an examination of the teacher's adaptation of learning situations (tasks) and teacher-learner interactions to fit within the constraints of the children's mathematical activity.

Classification:
None

Additional Keywords:
Cognitive development, Constructivism, Elementary, K–8, Fractions, Learning, Teaching fractions


Now that I know the NCTM formally supports increased funding for "a variety of research methods," I'm wondering what the rules are for this kind of research.

Scientists conducting controlled studies face massive constraints on their activities, not least of which is the requirement that they pass IRB (Institutional Review Board) review.

Do "narrative researchers" have to submit research proposals to IRB review?

IRB: Ethics & Human Research

2 comments:

Rudbeckia Hirta said...

Everyone who does research on human subjects needs to go through the IRB.

If your research is on adults (age 18+) and presents no risks, the it's pretty easy to get approval. If your research involves children, then the review is much more stringent.

The only studies that don't need review is when you don't interact with the subjects AT ALL (like if you observed people in a shopping mall but didn't talk to them). But I think that even this type of study would need IRB approval if it involved children.

Sam-Is-Mad said...

Not here in Australia. We all had to do Action research for uni. Basic rule: don't talk to the parents.

It was a complete waste of time and effort. And I say that as someone who realised that it was a complete waste of time and effort, and made up all of my 'research'.

At least we got to critise it at the end. I believe the term was 'evaluatio your reaction to the action research process'.

I said that it was a waste of time. But I used bigger words.