Methods
Data Collection
This study involved a small sample of twenty, third grade students (one entire class) from one school. The data for this project was collected using the participatory-observer ethnographic approach inspired by Thorp (2006). For eleven months, mid-July 2009 through mid-June 2010, I used a variety of qualitative methods including: observation, participant observation, journaling, dialogue, photos, video, and student work. During part of the study, I stood back and was merely an observer. At other times I became an active participant in the group, but at the same time an observer of the students’ experiences. This allowed me to document details just as they happened. I was mindful of documenting experiences of all the students, that is, to eliminate the bias of giving my attention to the more outgoing versus quiet students. Each evening, I recorded events in an electronic journal staying true to what the students’ said, using their own words and as well as what they did. I attempted to provide as many details as possible, including my actions and reactions. The events I recorded, however, could be a source of bias because I was not able to report every event; therefore, the ones I chose could be viewed as subjective. Students were engaged in dialogue in order to gain data on their nature experiences. Photos and video were used to gain a visual perspective on students’ exploring and interacting with the natural world. Photos and video “capture the moment” reinforcing the narrative of this research. Lastly, student work, self-expression in the form of artwork and writing, proved to be a valuable source of data in this study. These documents were used to gain insight into the students’ encounter with nature in a school setting.
It is worth mentioning that, early in my research, I abandoned my original experimental design and certain methods of data collection. Initially, I planned to document trends using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of evaluation such as extracting trends from surveys, interviews, and journal entries. I soon realized that to answer the question of this action research project, of what happens when children explore nature in the school setting, a participatory-observer approach using qualitative methods of data collection would be the most appropriate. This approach enabled me to witness and document, first-hand, what the children actually did while experiencing nature. I did not have to rely on surveys and interviews of what they remembered about a particular event, or how they described what they did on a specific occasion after the fact.
I discontinued the use of surveys in this research due to the young age of the participants. The average age of the students was nine. The purpose of the first survey (Appendix C) was to gain a general sense of the students’ previous experience with nature activities and gardening. Also, included on the survey, the students would be asked to rank core subjects from most favorite to least favorite to gain quantitative data about any changes in the preferences of these subjects over time. The same survey was to be given every three months to track changes, if any, as students explore nature in the school setting. However, the survey was discontinued after the first round because the questions proved to be difficult and confusing to the majority of students. The following is a sample question from the survey:
Rank the following subjects, 1-4:
Place a 1 next to your favorite subject and a 4 next to your least favorite subject.
______History
______Math
______Reading
______Science
Also, interviews and focus groups were discontinued as a method of data collection from this project. Again, the young age of the students was the reason. My original plan was the following. The focus groups to be interviewed would not be a predetermined set of students. Instead, the groups would emerge from student experiences in the garden. For example, if student A finds a cocoon and students B, C, and D were present at the time of discovery, I would arrange for the four students to meet and discuss their “common nature experience.” I found that if the interview was not conducted in the moment of the discovery, the students often had a difficult time expressing themselves as to what happened and how they felt at that time. This would occur even after one or two days had passed between the experience in the garden and the interview. It was not realistic in this study to continuously pull groups together and document the events on the spot, so I opted to use other methods of capturing data. I observed the events and documented them as field notes and when appropriate, as a participant observer, asked questions while students were exploring.
I had originally planned to conduct student interviews for the purpose of identifying “defining moments” during their nature quests. For example, I asked the following question on a survey, “What was your best experience in the garden? Student A responded to the question by stating, “Finding the snakes was the best day of my life!” This could be a defining moment. However, I would like more details. I would wonder, is this student’s moment defined by the act of finding the snakes, all the other students screaming, bringing the snakes back to class for closer observation, or was it some other reason. Again, when the students were interviewed after the fact, they were unable to articulate what they meant by their answers on the survey question. I would get an “I don’t know” or a shoulder shrug as answers. Similarly, when students were asked the question: “What was your most exciting moment in the garden this year?” much of the time, the answer reflected their most recent visit to the garden, and not necessarily the most exciting time. Again, most third graders are too young to discern this type of question.
Other qualitative methods of data collection that did not work well for this research were keeping “student journals” and completing “Garden Check In” sheets (Appendix A). It became apparent early on that asking my students to keep reflective nature journals would be difficult for them and time-consuming. My idea was that journal entries would follow each session in the garden and serve as data. It would allow me to better understand their nature experiences through their own words, pictures, and diagrams. The journals would also be used to capture experiences, just moments after they happen. Recording all reflections in one journal, would provide an efficient way to flip though and locate a certain date, as well as seek trends and useful excerpts, both of which would be valuable to my research. A sample of responses to the Garden Check In sheets can be found in Appendix A. This would be a useful method of data collection for older children whose writing skills are more advanced.
I am interested in knowing what students are thinking and feeling about their exploration time outdoors on the school grounds, and inside the classroom with the animals. I want to hear about their experiences in their own voices. It became apparent, early in the study, that my surveys and prearranged interviews after the fact, as well as keeping daily student journals for are perhaps not the best or most appropriate ways to glean this type of data from nine-year olds. Interestingly, it turned out that the students led the research and the data collection methods followed. As they experienced nature…I watched, listened, questioned, documented, took photos and video, and reported.
Data Analysis
Data was collected throughout the eleven months of the action research project in the form of observations, questioning, informal conversations, detailed journal entries, photos, video, and student work. Data were analyzed throughout the entire course of the study to identify the emergence of reoccurring themes. For example, I summarized each of my journal entries into one to a few words and keep a running list. It should be noted that because I was the sole researcher on this project, my assumptions and interpretations may be a source of bias. At the end of the project, numerous themes were expressed in the descriptions. I also used my observations and conversations with the students looking for trends in experiences, thoughts, and feelings while exploring in the garden or interacting with the class critters. Student work was analyzed to discover themes and patterns. Their work provided a first-hand perspective on their experiences, validating my perceptions. I also analyzed photos and video for happenings in the garden I did not observe at that particular moment, as well as looking at student activity and interaction with peers.
Gathering, organizing and analyzing data throughout the eleven months was key to keeping this research on a focused path and, in the end, arriving at insightful conclusions to my research question.