Mid-Unit Survey Student Responses
A sample of student responses:
Reflection on student responses:
I gave out this survey after students had spent a few days doing preliminary research and discussing their research interests with their groups. My CM and I thought that the students' research could be enhanced if they looked beyond what they found online, as that was where most of their research had been taking place up to this point. At the beginning of class that day, I explained what ethnographic research was and focused on interviewing as a form of research because that was most within reach for students.
Students asked many questions during this class, about the interviewing process, if having an interview was required, what other assignments they would have to complete in their groups, what their final paper was supposed to look like. While this survey addressed some of these concerns, it did not leave space for students to openly share their thoughts about other aspects of the project. It was clear to me through many of the students' responses that even a few days into the project, there were already frustrations arising, and many students were confused about exactly what they were expected to do.
While most students wrote that they understood what ethnographic research was and they had thought of people they could potentially interview, only a few groups in the end had actually gone out and talked to people at the schools they were researching (though I still viewed this as a success).
The second question was more for the students' benefit than for mine; I wanted students to consciously think about what specific aspects of their topic they would be researching over the next few days. At this point, early in the unit, I was not worried about any of the groups' research progress, instead I wanted them to express what their topic focus was.
The third question was an attempt to see how students felt about the groups they had been assigned to. Because my CM had created the groups, I was not sure if there was any reasoning behind them or if they were random, but I knew that at least a few students had already expressed frustration about members of their groups. While some students were placed with friends or with others that they worked well with, other students were placed with people I hadn't seen them interact with or talk to very much previously.
I used this information to make note of which students and groups I should spend more time with, whether to help them focus on a topic or to facilitate collaboration within the group.
I gave out this survey after students had spent a few days doing preliminary research and discussing their research interests with their groups. My CM and I thought that the students' research could be enhanced if they looked beyond what they found online, as that was where most of their research had been taking place up to this point. At the beginning of class that day, I explained what ethnographic research was and focused on interviewing as a form of research because that was most within reach for students.
Students asked many questions during this class, about the interviewing process, if having an interview was required, what other assignments they would have to complete in their groups, what their final paper was supposed to look like. While this survey addressed some of these concerns, it did not leave space for students to openly share their thoughts about other aspects of the project. It was clear to me through many of the students' responses that even a few days into the project, there were already frustrations arising, and many students were confused about exactly what they were expected to do.
While most students wrote that they understood what ethnographic research was and they had thought of people they could potentially interview, only a few groups in the end had actually gone out and talked to people at the schools they were researching (though I still viewed this as a success).
The second question was more for the students' benefit than for mine; I wanted students to consciously think about what specific aspects of their topic they would be researching over the next few days. At this point, early in the unit, I was not worried about any of the groups' research progress, instead I wanted them to express what their topic focus was.
The third question was an attempt to see how students felt about the groups they had been assigned to. Because my CM had created the groups, I was not sure if there was any reasoning behind them or if they were random, but I knew that at least a few students had already expressed frustration about members of their groups. While some students were placed with friends or with others that they worked well with, other students were placed with people I hadn't seen them interact with or talk to very much previously.
I used this information to make note of which students and groups I should spend more time with, whether to help them focus on a topic or to facilitate collaboration within the group.