6a. Outlining Data Collection Procedures

Hi, I have encountered some problems with the questionnaire I have created. This is mostly to do with lack of responce, which I subsequently found out is due to the fact that most schools are constantly being bombarded with requests of various requests.
This was confirmed by heads of school whom I met at an exhibition.
If you had similar difficulties or have some suggestions I would be very greatful.Halina

Hi Halina,

Yep, I face simular problems. Maybe with the enquete too....because I don't know how students answered the questions, maybe just fast to get done with it....that is the risk with SEN students as well. A bigger problem I had was with the planned student's logbooks...I just couldn't start with it. Most students saw it as extra work and didn't want to participate. So I had to leave it out. The enquete's I will use. Problems and actions that went different than was planned I will explain in the Ethics part.

Where are you with the study? I'm working on unit 6 now. I'm not sure if that is on schedule...

Thanks,

Willem

Hi Willem,
Sorry for not answering earlier but I was swamped with work, parent evenings and fighting with the questionnaires!
I had to modify the questionnaires as I tend to try to get too much information, which is sometimes not related to my topic! The topic is " whether working memory and phonological processing in dyslexic learners impact on learning Mathematics".
The questionnaires for students are in a form of an interview and take about 5 min to administer. As you have pointed out there are some problems in so far that they either don't care or try to modify the answers to please you. However, as I know them very well I know their strength and weaknesses and most of the time manage to point them to answer truthfully.
I tried also to contact other schools, not necessarily special schools to get an overview of how they deal with dyslexia and difficulties in Maths. WEll this was almost a total fiasco but with some coaxing I manage to get some data there too. Apparently schools are overwhelmed with such enquiries hence the lack of responce.
I have all my data now and trying to put it into some sort of charts as evidence and for comparison reasons.
Apart from this I am up to date with everything or at least I hope so. Are you still in Dubai? How are you getting on with the studies and what is your topic?
I think that the next step for me will be writing the dissertation.
Best wishes
Halina

Hi Halina,

Thanks for your answer. Interesting topic you have. To me memory will be a difficult research topic. How do you test that? My topic is: 'Empowering SEN learners by using formative standardized assessment to raise the standard of learning'. I'm still working on Unit 6. I try to hand 6 and 7 in by the end of March. In March I need to do the second round of assessments. And then I have till May to work out unit 8 - 12. That's right isn't is? We have 12 units to do? And then in May we can start writing the dissertation?

What will your dissertation topic be? Do you have any ideas?

I'm still in Dubai, I just signed for another year. Hope to finish the masters before I leave Dubai.

Gr Willem

Hi Willem,

Are we the only two people talking?
Your topic is also interesting as I am a tutor and assessor for specific learning gifficulties and the diversity of difficulties my students have is fascinating in itself. Even more so when you consider that they are functioning within a very academic setting of a private college. The positive thing in my case is that most teachers are responsive, to varying degrees, in the girls difficulties in so far that they realise there is a reason why some may not perform as well as expected. They make allowances for things like spelling, reading and comprehension and they realise that communicating with me regarding progress and the girls difficulties helps them(teachers) and me as well as the girls.
It took years to get to this point, the teachers did not really understand how to convert the findings from Ed Psych assessments into classroom practise, so I am very interested how do you convert your assessments findings into raising standard of learning and how do you cooperate and get cooperation from staff?
AS far as my topic is concerned, I have realised that the difficulties dyslexics have will/can impact on learning Maths, most of my students in fact display this characteristics. There is a lot of research out there in this area, which confirms this. Basically the tests in working memory, phonological processing, literacy and arithmetics that help us to determine whether the learner is dyslexic, dyspraxic etc will also impact on Mathematics, after all Maths can be very wordy, questions, vocab etc. All literacy problems, as well as organisational problems and sequencing among just a few. My problem was that the Maths department was the only department in the school that would not accept this!
Willem, I have managed to skip year two of the MA as there was a mix up during enrollment, the uni and me did not take into account my Diploma in Dyslexia. However, all was resolved and as a result I am now in dessertation year and this is my final topic.
What testing material do you use?
Best wishes
Halina

Hi Halina,

Then your situation is better than mine. Ok, in Primary School the homeroom teachers are taking more responsibilty for their learners, and they do their best to differentiate. However, in Secondary School most of the subject teachers don't care and try to kick out what is difficult, as most of them don't know how to differentiate, what an IEP is. Their subject is limited...there is full load...and everything on top of that is too much. Where the IB curiculum just exepts accommodations, such as extra time, working on a laptop and guidance from a reader. The thing is we (I) need to teach them, and that is not always as easy.

Hmmm, I am not a Psychologist...so I am not allowed to administer Psycho Ed. tests. But I do academic tests like the WIAT III i.e, and Woodcock for my research. With the assessment results and observations I create an IEP with measurable and realistic goals. I share the IEP with the teacher. Learners, teachers, parents, counselors and therapist could be all involved in the IEP process. Every quarter we evaluate the IEPs when the quarter reports are coming out.

Oeh that is strange. Because math, reasoning and memory are important components in order to measure Dyslexia. I measure with; spatial memory, sequence memory, non words, segments, single word reading, reading, spelling and reasoning. Three components are direcly linked with Math, and as you said also language has an impact.

Willem

I greatly appreciate our conversation and it is very reassuring to find out tthat others also find some resistance from teachers. I suppose the story is the same everywhere, work load, not fully appreciating the students' difficulties, lack of basic training at teacher colleges ans so on and so on......

The same story is with IEPs. I introduced the IEP to my school, as before me they did not really have a specialist teacher, had no idea about IEP or how to use it, however slowly and with some explanations, insets etc they were starting to respond. Needless to say, some better than others and at times it was like climbing Everest in sleepers! What was interesting also was that parens were very impressed by the IEPs as it provided them with a very concise targets and this is much easier to follow that school reports. I use IEP Writer programme and use targets from the teacher point of view rather than the student:e.g.; 1, The student needs to answer the questions with more depth of understanding providing evidence to his/her points'. Just to give you an idea.
The teachers who join our staff from state schools use the IEPs effectively and this helped me persuading the others to do the same, (I work in an academic private school, where the same regulations regarding SEN were not necesserily followed) but things are changing.
I am not an Ed Psych but a specialist teacher and am certified to administer SpLD assessments. Although the school is provided with the assessment, they often do not understand the terminology, so I write a short resume as to how the students difficulties will impact on classroom teaching, giving also the teacher a set of ideas what they need to lookout for and what they can do to help the student to achieve required results and this they find very helpful.
It is a shame we are so far away as it would be great to have a chat over coffee. By the way I loved Dubai, my ex husband used to work there so I was there few times and loved it. My younger son at the age of 10 went to school there and we had an appartment close to the trade centre.
If you prefer you can contact me on halinatucker@hotmail.com.
Halina

Idem dito.

It feels very supportive that others feel and deal with the resistance from teachers as well. Sometimes I ask myself if this is normal like in every school.

The IEP development was an whole process in my school. I started the SEN department August 2009 and there was nothing in place. First I did research to IEPs, of course I had worked with IEPs in other schools where I worked, but not every school is the same...and there are different ways to use an IEP. There are alse IEP software programs, but most of the theses IEPs are so detailed and pages long. I think and IEP should be easy to read for everyone who is involved....so you can be more sure that people read it in the first place and also understand the plan. So, I decided to make the IEP an one page document and the last version contains the boxes; strenghts, needs, assessment data, level of achievement, goals, progress, strategies, comments and human resources/equipment. I also narrowed down the number of goals and work with maximum 3 goals, mostly 2 and sometimes 1 goal only. Different than you I use the IEP as an student's document. I discuss the IEP with the student and set together the goals, time lines etc. At the moment I am working on better communication between the department and the parents. The IEPs are not going home with the quarter reports only, I also send them home be e-mail, and give the parents the chance to come to school and discuss the document...my office door is always open. By the way, I also will start doing this with assessment data. Next to this I am working on a 'G&T'(I don't like this term and I still need to come with and new term and definition) program. The IEPs for the learners on the higher end of the learning spectrum will be on an IEP as well, focussing more on their strengths, rather than needs with the lower end learners.

The IEPs are stored in the cabinets with hanging files in my office, as well in the student's working folders and the school's server. I also distribute the IEPs as hard copy to the teachers and I have IEP borchures readily and distributed as well. Also on the server I have lists with teaching strategies. BUT, I still feel that the IEP is an working document used by the SEN department. The Primary teachers are doing their best, but I feel that Secondary teachers don't work with the document at all. Now the SEN focus is in the first place on Language and Mathematics. And I try to involve these teachers as much as possible...but this doesn't work always...because of the reasons earlier mentioned. And what to do with the other subject teachers? It also depends a bit on the goals...and especially if there are social/emotional goals...more theachers should be involved I think. At least I have good support from our counsellors.

Coffee! I like coffee. Chat...I like chat. I will be in the UK this summer where I own property....and of course you are more than welcome in Dubai...so I can show off our wonderful and extremely modern school...GEMS World Academy.

Cheers,
Willem

Hi Halina,

next to the IEP, we work also with a doc called MIEP (my individual educational program). We use this doc between young learners and teachers in the class. The goals are based on the IEP goals, but simplified together with the kid, for grades PRE-KG - Grade 5. This doc has nice pictures etc, and the kid holds it.

GRW

Hi Halina,

I ve sent you an e-mail. Please check your junkbox.

Cheers,
Willem

I have your email and will reply in the next few days. However, I also feel that we should continue some conversation here as well. I met Ian at an exhibition and there were complaints that nobody is talking! Well, I think we deserve a merit!

Wish me luck, I am starting on drafting my dissertation. I will sent you one of my IEPs and it will be interesting to hear your comments.

Does anybody else have any comments regarding IEPs and how they use them, please.
Halina

hi Halina
Does Ch 14 'Questionnaire' in 'Research Methods in Education' Cohen, Manion and Morrison offer any help at all regarding questionnaires and information gathering? Could you gather any information by observation? pp220-225 of 'Social Research Methods' by Alan Bryman might also be useful.
Sue

Hi Sue,

you must have a different version than I have. The pages in the 6th edition doesn't match the pages you wrote down. But Questionnaire and RME are there indeed.

It is a wonderful resource.

Thanks,

Willem

Hi Sue,

Thank you for your comment. I have managed to solve the problem with the questionnaires and actually managed to get some decent data results. I think I was trying to be to ambitious and after simplifying it and getting the data from other sources I have got what I set out to do.

How are you getting on?
Halina

Hello,
Data collection has been a patchwork of events, observations, incidents, websites. Websites, etc. Sometimes I think I have too much of nothing needed. Is that normal. Do you find that all the collection you do only a small percent will work for your research?
I've only recently acquired some literature to add to my literature review and I thought I'd completed it. Reading through I found much information useful to the paper. I'm getting closer to the timeline, but feeling a bit overwhelmed with data.

Hi Jessica,
I do not know what topic you are researching but I am afraid getting data is very much like you describe. However, you are trying to prove that your research reflects your literature review and due to various restrictions our data will be inevitably restricted.

Halina

you need to be systematic though and colelct snippits in a "research joirnal" and be aware that there may be an accusation of picking the best cherries.

Example tools of data colelction are at

http://midwhebonline.org.uk/[…]/collecting-data

You need to show your tool and procedure in your account

Can you plavce in your folder your tool and share here by adding the URL