Improving teaching through monitoring students learning in a classroom: an action research

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Iffat Farah

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Brown Onguko

Third Supervisor/Advisor

Fauzia Shamim

Department

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Abstract

The study is aimed at investigating how I can improve my practice of teaching through monitoring of student’s learning in the classroom in a public secondary school in Dar es salaam. The study aimed at introducing monitoring of students learning by using two strategies namely questions and tests and self-monitoring strategy, The design was action research which was conducted in three phases of pre-intervention, intervention, and post intervention phase. The participants in this study comprised of; the form three class of 50students with 16girls and 34boys. I worked with six selected students based on their academic ability: above average, average and below average. I also worked with a critical friend to whom I provided a brief induction on how to conduct observation of the lessons I taught. I held reflective conversations with her after every lesson. The method of data collection included interviews, observation, document analysis and reflective conversations. I conducted entrance interviews with my critical friend and the focus group students at the pre-intervention phase in order to get to know the current practice of monitoring students learning in the classroom. At the post intervention phase, I conducted exit interviews with critical friend and focus group students to understand their experiences of the new strategies. Introduced to monitor students learning. The tools of collecting data were observation schedule, interview guide and audio recorder and reflective journals that I wrote my reflections and important information for my research. The findings revealed that questions and tests as well as self-monitoring of students learning enhanced the students learning. The significance of this study is to assist me improve on my practice of monitoring of students’ learning and will be useful for teachers who would wish to conduct a similar study in the classroom.

This document is available in the relevant AKU library

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