SOCIAL STUDIES

ACTION RESEARCH
2007-2008
 6TH GRADE
• INDIVIDUAL GOAL:
DOES USING CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
IMPROVE STUDENT UNDERSTANDING IN
ECONOMIC?
 RESEARCH
• I have found sources by Jim Charkins “Social
Studies Review” (2003), Janaan Haskell of
Idaho State University (2002), and Hawthorne,
Wheeler, and Rogers in “The Reading Teacher”
(2007), which support my procedure.
• These authors report that using literature to
teach economics is a natural extension of the
text and creates long-term retention because
of high student interest.
 DATA COLLECTION
∙ Interest Surveys completed quarterly

Pre-tests done quarterly

Post-tests done quarterly

 PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
• Many students are able to make connections
between literature and economics vocabulary.
• Many find this enjoyable, which increases
learning.
• Interest surveys show that students now see
economics as more difficult, yet their scores
are improving. I see this as a “reality check.”
 Variables Affecting Research

• Student teacher
• Absences of teacher and students
• Scheduling conflicts
• New students added to class
DATA
DATA
TEST SCORES
 Final Findings
The interest survey showed that
interest has not increased.
however, student learning has!
I believe that since MY interest has
increased, so has my student’s
learning.
 What’s Next?
I will continue to collect data
through the end of the year.
I will reevaluate the sequence of
vocabulary taught.
I will utilize different graphic
organizers in order to help students
make connections.
 7TH GRADE
• INDIVIDUAL GOAL:
WILL BI-WEEKLY USE OF SIMULATIONS AND
HANDS ON LEARNING STRATEGIES IN
ECONOMICS INCREASE STUDENT INTEREST?
 RESEARCH
• My sources include Katherine Chapman’s work
on Simulations and Games for Social Studies
and James Sottile and Dallas Brozik’s work the
use of simulations in teaching and learning
• The research supports the use of simulations
in teaching Economics and providing students
exposure to “real life” economic situations
Examples of Exposure and connection
The student now is the King taxing the colonies- he has
the “real life” situation of having to tax his fellow
colonist
THE TAX COLLECTOR- TAXING THE COLONIST
BOTH THE STUDENT TAX COLLECTOR AND THE COLONIST
FEEL WHAT HISTORICALLY WAS TAKING PLACE IN THE
COLONIES
 DATA COLLECTION
• Pre and Post test
• Quarterly Interest Survey
• Learning styles test
 PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
• SIMULATIONS HAVE MADE STUDENTS MORE
AWARE OF ECONOMIC CONNECTIONS TO
HISTORY
• FINDING GOOD SIMULATIONS CAN BE
DIFFICULT
• SIMULATIONS USE MULTIPLE LEARNING
STYLES
• SIMULATIONS FOSTER DEEPER DISCUSSIONS
LEARNING STYLES
LEARNING STYLES

AUDITORY
VISUAL
KINESTHETIC
 PRE AND POST TEST DATA
PRE/POST TEST
82

80

78

76

74 PRE/POST TEST

72

70

68
PRE-TEST POST-TEST
Quarter 3

Strongly disagree
disagree

Quarter 2 Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Quarter 1

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

PERCEPTION SURVEY QUESTION 1

I CAN MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ECONOMICS AND MY LIFE.
Quarter 3

Strongly disagree
disagree

Quarter 2 Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Quarter 1

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

PERCEPTION SURVEY QUESTION #2

I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT HOW MONEY WORKS IN OUR SOCIETY.
Quarter 3

Strongly disagree
disagree

Quarter 2 Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Quarter 1

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

PERCEPTION SURVEY QUESTION #3

I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT HOW ECONOMICS AFFECTS MY FUTURE.
Quarter 3

Strongly disagree
disagree

Quarter 2 Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Quarter 1

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

PERCEPTION SURVEY QUESTION #4

I ENJOY LEARNING ABOUT ECONOMICS IN THE NEWS.
Quarter 3

Strongly disagree
disagree

Quarter 2 Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree

Quarter 1

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

PERCEPTION SURVEY QUESTION #5

I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW TO EARN AND SAVE MONEY
 VARIABLES AFFECTING RESEARCH
• MORE STUDENTS AT THE START OF THE
RESEARCH PROJECT
• THE USE OF SIMULATIONS THAT DON’T FIT
THE PERIOD OF STUDY
• BI-WEEKLY SIMULATIONS DID NOT ALWAYS
HAPPEN
 FINDING
• STUDENTS ENJOYED SIMULATIONS WHEN THERE
WAS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SIMULATION
AND WHAT WAS BEING LEARNED IN CLASS
• STUDENTS BECAME TIRED OF SIMULATIONS
AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME- LACK OF
CONNECTIONS
• INCREASE IMPACT OF SIMULATIONS BY LIMITING
THE SIMULATION AND LINKING IT TO
CLASSROOM LEARNING
 WHAT IS NEXT?
• LIMIT THE NUMBER OF SIMULATIONS NEXT
YEAR
• WORK WITH STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THEY
ARE MAKING CONNECTIONS
• CONTINUE TO RESEARCH AND LOCATE
ECONOMIC SIMULATIONS/GAMES THAT WILL
PROMOTE STUDENT UNDERSTANDING OF KEY
MEAP TERMS
 8TH GRADE
• INDIVIDUAL GOAL:
- WILL THE CREATION OF A FOCUSED CAPITALISTIC
SYSTEM WITHIN THE CLASSROOM INCREASE
STUDENT ABILITY TO ADDRESS REAL LIFE ECONOMIC
SITUATIONS USING ECONOMIC VOCABULARY?
 RESEARCH
• According to Day and Ballard, economic
simulations or classroom economies have
improved student understanding of credit,
debt, investments and savings.
• There seems to be mixed research on the
overall effectiveness of classroom economies
because of the vast differences in
implementation from simulation to
simulation.
 DATA COLLECTION
• Pre-test of economic vocabulary (40 words)
given to all students prior to the start of the
simulation
• Every six weeks, students re-take the
economic vocabulary test.
• 3 questions pertaining to student interest
were added to the test after the simulation
had started.
 PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
• The simulation is more work than I thought!
• In the classes that viewed the simulation as
“interesting” or “fun”, gains in understanding
were evident.
• In 1st hour, gains were minimal. This may be
due to the fact they viewed the simulation in a
negative way.
 FINDINGS – Comprehension
40

35

30

25

20 Sixth Hour
Second Hour
15

10

0
Pre Test November Janruary March May
 Findings – Interest (2=Same)

5
4
3
Janruary
2
March
1 May May
0 March
Interest - Janruary
Interest -
6th "Facts" -
2nd "Facts" -
6th
2th
 Final Findings
• In Sixth Hour (Simulation), student
comprehension increased throughout the
year, although gains became minimal near the
end of the simulation (and in may did slightly
dip).
• In Second Hour (Simulation stopped in
January), student comprehension still
increased after the simulation stopped, but at
a very small pace.
 Final Findings
• In Sixth Hour, students felt they knew more
about economics at the end of the simulation,
but their interested in economics was slightly
down.
• In Second Hour, students feelings on
comprehension was basically the same, but
their interest in economics fell when the
simulation ended.
 Findings – Questions I now have
• Why did second hour continue to improve
(although slightly) after the simulation
stopped?
• Why did some of the students “bore” of the
simulation near the end of the year (this
comes not from the data but from talking to
some of the individuals that put their interest
as lower in May.
 Thoughts for next time
• The simulation (student jobs, bank accounts) did not run
smoothly at first- this may have handicapped the results
from the beginning. Next time, having clear procedures laid
out in the beginning may help student achievement.
• The emphasis put on key words such as investment, savings,
budget, and economic choice seemed to ooze into my
teaching, even when the simulation had stopped.
• Question to look at next time – What types of vocabulary
instruction (word wall?) could help improve student
comprehension of the key economic principles we studied
this year.
 SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT GOAL
FOR 2008-2009

• 70% of students will demonstrate proficiency

in their ability to connect economic terms
• Each grade level will decide how to
accomplish this goal