Bloechl Jr.

, Frederick
Student Participation: A Study in Increasing Classroom Participation
Tigerton High School
10th grade Physical Science
STUDENT PARTICIPATION, ACTIVE LEARNING
“How can I increase student participation in the science classroom?” I have conducted
research on that question for the last 3 months. I used some informal self observations as
well as some more scientific data collection methods. The results show classroom
participation can be increased with active learning strategies, some of which I developed
throughout the process. The study involved seventeen 10th grade physical science
students, but I have begun to integrate these strategies to my other science classes.
Samples of data collection are included.
Data: 3rd person observation, 1st person observation, comparative delivery methods
 A Study of How to Increase Student Participation

After teaching for a year and a half, I wondered how I could increase student

participation. I had been working on introducing active learning strategies at the

beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. I decided to explore some of those, as well as

develop a few of my own. The results of my proposed question, “How can I increase

class participation?” led me to some important discoveries. I used several different

research strategies to help me decide what gets kids participating.

As I started out my teaching career, I had to use some teacher delivery methods

that I wasn’t comfortable using as a standard teaching approach: lecture, notes, and tests.

I had learned a lot about different teaching strategies in college and was implementing

some, but not as many as I felt were effective. Through the development of a question to

research through the pilot RECESS program, I began the process of developing strategies

and methods to become the kind of teacher I had envisioned.

I had to establish what participation looked like before I began to compile data.

Through some collaboration with our RECESS group, and self reflection, I established

the following criteria: 1) students could be offering verbal responses to questions or

prompts, 2) Students could be writing a response to a question or prompt, and 3) Students

were assisting in some type of kinesthetic activity related to the course material.

Some of the active learning strategies I had been using included: guided reading,

content inventory, cooperative learning, KWL, reading and reflection, and class

discussion. One thing they all lacked was deep student involvement. In science labs, most
kids participated, but not all. In the classroom, the same few students were the main

participators. I wanted to find new ways to get more meaningful participation.

I developed several simple techniques for increasing student involvement that not

only engaged students, but got nearly 100% participation, as well as getting them to ask

questions on their own. I concentrated on three specific strategies.

One of the active learning strategies that I developed I called, “sticky fingers”. I

had a set of five main topic review questions I gave to students one at a time. They each

received five various colored sticky notes. In response to the question, they wrote down

answers, then took the note up to the white board and stuck them on randomly.

When I would say “sticky fingers” it created an air of excitement among students.

They had their favorite colored sticky notes. They would all try to be the first one to run

their note up to the board. Students seemed to enjoy the activity. Participation was always

high, though answers were not always correct. It was a very colorful and active way to

review the previous days’ material.

Another method I tested for increasing class participation, I called “ball toss.” I

started out with a question and answer based association by tossing a soccer ball to

students with a question related to the subject we are studying. Once they responded with

an answer, they had to ask a question to another student who responded, and so on.

That exercise increased the number of participants over the standard question and

answers practice, but was not necessarily total participation. Most students participated

just once. Students tended to pass only to students who had not answered. Enthusiasm

went way up when I announced “ball toss”.

 A third technique I developed, I called “4-squares.” The students took a 3 x 5 card

and divided it into four parts by folding it in half twice. They followed prompts for filling

in each box. In one sample were the following prompts: 1) symbol for force, 2) draw a

picture of a force, 3) formula for Newton’s 2nd law, and 4) name something you know

about force. I had them hand it in for credit. The majority of the class scored all points.

My research data was collected on our 10th grade physical science class.

Because I was concentrating on participation, I wasn’t concerned with correct answers,

though I did grade some of the “4-square” activities, and gave some grades for

participating in some of the other activities. Our High School principal suggested that in

the future I give a participation grade any time I use the learning strategies.

I used the following method of data collection. I had a third party observer record

the number of students participating under two different conditions. The first was always

a typical teacher led question and answer review of the previous lesson. The second was

one of the strategies I developed. I had a seating chart where the observer would record

the students who participated and how many times they participated .Each response was

given a tally on the chart. They recorded data for five minutes while I taught one way,

and then five minutes the next way.

I found that participation always increased with all three of the new strategies I

tested. Sticky fingers and 4-squares always produced the most participation. Students

enjoyed all three, but the most requested was “ball toss.”The results showed that while

overall student participation increased, the few students that usually responded the most

weren’t able to respond as much. Responses from less active students increased.
 Using one example of “sticky fingers,” during the opening question and answer

review of the previous day’s lesson, 5/14 students responded with 11 responses. For the

‘sticky fingers” session there were 14/14 responders with 66 total responses. Participation

increased from 35% to 100 %.

In one example of “ball toss,” the opening teacher question and answer session

produced 7 /15 student responders with a total of 20 responses. When I introduced “ball

toss”, there were 12/15 responders with 14/15 total responses. Even though the total

number of responses went down with that activity, the number of participants was 93 %

rather than 80%. Participation using “ball toss” was increased.

“4 – squares” also produced high percentages of participation. During one

observation the participation during casual question and answer review was 9/15

responders with 23 total responses. Using the “4- squares” activity, there were 15/15

responders with 45 total responses. That was 100 % participation!

As I began to introduce the previous learning strategies in class, I observed a

definite increase in participation. I had the 11th grade chemistry class students ask me why

I didn’t do some of those activates that they heard I was using in other classes. I

introduced ball toss, found it to be effective, and am now using in that class too.

In conclusion, I have found several new effective strategies for increasing class

participation. All of the methods I tested increased class participation. I wonder what

other types of strategies would work. My goal is to root out more active learning

strategies and incorporate them into all of my science classes. I will continue to collect

data to support my research. My next step is to write my PDP (professional development

plan) using my research and reflections from developing my research question.