ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL Erik Carroll

AREA-OF-FOCUS STATEMENT The purpose of this study is to determine the best grouping strategies in my co-ed physical education classes to maximize engagement in 8 th grade girls.

RELATED LITERATURE Testing Factorial Invariance of the Amotivation Inventory-Physical Education Across Gender for Urban Adolescents - Bo Shen, Alex Garn, Nate McCaughtry, Jeffrey Martin, Mariane Fahlman Gender Differences in Participation of Physical Activities: A Comprehensive Model Approach-Kay Gordon Daigle Primary School Children’s Attitudes to Physical Education: Gender Differences-Julia Shropshire, Bob Carroll, Steve Yim

DEFINING THE VARIABLES I will be performing the study in period one of my teaching day using the 8 th grade girls in my 7 th and 8 th grade combination class. This particular group was chosen due to the wide range of engagement seen within this group. Four different grouping strategies will be used: ability, random, student choice, and gender. Ability grouping is teacher selected based upon the performance of students according to the standards being taught as well as teacher observations. High ability students grouped with like students and low ability with like students. Random grouping is selected by using a random number generator, almost a lottery so to speak. Ability, gender, and student choice is not taken into account when forming these groups. They are as the name suggests, completely random. Student choice grouping is also as the name suggests, allowing the students to choose their groups. Gender grouping is when both boys and girls are not mixed but have separate groupings and never participate in the activities together.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS Which grouping strategy, grouped by ability, random grouping, student chosen grouping, or gender grouping, will maximize the engagement observed in a given activity in my physical education classes? Is the level of engagement in a given activity more connected to how I group students or the activity itself?

DESCRIPTION OF INTERVENTION For a given activity, wallball for example, I will group my students in a variety of ways including by ability, by gender, randomly, and by student-choice.

DATA COLLECTION Surveys Questionnaires Likert Scale Observations

DATA CONSIDERATIONS Relying solely on my own observations may skew my data as I bring my own preconceived notions into play, which makes student interviews and surveys an important part of the process I need to ensure that my grouping of students does not impede upon the individual needs of students, including, but not limited to, those students with special needs

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Students were more inclined to be actively engaged in the activity when grouped with students of similar ability and when given choice Students surveyed indicated the activity we chose had more of an impact on whether or not they were engaged in the activity as opposed to how they were grouped Activities most popular with 8 th grade female students were Volleyball (74%), Table Tennis (67%), Wall Ball (58%). Grouping methods preferred by 8 th grade females were Student Choice (84%), ability (78%), Gender (72%), random (48%). Students were able to choose more than one preferred method. Overall, what evidence I gathered it does not matter as much how the students are grouped but rather which activities we are participating in at the time.

ACTION PLAN What was learned? Recommended actions? Who is responsible for the acitons? Who needs to be informed about the findings? Who will monitor effects of the actions? When will the actions occur? What resources will be needed to carry out the actions?