1. For NCEA L2 and L3 Statistics
How to research
For NCEA L2 and L3 Statistics

2. We are all beginners, it just takes some of us longer to realise it.
Chuck Miller
Introduction

3. Academic literacy

4. …tertiary students are assumed to have
“Students are expected to be independent learners from the moment they enter tertiary study… with an ability to assess, interpret, and complete assessment tasks independently…
…literacy capabilities are likely to be a key determinant of tertiary student success…
…tertiary students are assumed to have
effective information-search strategies, be able to read and critique long, dense primary texts, and then synthesise their findings and develop an argument in the context of the literature.
I assumed that they might be learning research skills in other subjects which they could transfer to statistics, but they said no, they weren’t.
This is an opportunity for us to really make a difference to their learning in all subjects.

5. I asked my students…

6. I did some research:

7. Prettiest, but not the best.
I liked this one (simple, in colour) but it wasn’t the most effective.

8. SQ4R is the most effective resource we’ve used (so far).
Survey
Question
Read
Recite
Review
Relate
Take a couple of lessons, just to find resources about a topic and practice SQ4R reading.
Get students to include the recite section for every reference they use in their report.
We will come back to SQ4R later.

9. But research is more than just reading…

10. So I did more research …

11. I came up with 9 steps to doing a report using research (adapted and modified from several sources)
(Perhaps this needs to be simplified)

12. 1. Background research for writing a purposeful question
Ideas from class discussion, reading and websites used in class
Your interests and life experience
Google the context and the variables
Newspapers, magazines, TV, news websites
* Your question must have a purpose that someone would find useful.

13. 2. Write your investigative question
Make sure it has a sensible purpose.
You understand the context
You understand the variables
Your question meets the format required by the standard

14. 3. Create a search strategy
Identify the main ideas in your investigative question (context, variables)
Brainstorm alternative terms or synonyms for your main ideas.
When searching, combine and use the words that give the best results rather than typing in your original question or phrase.

15. 4. Research your investigative question
Library (EPIC database)
Google
News websites
Other sources (could be people you interview)
Make notes, use stickies, highlight, etc to identify important bits.
Could your school librarian help students with research using databases?

16. 5. Evaluate your information

17. 6. Select your references
Is the information relevant?
What could be left out?
Everything you keep should pass the CRAAP test.
Record your sources and keep a reference list.

18. 7. Organise how can you best use your information?
Match your references to sections of your report.
What helped you define your purpose and investigative question?
What is relevant to the features of your graph?
What links your findings to the wider world?

19. 8. Present the report Write a report (or present in another way)
Is the presentation logical and well-organised?
Have you met the requirements of the standard?
Have you used statistical language appropriately?
Have you used your own ideas and referenced your sources?

20. 9. Reflect What did you learn?
Is there anything you need to improve: locating; selecting, note making, time management?
How can you improve? Do you need to ask for help?
Who should you ask?

21. Background research
Write a question
Search strategy
Research
Evaluate
Select
Organise
Present
Reflect

22. WE USED THE 9 STEP METHOD It helped. Background research
Write a question
Search strategy
Research
Evaluate
Select
Organise
Present
Reflect
The 9 step method was ok, but I think we can do better.
It helped.

23. And then I went to a workshop… Thank-you Robyn

24. Research is now required for all L2 statistics Internals
AS Design a questionnaire
AS Use statistical methods to make an inference
AS Conduct an experiment to investigate a situation using statistical methods
AS Evaluate a statistically based report (no additional research needed)

25. Research is now required for all L2 statistics Internals
This is so, even though there is no written requirement in the standards or clarifications specifically for research (except for Excellence in questionnaires). The Conditions of Assessment say “background detail must be provided”. “Background detail” is now being interpreted by the moderators as reference information that students are expect to include and reference in their reports.

26. Research is now required for all L2 statistics Internals
At NCEA L2, the teacher provides the reference sources. At NCEA L3, the student does research to find their own reference sources.

27. Give it a Go
Find a statistics standard that you have in common with people sitting near you.
Choose a topic you use or might use for teaching or assessment.
Find an article or research paper related to that topic.
Read it while filling out the SQ4R template.
Ideas

28. REFLECT Did you find the SQ4R process useful?
Would your students find it useful?

29. REFLECT What do you already do well as a teacher of research skills?
What’s something you could try doing to become a more effective teacher of research?
How could we all work together to become more effective teachers of research skills?

30. SHARE
We are all beginners. We can learn from each other.