1. Oh no, not research! How to get the most out of research articles

2. Take your time  Consume  Digest  Apply

3. Use headings and proceed step by step  Study purpose- what and why?  Participants & context- who and where?  Design & methods- how?  Results- with what result?  Discussion or conclusions- so what?

4. Use your study skills  Skim  Underline or highlight  Make notes  Jot down questions  Paraphrase

5. Don’t panic if it seems confusing!  Sometimes the problem isn’t you  Sometimes the problem isn’t you  Jargon and short hand may make reading difficult  Researchers are not always the best writers

6. Get help  Converse with classmate or colleague about article  Ask questions  Share your confusion

7. Apply research to your own context  New ways of thinking  Explanation that never occurred to you before  Clarification of complex relationships  Support for your thoughts and experiences  It is not worth the effort if you can’t apply it to your own situation

8. Context controls  It is your context that matters  Findings may not apply to your situation

9. Skepticism is good  Ask questions  Bias exists in all studies  Cynicism wastes time

10. Let’s Practice Schempp, P., Manross, D., Tan, S. & M. Fincher (1998). Subject Expertise and Teachers’ Knowledge. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 17, 342-356. Henninger, M. (2007). Lifers and Troupers. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 26, 125-144.

11. Schempp, et al. 1998  Purpose?  How does subject matter expertise influence PCK?  In other words, if a teacher is an expert in a particular content matter will he/she be better or worse at teaching it? AND  If a teacher is not an expert in a particular content matter will he/she be better or worse at teaching it?

12. Schempp, et al. 1998  Methodology  Who: 10 teachers with an expertise in at least one subject area in pe  4 interviews (1: ascertain Ts subject matter expertise; 2: plan two hypothetical middle school instructional units (1 in their area of expertise, 1 in an area of no expertise; 3: teaching of a specific lesson in each instructional unit; reflection on a recent unit taught [not one identified earlier])

13. Schempp, et al. 1998  Findings:  Subject matter expertise did not seem to influence the development of student learning outcomes  Subject matter expertise did not play a role in teachers’ analysis of students’ prior knowledge (uniformly believed that ss had no knowledge and skill)

14. Schempp, et al., 1998  Findings Continued  Subject expertise: students biggest barrier to success was student motivation; No expertise: biggest barrier was student task mastery and practice opportunities  Areas of expertise: teachers believed they could overcome student difficulties: not true for non experts

15. Schempp, et al., 1998  Findings Continued  Experts tended to outline more tasks in a progression; have contingency plans; did not care what others thought of them  Non experts were more concerned with researching and planning prior to the unit  Experts more flexible in addressing individual needs

16. Schempp, et al., 1998  Discussion  Differences in how two groups identify student problems, level detail in planning, ability to accommodate a wide range of skill level, and comfort with and enthusiasm for teaching  Therefore there is merit in suggesting that increasing a teacher’s subject matter knowledge should help to make them better at teaching

17. Henninger, 2007  Purpose?  Understand factors that influenced the career trajectories of urban pe teachers  Understand how the way in which factors influenced these teachers as they developed as professionals (two categories identified)

18. Henninger, 2007  Methods?  Qualitative: interviews, observations, life role rainbow, sentence stem completion  9 veteran urban physical educators in two different districts  End of the school year

19. Henninger, 2007  Findings:  Responses to general workplace conditions, students, and administration  Lifers and Troupers

20. Henninger, 2007  Discussion?  Sense of Personal Teaching Efficacy seemed to define these two groups  Findings support the focus of attention during early career professional development on fostering increased PTE  Findings support having PETE students and new teachers understand the complex nature of working in schools, working with students, and working with administration

21. What do they have in common?