Evidence Versus Exploration: Can Opportunities for Both Coexist in Math and English Subjects? (Poster 10)

• In Event: Excellence in Education Research: Early Career Scholars and Their Work

Abstract

"This study tests and informs the “explore-exploit trade-off” theory – learners are either given opportunities to explore and think freely, or resort to prior knowledge, where we ask whether an assignment can effectively provide both types of opportunities in effort to inform instructional change toward a more explorative (and less exploitative) approach. This project includes n=409 teacher assignments, from math and English subjects, across 22-matched-pair US schools. This effort is guided by the hypothesis that teachers at deeper learning/treatment schools may offer more opportunities for exploratory, imaginative thinking—the type of learning commonly retired by adolescence—alongside the type of evidence-based, argumentative learning more common in traditional schooling. We propose to look at the effects the deeper learning schools have on teachers developing their class assignments asking if, and to what extent, they vary between the comparison schools as seen in in both math and English curriculum. Preliminary results support our hypotheses suggesting stronger learning opportunities provided by deeper learning schools. This work provides new rubrics - new tools - which we test for reliability and validity, for teachers and researchers alike.
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Author

• Anahid S. Modrek, California State University - San Bernardino
  Presenting Author