How des this inquiry impact on my future practice or inquiry? Activity 7

Evaluate how your Inquiry impacts on
future Inquiry/practice (activity 7)

This is the Check phase of the inquiry process. I felt overwhelmed during the first 16 weeks.
I liked learning about the different digital technologies Whānau engagement remains critical
in terms of student engagement but it may take other forms rather that using our Student
Management System (Linc Ed). Having hui, regular contact through text or phone calls is
significant for many of our whānau. In terms of a Māori perspective kānohi ki kānohi is more
culturally appropriate than contact via emails/linc ed. I have struggled with how to manage the
group of students we have. There is over 40 students with various levels of attendance, across all
the year levels and a huge range of ability too. I would have preferred to work with a small mentor
group and right now I think it's more manageable and meaningful to work with a smaller group.
This would mean knowing them and their learning in more detail and getting to know their families.
I feel there has been a messy start to the year with a lot of students coming and going.

Babione (2014) discusses how different kinds of triangulation can be used to strengthen
inferences. When I set out to gather the data my intention was to gather a broad understanding
by encouraging feedback from different people at different times, this is data source triangulation.
Next time I could work collaboratively with other kaiako to research and this way I could ensure
there was less bias and a wider perspective on results. I used method triangulation as I used
multiple data collection methods and combined quantitative and qualitative data methods.

I found that the disadvantage of using these methods was that they were time consuming.
When I do the next stage of my teaching inquiry I will need to improve my planning and organising
as I was overly ambitious and time poor. I would also prefer to have more resources to make it
easier.

Stoll & Temperly (2015) discusses the difference between Primary and Secondary school when it
comes to doing inquiry. The Spiral process has been very complicated to implement in the
secondary school setting and I think teaching collaboratively can be time consuming.

“Adolescents may also be less comfortable opening up to adults than younger children, and
teachers may find it more difficult to ask adolescents the Spirals questions. We clearly need
better understanding of these differences” Whānau engagement can be more difficult for older
students and I believe the use of Linc Ed is working for those parents who can access it.
But for students whose whānau does not or can not access it and for students who are not
engaged or with low attendance perhaps another strategy is needed, such as inviting whānau
for a hui.

References:

Stoll, L., and Temperley, J. (2015). Narrowing the Gap with Spirals of Enquiry: Evaluation of
Whole Education’s Pilot. Whole Education, UK.

Retrieved from http://www.wholeeducation.org/download,634