Can A Focus On Teaching Online Research Strategies Benefit Student Independent Research Skills In Connection To Art?

Introduction

Statement of the main aim of research

International schools and international education in China are becoming significantly popular choices for students at high school age (16-18) with the aim of studying at university overseas. The potential for Chinese high school students to gain international qualifications preparing them for study overseas has therefore become a unique selling point for international schools in China. However, a problem needs to be addressed concerning some students’ understanding and capability of learning international curriculums having potentially had no previous experience of international education at primary and/or middle school.

The biggest challenge for students entering an international educational system is the English language demands. In my own school, all international curriculums are delivered in English with courses such as Economics and Business needing advanced English comprehension skill as a necessity. This can also be said of my subject Art Design. Students often hold the misconception that language skills are not needed to study art, but the ability to speak and write about your work is a crucial part of arts education and one that will be expected of students to demonstrate at university.

With the increase of art students using technology as a learning resource, questions arise concerning how to improve the effective use of technology in education and how teachers can support students with this learning development (DfE UK). For international schools, the challenge increases as we combine English language learning and technology. An issue concerning the use of technology and English in schools is digital literacy. For students in an international school in China studying subjects in English, are they expected to surf the internet in English, Mandarin, or both? What skills are they using to research the content for their subjects and how are they understanding and using what they find online to develop their learning?

The questions above led me to identify a critical incident within my teaching practice that relates to student attainment on international arts-based curriculums in the English language. This assignment looks to explore and answer the following research question: Can a focus on teaching online research strategies benefit student independent research skills in connection to art?

I discovered that my students lacked research skills particularly in knowing what to research, how to filter it and how to present it in connection to their art practice. This research, therefore, aims to find the best ways to teach online research strategies that benefit student understanding of what is required of them during research tasks and to determine the impact this has on their general progression on the course. My intervention involved demonstrating the best research strategies to use and then observing students during group and individual tasks to assess their understanding of the strategies taught.

Research Rationale

The research was conducted in a private bilingual senior school in China with a single class of A-Level (AS) Art Design students (14) aged 17 to 18. The school and course require all lessons to be taught in English and for students to speak, write and complete work in English. The research focused on teaching online research strategies in connection to art practice. Developing through research one’s own thoughts and opinions on art is an important skill for students to learn at high school level as they will be expected to have a good understanding of how to do this when they go to university overseas. I ensured my research connected to the school’s wider goals and objectives including, ‘the development of an international perspective in preparing students for life in the modern world.’ As their teacher, it was important for me to support students within this area of learning as I am not only helping them understand the course requirements but how the skills they learn will connect to the wider life skills they will need in further education and beyond.

Literature Review

To begin my review into literature related to my research question, I met with two senior members of staff, my mentor (Head of Art) and the Head of English to discuss research avenues. We established ‘what’ I was planning to research: Teaching strategies I can use to teach students research skills. We then explored ‘why’ I had chosen this area: To improve student research skills in connection to art. Thirdly, we discussed the wider benefits this research would have on my students: To prepare them for further study in art practice in Grade 12 and at university. With my mentor, I identified three areas of research skill students find the most challenging. These areas are, knowing what to research, how to filter it and how to present it in connection to art practice. With the advice from the Head of English, I then explored areas of literature within ESL teaching and learning that would support my own teaching skills with the aim of teaching students effective research strategies.

Through a survey, I learned that when researching for an art project, students primarily chose to research online rather than use books, journals, or newspapers from the school library. Kanniainen et al. (2019) in their essay on literacy and online comprehension explain that because of the demand of using the internet in schools, educators need to teach young people specific skills to understand what they read online. My students are heavily reliant on using the internet as their main source for research, and I agree with Kanniainen that we should support our young people in using it correctly. It was also suggested I investigate theories around metacognition and its relation to reading comprehension. İnceçay (2013) in a study on metacognition and online reading strategies, suggest that teachers should be aware of their students’ reading skills and then adapt their own training and teaching to further support student learning. I therefore decided to review literature based on ESL reading comprehension related to online text only and its connection to metacognitive skill. My aim was to use what I learned in the literature to design lessons that would measure the impact research strategies would have on students’ ability to research appropriate material for their art projects.

Research and online reading comprehension

In a study conducted in Finland (Kanniainen 2019), 426 Grade six students were given a test that measured their competency with finding, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating information they found online. The researchers hypothesised that prior knowledge of ‘how to’ research would have a significant impact on the students’ performance on the test. With this is mind, I decided to conduct a survey to find out my own students’ prior knowledge of research strategies. Knowing what my students were already doing helped me build on their existing skills with the aim of them becoming more independent in their research. The results of the study however surprised the researchers. Kanniainen found that prior knowledge had little to do with performance on the test. Instead, they found that reading fluency and written spelling contributed highly to performance. Writing could be connected to finding and synthesising online text and reading related to communicating.vi This suggests that general language comprehension affects students’ ability in deciphering information online. However, due to the study being conducted on younger students (compared to my high school aged students), researchers failed to mention how online literacy and research strategies might be related to age. I therefore predicted that my students (aged 17-18) would have better research strategies simply due to having used technology for longer and having developed stronger metacognitive approaches to researching. I was aware, however, that my students’ language comprehension was still going to be an important factor in this study.

My research question focused on teaching research strategies to improve students’ research skills in connection to art. Whilst developing English language skill is important, I also recognised the need to improve my students’ metacognitive skills in relation to research strategies. McNiff and Whitehead (2005) emphasise the importance of being able to evidence your concerns when planning for research. I identified my students’ lack of metacognitive skill during activities in previous lessons. After speaking with my mentor, they suggested students’ lack of metacognitive skill is rooted in Chinese cultural. R. Mast (2016) says ‘Chinese education has a long tradition of valuing knowledge’ and good foundational knowledge is important for a student to possess. I realised that my students have great skill in retaining information, but what they do with that information and how they use it in connection to art needs further practise. I therefore decided that it was important for my students to develop metacognitive strategies that help them reflect, critique, and present their knowledge in a way that evokes more than just a basic understanding of artistic concepts and theory.

A Think-aloud Approach

Whilst researching metacognitive strategies in teaching, I came across the think-aloud technique. According to J. Wilhem (2001) think-aloud techniques ‘give students the expert’s key to unlock a text’s construction of meaning.’ Although Wilhelm’s experience and observations were based on teaching English to students with English as their mother-tongue, I could identify techniques that could benefit my ESL students understanding of text when researching online. I therefore decided to model a think-aloud technique in my lessons to support my students understanding of appropriate online research strategies. By demonstrating how to find and evaluate different texts online, my aim was for students to copy this strategy and try it for themselves. Wilhelm notes that think-alouds help students pause and consider what they are reading and then they can determine the best strategy to understand the text further. In my lessons, I encouraged students to research a range of texts online and to use the strategies I modelled as and where appropriate.

Whilst Wilhelm’s think-aloud strategies in teaching offer potential, they do not consider students comprehension of online text when researching. Carioli and Peru (2016) draw upon the fact of there being little research in this area and they developed a study to support teaching online reading using a think-aloud technique. Carioli and Peru mention students just ‘skimming’ the first results after conducting a search, which is a habit I found in my own students. Skimming as a research strategy can be beneficial in filtering useful/useless information, however, this technique takes practise as well as an advanced reading level. I decided to use a similar technique in my lessons where students read through and highlighted either in green or red the information they deemed as useful or useless whilst researching. I demonstrated how to do this through a think-aloud technique carefully reading through each sentence and stopping to explain my thinking. By listening to the verbalisation of the strategies, the aim was for students to understand the process of filtering online content and then test the strategy for themselves.

Cariloi and Peru’s study resulted in a Teacher’s Guide to support teaching online reading with a think-aloud strategy. They broke the guide into two parts: Access and Analysis. Access relates to finding the correct content and Analysis is comparing the content. In regard to Access, a focus on keywords should be applied to search engines, improving the chances of finding correct results. Analysis is how different texts are selected for comparison. With this guide in mind, I demonstrated three research strategies to show my students. They were: planning for research, correct search engine usage and identifying reliable information.

My review into literature guided me to plan and deliver lessons for my research and data collection. Using a think-aloud technique enabled me to demonstrate the metacognitive skills needed whilst conducting online research. The literature helped me formulate a plan that would best suit my ESL students’ understanding of research related to art practice and how specific strategies can ensure more efficient results.

Ethics

This study followed the guidelines outlined by the British Educational Research Association (BERA), taking into consideration student views and concerns. Consent was gained from the Head of Art before conducting the research and it was made clear to them that any student participating in the study had the right to withdraw at any time. As 13 out of 14 students were ESL learners, I made sure the Head of Art (Mandarin speaking) was available when I introduced the research project and the students’ role. Students were made aware of their right to withdraw from the project at any time and that they could speak to me or the Head of Art.

As outlined in the Department for Education Teacher Standard’s teachers should ‘safeguard pupil’s well-being’ and ‘treat pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing boundaries.’ From this point, I considered student voice within the boundaries of my research, as I felt it fair to include my students as part of the research rather than subjects of it. This included marking their work after a lesson (used for data collection) and giving them structured feedback on time and within the research period. I also had to consider cultural boundaries because in Chinese education, traditionally students are given little opportunity to speak openly and so I had to be aware of my position of authority and how this might have affected their responses, in turn, affecting the research data.

Finally, all data collected from the survey to determine prior knowledge was done so anonymously and students were given the option to withdraw their answers. I shared the survey results with the students as part of my open approach to inform them of the next steps of the research aim.

Data Collection

I used both quantitative and qualitative research methods to collect data for this assignment. I began by reviewing the WIDA data on my school’s shared data platform which measures student’s general English language proficiency. I decided, however, not to use this data because it was not inclusive of all the students in my class. The WIDA test was carried out at the beginning of the academic year and in my opinion, my students’ language proficiency has since improved. I therefore determined the WIDA data as an unreliable source to begin my data collection and in measuring my students general English language skill.

It was suggested that I use my students most recent TEFL/TOEFL scores as a starting point to understand their language ability, specifically reading comprehension. TEFL and TOEFL examinations are external and so it meant that I would have needed to ask each of my students for their results to collate the data. I decided not to do this because I considered it unethical. The students current TEFL/TOEFL results are not a true reflection of their language skill in relation to art practice and at the same time, I didn’t want to make students feel obliged to share this information considering my position of authority in the classroom.

Chosen data collection methods: Survey, observation, and formative assessment

As mentioned above, I used both qualitative and quantitative research methods to collect data, but the majority was gathered through quantitative approaches. I decided to use the following to collect my data: surveys, observations, and summative assessment. I felt these methods were relevant to my context as they allowed me to carry out my research in a non-obtrusive way. I didn’t introduce or change anything in my curriculum or general teaching approach that would negatively affect my students learning at this point in the academic year.

Before I carried out my research, I had to gain an understanding of the research strategies my students already use. I put together a survey of nine questions with the help of my mentor including the option of multiple choice and written comment answers. When designing the survey I considered important factors Curtis et al. (2013) suggests such as designing a simple structure, being aware of how many questions to include and avoiding bias (students wanting to please the teacher).xvi Using a survey gave me insight into my students’ current research strategies and allowed me to design two lessons that would further produce data through an observational approach.

Through my review of literature I was able to put together lessons that supported my students’ online research skills. I observed students in Lesson 1 during a group task and made field notes on their performance. I also had my mentor observe the lesson and we compared notes afterwards. Concerning the generalisability of the research, I considered the environmental factor of other subject influence and how this might affect a student’s approach to learning in my subject. For example, some students study more ‘practical’ subjects (sport, art, drama, music) whereas others lean towards more academic areas of study (math, science, Chinese). I tried to take this into account when I observed my students and noted any significant findings.

The final data collection method I used was formative assessment. I designed and delivered a second lesson wherein students engaged in individual and pair work after the lesson, I assessed the work they produced according to how well they employed the research strategies with a think-aloud technique. According to Wang (2016) there is little research into think-aloud techniques used in group work to determine readers comprehension of text. I think this is because of the varying factors within group work that might have a negative effect on data. When I allocated the groups, I considered pairing students in relation to language comprehension, artistic skill, and work ethic. If I had had more time to conduct my research, I would have delivered a third lesson, changing the student groups and observing their productivity in their new arrangements.

Data Analysis

The aim of the research was to discover whether teaching online research strategies had a benefit on students’ independent research skills. What students research in development of their artistic knowledge is crucial to their growth as student artists. The data was collected using the methods above and the literature explored earlier assisted in the structure and delivery of lessons to collect further data through observation.

Survey Results

To gain an understanding of my students existing skills, I asked them to complete an online survey (see Appendix A p25). It has become common practise for me to include both English and Chinese text in lesson content, so I felt it important to provide the survey questions in both English and Chinese too for students to fully understand what was being asked of them. I also had my Mandarin speaking mentor in the classroom to assist as students completed the survey.

The first question asked students whether they use English or Chinese when researching. The results were not surprising as 50% of students said they use both languages and 29% answered ‘depends on the research area.’ I concluded this was related to the classes overall English comprehension, as I consider half the class as having strong English language skills.

Questions two to four explored ideas around planning for research, types of online material, and how students record the information they find. Again, 50% stated that they ‘make a plan’ before conducting the research. On reflection, this question did not provide me with useful data as I should have asked students to specify exactly ‘how they made a research plan. In question three, 7 out of 14 students wrote that they look at ‘artist websites (or interviews)’ as part of their research, which helped me design and teach them strategies related to finding artist information. In question four, I asked students, ‘how do you record the information you find?’ By asking this, it helped me design strategies that would support them in identifying and recording their research appropriately.

Through questions five and six, I discovered that students find ‘artist research’ a challenge. As previously observed in other lessons, students become overwhelmed with the amount of information accessible online, and this can hinder their decisions on what to use. I concluded that I should give students reliable website recommendations to use as a starting point. I also identified the importance of not giving students too much information at one time as I cannot expect them to use cognitive (reading information online) and metacognitive (using research strategies) skills simultaneously (Quigley et al. 2018).

Question seven asked, ‘how well do you understand how to connect the research to your practical work?’ 36% of students answered, ‘I understand very well’ with the rest answering either ‘I understand a little / or sometimes.’ One student answered, ‘I don’t understand at all.’ I made the survey anonymous for students to ‘feel able to express their opinions safely and honestly’ (Curtis et al. 2013).xix I concluded that this needs to be an area of further development for students and one that I will continue to support them with after the research period.

Finally, questions eight and nine looked at student opinions on how they would like the teacher to help them with research skills. In conclusion, the survey acted as a stepping-stone for me to reflect on the best research strategies to teach in aid of improving my students’ research skills.

Observation: Lesson 1

After analysing the survey results, I used what I learned in my literature review to design two lessons that focused on teaching students’ strategies to improve their research skills. The first lesson looked at teaching students the following techniques: planning for research, correct search engine usage and identifying reliable information (see Appendix B p33). The lessons involved a group task where students put into practise the three strategies above. I circulated the four groups and completed a table as I observed them practising the strategies.

When designing the table, I created the ‘aspects observed’ in relation to how well the groups demonstrated the research strategies. I considered the use of descri ptive and narrative field notes as suggested by Simpson and Tuson (2003), but decided on a rating system to allow for more flexibility. All group field note recordings can be found in the Appendix C p36.

During the observation, I found that students quickly and efficiently employed the strategies I demonstrated after delivering them via a think-aloud technique. When analysing my field notes and comparing the groups, I found Group 2 was the weakest in demonstrating the strategies and I put this down to the following:

Why aspects were not met/partially met:

• All or most group members have a lower English level

• Not enough time to practise all three strategies

• Not fully comprehending the mind map strategy

• Not fully comprehending the task specifics

This lesson was also observed by my mentor (see Appendix D p38), and we compared notes on our observations to reflect on the differences between our accounts (Simpson and Tuson 2003). From the Lesson Observation and Reflection Form, my mentor applauded the efforts I went to in demonstrating the strategies for students and noted that students ‘successfully followed the structure and were successful in completing task.’ We agreed that Group 2 may have had difficulty with the task because of their collective English level, and after reflection, this group should have been split across the other three, so students could benefit from working with more English proficient students.

Formative Assessment: Lesson 2

As identified from the survey results, students voiced a concern about researching artists, therefore Lesson 2 focused on finding and filtering artist information. The aim of the lesson was for students to learn a ‘highlighting strategy’ to identify useful and useless information from an artist biography (see Appendix E p43).

Through formative assessment, I assessed the students work against how well they met the following criteria:

• Demonstrates an understanding of a highlighting strategy in their work

• Successfully filters information with the highlighting strategy

• Efficient use of pair work

• Successful demonstration of understanding the learning objectives

The lesson was split between two tasks, individual and pair work. I decided to do this to assess whether working individually or in pairs had any effect on the successful implementation of the highlighting strategy. The formative assessment results can be found in Appendix F pp46-47.

From the assessment of the work produced during the individual task, I concluded that most students could successfully use the strategy (see Appendix G for example works p48). I determined that the students who did not use the strategy well had either a lower English proficiency or did not fully comprehend the instructions of the task.

Compared with the individual task, the work produced during the pair task demonstrated a better understanding of the highlighting strategy. I put this down to students being able to use their combined English language skills to successfully complete the task (see Appendix H p49).

In conclusion of the analysis of data, it has shown that with the correct strategy (and modelling by the teacher) students can improve their online research skills in connection to art. The students’ performance in the lessons demonstrated a willingness and ability to learn new techniques and to apply them immediately to a research task. Students need to continue to practise the strategies for it to become routine and as their teacher, I need to monitor through formative assessment, the work they produce to ensure they are collecting reliable information for their projects.

I think more could be done across our senior school in promotion of supporting students’ metacognitive skills in understanding what they read, particularly in English, online. There is opportunity for teachers to work together across different subjects to include research skills into their curriculums. These skills could be taught as a standard and then adapted to fit the requirements of the subject.

Conclusion

In relation to the original research question, can a focus on teaching online research strategies benefit student independent research skills in connection to art? this study has identified three research strategies that students can use with the aim of improving their online research skills. The strategies include:

• Planning before starting the research (making a mind map)

• Identifying key words to use in a search engine

• Filtering information using a highlighting technique

By establishing students’ existing research skills, lessons were then developed to build on their understanding of online research approaches and how they can be used in connection to art (lessons focused on artist research). The three strategies listed above proved successful during individual tasks, group, and pair work, as observations of lessons and formative assessment showed students understood how the strategies could be used to research arts-based content. Due to the limited period in which the study was conducted (four-weeks) further data could not be carried out with the students in relation to researching for their own projects. Long term, I would like to see students practise these strategies and I would expect to see an improvement in their writing related to art theory and artist studies. I plan to continue working with my students in this ESL area to support their research skills further, particularly next academic year where their final project is a research-based essay.

Echoing previous researchers’ suggestions for educators to improve their teaching of digital literacy, Coiro (2012) encourages teachers to adapt to their educational setting and context. I agree that teachers should adapt their skills to that of the environment they are working in, as the dynamic setting of a classroom often cannot follow a one-size-fits-all guide. As technology changes, so will the strategies needed for students to efficiently use the internet in their research favour. As teachers, we can try to be one step ahead and anticipate that change so that we can learn and grow alongside our students.