Patcharee Rompayom Wichaidit
Department of Teaching Science and Mathematics
Faculty of Education, Thaksin University
What do I want to improve?
I would like to improve my knowledge and expertise in statistics.
Why do I feel that something could be improved in what I am doing?
The reasons why I would like to improve what I am doing because I have to advise my students when they conduct their classroom/educational research. Also, I can enhance the interest of my research study, and also interpret the research data more valuable. Finally, I believe that it makes me feel confidence of conducting research related to human behavior.
What could I do that might improve what I am doing?
In order to improve what I am doing, I will study a core concept of statistic by myself from several textbooks, read a research report or research article in my field and try to look at statistic used. I choose the research report in my field because I try to avoid anything that might be affecting my understanding on statistic, and finally I plan to advise my students and see how they improve themselves in statistic from their research design and statistic uses.
What data will I collect to enable me to judge my educational influence?
Data will be collected from this study composed of collecting a test score from an exercise at the end of each chapter to see whether I understand statistic clearly, keeping a taking note of knowledge summarizing from each chapter, and keeping a counseling record when advising my master students on their thesis and see how they decide to use statistic for their own work.
Who might be willing to help me to strengthen the validity of my explanation?
People will help me to strengthen the validity of my explanation as a validation group is my college and statistical experts.
External culture affects my work.
I teach a teaching specific subject for a 4-year student in the chemistry major. Problem of teaching this course is the religious difference among students. One is Buddhist who had learned and covered all main concepts appeared in the national science curriculum for a basic education. Even though this group of the students may not be expert or excellent for all science concept of the basic education, they shows that they have a basic knowledge that relevant and can understand a new concept and also they can design the learning activity for their students built on that concepts.
The other is Muslim who had learned science concepts together with the religious principle. Sometime, I found that this group of student is difficult to understand the core concept of chemistry as well as the concept of teaching science with inquiry. For the inquiry learning process, most of them are not familiar with this process and some is never do a science experiment appeared in a textbook at all. When learning science, they have just jot down from the teacher lecture or follow everything the teacher need them to do. At this point, however, it is not only for the Muslim students but also for the Buddhist students. By doing this, the students have learned a scientific concept without their truly understanding and may not have a chance to practice their thinking ability.
For the Muslim, beside the problem of having no experience of doing a science experiment, it is related to their own indigenous knowledge of religious that sometime block students to understand the accepted scientific concepts. I cannot clarify all it clearly at this point because I have not study deeply what they believe and what they understand. In the future, I think I will study more about these believe that affects the understanding of scientific concept and the concepts of science teaching.
