Impact of a Free-Choice ("Genius Time") Inquiry Project on Student Skill-Building, Agency, and Motivation

Autor/in	Woolford, Sam
Titel	Impact of a Free-Choice ("Genius Time") Inquiry Project on Student Skill-Building, Agency, and Motivation
Quelle	In: i.e.: inquiry in education, 14 (2022) 2, Artikel 10 (33 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Schlagwörter	Inquiry; Skill Development; Student Motivation; Personal Autonomy; Middle School Students; Males; Single Sex Schools; Science Instruction; Self Efficacy; Student Attitudes; 21st Century Skills; Grade 6; Grade 7; New York + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Kompetenzentwicklung; Qualifikationsentwicklung; Schulische Motivation; Individuelle Autonomie; Middle school; Middle schools; Student; Students; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Male; Männliches Geschlecht; Single-sex schools; Single-sex classes; Single sex classes; Getrenntgeschlechtliche Erziehung; Schule; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Self-efficacy; Selbstwirksamkeit; Schülerverhalten; School year 06; 6. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 06; School year 07; 7. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 07
Abstract	Student investment in learning is often stronger when learning incorporates student choice, "real-world" authenticity, and creativity. This action research study investigated the impact of a particular tool for emphasizing these elements in learning: a free-choice, or "Genius Time," project in which middle school students in an independent all-boys school were asked to develop and carry out an individual project to investigate anything of their choosing as part of their regular science class. This study aimed to determine how a project like this could impact student skill-building, self-efficacy, motivation, and student learning through the practice of inquiry. Through surveys, student self-assessment, student interviews, and teacher journaling, the results showed that this project was successful in building essential 21st-century skills, such as initiative, risk-taking, persistence, and resilience. In addition, students were engaged in meaningful inquiry learning because they were required to exercise and grow their own agency for learning, including their self-efficacy. Finally, this project may have facilitated a shift in participant personal motivation toward more intrinsic (rather than extrinsic) factors. These findings support a larger body of research and reporting about the effectiveness of project-based learning, and free-choice or passion projects in particular, to engage students with inquiry in meaningful ways. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Center for Inquiry in Education. National Louis University, 122 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603. Tel: 800-443-5522 x2277; e-mail: digitalcommons@nl.edu; Web site: https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/ie/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01