I realized that I needed more qualitative data within my research study. I wanted to focus more on the part of my research question that deals with reading attitudes. Today, I decided to interview the students that fell on the extreme ends of the spectrum on the Garfield Reading Attitude Survey. As a reminder, here are the results of the scores in a graph.
The Interview: I interviewed three students. I interviewed the two students that fell in the 42-52 score range and the student that scored in the 75 and above range. I wanted to get a better idea of the background behind the students' reading attitudes. Were the students reading abilities connected to their attitudes? It just so happened that all three students on the extreme ends of the survey were boys. I was going to use an app on my Iphone in order to dictate what the students were saying as they were speaking. This would save me a step of not having to transcribe everything that was said during the interview. I quickly decided that this wasn't the method for me. The body language that I seeing and the head nods and shakes needed to be on camera. First graders are full of emotions and I wanted to get this on camera. I decided to videotape the interviews. I did all three separately as I wanted to make sure I was able to get enough information from each student. I was afraid that one person would out speak the others if doing a group interview. Me knowing the students that I would be interviewing helped me decide this. Here is a picture of the interview questions that I used.
The step before coding: Basically, I have spent the entire night transcribing the interviews. I had to pause the video, type what I heard and saw, and then start the video back. I repeated this over and over and over. I would only let it play a few seconds at a time so that I could type everything that was happening. It took a couple hours to do this as I wanted to make sure everything was recorded accurately. My next step now is to start coding the interviews. I will post again this week about my progress with the coding process and what it involves. In the mean time, take a look at the interviews that I videotaped and transcribed today. I feel like I was able to gather a lot of good information from them. I transcribed the interviews word for word based on exactly what was said.
HM G Student Reading Interview
2/24/14 (In Houghton Mifflin Group)
(made eye contact most of the time)
Teacher: Do you like to read?
Student: I love to read.
Teacher: Okay..uh…about how many books
did you read last year?
Student: Well I wasn’t a really good
reader so I probably just read about four books, six maybe.
Teacher: Okay …uh…how often do you read
at home?
Student: I read a lot.
Teacher: Okay. How often? Like every
night?
Student: Well mostly I read a lot on the
weekends.
Teacher: Okay and what books have you
read recently?
Student: Well I’ve read really short
books.
Teacher: Alright. Do you ever read any
chapter books at home?
Student: Um, I read chapter books here
but not at home.
Teacher: Okay and where do you get your
books that you read?
Student: Um well I have a shelf but my
books are real heavy so they are stacked up high but they stay and I can just grab
the books to read.
Teacher: So you have the books already
at home?
Student: I have a lot of Disney books.
Teacher: Oh okay. Got ya. Uh so what do
you do when you’re reading and something doesn’t make sense?
Student: Well I just ignore it. Usually
I just ignore it.
Teacher: Okay and do you just keep
reading?
Student: Yeah
Teacher: Okay and what else do you do?
Do you try to sound it out?
Student: I try to sound it out usually
too.
Teacher: Okay and what do you do when
you come to a word you have trouble reading?
Student: I sound it out.
Teacher: Okay. How do you feel when you’re
reading out loud say in class or at home when you’re reading out loud? How do
you feel?
Student: Like really nice.
Teacher: Okay. Do you like to read out
loud?
Student: I love to read out loud.
Teacher: Okay. Why do you like to read
out loud?
Student: Well it’s fun and it teaches
other people how to read.
Teacher: Very good. Okay, uh let’s see…what
kind of books do you like to read? Do you like to read chapter books,
magazines, newspapers? What do you like to read the most?
Student: Well, I just like reading the
books.
Teacher: Like the picture books that we
read?
Student: Yeah, so I can learn about
things like maybe.
Teacher: Okay and why do you think
reading is hard or easy for you?
Student: Well it’s easy because I’m a
really good reader.
Teacher: Okay and how do you think you
got there? How did you become a good reader?
Student: Well…you taught me. (smiling)
Teacher: Okay, very good and where is
your favorite place to read?
Student: Um in my bed upstairs. It’s
really comfy.
Teacher: Okay so that’s your favorite
place?
Student: Yeah
H A Student Reading Interview
2/24/14 (In HELPS Group)
(Student made little to no eye contact
during interview)
Teacher: My first question is do you
like to read?
Student: Yeah
Teacher: Okay. Why do you like to read?
Student: Because it makes me fluent.
(couldn’t hardly hear him)
Teacher: It makes you what?
Student: Get better at reading.
Teacher: Okay because you get better
that’s a good answer. Good job. About how many books did you read last year?
Student: You mean like yesterday?
Teacher: Yeah, what do you think? (After
realizing the concept of last year was too difficult)
Student: (thinking)
Teacher: How many books did you read yesterday?
Did you read any?
Student: 3
Teacher: Okay. Do you think you read
three books yesterday?
Student: (Nods head yes)
Teacher: Okay. Did you read them at
home?
Student: (Nods head yes)
Teacher: Yeah? Okay. How often do you
read at home?
Student: (Shrugs shoulders)
Teacher: How often do you read at home? Do
you read every night?
Student: Fridays I don’t read.
Teacher: Fridays you don’t read?
Student: (Shakes head no)
Teacher: Okay. What books have you read
recently? What books have you read?
Student: “I Like the Dress”
Teacher: Okay. What other book did you
recently read?
Student: Magic School Bus
Teacher: The Magic School Bus is a good
book. Very good. Any more that you recently read?
Student: (Looks deep in thought) I don’t
know the other ones.
Teacher: Okay you don’t know the other
ones? Alright. What do you do when something doesn’t make sense when you’re
reading?
Student: (deep in thought)
Teacher: What happens when something
doesn’t make sense?
Student: Fix it. (very quietly)
Teacher: What?
Student: Fix it
Teacher: You fix it? How do you fix it?
Student: (no answer)
Teacher: Let me ask you this…what do you
do when you come to a word you have trouble reading?
Student: hmm raise your hand.
Teacher: You raise your hand? But what
do you do if you are all by yourself? What would you do?
Student: I’d sound it out.
Teacher: You’d sound it out. That’s a
good idea. I like that you said that. How do you feel when you’re reading out
loud? Say in here I called on you and said “please read to the class”. How
would you feel?
Student: Shy (very quietly)
Teacher: Huh? Shy? Why do you think you
would be shy?
Student: Because when I try to speak in
front of people I don’t say it loud.
Teacher: Because you don’t say it loud?
Student: (shakes head no)
Teacher: Okay. What kind of books do you
like to read? Do you like the read the newspaper, magazines, just picture
books, chapter books? What do you like to read?
Student: (shrugs shoulders)
Teachers: What we read in here is
picture books. What do you like to read?
Student: (hands on face) mumbles
Teacher: You read what?
Student: On buildings.
Teacher: Oh good. You read words on buildings?
That’s wonderful! Okay, what else do you like to read? Do you like to read
picture books or magazines or newspapers?
Student: (Shrugs shoulders with jacket
over face)
Teacher: You don’t know? Okay. Uh do you
think reading is easy or hard for you?
Student: easy
Teacher: Easy? Why?
Student: (rubbing face with hands) I don’t
know.
Teacher: You don’t know? You just think
it’s easy for you? And where is your favorite place to read?
Student: At school.
Teacher: And at your desk? Or where?
Student: (hands on face thinking)
Teacher: Where do you like to read?
Student: (points) Over there.
Teacher: Over there in the reading
corner?
Student: (Nods head yes)
Teacher: Okay, very good.
H K Student Reading Interview
2/24/14 (In HELPS Group)
Teacher: My first question for you is do
you like to read?
Student: (nods head yes)
Teacher: Okay. Yes?
Student: (nods head yes) Yes.
Teacher: Why do you like to read?
Student: To be smart.
Teacher: Okay. About how many books did
you read last year?
Student: (shrugged shoulders) I forgot.
Teacher: Okay. You don’t know? Do you
think you read a lot or a little?
Student: Uhhhh…. A little.
Teacher: A little bit? Okay. How often
do you read at home?
Student: Not that much.
Teacher: Not that much? Okay, do you
think you read a book at least every night?
Student: Sometimes (shakes head no with
a look of concern)
Teacher: Sometimes? What books have you
read recently?
Student: Biscuit books.
Teacher: Do you like Biscuit books?
Student: (nods head yes)
Teacher: What else have you read?
Student: (looking up and then shrugs
shoulders)
Teacher: You don’t know? No other books?
Student: (still shaking head no)
Teacher: Okay. What do you do when
something doesn’t make sense when you’re reading?
Student: Do it again.
Teacher: You do it again? Very good. And
what about when you come to a word that you’re having trouble reading?
Student: Uhhhhh.. I tell my parents.
Teacher: Okay and what else do you do?
If you’re by yourself and you didn’t know a word.
Student: I sound it out.
Teacher: Good. That’s a wonderful idea.
I love that you said that. How do you feel when you are reading out loud?
Student: Sad
Teacher: Sad? Why do you feel sad?
Student: (smiling) Because I don’t want
nobody to hear me.
Teacher: You don’t want anyone to hear
you? Why’s that?
Student: (shrugs shoulders smiling)
Teacher: Are you scared to read out
loud?
Student: (nods head yes)
Teacher: Okay, let’s see. What kinds of
books do you like to read? Do you like to read the newspaper, or magazines?
Student: (cuts in) Biscuit
Teacher:
Just Biscuit books with pictures in it? Do you like those?
Student: (nods head yes)
Teacher: Do you think reading is hard or
easy for you?
Student: Uh sometimes hard and easy.
Teacher: Sometimes hard and easy?
Student: (nods head yes)
Teacher: Why is it hard for you?
Student: I don’t know
Teacher: Why do you think it’s easy for
you?
Student: Because I know some of the
words
Teacher: Yeah. You do! You’re becoming a
great reader. And where is your favorite place to read?
Student: Everywhere
Teacher: Everywhere? You like to read
everywhere? What about do you like to read in the classroom more or at home
more?
Student: Uh…everywhere.
Teacher: Just everywhere? Okay that’s a
great answer.
