Vaughan, michelle connecting the dots nftej v27 n3 2017

NATIONAL FORUM OF TEACHER EDUCATION JOURNAL
VOLUME 27, NUMBER 3, 2017
1
Connecting the Dots: A Scaffolded Model
for Undergraduate Research
Michelle Vaughan, EdD
Assistant Professor
Traci P. Baxley, EdD
Associate Professor
Cole Kervin, MEd
Doctoral Student
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
Abstract
In order to assist in scaffolding the knowledge acquisition necessary for the completion of a
meaningful action research project, the authors applied for and received an undergraduate
research grant to build research-focused assignments that guide preservice teachers in developing
specific research skills. This article will discuss the design of the research assignments, the
analysis of student work and instructor feedback, and propose a model for scaffolding higher-
level research skills in lower-level teacher education courses.
College graduates who participate in undergraduate research learn from practical
experiences and gain specific skills necessary for their chosen field; examples might include
conducting research, analysis of data, presentation skills, and reading scientific literature (Davis,
Mahatmya, Garner, & Jones, 2015; Harrison, Dunn, & Coombe, 2006; Hu, Kuh, & Li, 2008).
Students participating in undergraduate research projects gain confidence in their ability to think
and work like researchers. For example, students show an improved ability to apply knowledge
and skills, critically think and problem-solve, and understand how scientific knowledge is built
(Seymour, Hunter, Laursen, & DeAntoni, 2004). Allowing undergraduate students to fully
participate in research early in their academic career can increase positive self-efficacy as
researchers (Folk, 2016), and support their growth as researchers throughout their college
experience. Incorporating research into undergraduate courses will help to increase students’
understanding of the subject, helping them gain a greater interest and enthusiasm for course
content (Healey, Jordan, Pell, & Short, 2010). Furthermore, it exposes them to research methods
that they will experience through professional development once they enter the teaching
profession (Smith & Sela, 2005).
Although the frequency and quality of undergraduate student engagement in research at
both liberal arts institutions and research universities are increasing (Hu, Kuh, & Gayles, 2007),

2___________________________________________________________________________________________
most current scholarship on undergraduate research is bounded within specific science,
technology, engineering and mathematic (STEM) disciplines (Gilmore, Vieyra, Timmerman,
Feldon, & Maher, 2015; Mena, Schmitz, & McLaughlin, 2015; Seymour et al, 2004). While
efforts to increase opportunities for undergraduate scholarship and creative activities in the arts,
humanities, and social sciences hope to promote the academic success for students (Davis et al,
2015), many efforts to integrate research and teacher education have fallen short of engaging
students, particularly undergraduate students, in the research culture of schools and departments
(Brew, 2010).
While undergraduate research may be prevalent in STEM and social studies programs,
students report lower level of student/faculty interaction on research projects in colleges of
education (Carini & Kuh, 2003). Commonplace in graduate teacher education programs, a focus
on undergraduate research with preservice teachers can provide a plethora of benefits for the
preservice teacher and their future students (Vaughan & Burnaford, 2015). By incorporating
research activities into their coursework, practicums, and student teaching experiences,
preservice teachers will have the opportunity to hone their abilities to problem solve difficult
tasks, think critically and reflectively about what they do, and collect evidence to prove their
effectiveness according to D. Zambo and Zambo (2007). The purpose of introducing preservice
teachers to research, more specifically to action research, is to build the teaching dispositions
often associated with effective teaching. Exposure to action research as a methodology may also
have a positive effect on their self-efficacy as educators, leading to longer, more productive
careers in the field of education according to Smith and Sela (2005) and D. Zambo and Zambo.
Other advantages of introducing action research to preservice teachers is that it lays the
foundation for long-term, essential practices of observation, reflection, and inquiry, helping to
make the teacher researchers more flexible and open to the learning process (Carboni, Wynn, &
McGuire, 2007). Action research also provides teacher candidates and their professors with
opportunities and support in learning to investigate, analyze, and reflect in critical ways that
focus on exploration of productive growth and action in the instructional environment and
provide opportunities to revisit and rethink decisions, philosophy, and practices (Lassonde,
2009). Action research will help teachers identify educational needs and issues which, in turn,
evolve into defensible, responsible plans of action. Pre-service and in-service teachers must
define themselves as critical thinkers, engaged learners, reflective practitioners, and future
leaders in the field of education (Beisser & Connor, 2004). Table 1 highlights specific programs
and their use of action research to build dispositions within preservice teachers.

MICHELLE VAUGHAN, TRACI P. BAXLEY, AND COLE KERVIN
___________________________________________________________________________________________5
Table 1
Examples of Undergraduate Research from the Education Field
Author(s) Population Mode of Instruction Dispositions Developed
Beisser & Connor,
2004
Pre-Service teacher
education students at a
large Midwest university
Undergraduate students
in action research
course
Students become critical
and reflective thinkers
Carboni, Wynn &
McGuire, 2007
Seniors in the elementary
teacher preparation
program
at Duke University
Action research project
during student teaching
Lays the foundation
for long-term practices
of observation and
reflection
Ferri & Wilches,
2005
Pre-service foreign
language teachers at a
University in Colombia
during methodology
and administration
leadership course
Develops research skills
through exploring
pedagogy, confronting
theory, and self-
reflecting
Harrison, Dunn, &
Coombe, 2006
Pre-service teachers in
early childhood education
program at a university
Australia
Research projects in
undergraduate courses
Provide students with
skills to conduct
and use relevant research
Lassonde, 2009 28 undergraduate teacher
candidates at a state-
affiliated university
located in upstate New
York.
in language and
literacy course
Introduces students to
professional language
while teaching them to
inquire and reflect in
critical ways
Moore & Gilliard,
2008
Pre-service
teachers in early childhood
education program at a
small
university in Montana
in early childhood
professionalism course
Students developed more
effective forms of
instruction and
assessment
Smith & Sela,
2005
Pre-service teachers from
one
of the largest teacher
education colleges in Israel
Creates a focus on
systematic improvement,
personal reflection, and
fosters a sense of
community
Strand, 2006 Senior music education
students at a small liberal
arts college
Increased development
critical thinking skills,
and reflective
capabilities
Zambo & Zambo,
2007
Pre-service teachers at a
public university in the
southwestern United States
during practicum and
student teaching
Improved problem
solving skills and self-
efficacy
There is significant discussion within the literature centered around undergraduates’

4___________________________________________________________________________________________
limited transformative potential and the role action research should play at the undergraduate
level due to preservice teachers’ lack of classroom experiences and limited opportunity to focus
on improving their teaching practices. However, Kosnick (2000) argues that while
undergraduates certainly need more exposure to professional literature, action research can help
them acquire skills, attitudes, and knowledge that they may be able to transfer in the future. It has
also been suggested that undergraduates may benefit from a more structured action research
experience with a focus on question development and collaboration along with exposure to
literature. This scaffolding approach may increase the likelihood that students in teacher
education programs will transfer inquiry skills into classroom practice (Carboni et al., 2007).
Currently, students in our teacher education program complete an action research project
in their capstone course, however, just as the literature states, they too seem to struggle with an
authentic connection to the literature as well as research question development (Kosnick, 2000).
In order to assist in scaffolding the knowledge acquisition necessary for the completion of a
meaningful action research project, the authors applied for and received an undergraduate
research grant to build research-focused assignments that guide undergraduate preservice
teachers in developing specific research questions and analyzing relevant literature related to
key current issues in the public school system. The objective of this grant was to maximize the
impact of research experiences across the various sections of each course. The research
experiences are designed to be similar enough for students to be able to easily transfer skills
between courses but build off the notion of a spiral curriculum, adding depth each time a skill is
reinforced and discussed in a new context. It is our goal to build the notion of inquiry within our
students as well as the skills to connect to the existing literature in the field.
As a solution to the reoccurring difficulties students face in their capstone projects, we
saw a need to tease out the problem areas of question development and literature analysis, and
teach these skills more directly and earlier in the teacher education program. The prerequisite
courses (Introduction to Teaching and Introduction to Diversity) in the teacher education
program, taken simultaneously or sequentially, were identified for undergraduate research
integration. As previously mentioned, the goal of the redevelopment of these courses was to
create a scaffolded experience that maximized the impact of the research process. Through the
use of annotated bibliographies, the formulation of research questions, and literature reviews,
undergraduate students are exposed to and take part in research that is current and meaningful to
their coursework and field experiences. This article will discuss the design of the research
assignments, the analysis of the data collected through LiveText, and propose a model for
scaffolding higher-level research skills in lower-level teacher education courses.
Design of Research Assignments
Using LiveText as an assessment tool, feedback on assignments and student growth were
captured using specific research areas as part of the rubric designed for each assignment in the
courses (e.g. critical thinking, knowledge of informational literacy, formulating questions, and
communication). The rubric was designed in collaboration with the assessment team from the
Undergraduate Research Office as part of the grant received for this research project (see
Appendix). A two-point formative assessment model was used to capture growth as well as
provide students with an opportunity to revisit and reflect on their key assignments in order to
incorporate professor feedback and reach a deeper level of understanding and analysis. Through

___________________________________________________________________________________________5
the feedback that students received on their first draft, they were able to demonstrate a higher
level of learning on the identified student outcomes on the final draft.
Student Learning Outcomes
As previously mentioned, student learning outcomes for the new research assignments
were assessed using rubrics that were created in conjunction with the university’s undergraduate
research department. Table 2 outlines the assignments and activities created in both courses to
support the growth of undergraduate research skills.
Table 2
Description of Assessments used to Promote Undergraduate Research
Name of assessment Type of assessment Identified student learning
outcomes
Assignment
description
Locating peer-
reviewed journal
articles
Class activity Knowledge of informational
literacy
Students work with
library staff to learn
how to search for
peer-reviewed journal
articles in their
chosen area of focus
Annotated
Bibliography
Two-point assessment -Knowledge of informational
literacy
-Critical thinking and
interpretation
-Communication
Students choose 3
peer-reviewed articles
and complete an
annotated
bibliography in APA
format
Research Question
Development
Class activity -Formulating questions
interpretation
Students work in
small groups to
analyze and create
research questions in
their area of focus
Statement of the
Problem Paper
Two –point assessment -Knowledge of informational
literacy and sources
interpretation
-Formulating questions
-Communication
Students use the
articles from their
annotated
bibliography to write
a statement of the
problem paper,
integrating the
literature to support
their ideas and
claims.
Synthesized
Research Project
Summative assessment -Critical thinking and
interpretation
-Communication
Students work with
other students in a
similar area of focus
to synthesize their
findings in a
presentation to the
class.

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Results
The results from the first semester of coursework indicate significant growth across all
identified student learning outcomes as measured through the two-point assessments in LiveText
(annotated bibliography, statement of the problem paper). We have chosen to share an example
from each course for brevity, but the growth shown is representative of all sections. Figures 1
and 2 show first and final drafts for the annotated bibliography assignment completed by
students in the Spring 2016 section of Introduction to Teaching (EDF 2005). As the figures
show, 74% of students were scored as competent or exemplary in their first draft, and 87% of
students were scored as competent or exemplary in their final draft of this assignment. This
growth can be attributed to the individualized feedback by professors while grading the first
draft. In addition, feedback also spurred student questions about the assignment and highlighted
student misconceptions. Reflections on the importance of this feedback will be discussed later.
Figure 1. First draft of annotated bibliography assignment in EDF 2005 in Spring 2016.
Figure 2. Final draft of annotated bibliography assignment in EDF 2005 in Spring 2016.
Similar results can be seen in the growth of student learning on the statement of the problem
assignment, which builds off of the skills students have attained in the annotated bibliography
assignment. As Figures 3 and 4 show, 70% of students were scored as competent or exemplary in
their first draft, and 75% of students were scored as competent or exemplary in their final draft of
this assignment in the Introduction to Diversity course (EDF 2085). As this assignment occurs in
the latter half of the semester, we see more students growing into the exemplary category in
skills like critical thinking (14% to 24%) and the ability to formulate questions (10% to 34%).

___________________________________________________________________________________________5
Figure 3. First draft of statement of the problem assignment in EDF 2085 in Fall 2015.
Figure 4. Final draft of statement of the problem assignment in EDF 2085 in Fall 2015.
Role of Feedback
As previously mentioned, specific and individualized feedback was given to each student
on the first draft of their two-point assessments (annotated bibliography and statement of the
problem paper). After reviewing the initial student learning gains, questions began to arise about
the impact of feedback on those gains. In an attempt to look for trends in the feedback, we
downloaded all feedback comments given to students in LiveText on their first drafts of both the
annotated bibliography assignment and the statement of the problem paper. The goal was to look
for what was being commented on as well as how we were commenting on it. Was there clearly
something the students universally struggled with? How did our feedback support or advance
their own understanding of research?

8___________________________________________________________________________________________
Table 3 illustrates examples of some of the key trends we saw in our own feedback.
Overall, we used a positive, constructive tone with our students, often noting the positive aspects
of their work as well as what they could improve on. Specifically in the annotated bibliography
assignment, there seemed to be general confusion (based on the high number of times we
commented on it) about what a peer-reviewed article was and how to properly cite it using APA
format. As students moved into the statement of the problem paper, we saw more feedback on
using literature to support their ideas and claims as well as how to maintain an academic tone in
a piece of writing that required them to state a problem and argue for a solution.
Table 3
Trends in Feedback on Student First Drafts
Category of Feedback Example
Positive, individualized feedback “Kate, this is a good start and you did an excellent
job focusing on the key aspects of the study…in
your final draft, add at least 2 sentences to each
annotation that discusses why these findings are
important”
Positive and negative feedback together “Your writing is strong, I would like to see this
assignment with the peer-reviewed, journal articles
on your topic.”
Feedback on technical errors (grammar and APA) “Check for grammar errors and awkward phrases.”
“Your citations are missing some pieces.”
Suggestion of a tool to further assist the student “Check some grammar errors, you may want to use
an online grammar tool to help catch them all.”
“Some of your sentences don't sound natural and feel
a little pieced together. The writing center is a good
source for this.”
Feedback on how to use support from literature “In a small writing piece like this, unless the quote is
absolutely perfect, it can be distracting. Plus, the one
in part 1 is so long that it takes away from what
YOU are trying to say.”
“You were able to weave two of your articles into
your paper, but you left one out. I need to see
evidence of the three articles in your final paper.”
Feedback on academic tone “Lastly, this is an academic paper so you need to
keep some of the personal clichés and beliefs out of
it because it lowers the writing level.”
Recommendations
Pedagogical Implications
The inclusion of undergraduate research activities and assessments into teacher
education courses can have positive outcomes both in the acquisition of research skills as well as
the development of teaching dispositions that support student learning and teacher development.
Through the analysis of feedback given to students in these courses, we recommend that
instructors include direct instruction on meaningful ways to respond to feedback before students

___________________________________________________________________________________________5
are required to do so in the course. This might include some examples of feedback that the
instructor uses often as well as some modeling from the instructor on how to address the
concerns or suggestions given within feedback. This “pre-teaching” will open a dialogue about
the expectations of student growth and model explicit instruction for preservice teachers.
Formative Assessments
We used formative assessments that were similar in content and cognitive demand in
order to capture student growth in specific research skills. Using formative assessments
combined with meaningful feedback ensures that students have a way to feed forward their
learning into the next assignment. The opportunity to revise and work on a task for an extended
amount of time is an effective assessment practice to build self-efficacy and knowledge in
students, and using formative assessments within a teacher education program models an
assessment formula students may not have seen in their own experiences as a student in K12.
Conclusions
While the benefits of incorporating undergraduate research are clear, its importance in
teacher education programs may be particularly essential. Many of the characteristics the
profession sees as positive teaching dispositions (e.g. reflection, inquiry, observation, data
analysis) are also skills that can be developed in research courses. By incorporating the use of
those skills in preservice courses as well as modeling them through instruction, we are
supporting the development of key teaching dispositions for the classroom. Undergraduate
research is an opportunity for preservice teachers to see themselves as researchers and connect to
the literature in their own field, exposing them to the current research being done in classrooms
across the globe and addressing the gap between research and practice.
Lastly, the feedback given to students was an unintended source of data in this project,
yet became a key point of reflection for both professors involved. Asking why there was growth
in student learning and how feedback may have contributed, provided an opportunity for
reflection on the success of these assignments and how they need to be refined for future use.
Examining the impact of feedback also presented another modeling opportunity as we began to
adjust the language used in our comments to make them more student and learner-friendly. As
researchers ourselves, using jargon and phrases that students may not understand may hinder
their ability to make revisions to their assignments, being cognizant of this tendency is necessary
to maximize the impact of feedback. Teaching preservice teachers requires that we examine the
impact of our own instructional practices to ensure that we are modeling not only effective
teaching practices, but the ability to reflect and make research-based decisions about our
classrooms so they, in turn, will do the same as practitioners.
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Appendix
Rubrics for Assignments

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