FIN Commons

Students as Co-inquirers: Thoughts from a former student inquirer

Rummaging through my computer, I found some stuff from my student researcher days.  Students as co-inquirers interpret student intakes differently than teachers. The making visible crew and I were able to see beyond the words on paper because we know what students do, when they are making excuses, fearing authority or lacking self-confidence. We were going through the exact same things. Students as co-inquirers are incredibly resourceful in interpreting student data and in educational reform.

Remember, student researchers don’t have to be enrolled in the class they are studying. In fact our making visible team was composed of four determined poets who had taken a few classes together. We often brought in our friends, class mates, or entire classrooms that we thought would add to our content, or fill gaps in our movies. And what a great experience it was for us! Now here I am, former student researcher, encouraging you to use students to assist you in your inquiry.

Here’s an example of the work we started with for our first project in 2005: reading and typing 150 student intake essays on the question, “what’s your relationship with reading,” pulling out themes, common threads and concepts. Our motto: When in doubt, grab the camera!

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101A (one below entry level english) Trends

1. Re-reading

• Believe that they shouldn’t have to re-read the text/novel
• That it makes them read slower and the processes is drown out
• On the contrary, students admit that more reading only improves their skills.
• In conclusion, the students are discouraged and frustrated by this factor, and thus tend to not enjoy reading.
• They then feel alone in the situation.
• From my own experience, I know that EVERYONE has to read and re-read in order to truly understand the text.
• My solution to this is learning how to actively read. Writing notes in the margins, reading at least twice, finding the main idea, discussions, applying the concept, etc.

2. Interest

• The students only want to read things that interest them or directly relate, which I believe is a natural instinct.
• However, it leads them to be biased against certain areas of literature, such as poetry, texts, etc.
• Thus staying inside their own box and not exposing themselves to their ideas, environments, vocabulary words, cultures, etc.
• “My point of view you won’t learn anything you’re not interested in or like it…”
• Yet, a handful of students, both readers and non-readers, admit that reading improves your knowledge, vocab, and yourself.
• My conclusion is that these students are perhaps afraid of the unknown.
• Or maybe they have an authority issue, and don’t like taking orders or assignments from instructors that they don’t know and respect or that aren’t themselves.
• The solution: maybe having instructors introduce themselves; their interests, credentials, their experiences as a student, where they are from, whatever, in order to expose the students to their instructor.
• Maybe that would wipe away they fear and intimidation by some of the students, making them more comfortable to open themselves up.
• I don’t really know how to fix the fear of the unknown, I think it’s a natural feeling and that its an individual battle.

Overall Conclusion

• It seems that the trends are predictable in this 101A class.
• Their ideas are somewhat based on their skill level and exposure.
• Even though the trends tend to be similar, there are different situations, excuses, and examples. (Some being more interesting than others)

Interesting Comments and Response

1.

• Enjoys reading newspapers and novels only.
• Has a negative attitude towards textbooks.
• States that text books are for learning only and one should pay attention to the author’s opinion and purpose.
• My question is, shouldn’t we always look for the author’s bias and purpose? And especially in novels and newspapers!!
• A reader should always ask themselves questions, or question the author’s statements.

2.

• Dyslexia without good teaching: it held her back greatly, being at a fifth to sixth grade level in High School.
• Thus was discouraged early and learned to hate reading
• This, I believe caused her to have a low self esteem
• And once a teacher exposed her to techniques of reading, gave her attention and confidence, she was encouraged to read and now she can’t stop! Despite its difficulty.
• My question to her would be, how long did you go without being diagnosed?
• How did you feel in those degrading ‘special ed classes?’
• Did any one else try to reach out to you? Or did everyone just ignore your severe disability?

3.

• Didn’t read a book until the last year of H.S and believes that short stories are better because they are short.
• Can only read if there is some sort of background distraction- does that truly help the info stick?
• Refers to self as ‘kids nowadays’ –Maybe suggests a low self esteem.
• Grammar is poor: a reflection of not reading and paying attention in school.
• Question: How did you graduate high school without ever reading the books?
• “hard to get kids to read because they are used to having everything done for them”
• Is that quote a sort of cop out? An excuse to give up and not even try? To just continue to be a lazy student scarping by?

4.

• “if I want a lengthy build up to a great ending then I’ll watch a movie, that takes far less time invested”
• Isn’t a ‘reader’
• Wants the quick fix
• Never finished a book in H.S- didn’t anyone notice? How did he pass?
• Says that no book is of interest because he doesn’t like to read and is unable to make himself relate in novels and texts.
• Don’t you think that you aren’t a reader because you didn’t read as a young child when your brain and skills are still developing?
• Do you feel cheated or guilty?
• “I could almost guarantee the amount of pleasure reading declines with each generation”
• Why do you think that is? Because of the young students like you who want the quick fix, movies, technology, caring only about the self and the self’s interests?