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Documentation in an elementary classroom : a teacher-researcher study

Accompanying materials housed with archival copy. / The purpose of this study is to research the role of documentation in a cycle-two, year one classroom (Grade 3) in a suburban community in Quebec. As the teacher-researcher, my overarching question is to come to a better understanding of how documentation is carried out in the classroom. There are several questions that guide this research: (1) What kinds of documentation are used and what purposes do they serve? (2) What role(s) does the teacher play in the documentation process? (3) What role(s) do the children play in documentation? For the purpose of this study documentation is any recording of or about classroom activities, students, or events influencing learning (Dahlberg, Moss, & Pence, 1999). Data forms included fieldnotes, video tapes, and classroom artifacts. I used complementary categorizing (Maykut & Morehouse, 1994) and contextualizing (Erickson, 1986, 1992; Merryfield, 1990) approaches for analysis, aided by the computer software program Atlas.ti (Muhr, 1997). / Three main categories of documentation were uncovered in the data. These are interactive documentation, reflective documentation, and process-oriented documentation. The activities that supported and sustained the creation of this documentation are explored in detail. The consequences of the documentation process resulted in what is described as an interactive classroom. The major conclusions concern the importance of communication cycles, flexible teacher roles, and the space provided for student participation.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.103151
Date January 2006
CreatorsMesher, Pauline.
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageDoctor of Philosophy (Department of Curriculum and Instruction.)
Rights© Pauline Mesher, 2006
Relationalephsysno: 002589962, proquestno: AAINR32901, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

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