Data Source

Professional
Literature

Reflective
Journaling/Observa
tions

Timeline/Plan
for Collection

Intended
Learning/Purpose

Adaptations/Chang
es made during
Data Collection
Period

Ongoing search
for and use of
professional
literature to
inform my work
throughout the
semester.

Through the
literature, I intend to
learn about my
topic, and whats
current in the field. I
also plan to learn
from other
researchers
approaches to data
collection and to see
how their findings
may be similar to or
different than the
findings from my
study. Sub-topics for
my literature
include: parents
perception on
homework, impact
of play/hands on
materials,
homeworks effects
on student
achievement

My examination of
the literature
continued as plan
throughout the
process. At the
beginning I focused
my search on just
issues dealing with
homework, but then I
also branched out to
looking at articles
about the importance
of play.

As homework is
handed in,
complete a
check list of who
is doing the
homework, how
much is
completed,
observe these
children during
centers to
determine if the
homework is
impacting how
they use the

These observations
will help me
organize who is
doing the homework
and how much, so
that I may narrow
down my study to a
target group. It will
also help me to
notice any changes
in how the children
are working with the
hands on materials.
Do they seem more
engaged? Are they

At the beginning I did

keep an organized
tally of who handed
back the homework.
However, the rate at
which the homework
was returned began
to vary, so I did not
continue keeping a
formal log.
I did keep a journal of
notes about
comments parents
made regarding the

Interviews

Questionnaires

materials in
class

making home-school
connections? Can
they use the
materials to
problem solve
before asking for
help?

homework, comments
the students made,
as well as
connections students
were making between
homework and
school.

Initial interview
about homework
that is currently
being sent home

Interviews will allow

me the opportunity
to understand how
the children feel
about homework.
Initial interview will
be about the paper
pencil homework:
Do they like it? Is it
boring or fun? Is it
hard?
Once new
homework goes
home, I will
interview the
children to see how
they now feel: Is the
homework more
fun? What do they
like about the new
homework? etc

I conducted initial
interviews with the
students on 10/6 to
gain insight into what
they thought about
homework.

Initial questionnaire
will give me
information on
parents perception
about homework
and the current
homework being
sent home. This will
help shape the new
homework I send
home(how much,
materials, when it is
sent home)
Questionnaires done

On 10/3 I sent out a

Preliminary Survey to
the parents about the
traditional homework.
All of these questions
were on a scale of 15.

Informal
Interview with
the children at
the end of every
two weeks

Initial
Questionnaire
sent home to
find out parents
perception
about homework
Every two
weeks,
questionnaire
sent home
about how they
feel about the
new homework

On 10/10 I conducted
another round of
interviews about the
new type of
homework and what
they thought.
On 11/10 I conducted
a final round of
interviews to learn
about which specific
HW activities the
students enjoyed and
why.

On 10/17 I sent home

a Midpoint
Questionnaire about
the new play-based
homework. All of
these questions were

every two weeks will

allow me to check in
with parents to see
how they feel about
the new homework:
Is it easier to get
their child to do
homework? Does it
make it fun for
parents and
children?

open-ended.
On 10/31 I sent home
a Post Intervention
Questionnaire about
the overall new
homework
experience. It
included open ended
questions, checking
off preferred
activities, and two
questions on a scale.