Lesson Study Cycle 2 - Student Voice
Annotated Bibliography
Annotated Bibliography
Cohen, E. G., & Lotan, R. A. (2014). Designing groupwork: strategies for the
heterogeneous classroom third edition. Teachers College Press, p. 24-38
Our lesson will have students participating in a balanced socratic seminar discussion. The form of discussion selected is a socratic seminar because this is a protocol students have participated in three times prior to the research lesson. Consequently, this structure is one students are familiar with and the host teacher has already collected data on student engagement prior to the lesson study cycle and during PDSA cycles. Cohen et al. identify various types of status that can lead to “problems of unequal participation and undesirable domination of group by certain students ( p. 27).” There are two in particular that I believe may play a role in out Research Lesson, and those are Expert Status and Societal Status. By utilizing a protocol students are familiar with we can reduce the negative impact of Expert Status. Additionally, the students have acquired funds of knowledge pertaining to the topic of the Food Justice, and this socratic seminar will be part of the conclusion of their third unit of study on the topic. It will provide students the opportunity to verbally communicate their understandings of food justice while reflecting on the connection between food and culture, food origins, food sovereignty and hard histories. Before engaging in the socratic seminar, the host teacher will lead the students in a warm aimed at remind them that they are each experts on the topic, and assist them in accessing those funds of knowledge ahead of the seminar.
Hammond, Z. & Jackson, Y., (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain; Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Language Teaching Research, p. 122-141.
This chapter in Hammond and Jackson’s book explores the idea of utilizing strategies in the classroom that follows the brain’s natural input, elaboration, and application cycle. The research lesson our host teacher implemented would fall into the application phase of this cycle. This phase focuses on creating opportunities for students to apply the knowledge they have acquired. This made me wonder what we as educators can be doing better to empower students to exercise autonomy in class discussions? This chapter also emphasized how in oral cultures knowledge is taught and processed through story, rituals, and dialogic talk (using talk to extend thinking, and to advance learning and understanding). Making a lesson culturally responsive goes beyond representing culture in the content; it benefits from the influence of other cultures’ approaches to education. We utilize a oral practice in the form of a socratic seminar. This was a protocol the students were familiar with, and had participated in a few times before in the classroom. Per Hammond and Jackson, “students need to internalize cognitive routines in order to move toward more independent learning (p. 140).” This made me wonder if students feel more empowered to speak up in group discussions as a result of familiarity with the protocol?
Mack, L. (2012). Does every student have a voice? Critical action research on
equitable classroom participation practices. Language Teaching Research,
16(3), 417–434.
The focus of this article was on how we can “enhance student agency making a more meaningful pedagogy for all students ( p. 417).” Mack claims that oral participation is heavily influenced by two other factors in the classroom, social inclusion and student voice. According to the article, “student voice is views as any activity in which students exercise control or communicate their feelings (p. 420).” Mack extends this definition to include student agency and control over classroom procedures, curriculum, and classroom policies. This made me immediately think back to the conversation with my mum about her own approach to student voice. Her first focus is on students feeling involved in the classroom, and giving them a choice in their own learning environment. This is further compounded by the articles emphasis on the creating of an environment in which students feel that their voice is heard and respected. Mack sites this as one of the main reasons that students do not feel comfortable sharing their voice in classroom settings.
Mitra, D., (2004). The Significance of Students: Can Increasing “Student Voice” in Schools Lead to Gains in Youth Development? Teachers College Record, 106(4), p. 651-688.
Mitra’s article examines the concept of increasing student voice in the classroom, and the potential impact it can have on students’ development.
Mitra is critical of traditional schools that prioritize the voices of teachers, administrators, and parents over the voice of students. This article introduced new definitions for “agency, belonging, and competence” that helped to frame my thinking through out this research cycle (p. 655):
Agency - acting or exerting influence and power in a given situation; increase ability to articulate opinions to others
Belonging - developing meaningful relationships with other students and adults and having a role at the school; increasing attachment to the school and connections with peers
Competence: developing new abilities and being appreciated for ones talents; getting along with others and speaking publicly
Mitra concludes that increasing student voice is crucial, and that it requires a systemic shift in the way schools operate. Overall, this article provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of empowering students and promoting their voices in the educational setting.
Sabo, K. (November 2022). [Personal Communication].
To better inform my understanding of what it is needed to encourage and elevate the inclusion of student voice, we explored current research and connected with experienced educators. I chose to have a conversation with my mother, and an educator of 30 plus years. While discussing the role of a teacher in the, it became clear that my mum has found a way to champion student voice in the classroom. Starting the first week of a new school year, she works to make students feel included and invested in the classroom. Students design the classroom, so that they feel the space has been co-created, and is somewhere they belong. From my conversation with her it became clear that creating a positive and inclusive environment can have a huge effect on a student’s willingness to share out.
Stefanou, C., Perenevich, K., DiCinto, M., & Turner, J., (2004). Supporting Autonomy in the Classroom: Ways Teachers Encourage Student Decision Making and Ownership. Educational Psychologist, 39(2), 97-100.
Stefanous et al. explores the concept of supporting autonomy in the classroom and some ways that teachers can encourage student autonomy and ownership. The authors argue that supporting autonomy leads to increased engagement and motivation, as well as improved academic performance. Per the article, autonomy support can be manifested in the classroom in 3 distinct ways: organizational autonomy support (allowing students some decision making role in terms of classroom management issues), procedural autonomy support (offering the students choice about the use of different media to present), cognitive autonomy support (affording opportunities for students to evaluate work from a self-referent standard) (p. 101). The authors also emphasis the collaboration between teachers and students needed to support autonomy in the classroom. If done well, it can have a positive impact on student learning and development. Overall, this article provided valuable information on how to create an empowering learning environment that champions student autonomy and ownership.
Smith, J., & Cuesta, G. (2020). Hunger in the fields: Food insecurity and food access
among farmworker families in Migrant and Seasonal Head Start. Journal of Latinos and Education, 19(3), 246-257.
The content of our Research Lesson will task students with using the knowledge of food access and food justice to answer the question: What do our food choices say about our priorities as a society? We read Smith and Cuesta’s “Hunger in the fields: Food insecurity and food access among farmworker families in Migrant and Season Head Start.” This article focused on food justice and migrant farm workers who are facing food insecurity, and served to inform our team on the topic.