Research
Research Roundup
At Falk Laboratory School ’ s final faculty meeting of the 2022- 23 school year , a group of six research fellows shared their inquiries in poster presentations that facilitated discussions about their processes , what they learned along the way , and directions for future exploration . ■
Middle School Spanish teacher Valerie Rossi wanted to help students improve their writing skills and to build their confidence in writing in Spanish .
To pursue that goal , Rossi attended several conferences and read scholarly journals in the field of language education . She learned that students need extensive writing practice ; they need high-quality , authentic texts as models ; and they need to work with their teachers and peers to co-construct an example text before they set out to write independently . ■
Middle School Director Joanna Newlin ’ s research project explored which Middle School activities increase students ’ feelings of connectedness and belonging to the school and which increased their feelings of disconnection .
She conducted background research into adolescent belonging and gave a survey to all Middle School students , asking them to agree or disagree with statements like “ I feel like a part of my school ” and “ There is at least one teacher or adult I can talk to in my school if I have a problem .”
Newlin discovered that while a majority of Falk Middle School students felt a sense of connection to Falk , there is room for improvement , with some students reporting a lack of connection with at least one adult and feeling different or unaccepted as they are . She regards this project as the first step in an ongoing exploration of engagement at Falk , and she plans to create an inventory of Middle School activities and events and to collect data through follow-up surveys and / or focus groups to determine which activities increase or decrease students ’ sense of belonging . ■
24 EN AVANT | FALL 2023