In my Action Research project, entitled Putting the Emotion Back in Math: Integrating Music Into Math Curriculum, I demonstrate my commitment to engaging students by lending weight to their thoughts and opinions when it comes to instructional decisions.  In this project, I intended to collect data through student surveys and observation on student-perceived changes in learning attitudes in math due to incorporating music into mathematics instruction. I planned to administer a series of small-group extension lessons to a selected group of "high-flyers" with identified negative feelings about math.  The purpose of this study was "to identify student self-perceptions of changes in learning attitude in mathematics due to targeted extensions integrating music education," or to provide these students with a potential avenue for improving their math experience and to use their responses to guide a decision about whether or not to carry this extension into regular instruction for this group. Therefore, this project would not exist without my strong belief in student feedback and student-directed instruction. 

 

Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the resulting school closings, I was unable to collect the necessary data to support any data analysis. However, the design and intention of the study shows that I was willing to use creative and unconventional methods to increase engagement for a group of students in my class, thereby my commitment to "implement a variety of teaching strategies to maximize student participation" (EDoT 6. Action. I.).