It is finally here, the moment I have been waiting for: To share with all of you what I have been doing for the last five weeks or so! My job was to propose a wicked problem, something that is so complex and can be tricky to solve. In order to get my brain rolling with this task, I completed a quickfire that required me to ask as many questions as possible within a time constraint. I fired off question after question and I even created more after the timer was complete. Questioning can be a hard skill especially when some questions are so structured. They require a yes or no answer. After looking at my questions, thinking about a wicked problem in my own professional context, it came down to student retention. That is where the wicked problem comes into play:
When it comes to student retention, what happens if it lies within the school?
This question made me ponder, research, create a survey, and find more research on this wicked problem, that unfortunately, did not have a lot of scholarly articles to peruse through. Even with the lack of research, that did not stop me from finding a solution to this wicked problem.
"Screenshot of Survey Question" created by Stephanie Check using Google Forms
After looking at the research, conducting a survey to share with my Twitter PLN, and analyzing the data, I found out student retention could lie within the school; particularly, the lack of student engagement. Yang et al. (2018) stated a student-focused learning environment is the approach teachers should promote where “students are encouraged to be active learners.” Studies have even shown that “students who are disengaged in learning and the classroom environment were less likely to progress in school and more likely to drop out of high school” (Henry, Knight, & Thornberry, 2012; Rhodes, 2011).
As I mentioned, a wicked problem can be complex, which student retention is. It also can be tricky to solve. This solution I researched and found may not be the only solution to this problem and that is perfectly okay.
As a solution to this wicked problem, I suggest two strategies. One would be to implement student engagement strategies into the classroom such as Kagan Structures. Kagan Structures are a great way to make sure all students are engaged at every moment during the school day. Another strategy would be to implement the RtI or Response to Intervention framework into your school. This is a great strategy to support all students at all learning levels so that we do not see them decline in their learning.
"Personalized Creation for Wicked Problem Project" created by Stephanie Check
We know students may not be ready for the next grade level due to developmental, teacher, or family concerns. That is where the teacher can step in to prevent a student from moving on. However, we cannot simply revert to student retention for every student but we cannot push everyone through to the next grade level if they are not ready. If student retention lies within the school, the school system needs to figure out ways to support our students and help them to be successful in the classroom, whether it is with engagement strategies or intervention and support.
*My Wicked Problem Presentation can be located here. Please enjoy and reach out if you have any questions or want to learn more about the topic.
References
Check, S. (2021). Personalized creation for wicked problem project.
Check, S. (2021). Screenshot of survey question. [Photograph].
Check, S. A. [Stephanie Check]. (2021, August 14). Student Retention: A Wicked Problem [Video]. YouTube.
Yang, M., Chen, Z., Rhodes, J. L. F., & Orooji, M. (2018). A longitudinal study on risk factors of grade retention among elementary school students using a multilevel analysis: Focusing on material hardship and lack of school engagement. Children and Youth Services Review, 88, 25-32. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740917308460?casa_token=sWYRv8Q_aKUAAAAA:XJ0EIc4SyIX6m0mUb2VKj282uZDguaUbexS3QArLkCS9MD1Ii12WyC4sMNiaEliwchafSUaf4wU
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