Intermediate Students' Experiences with an Arts-Based Unit: An Action Research

I conducted an action research study with intermediate-level language and literature students, examining meaning making as adolescents engaged in a developmental writing and performance project. The study was guided by theory and research highlighting the valuable role of overt student reflection to improve engagement in learning. Data collection methods included interviews, teacher observations, reflective journals, and audio/videotaped performance. Data analysis was iterative throughout the study, using both within-case and cross-case sampling, but drawing heavily on self-reports as authentic representations of meaning-making. The findings suggest that learning through the arts provides a vehicle for students to become actively engaged in the construction of their own learning