Can tenth graders go beyond writing reports to conduct “authentic” research? English teachers and the school librarian collaborate to gather data in a qualitative action research study that investigates the effectiveness of an assignment that requires primary research methods and an essay of two thousand words. The unit is designed as a performance-based assessment task, including rubrics, student journals, and peer editing. Students develop research questions, write proposals, design questionnaires and interviews, and learn techniques of display and analysis. Concurrently, their teachers gather data from observation, journals, and questionnaires to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the assignment. The research assignment has become analogous to “Take two aspirins and call me in the morning.” It doesn’t seem to do any harm and may even do some good. Educators adjust the dosage for older students: the length of the paper grows with the time allotted to the task but the prescription is the same. It is universally accepted as a benign activity, as evidenced by the prevalence of standards and objectives for research skills in school curricula. It has become a staple in the educational diet of the high school student. Librarians promote the research assignment because they want students to get better at searching, retrieving, and evaluating information. English teachers see it as an opportunity for sustained writing. Parents like it because it is good preparation for college. Everyone likes it because it gets students into the library and reading. So, what is wrong with research as it is traditionally taught in secondary schools? And what do students think?
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