What is going on with the pedometers?

So, the pedometer experiment started with great excitement from the students…and many complaints from their teachers! I have learned a great deal through this process and will continue to persevere with this project.

On the first day when the girls received their pedometers, they were very motivated to get as many steps as possible. They were so motivated that when they were seated “listening” to a special speaker, they pulled off their pedometers and started shaking in order to get more steps. So much for that data collection day!

A second problem I stumbled upon was the collection of data. My brilliant idea was to create a digital spreadsheet into which the students could record their data. Unfortunately, I do not (currently) possess the skills to create such a tool, and resorted to a book for each class with a page for each student to record their steps for the day.

This was problematic as the end of the day when each student wanted to return their pedometer, record their steps and go home on time…apparently it was CHAOS! I apologized to the teachers for not being in class at the end of the day to manage (observe) this ridiculous pushing and shoving match to get the book and put the pedometer away in the case. The classroom teachers problem solved for the next class and asked the girls to record their steps in their agendas. It was up to me how to retrieve this information and use it as needed. I now collect their data every 3 weeks at the beginning of P.E. when they are asked to bring agendas to class. There is a better way out there, but for now, this seems to make things easier on Wednesday afternoons!

A third problem encountered with the pedometers is their accuracy/effectiveness. The students are very curious and like to see their progress during the day. This occasionally resets the pedometer and the girls get frustrated. They are the recommended school pedometer based on price ($10 each), and when you need to buy 50, you probably opt for the cheapest one, as I did. Yes, I am using 1990s technology, but it is the most cost effective tool to collect the data.

There are a few dud pedometers as well. I have a very conscientious student who has opened her pedometer at the end of the day and has zero steps recorded. I asked her to try it again the following week and re-close and open if it appears as zero to see if the steps reappear. No luck. I have given her a new pedometer to start recording her steps properly.

Even with these bumps in the research process, the students have been very keen. The numbers collected on non-activity days appear to be very low. I now have my REVISED next steps for my Action Plan:

1. Have students wear pedometers on a P.E. day to compare data
2. Make conclusions regarding activity levels on P.E. days compared to non-P.E. days – is this really a concern?
3. Engage the students in the question: How do we create opportunities for activity on non-activity days? Have them create Activity Blasts to increase step counts.
4. Review the new collection of data and compare to activity levels prior to Activity Blast days. Is there an increase in step count?
5. Get feedback from the Grade 5s about Activity Blast days – do they like it? Do they think it is increasing activity levels? How else could we increase activity?

Needless to say, my timeline has been blown out of the water. I would like to complete my data collection by the end of May and begin to look to next year with new ways of creating activity opportunities.  I have discovered that taking my time to collect and review the data has enabled me to have thoughtful reflections on the research process and the findings. Although timelines are important, collecting the data and analyzing for meaning is more important. Patience really is a virtue when waiting for results!