BUT WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY?
Gilah C. Leder
Graduate School of Education
La Trobe University - Bundoora
INTRODUCTION
In 1997 we began our study of mature age students1 who chose to return to, or embark on, university studies and who included at least one mathematics subject among their first year load. The parameters of the study, details of the sample and of the instruments used for gathering our data have been described in Brew (1998) and Forgasz (1998). The focus of this paper is on one of the more sustained and open-ended measures we used: the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), an approach which yielded a rich source of information in the study of talented teenagers conducted by Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, and Whalen (1993). Twenty-one students agreed to participate in this phase of our data collection: eight women and 13 men. At the time of writing this paper, data were available for 20 of these - all of the women and 12 of the men.
THE STUDY
Procedure
We modified the procedures of Csikszentmihalyi et al (1993) slightly, in line with our resources and recognition that we were working with an adult sample2. Briefly, for six consecutive days which included a weekend, respondents carried an electronic beeper which sent six signals between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm on working days and between 10 am and 10 pm on weekend days. Participants were expected to "fill out a detailed report on their current activities, thoughts, companions, and feelings" (Csikszentmihalyi et al, 1993, p. 49) within 30 minutes of receipt of the signal. Beeping was spread over six weeks, from late August to early October, with a break to accommodate the mid semester holidays. Generally, four students were tracked in any one week.
The instrument
ESM allows intensive monitoring of activities over an extended period of time by requesting participants to chart their daily activities, and reactions to those activities, through completion of a specially designed form, the Experience Sampling Form or ESF, on receipt of a signal. Excerpts from the Experience Sampling Form are shown in Figure 1. The sheets for each day were colour coded.
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Csikszentmihalyi et al (1993) restricted their sample to respondents for whom at least 15 data sets were available and whose ESFs were completed within 30 minutes of receipt of the signal. Sufficient completed forms were received from 91% of their sample. On average, for each participant 60% of the ESFs were deemed valid, i.e., the forms had been completed within 30 minutes of receipt of the signal.
Our response rate
Out of the approximately 720 ESFs distributed3 to 20 students, 582 forms were returned. This represents an 81% response rate and exceeded our aim of at least 67%. We had informed students that completion of at least four of the six sheets each day would be quite acceptable and interpret the much higher response rate as indicative of the group's strong commitment to the research project.
The full data set was used to determine the spread and extent of activities in which the students were engaged (see Figure 3). However, for tracing data pertaining to affective issues we initially counted as valid only those responses completed within 30 minutes of receipt of the signal, following Csikszentmihalyi et al. (1993). Of the forms returned, 364 (62% of the overall response of 582 ESF) fulfilled this requirement. Closer examination of the ESFs completed outside the 30 minute cut off period revealed that there were often good reasons why the forms were not completed at the time of the signal (e.g. examinations, laboratory classes, cinema, in transit). We decided to include as valid those ESFs which had clearly been completed as soon as possible after receipt of the signal. This increased the number of valid ESFs to 492 (84% of the overall response of 582 ESF). Variations in individual response rates are summarised in Table 1.
Table 1: Response rates Category N4 Individual variations in response rates All papers (activities) 582 41 - 100% ESFs completed within 30 minutes 364 16 - 94% ESFs completed within 30 minutes or as soon as possible (affect) 492 41 - 100%
The response rate generally fell over the six day period. Typically it was high for the first two days, fell away on the third day and remained steady over the remainder of the signaling period (Figure 2). A similar pattern was evident for ESFs completed within 30 minutes of the signal or at the soonest appropriate time after the signal.
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Snap shots of daily activities
The activities of the students when beeped were divided into eight major categories (study, paid work, relaxation, family, total chores, transit, sleeping, eating). When coding was not clear cut, for example when the respondent was eating with other family members, the dimension emphasized in other comments on the sheet determined the coding category. A summary of the daily activities is shown in Figure 3.
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For approximately one-third of the signals sent, it can be seen, students indicated that they were engaged in study activities4. Relaxation was the next most frequently captured activity (just over 20% of the signals); about 10% of the signals were received when the students were engaged in paid work. There was no difference in the frequency reported by females and males of being beeped when eating. Although no strong gender differences were noted, the pattern of responses in Figure 3 indicates that, for the group as a whole, males were more likely than females to be studying, be with family, in transit or sleeping when beeped, and less likely than females to be involved in paid work, be relaxing, or doing chores.
Some of the broad categories were coded more finely. Additional categories used can be gleaned from the data presented for two students, Ann and Howard5 - see Figure 5.
About Ann and Howard
Ann was a full time student who was studying at the university of her first choice. She was married, with three children, and lived in her own home. She had decided against going to university when she left school because she had not decided on a career, wanted a break from formal studies and needed to work to support herself. Nor had her family discouraged her from taking that break. When we interviewed Howard at the beginning of the year he was also a full time student, but not at the university of his first choice. Like Ann, he had attended a coeducational government school in the metropolitan area and was born in Australia. His wish to travel and to have a break from formal study were important reasons for the delay between leaving school and embarking on his current course. Howard was also living with a permanent partner and had one child. A more detailed and more refined description of these two students, and of the other data sources we had for each, are found in Brew (1998) and Forgasz (1998).
A week in the life of Ann and Howard
Ann and Howard participated in the beeper component of the study over almost the same period. Howard's six day sequence began on a Tuesday, Ann's on the Wednesday of the same week. They responded well to the beeper requests. Ann returned 36 ESFs (100%) and Howard completed 33 of the possible 36 sheets (92%). As for the larger group, for both students "study" was the activity most frequently caught at the time of beeping: some 33% for Ann and 37% for Howard (see Figure 4). Ann and Howard, it can also be seen, were contacted while they were eating about as often as the larger group, spent more time doing chores and less time in relaxation.
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The more detailed description of Ann and Howard's pastimes, shown in Figure 5, reveals a number of similarities and differences in their activities. Both were caught eating and doing chores with about equal frequency. Ann's high strike rate during her part time job (25%) revealed a major difference in their daily responsibilities - Howard was not engaged in paid work. We beeped him more often while he was studying, with his family (25% for Howard, less than 10% for Ann), in transit to university (5% of the times we beeped him, none for Ann), and while he was sleeping (some 5% of the times we sought information, none for Ann, though she described herself as relaxing about the same number of times). Ann was more likely than Howard to be engaged with others during class time, less likely to be studying alone, more likely to be involved in paid work, more likely to be relaxing alone, less likely to be watching TV, be with her children or with other members of the family.
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It is useful to supplement the data summarised in Figures 4 and 5 with a selection of comments volunteered by Ann and Howard. The excerpts below, taken from ESFs returned, allow further glimpses into their lives.
Study
Scene 1: It is approximately12.43 pm on Friday. Ann is at home, in a room by herself, studying for her examination on Monday. She wishes she could sit at a table. But "if I leave my bedroom my (house guest) starts talking to me". She notes that our question "Were you living up to the expectations of others?" is "difficult to answer as different people or groups have quite different expectations of you".
Scene 2: 12.21 pm on a Tuesday. Howard is with a class mate in a tutorial which is part of the course he is doing. He notes that it is a "bad place to hold a tutorial! The room is actually a computer lab, and so it's (a) very poor choice of room to hold a written (theoretical) tutorial. Other people coming in to (the) room and using computers who are not in (the) tutorial, and there's hardly any room on tables on which to do any written work".
Paid work
Scene 3: Ann's beeper goes off at 6.26 at night. She is in the restaurant where she is working to "earn money". She is thinking of the "job at hand" and does not get round to completing the ESF until 11.35 that evening. She reflects that she would have much preferred to be "by myself at home" and to be "studying for (her) exam on Monday".
Family
Scene 4: Ann is in a coffee lounge in the country and is having lunch with her mother-in-law to celebrate the latter's birthday. Her ESF, completed an hour after she received the signal, reveals quite graphically how much she would have preferred to be studying for her examination and how frustrated she is by the intrusion of her mother-in-law's visit into her daily routine and study time: "My mother-in-law is staying for 3 weeks. I wish she would go home or alternately not talk continuously".
Scene 5: Howard's last signal for the day came at 8.35 pm. He indicated that he was at home, with his daughter, and that the two of them were bouncing on the bed. And why was he doing that particular activity? Because his daughter insisted. "What were you thinking about?" "Getting some sleep."
Chores
Scene 6: Ann's first signal for the day is at 7.30 am. She is in the kitchen at home and is cutting sandwiches for her husband and children. In response to the prompt "what were you thinking about?", she writes "I wish my husband would make his own lunch!" [exclamation mark in the original] To the questions "Who would you have preferred to be with?" and "What would you have preferred to be doing?" she answered "by myself" and "asleep" respectively.
Scene 7: It is just after 10 pm. Ann is at home in the laundry and is doing the washing while she is thinking about "Fathers Day shopping". She would have preferred to be "by myself" and to be "having a coffee and reading the paper (i.e., swap places with my husband)".
Scene 8: It is 7.30 am. Howard is in the shower, "washing/waking up". He is trying to decide whether or not to go for a swim. He writes that he would have much preferred to be sleeping still, and to be with his partner.
Scene 9: It is 4.20 in the afternoon. Howard is by himself, "pulling weeds out of our hedge". He was working in the garden as part of his study break and was thinking about "what to do next". He felt that he had earned his break because "I had just gotten a major part of my programming assignment to work, before I had taken a break". He would have preferred to have been with "some classmates (to brag?!)" [punctuation in the original] and would rather have been "swimming or (in the) spa. I think I'll reward myself with a cup of tea and chocolate treats".
Ann, it appears, is being pulled in many directions: home, family responsibilities, the desire to gain some independence through her part time earnings, and to do well in her course. The wish for more personal space and time, and uninterrupted time for study, are themes captured by many of her responses. Howard's concern to spend time with his child, his pleasure when he masters assignments and other hurdles set in the course, and considerable flexibility in organising daily activities are recurring themes in his ESFs.
Given the importance to this study of factors that influence academic success, it is instructive to examine further how Ann and Howard felt during study times. Relevant information is shown in Figure 6.
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In general, Howard's responses again reflect a more satisfied and less frustrated student. He apparently found it easier to concentrate, felt better about himself, considered that he was living up to his own expectations as well as those of others, rated his level of success higher than did Ann, and showed a higher level of satisfaction. Yet, as was apparent from her responses on the ESFs, Ann seemed to attach much importance to her study activities and to the importance of her studies in enabling her to reach her ultimate goal. Some of the obstacles and competing demands she is facing have already been identified.
FINAL COMMENTS
The sustained monitoring of daily activities, study related and more broadly, both inform and are informed by other data we have gathered on the students (see Forgasz 1998 in particular). Collectively they produce rich profiles of our participants which reflect the various pressures experienced by all students and by mature age students in particular. The overall survey of activities indicate that Ann and Howard were not unrepresentative of the larger group. Some of the activities in which they were engaged in a typical week seem to confirm gender stereotypes, others to challenge them. Their self descriptions of study related issues revealed quite different patterns of interpretation of study events, self perceptions, and pressures put on themselves or by others. However, an informed interpretation of these findings requires reference to the other data sources obtained, and in particular to the interview and email data (see Forgasz, 1998). Collectively they allow us to go beyond superficial descriptions to reveal a rich and multifaceted set of pressures, behaviours, and beliefs which affect students' studying activities.
REFERENCES
Brew, C. (1998). Finding a way through the national enrolment data - light at the end of the tunnel. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Adelaide, Nov-Dec.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., Rathunde, K., & Whalen, S. (1993) Talented teenagers. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press
Forgasz, H. J (1998) Why are they studying mathematics? Tertiary mathematics students tell all! Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Adelaide, Nov-Dec.
________________________________________________________________
Name
Date _____ Time Beeped _____ Time filled out ____
As you were beeped:
(You may have been engaged in an academic, household, employment related or leisure pursuit. Any of these are relevant for the purpose of this study)
Where were you? ______________________________________________________
Who were you with? ____________________________________________________
..... ..... ..... _________________________________________________
What were you thinking about? ___________________________________________
Tick the column which best describes your response to each of the following questions Not at all a little moderately quite a bit completely Were you concentrating? Was it hard to concentrate? Were you living up to your own expectations? .... .... ....
In the table below you are asked to describe your mood as you were beeped .... Tick the appropriate column which best describes your mood along (the) continuum.
Very Quite NEITHER Quite Very happy sad lonely sociable distracted focussed ... ... ... ...
.... .... .... .... ....
If you had the choice when you were beeped:
What would you prefer to have been doing? _________________________________
.... .... ___________________________________________________
Any other comments? __________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Figure 1: Excerpts from the Experience Sampling Form
Figure 2: Beeper response rate to Experience Sampling Forms for the actual number of ESFs returned. [N(ESF)=492, N(participants)=20]
Figure 3: The spread of activities that students were engaged in at the time they were signalled, by gender.
Figure 4: Overview of Ann and Howard's activities.
Figure 5: A more detailed overview of Ann and Howard's activities
Figure 6: Affective issues related to study, as captured by the ESF - for Ann and Howard