Transcript TEACHER ACTION RESEARCH - George Mason University

Teacher Action Research
Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD
George Mason University
[email protected]
(703-993-8710)
Marjorie Hall Haley, PhD - GMU
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OBJECTIVES
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Describe what action research is
Describe the characteristics of action
research
Describe how different research
methods can be used in action research
Describe when one would conduct
action research
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What is Action Research?
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Action Research is…..
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Conducted by and for teachers
A way to improve/refine teaching
Always relevant to participants
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Action Research is probably
the purest form of applied
research. Action Research
involves the application of the
scientific method to everyday
problems in the classroom.
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Teachers
Teachers
Engage
Engage
In In
Research
Research
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Action Research has 5
Characteristics
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Purposes and value choice
Contextual focus
Change-based data and sense making
Participation in the research process
Knowledge diffusion
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Different Research Methods
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Quantitative Methods Used in Action
Research - usually require 2 groups of
participants
Qualitative Methods Used in Action
Research - ideally suited to AR. Occurs
in the natural context and requires
ongoing or at least frequent contact
with the participants
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Kinds of Action Research
Models
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Survey
Historical
Program Evaluation
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When Should One Conduct
Action Research?
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The obvious advantage of Action
Research is that teachers and
practitioners can inform their own
practice.
AR aids teachers in reflective thinking in
that it helps them to determine how to
improve instruction.
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Educational research has gradually affected
most of our ideas about education and
practices we use to achieve our objectives in
education. Yet many excellent teachers and
administrators know little about educational
research and assume that research has had no
effect on their daily activities.
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Action Research Process
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Selection of a general “puzzlement”
Review the literature on the puzzlement
Select the specific research puzzlement,
question or hypothesis
Collect data
Analyze and present data or provide
integrative diagrams
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Action Research Process
Continued
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Interpret the findings and state
conclusions or generalization regarding
the puzzlement
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What do Teacher
Researchers do?
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Develop research questions based
on their own curiosity about
teaching and learning
Examine their underlying
assumptions about teaching and
learning
Systematically collect data from
and with their students
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Teacher Researchers
Continued
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Share and discuss their data and
research methodology with fellow
teacher researchers
Analyze and interpret their data
with the support of fellow teacher
researchers
Share their findings with students,
colleagues, and members of the
educationalMarjorie
community
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What are some of the
positive outcomes of
teacher research?
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Increased sharing and
collaboration across disciplines and
grade levels
Increased dialogue about
instructional issues and student
learning
Enhanced communication between
teachers and students
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Improved performance
Positive Outcomes
Continued
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Revision of practice based on new
knowledge about teaching and
learning
Teacher-designed and initiated
staff development
Contributions to the profession’s
body of knowledge about teaching
and learning
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So, how do we get from here
to there?!
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DISCOVERY OF PUZZLEMENTS
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IS THAT YOUR FINAL ANSWER?!
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Three Possible Foci:
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Instructional Strategies
Organizational Patterns
Student Motivation
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SAMPLE PUZZLEMENTS
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How do I stay in the target language?
How can I keep my students motivated?
Does planning have a direct impact on
my teaching?
Why does this method work when it
feels so bad?
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Sample Puzzlements
Continued
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How do I move my teaching to be more
student-centered?
How do I get students to do their homework?
How can I make sure I’m covering all the
Standards?
How do I find time to work with special needs
learners and not bore the other students?
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FORMULATING A PLAN
WHERE DO WE GO FROM
HERE?
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Identifying Research
Questions
Generate a set of personally
meaningful research
questions to guide your
inquiry
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Collecting Data
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Valid & reliable
Multiple sources of data
Fit teaching strategies to students
Use daily instructional
opportunities
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Analyzing Data
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Not necessarily statistics
Examine data: sort, sift, & rank
What is the story told by these
data?
Why did the story play out this
way?
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Taking Informed Action
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All teaching is trial and error
Avoid repeating mistakes
Learn from inquiry process
Improve your teaching
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Teacher Action Research
Plan of Action
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My puzzlement is.....
Review the literature
Collect data
Analyze data
Interpret findings and present
implications
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Feel free to contact me:
Marjorie Hall Haley, Ph.D.
George Mason University
(703) 993-8710
E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
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Action Research Web Sites
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http://gse.gmu.edu/research/tr/
http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/~ctd/net
works/
http://www.aera.net/pubs/
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Web Site for my current
international teacher
action research
Http://www.gse.gmu.edu/research/mirs
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