WHAT IS TEACHER RESEARCH? (AND WHY DO I CARE SO PASSIONATELY ABOUT IT?) Cathy Fleischer Eastern Michigan University

“[an] educational movement, research genre, political and policy critique, challenge to university culture, and lifelong stance on teaching, learning, schooling and educational leadership.” (Cochran-Smith and Lytle) Teacher Research is…

Why Is It So Important Right Now? According to well-known teacher researchers Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater and Bonnie Sunstein…. Our classrooms are under siege. We feel the flames. And, as teachers, we’re afraid our students will become the casualties. We’re bombarded by national educational policies, state assessment mandates, regional curriculum demands, and community competition about competencies and for resources….We need to make our voices speak through the fire and invite the noisy public to listen. When we speak as teachers informed by our own research, we can control the fires and inform the noisy public about what works in our classroom. …systematic inquiry is both a form and a method for teacher resistance and teacher agency.

So, what is it really? Here’s how one of my favorite teacher researchers (Marion Mohr) describes it… Teacher research is inquiry that is  intentional  systematic  public  voluntary  ethical  contextual

Belief Structures Underlying TR “Big R” Research believes in: - one truth awaiting discovery - - control/experim ental groups; stripping away context - - generalizable to the rest of the world Emphasis on real questions Celebration of context Belief in collaboration Emphasis on praxis

Begin with a question: a true wondering Situate the question within a larger context Study your classroom Analyze and thematize Make change and go public! How to get Started with TR

Begin with a question: a true wondering

Think about the themes you’ve been focusing on, as well! Oral Language Collaboration Integration Prior Knowledge Assessment Inquiry Classroom culture How do those quick writes connect to one or more of these themes?

Looking more deeply into your questions  Look over your notes and pick one question or wondering. You might want to phrase it as “I wonder what happens when….” or “I wonder why…” or “How does…”  Reflect on that wondering: What do I think about the question already? What have my experiences shown me? How does the question fit into larger questions I have about teaching?

Looking even more deeply: Circle of Knowledge - Write your question at the top of a piece of paper - Pass your paper to the right - Respond to the question in front of you by asking further questions or mentioning a source that might be useful. DO NOT TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION!! - Pass the paper to the right again. Read the question, the response, and then add your own response. - Repeat until you get your own paper back. Reread all the responses and reflect on how you might clarify your question. - Write out your new question and clarifying subquestions

Begin with a question: a true wondering Situate the question within a larger context Study your classroom Analyze and thematize Make change and go public! How to Get Started with TR

Understanding the Context Consider: - The larger conversation in the field: What others have said about your topic - The circumstances of your own classroom/school: Who are your students? Who are you as their teacher? What are the ethical considerations in your research?

Begin with a question: a true wondering Situate the question within a larger context Study your classroom Analyze and thematize Make change and go public! How to Get Started with TR

Studying your classroom Collecting data on your question: - Observation notes (TR log or research journal) - Interviews (individual and group; formal and informal) - Surveys/Questionnaires (formal or informal) - Artifacts (student work, lesson or unit plans, memos, etc.)

Begin with a question: a true wondering Situate the question within a larger context Study your classroom Analyze and thematize Make change and go public! How to get Started with TR

Analyzing by finding themes Reading, re-reading, re-reading your data, searching for - Recurring themes - Examples that support the themes - Moments of disagreement Triangulation

Begin with a question: a true wondering Situate the question within a larger context Study your classroom Analyze and thematize Make change and go public! How to get Started with TR

Going public What does it mean to go public? Finding a way to implement and share your findings: Making changes in your own classroom Helping others understand what you’ve found Creating a “study of cases ” Possible genres: Journal article Curriculum guide Professional development workshop Parent guide Presentation at a conference, school board meeting, parent night