Conducting Action Research in Your School

What is Action Research? “The development of powers of reflective thought, discussion, decision and action by ordinary people participating in collective research on ‘private troubles’ that they have in common” – Kurt Lewin, 1934

“A disciplined process of inquiry conducted by and for those taking the action. The primary reason for engaging in action research is to assist the actor in improving or refining his or her actions.” – Sagor, 2000

Action Research is conducted… By teachers, administrators, and other school professionals vs. “researchers” In the “messiness” of real life in schools and classrooms vs. settings where variables are easily controlled Using descriptive or quasi-experimental research designs and methods vs. an experimental design and purely quantitative methods

To enable educators to make informed decisions about how to improve opportunities for students to learn and to take action vs. to generate generalizable, statistically significant research findings To contribute to a relevant and accessible knowledge base about teaching vs. speaking to the purely academic community

Why conduct Action Research? To address the complexity of teaching (Sagor, 2000) As a powerful source of professional development (Osterman & Kottkamp, 1993) To improve student performance, close the achievement gap (Little, 1982; Rosenholtz, 1985)

The Four Stages of the Action Research process [Figure 1.1, pg. 7]: Stage 1:Clarifying Vision and Targets Stage 2: Articulating Theory Stage 3: Implementing Action and Collecting Data Stage 4: Reflecting on the Data and Planning Informed Action

Stage 1: What do we want to accomplish? Identify “we” – form a team Identify the goal that will serve as the focus for your team’s project Identify achievement targets for your goal

Finding a focus Variety of strategies for identifying your focus – many are reflected in your school’s strategic planning process Consider the goals in your Five-Year Strategic Plan Consider the targets you already need to address

Identifying your achievement targets and appropriate growth Performance targets Changes in academic performance Changes in student behavior Changes in student attitude/affect Process targets Changes in teaching skills and methods Changes in school procedures Program targets Changes in curriculum Changes in offerings

What fits “under the Action Research umbrella”? A focus on action. Past action (summative evaluation) Present action (formative evaluation) Future action (evaluating materials for adoption) A real need for action. You are empowered to take action. You have the resources to take action. Improvement is possible.

Refining your focus Instructional postmortem Comparing experiences, considering context Collecting insights from colleagues Conducting a literature review Exploring existing programs or strategies

Beginning the process: Stage 1 September 21 – November 15 complete Stage 1 Identify a goal, a focus for your project Identify who might serve on your team Make sure the focus is something your school/your team cares about Identify how performance can be improved Identify the actions your team will need to take to improve performance Post description of Stage 1 to the Discussion Board

The Action Research process continues… December 5-6 Meeting Begin Stage 2: Exploring research and best practices to provide a strong rationale for the design of your team’s action research project Identify possible strategies for collecting data to inform action Begin Stage 3: Implementing the strategy or strategies your team identifies and collecting data that will help you see what effect the action is having Explore possible strategies for analyzing data and using results to inform action

December 7 – January 15 complete Stage 2 Post description of Stage 2 to the Discussion Board

January 16 – March 15 complete Stage 3 Begin implementing the project – taking action and collecting data Work with your team to analyze and reflect on data the team has collected Post description of Stage 3 to the Discussion Board

April 1 – 15 complete Stage 4 Reflect on the data and your goal and achievement targets to revise your action plan Work with your team to write a brief summary of your project Using the format used in the Research Network summaries, complete the Stage 4 Form on the WVCPD website

Sharing Your Project April 24 – 25 Meeting Share project results!