Week 4 (Feb.13, 07) Frame & Refine Research Questions

Agenda for Today Identify your area of interest (40) 1-minute presentation/defense of your research questions) (40) Peer review – INTRO (20) For next week: classroom teaching observation

Agenda I Frame your research questions: where to start?

Identify Your Area of Interest – 1 st try What intrigues you in your classroom?

Introduction to Action Research  What is action research: Mills (p5)

Select an area of focus for your Action Research What criteria/tips does Mills suggest when selecting an area of focus?

Select an area of focus for your Action Research (cont.) Mills recommends the following criteria when selecting and area of focus:  The area of focus should involve teaching and learning and should focus on ones own practice.  The area of focus is something within your locus of control.  The area of focus is something you feel passionate about.  The area of focus is something your would like to change or improve.

Why teacher researcher? (4.1.1) What do I learn from this reading?

Why teacher researcher? What does the author intends to say about research through Julie and little Johnny's story?

In what sense is Julie a researcher?  It conveys the simplicity of beginning with genuine questions.  Goal of research: to gain access to the play ground  Method: getting data- little Johnny to ask mom, analyze the data and find the pattern!

Research is a process of Discovering essential questions; Gathering data, and analyzing it to Answer those questions.

What teacher research/action research is Research that is initiated and carried out by teachers in their classrooms and schools. Teacher researcher use their inquiries to study everything: The best way to teach reading, Most useful methods for organizing group activities, Different ways girls or boys respond to a science program.

Teacher research… Begins with genuine research questions that are truly relevant to researchers Teacher researcher Significant contributor to research Source of systemic reform in individual schools and districts. Rich in classroom anecdotes and personal stories. Not written in distance, third-person voice, but has an immediate, first person tone. Stories are a critical tool for illuminating the deeper theories or rules governing the way a classroom community works. A “maybe” work – after the list of so many duties/obligations… but there are ways to develop inquiry skills that are relevant to almost any teacher and classroom

Little r and Big R (4.1.2) What do I learn from this reading?

Teacher-researcher Research can focus on problem they are trying to solve in their own classrooms. Observing students closely, analyzing their needs, and adjusting the curriculum to fit the needs of all students Teacher research involves collecting and analyzing data as well as presenting it to others in a systematic way Teacher-Researcher: the end goal is to create best possible learning environment for students. e.g. blank look – “how else can I teach this concept?” (and that’s research!)

“Careful gardener” metaphor

Celebrating “Things I learned last week” (3.1.3)  Observe your own teaching and your class/students for a week  Look closely at the small details  Process daily small moments  These small details will become building blocks of our lives as researchers

HW for this week: Discovering my research questions through observation  Things I’ve learned this week about teaching. It can be any form: A journal A list A poem Remember the purpose of doing this though!!! To identify you an area of interest and try to frame your research questions.

Strategies for working toward a research question (4.2) Process the reading (whole class) Each group pick one of the strategies and help the class understand that strategies through giving examples.

Understanding Action Research Textbook Chapter 1

Framing research questions Open-ended (not yes or no question) Pose the question in a way that can be answered by descriptions and observations – how & what What intrigues you in your classroom? What are you puzzled by in your classroom? Are there what-ifs running through your mind begging to be explored?

The way of finding and framing research questions It takes time It may involve a lot of exploration through wonderings The research cycle continues with new question as well as possible answers. Tip: Don’t rush to state a question so your research can begin. Figuring out the question is an important part of the research.

3 major steps in doing a research study (Review)  Preparing a proposal describing the study to be done and its significance (EDU651)  Collecting and analyzing data (EDU652)  Writing a report of the complete study (EDU652)

Action Research Examples  etworks/ etworks/

Housekeeping

Agenda II Frame and Refine Your Research Questions

Frame/Refine your research questions  Group work

Frame your Research Question  Form a group of 4/5 people  Share with the group your wonders/concerns/questions about your teaching and/or student learning, or other’s classroom teaching.  Frame/refine your question and prepare for a 1-minute presentation/defense

1-minute presentation/defense  What is your research question and sub- questions? (Poster)  Why do you think it is a good/not-so-good research question? You sincerely interested and/or invested in? Researchable? Feasible? Clear? Significant? Real world problem Ethical? …

House Keeping  Hot Topic Debate for next week  Assignment: one week observation  Q & A?

Q & A