GRDG690 Action Research: Literacy Week 3: Methods, Data Collection & Ethics Gloria E. Jacobs, Ph.D.

Agenda Ethics Methods & Data Collection Writing the methods section ▫Context of the study ▫Participants ▫Data collection methods ▫Ensuring trustworthiness

Ethics Respect for Persons ▫Informed consent/ parental permission/ child assent ▫Trust ▫Anonymity & confidentiality Beneficence ▫Do no harm ▫Never deceive your participants Justice ▫The research will help the people with whom you are working Your action research ethics should reflect the principles of your teaching Data should reflect what really happened

Permissions – Keep it Simple Parental permissions from any students you’ll be working with. Consent from any adults you’ll be interviewing or observing Assent from children you’re working with. Verbal assent is ok with young children. A written assent form is good for older children Sample consent/permission/assent letters are online.

Take Online Ethics Course Link online your confirmation number to me Why we worry about ethics History of ethical issues in research Main concerns of research review boards

Methods: Issues Quantitative/ExperimentalQualitative/Action Research Triangulation Validity Reliability Generalizability Bias Triangulation Credibility Transferability Dependability Confirmability Transparency (being candid) Guba’s approach: See page

Wolcott’s Approach (p. 92) Talk little/listen a lot Record observations accurately Start writing early Show, don’t tell Report fully (do not be afraid of that which doesn’t fit) Be candid – what biases do you have? Seek feedback – use your critical colleagues

Methods: Data Collection Experiencing Observation ▫Participant Observation  Active  Privileged  Passive Field Notes ▫How to observe ▫What to take notes on ▫Anecdotal record forms (p. 63) Examination Journals (teacher & student) Maps Video recordings Audio recordings Photos Artifacts (district data, student work, test results, reading inventories) Enquiring Interviewing ▫Informal ▫Formal ▫ Focus Groups Questionnaires Take notes during interviews and focus group meetings even if recording

Organizing your data Date / Time Location Participant names & demographic information Code names

Planning Your Research Identifying Data Collection Techniques (Box 3-4 (p. 73) ▫How will you be experiencing, enquiring, and examining Identifying Data Sources: Mills figure 3-1 (p. 57) ▫Strive for multiple forms of data for each subquestion Getting specific about data sources Mills box 3-3 (p. 72) ▫Identify as many of the actual documents you’ll be collecting

Planning Your Research II How will you ensure the validity of your research? (Mills, Box 4-1, p. 87).

Sample Action Research Cycle 1.Based on your reading, select a method you would like to learn more about. 2.Try it in your teaching 3.Observe, keep field notes, collect student work, interview student(s) about their experience 4.Analyze the data – How did the method impact student learning? 5.Adjust the method based on what you learned from the analysis 6.Go back to step 2 7.Do this cycle at least three times 8.Analyze all the data and determine the outcomes

Sample Passive Observer Action Research Cycle 1.Identify a teacher or teachers who use the method you are interested in (based on your reading) 2.Observe them use the method and take field notes 3.Collect samples of student work 4.Interview the teacher(s) about what they did 5.Interview the student(s) about their learning 6.Analyze the data to see what emerges. 7.Share what you learned with the teacher and get their feedback 8.Repeat with the same method or different methods as appropriate for your question.

Contents of Methods Section Write in future tense – you will then change it after you are done to reflect what you really did Context ▫Describe the school or location Participants ▫Describe each participant (age, race/ethnicity, gender, years of teaching, reading level, etc.) Your role (as teacher, observer, etc.) Method ▫What you are going to do (did) ▫Credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability ▫Be specific. Data Collection ▫What tools did you use to collect data (active observation, field notes, interviews (how many), questionnaires (how many), artifacts, video recording etc. ▫If you are using interviews and questionnaires, include copies of the questions in your appendices Exemplar and template available online

Next Class Complete online ethics course (link on Blackboard) ▫ the certificate number to me. Draft of Methods section due 2/24 or 2/25 (no class) Begin data collection as soon as you have the consents/permissions ▫As you are collecting data, revise your theoretical framework and it to me when you are ready. ▫Continue working on your literature review, methods as necessary (after I review it). it to me when you are ready. 3/17 or 3/18 Class meeting – Data Analysis ▫Read Mills 6 & 8 ▫Bring whatever data you have to class