Debby Deal Tidewater Team STEM Grades 4-5 August 4, 2011 Action/Teacher Research

A Quick Introduction What: Reflective process in which teachers ask questions that relate to student learning, instructional practices, and school operations Who: Classroom teachers (i.e. reflective practitioners) Other school professionals Where: In the classroom Other teaching/learning environment Why: To answer authentic questions related to student learning To improve children’s lives To provide meaningful professional development How: Systematic inquiry (i.e. purposeful design and inquiry)

Action Research closely resembles your daily planning and teaching Action ResearchClassroom Teaching Identify an area of focus, question, wondering Identify objectives Collect dataTeach the lesson Assess student learning Analyze and interpret dataReflect on teaching & learning Develop an action planDecide how this lesson (i.e. student learning, your teaching ) will affect the following lesson

Action Research, like teaching, is a recursive process Identity an Area of Focus Collect DataDevelop an Action Plan Analyze and Interpret Data Mills, J.E. (2007). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher (3 rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Identify Your Area of Interest The area of focus should: Involves teaching, learning, and your own practice Be within your locus of control Be something you feel passionate about Address something you want to change or improve (Creswell, 2005; Elliot 1991, Sagor, 2000)

Area of Focus To Do List Observe: When doing group work during a design brief I notice that my students do not readily talk and share ideas Question: How can I promote more discussion and collaboration? What happens if I include strategies such as Think, Pair, Share and quick writes before asking students to discuss? Reflect: What are your values and beliefs related to teaching and learning? What are your values and beliefs related to your area of focus? What do you know about the relationship between theory, practice, school, and community? Why do you think the situation exists? Research the literature: What have other researchers found out about your area of focus/questions? What can their findings contribute to your action research plan?

Action Research Plan Write area of focus statement Define variables Determine research questions Describe intervention or innovation Describe members of AR group Describe needed negotiations Create timeline Identify resources List data collection ideas

Collect Data Your questions determine the types of data you will collect Research should include multiple forms of data (i.e. triangulation)

Data Collection Common forms of qualitative data (yield narrative descriptive data) Common forms of quantitative data (yield descriptive statistics) Observation (e.g. field notes, anecdotal records) Interviews (individual, focus groups) Questionnaires Journals (student, teacher) Media (e.g. videotapes, audiotapes, photographs) Classroom artifacts Teacher created tests Standardized tests Report cards Attitude scales Likert scales

Analyze Your Data Immerse yourself in the data, read and reread the data Summarize your data The type of data dictates the type of analysis (e.g. look for recurrent themes in the literature and data; code interviews, surveys, observations)

Interpreting Data Make sense of your data What story does it tell? Find the “so what” Create a graphic organizer (e.g. concept map, flow chart) Connect your data to the literature Identify limitations (i.e. what might be missing or incomplete?) Suggest further questions

Develop an Action Plan Based on what you learned, what’s next? Will your action plan facilitate positive change for children in your class or school? Create an action plan (graphic organizer) Summary of findings for each research question Recommended action Person responsible People who should be consulted Person who will collect data Timeline Resources needed

Share What You Learned Informally with colleagues Formally Conferences Articles