Chapter 19: Action Research: The School as the Center of Inquiry

What is Action research? Action research in education is study that is conducted by colleagues in the school setting. It examines the effectiveness of their activities to improve instruction. It is best done as a cooperative endeavor. Action research is supportive of thoughtful teaching. It develops an active community of professionals. Action research has the capability to change and transform education from within. The studies of what is effective are done within the classroom and effectiveness is experienced first hand. Revision can be made quickly and collaboration in the studies can help growth and development of teachers and learners.

Traditional Research vs. action research Led by outside experts seeking new knowledge. They look to gain a better understanding of phenomenon and develop tests. The primary audience consists of other researchers, the profession, government or private agencies. Led by practitioners that want to solve problems and improve practice. They explore problems, guide action planning and evaluate results. The research results in desired change and the primary audience is the school community.

How is Action research conducted? Phase 1: A focus area is selected. This is an area of teaching and learning that needs improvement. Phase 2: A needs assessment is performed to gather data on the focus area. Data is gathered to understand the problem and how it might be solved. Phase 3: An action plan is designed. It includes activities for evaluating the success of improvement efforts. Phase 4: Implementation of the plan Phase 5: Evaluating and analyzing data

Five Steps of action research Select Focus Area Conduct Needs Assessment Design Action Plan Carry Out Action Plan Evaluate Effects and Revise Action Plan

Developmental approach to action research Action research is appropriate for three of the four supervisory approaches: directive informational, collaborative and non directive. It is not appropriate for use with the controlling directive supervisory approach. Teacher action research involves teachers making their own decisions about inquiry and improvement. Teachers of low levels of development, expertise and commitment are not ready to engage is action research. They will need to receive intensive direct assistance and staff development. Action research is geared towards the teachers of moderately high expertise and development as well as those of mixed levels of development.

Decisions about action research Collective action research can integrate direct assistance, group development, professional development, and curriculum development. Supervisor chooses and appropriate entry strategy for working with an action research team. Interpersonal approaches: Interpersonal Behaviors Decision Nondirective: High teacher/low supervisor Listening, reflecting, clarifying, encouraging Equal teacher/equal supervisor Collborative: Presenting, problem solving, negotiating Low teacher/high supersisor Directive Informational: Presenting, problem solving, directing alternatives

How the Team Works Collaboratively First, the team conducts a needs assessment of faculty and collects baseline data to determine common goals for instructional improvement. Second, the team brainstorms activities that will cut across supervision tasks. Third, the team makes a plan relating to the goals. Fourth, the team determines ways to observe the progress of the action plan as it is implemented in classrooms. Fifth, the team chooses an evaluation design that will enable them to analyze data collected and determine if objectives have been met and if there is a need for further action.

Essential questions with use of action research After choosing techniques for conducting needs assessment the team can respond to the following questions? 1. What type and frequency of direct assistance must be provided to teachers to reach instructional goals? 2. What meetings and discussions need to be arranged as part of group development for faculty to share and reach our instructional goals? 3. What professional development opportunities, such as lectures, workshops, demonstrations, courses, and visits, need to be provided for faculty to reach our instructional goals? 4. What is the necessary curriculum development in terms of course content, curriculum goals, lesson plans, and instructional materials to reach our goals?

Essential questions with use of action research Writing techniques such as affinity diagrams, impact analysis charts, Gantt charts or force field analysis are used to write plans. Observations can be made using the following strategies: categorical frequency, performance indicators, visual diagraming, verbatim or selective verbatim, narratives, questionnaires, educational criticism and tailored observation systems. The following questions can be used in the evaluation. What is the purpose of the evaluation? Who will evaluate? What questions need to be answered? What data will be gathered and how? How will the data be analyzed? How will the evaluation be reported?

Action Research: four seas of direct assistance Direct Assistance Activities Curriculum Development Activities Professional Development Activities Action Research: four seas of direct assistance

Characteristics of successful action research Supervisor distributed leadership throughout the school. Despite distributed leadership, supervisors were very much involved in the action research. The action research was very much grounded in data analysis and data gathering. Throughout the process the action research teachers cycled back and forth between small group and whole-school meetings. Action plans were fairly detailed and maintained records with ongoing documentation. Extensive collaboration was evident in the process. Extensive support for teachers was provided throughout the process. An incremental, steady approach was used in successful schools. Successful action research resulted in goals being met and further benefits such as increased collegiality.

Alternative approaches to action research Interpretive Action Research- the teachers doing interpretive action research try to understand phenomenon in schools and the meaning that participants make of those phenomenon. Examples of phenomenon that might be studied are: -school’s culture -implementation of new curriculum -interactions between teachers and students over controversial issues Questions that may be asked when doing an interpretive study of an inquiry based science program: Research questions may include: What does the teacher experience during the inquiry of learning? What does the students experience? How does the teacher describe learning that results from learning inquiry? How does the student?

Alternative approaches to action research Critical Action Research- examines and challenges established, taken-for-granted ways of doing things that support inequity, with an eye towards changing practice for the purpose of increasing equity. Examples of what could be studied are: - external social, economic and political forces - ways to overcome those forces - school tracking systems Questions asked when beginning this type of research are: Whose interests are served? What cultural values are reinforced? What power relations are present? How does this effect socio economic realities? Does this effect racial and ethnic issues? (Chapter 19 used a tracking system as an example for analysis of clinical action research.)

Shared governance for action There are three declarative premises that underlie shared governance. Every professional who wants to participate can be part of the research. Professionals that do not want to participate are not obligated to. Once a decision has been made, all staff MUST implement the decision. The Principles for operating shared governance are: 1. One person, one vote 2. Limit decisions to schoolwide instruction within the school 3. Small groups are needed for authentic feedback

Operational Model Executive Council is a 7-11 member council of a majority of teachers and adminstrators. Liaison groups are set up as communication links between the faculty and executive council concerning needs, reactions, opinions and ideas about schoolwide instruction. For a staff of 50, there may be 7 liaison groups with about 7 per group. Task forces are formed after the executive council has examined feedback from the liaison groups. Members have an interest and commitment to the topic of improvement. At least one executive council serves on a task force. Task forces make the reccommendations and develop the report. Implementation is then decided by the executive council.

Suggestions for assisting action research Before action research can begin teachers need to be introduced to methods of gathering data both quantitative and qualitative. Ethical guidelines should be developed before action research begins Resources need to be provided and the most important resource is time to gather and analyze data. Opportunities to share action research with the school community are also needed.

References Glickman, C., & Gordon, S. (2001). Supervision and instructional leadership: A developmental approach (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.