action research as a school improvement strategy
TRANSCRIPT
Action Research as a School Improvement Strategy
Discussions
• What is Action Inquiry Research?• Why is it important?• How does it relate to teaching and
learning?• Have you been involved in Action
Research before? If so, what were the outcomes?
Definition (1)
• Action research is a research that ANY of us can do on his/her own practice to improve it.
• It can be conducted with the assistance or guidance of professional researchers in order to improve strategies, practices, and knowledge of the environments within which they practice.
Action Research - Power Point by: Dr. Tarek Chebbi, FIU
Definition (2)
• Action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice, systematically and carefully, using the techniques of research.
… is systematic inquiry done by teachers (or other individuals in the teaching/learning environment) to gather information about- and subsequently improve- how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how well their students learn.
Action Research
action research...…teacher-initiated, school-based
research used to improve the practitioner’s practice by doing or changing something
…where the teacher is the researcher and the teacher’s practice is the focus of the research
• The main reason for teachers to engage in action research is to learn from and to improve their own teaching activities…
…by re-examining their practice and altering their taken-for-granted beliefs and understandings
• but, action research can also be used to form a more egalitarian community of professional educators…
…as principals, teachers, and other staff conduct in-school research
…used in school improvement efforts as the research results are applied to the school and/or its classrooms
Participatory Action Research:
• Method used to involve community residents, clients, and other constituents in social change oriented research.
• Participants work with a facilitator to identify a community problem, develop research methodology, collect data, and analyze findings.
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Participatory Action Research
• The data is then used to make recommendations about how the problem should be resolved.
• Participants advocate for funding, legislation, or government action to adopt the findings.
• The end result is to alleviate oppression or improve community or service quality.
Participatory action research generally is not focused on agency operations, but addresses a social problem that affects constituency group members.
Action Inquiry Research
Collaborative action research is a process
which can be used by educators to reflect on
their beliefs and improve their practices,
through implementing a plan of action in
collaboration with others in the workplace.
(DET & ACER 1996)
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Types of action research designs
Action Research
ParticipatoryPractical
• Studying local practices Involving individual or team- based inquiry• Focusing on teacher development and student learning• Implementing a plan of action• Leading to the teacher-as-researcher
• Studying social issues that constrain individual lives• Emphasizing equal collaboration• Focusing on “life-enhancing changes”• Resulting in the emancipated researcher
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Collaboration
Administrators
Staff
Teachers
Students
Parents
CommunityStakeholders
CollaborativeTeam
Action Research Cycle (Zuber-Skerritt, 1992)
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
Practical action research: Mills (2000) Dialectic Research Spiral
Analyze andInterpret Data
Develop an Action Plan
Collect Data
Identify anArea of Focus
Mills, G. E. (2003). Action Research: A guide for the teacher researcher, 2nd ed. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill Prentice Hall.
Develop an Action Plan
Collect Data
Identify an Area of Focus
Analyze and Interpret Data
Planning
To Do:
1. Select an appropriate area of focus.
2. Do reconnaissance.
3. Review related literature.
4. Write and research plan to guide your work.
Steps to Planning anAction Research Project
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A dynamic process
• Dynamic process of spiraling back and forth among reflection, data collection, and action
• Does not follow a linear pattern• Does not follow a causal sequence from
problem to action
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
The problem is only one phase in which to enter
Identifying“Problem”
CollectingData
EvaluatingExisting
Data
TakingAction
Point ofEntry
Point ofEntry
Point ofEntry
Point ofEntry
PLAN
• What is our context?• What is the data telling us?• What targets do we want to achieve?• What information/support can we access?• What is our research question?• What methodology will we use?• What data will we collect?• How will we evaluate our project?• How will we share our findings?
The research question
An effective research question should:• reflect the context of the school/year/Stage/ class
involved in the research• respond to relevant data and syllabus outcomes• be collaboratively developed by the people involved in
the research• be manageable in terms of cohort, targets, methodology
and data collection• be framed as a question
Developing a research question
Think of your own experience as a teacher. In relation to the learning outcomes of your students:
• Is there any question which you have been wanting to investigate for a long time?
• Which of your strengths would you like to develop?• Which areas of your practice would you like to improve?• Are there any aspects of your work which you find
puzzling?• Are there any situations which cause difficulties and which
you would like to cope with more effectively?
Connecting with Quality Teaching
1. What do I want the students to learn?
2. Why does it matter?
3. What am I going to get the students to do/produce?
4. How well do I expect them to do it?
Data Collection and Analysis
Brainstorm as a group your definition of ‘data’ in relation to your school
context.
“a collection of facts from which conclusions can be drawn” (Online dictionary)
“a collection of facts, observations or other information related to a particular
question or problem” (Webster’s Dictionary)
Types Of Data
• Qualitative
- uses mostly verbal descriptions
lesson observation notes, interviews• Quantitative
- uses numerical data to summarize and explore information
Types Of Data
• Student Data
works samples, photos• Teacher Data
staff meeting agendas, surveys• Parent Data
surveys
Types of Data
As a school team, brainstorm the types of data you currently collect.
Classify each piece of data using the checklist.
• Were there any noticeable trends?
Reflecting on our Data Collection
Data Qualitative Quantitative Student Teacher Parent
SMART Targets• focus on Student learning outcomes• inform school planning• are data-driven, data informed• are Measured and monitored• are Manageable & Attainable in number• are Realistic but challenging• must be Resourced• are unambiguous• are based on a realistic Timeframe• help schools raise standards for improved student
performance
Targets might be measured by:• an increase/reduction in the number/percentage
of students achieving a certain level of performance
• a reduction in the gap between school performance and state performance
• the percentage of parents who respond positively to issues raised in a survey
• percentage of students achieving syllabus outcomes for a certain stage
A word on data collection
• Triangulation involves collecting multiple sources of data for every issue being investigated to ensure validity
• Data sources should ensure all stakeholders have a voice – teachers, students and parents should be considered as a means of triangulating data from different perspectives
Methods of Data Collection
Sample 1: Triangulation Matrix
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Taxonomy of action research data collection techniques
Action ResearchData Collection Techniques
(The Three E’s)
Experiencing EnquiringExamining
(Through observation and field notes)
When the researcher asks
Using and makingrecords
Participant observation (Active participant)
Privileged, active observer
Passive observer
Informal Interview Structured formal Interview Questionnaires Attitude Scales Standardized Tests
Archival documents JournalsMapsAudio and VideotapesArtifacts
Fieldnotes
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Sharing research
• Groups of stakeholders• Local schools, educational personnel• Local or state individuals• Not specifically interested in publication
but in sharing with individuals or groups who can promote change
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How do you evaluate action research?
• Does the project clearly address a problem or issue in practice that needs to be solved?
• Did the action researcher collect sufficient data to address the problem?
• Did the action researcher collaborate with others during the study? Was there respect for all collaborators?
Educational Research 2e: Creswell
How do you evaluate action research?
• Did the plan of action advanced by the researcher build logically from the data?
• Is there evidence that the plan of action contributed to the researcher’s reflection as a professional?
• Has the research enhanced the lives of the participants by empowering them, changing them, or providing them with new understanding?
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How do you evaluate action research?
• Did the action research actually lead to change or did a solution to a problem make the difference?
• Was the action research reported to audiences who might use the information?