LIB 604 Libraries in the School Curriculum Spring 2010 What is it What is Collaborative Action Research a process in which participants systematically examine their own educational practice using the ID: 692379
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Collaborative Action Research
LIB
604 Libraries in the School Curriculum
Spring 2010Slide2
What is it?What is Collaborative Action Research?a process in which participants systematically examine their own educational practice using the techniques of research, for the purpose
of increasing learning of students, their teachers, and other interested parties.Caro-Bruce. (2000). Action Researcher: Facilitator’s Handbook. National Council of Staff Development.
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How does it work?TeamworkAccording to Sagor (1992), collaborative action research involves “people who want to do something to improve their own situation” (p. 7) taking action. The focus of the research process is “teams of practitioners who have common interests” (p. 10) working together to investigate issues relevant to their interests.
Collaborative action research and school counselors.From: Professional School Counseling | Date: 10/1/2005 | Author: Rowell, Lonnie L.
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But what is action research?What is Action Research?Action Research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully using the techniques of research. Heidi Watts, Antioch Graduate School
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Assumptions behind action researchteachers and principals work best on problems they have identified for themselves; teachers and principals become more effective when encouraged to examine and assess their own work and then consider ways of working differently; teachers and principals help each other by working collaboratively;
working with colleagues helps teachers and principals in their professional development. What is Action Research? Heidi Watts, Antioch Graduate School
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Another definitionAction researchis the process through which teachers collaborate in evaluating their practice jointly; raise awareness of
their personal theory; articulate a shared conception of values; try out new strategies to render the values expressed in their practice more consistent with the educational values they espouse; record their work in a form which is readily available to and understandable by other teachers; and thus develop a shared theory of teaching by researching practice.
John Elliott
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Why action?The Meaning of “Action”Traditionally, scientific research has been conducted by professional full-time researchers. They generally choose their topics based on their personal predilections or the preference of journal editors, and they publish reports of their work with the hope that someone will someday make use of it. But even if no one does, their work is usually complete upon publication of their report.
Action research, on the other hand, is conducted by people who want to do something to improve their own situation
. When other people read about their work, notice it, or make use of it, that is simply icing on the cake. Action researchers undertake a study because they want to know whether they can do something in a better way.Sagor,
How to Conduct Collaborative Action Research, Chapter 2. Defining Collaborative Action Research
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A Related Conceptcollaborative inquiryInquiry is the investigation of users and their context in order to understand their problem space, their goals, and associated design constraints, usually by observational methods, surveys, and interviews. Collaborative inquiry involves the users (or potential users) of an application in the investigation, relying on them as collaborators for their domain knowledge and appreciation of user needs.
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Why collaborative?There are least two reasons for advocating CAR:Firstly, . . . many teachers lack the necessary expertise to engage in action research.
Our second reason for advocating CAR is that collaboration provides an avenue for discussion. Abdullah, K. I . and Hashim, A .
Collaborative action research
Australian Association for Research in Education 1996 – Singapore Joint ERA/AARE Conference
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Why Collaborative Inquiry?Why do we suggest a collaborative approach?The main reason is based on the old adage, “Two heads better than one.” Multiple perspectives from different people help make sense of the complex nature of teaching and learning. Additionally, research informs us it is a good characteristic of successful professional development.
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Five Phases of Action ResearchPhase I - Problem IdentificationPhase II - Plan of ActionPhase III - Data Collection
Phase IV - Analysis of DataPhase V - Plan for Future ActionAdapted from the St. Louis Action Research Evaluation Committee
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Guidelines typically used in teacher action researchIdentify a puzzlement/inquiryDecide in a systematic way how to go about answering that question
Develop a timeline to carry out the project – one week, a month, a grading period or even a full academic year.Decide how data will be collected and
analyzedImplement study – data collection and
analysisReport and share findingsClassroom Action Research
Abstract of Classroom Action Research in Language Teaching, Yudi Juniardi and John Pahamzah12Slide13
Sagor’s Five Step ProcessProblem formulationData collectionData analysis
Reporting of resultsAction planning
How to Conduct Collaborative Action Research
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Step oneProblem FormulationThis step, which is described in detail in Chapter 3, helps action researchers identify the issues that are of the greatest professional concern. Researchers identify what they already know about each issue, what they still need to know about it, and their understanding of the variables affecting the issue.Sagor
Corresponds to Phases I and II of Five Phases of Action Research, because it involves both identifying the problem and creating a plan of what to do about it.
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Importance of the problem statement“Is a puzzlement” (Rodgers and Hammerstein: The King and I)
The problem statement defines the puzzlement which guides the inquiry of the project. Problem statements often take the form of a central question that yields subquestions. Seider, S. (2002, Fall). Syllabus, EDEL 591 Designing Action Research in Elementary/Early Childhood
Education (no longer
See also Guidelines for Developing a Question
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Problem formulationA key characteristic of action researchAction research involves puzzling, the identification of a 'problem' where there is some doubt about how to proceed. It requires the ability to constantly ask questions (problem definition), in addition to the determination of patterns through the formal tools of systematic audit.Research to Support Schools of Ambition: Annual Report 2007
. 4. Summary and conclusions. 4.1 Learning Issues for Schools
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How do I choose a research question to study?The question should be:Focused on your practiceFocused on client/student impact
Within your control to influenceSomething you feel passionate aboutSomething you’d like to changeAligned with your professional growth
Action Research Question
Formation: 3. Question Characteristics
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Step TwoData CollectionCommonly used data collection tools in action research projects include existing archival sources in schools (e.g., attendance reports, standardized test scores, lesson plans, curriculum documents), questionnaires, interviews, observation notes and protocols, videotapes, photographs, journals and diaries, and narratives (e.g., stories told by teachers, see Hartman, 1998).Donato
, R. (2003, December). Action Research Hartman, D. K. (1998). Stories teachers tell.
Lincolnwood, IL: National Textbook.See also Techniques for Gathering Data
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Step ThreeData analysis[Sagor] provides several suggestions, including identifying themes that appear repeatedly in the data, considering how much data support each theme, using a matrix to help see which themes emerge from which data sources, using quotes from participants in the study to represent the themes that emerged from the data, and forming new conclusions about the research question based on the data. The key lies in "looking systematically at all the data collected to see what trends or patterns emerge and what conclusions, if any, can be drawn"(p. 11). However, even if a theme does not come up frequently, the research team may still feel that it is noteworthy.
Jacobs, G. Review of Sagor.
See also A Process for Analyzing Your Data and
Guidelines for Analyzing Your Data
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Step FourReporting ResultsOne of the nice things about reporting action research is the freedom you have in choosing how to present what you have learned. The professional research community has developed rules and conventions regarding scientific presentation (see, for example, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
) that, while enforcing some degree of rigor through standardization, may also stifle enthusiasm and creativity, both of which are hallmarks of collaborative action research. Since action research reports are developed by and for practitioners, the most important consideration should be to choose a method that will tell the story accurately and effectively. Sagor, ch
. 6.
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The Structure of an Action Research ReportIntroductionA description of the research process
An analysis of the dataAn action plan [AKA Action Planning, i.e. the plan you create in Step Five for what comes next as a result of what you’ve discovered]
Sagor, ch. 6
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Step FiveAction PlanningWhat is Action Planning?Action planning is a process which will help you to focus your ideas
and to decide what steps you need to take to achieve particular goals that you may have. It is a statement on paper of what you want to achieve over a given period of time. Preparing an action plan is a good way to help you to reach your objectives in life. An effective action plan should give you a concrete timetable and set of clearly defined steps to help you to reach your objective, rather than aimlessly wondering what to do next. It helps you to focus your ideas and provides you with an answer to the question ‘‘What do I do to achieve my objective?’’
University of Kent
> Careers > Employability Skills > Action Planning
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The Many Faces of Parent Involvement
, p. 86