Week 2

1. Week 2 – Literature review – Group share of Project 1 and selected presentations to class – Refining of study purposes and articulating research questions – Conducting quantitative analysis – Performing qualitative analysis – Review the research plan

2. Action Research Model • Mertler’s AR four stages:

3. Action Research Process (Mertler) Action Research Steps 1. Identify and limit the topic 2. Gather information 3. Review the related literature 4. Develop a research plan 5. Implement the plan and collect the data 6. Analyze the data 7. Develop an action plan 8. Share and communicate the results 9. Reflect on the research process Cyclical, not linear process Observe, do, observe, adjust, do again Action Research Nine steps to provide guidance Steps may be skipped or rearranged, if appropriate 3

4. CHAPTER 4 Developing a Research Plan

5. Developing a research plan • Define purpose of study • Articulate your research questions • Describe participants • Describe the intervention, if appropriate 5

6. Articulating Research Questions • Primary research question based on the purpose of the study • Consider— –The initial purpose of your study –Your desired outcomes –What you learned in your literature review 6

7. Articulating Research Questions • What action will be taken? • What is the desired outcome? 7

8. More about Research Questions • Do not ask “yes or no” questions – Is there a discipline disparity in our school? – What types of disparity in discipline exist in our school? • Ask questions that are researchable given your limitations – Do guidance counselors in the U.S. experience role conflict? – What types of role conflict are experienced by HS guidance counselors in my district? 8

9. More about Research Questions • Ask questions that can be answered with data – Is it important to teach character education? – What are parent, student and teacher perceptions about the importance of teaching character education? • In intervention studies, include the intervention and the outcome – Does writer’s workshop affect learning? – In what ways will the process of creating or using writing rubrics increase my students’ writing achievement? 9

10. Action Research, Craig Mertler (p. 89) Research Topic Research Questions Leisure activities of elementary school teachers and the amount of time spent on them What types of leisure activities do elementary teachers engage in? How much time to do they spend on them? What are the perceptions held by Hispanic students of the factors that make academic success difficult? Is there a difference in the quality of written drafts between students who use a word processing program and those who do not? If so, what is the nature of the difference? Hispanic students’ perceptions of factors that make academic success more difficult Effectiveness of a word processing program in helping students revise drafts of written stories Effect of reading practice with fifth-grade “buddies” on the developing reading skills of first-grade students What is the effect of reading practice with fifth-grade “buddies” on the developing reading skills of first-grade students? 10

11. Articulating Research Questions • Video: Formulating a Action Research Question • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXhOZmFID4c 11

12. Activity Articulating Research Questions • Begin by referring to your purpose of your action research study • Read your literature review • State your primary research question. • State no more than two secondary questions. (secondary questions are optional) • Make sure that the questions are aligned with your literature review. Preferably, your question should include the intervention you will use and the outcome your desire. 12

13. Sharing Research Questions • Share your research questions with your group • Share a research question with the class 13

14. Writing Activity 4.1: Articulating Research Questions • Research paper activity: Write a paragraph on the purpose of your study followed by the primary and secondary questions that are the focus of your investigation. Label this section Purpose of Study (or similar heading). Place this section of the paper after the literature review. 14

15. Participants • Students—which students? • Teachers—which teachers? • Staff—which staff? • Others? • A participant is anyone who can contribute to your study • Researcher is a participant 15

16. Participants • Keep project manageable • Many participants requires a large research plan • For your first action research project—keep it small 16

17. Writing Activity 4.2: Participants • Provide a heading for the participants and place this section as a subsection in the Methods section. 17

18. Planning the Intervention • The intervention should… – Be based on the best practices from the review of literature – Clearly describe the intervention you will use – Be written in enough detail so that other teachers or administrators can read the plan and use it in their settings – Describe the activities to be used and length/intensity • How long will the intervention last? • How long are individual sessions? • How much time will be devoted to the activities in the intervention? 18

19. Planning the Intervention • Options for an Intervention Plan…. Week 1 Wednesday 9:00-9:55 Review of rubric description Monday 9:00-9:55 Tuesday 9:00-9:55 Thursday 9:00-9:55 Friday 9:00-9:55 Rubric description Review of rubric description review of student- developed rubric categoreis and scoring levels. Additional time for rubric discussion and rubric refinement, as necessary Students will study example rubrics Students will review example rubrics Review of student- determined rubric categories Students work in pairs to score last month's book reports using newly developed rubric. Students generate ideas about what to incorporate into book report rubric. Student review scoring levels on example rubrics. Rubric scoring discussion/questions. Rubric refinement. Students develop scoring levels for book report rubric. 19

20. A Study with No Intervention • Data collection strategies • Timeline for collecting data 20

21. Writing Activity 4.2: Planning the Intervention • Research paper activity: Describe the intervention you will use in your study. Write in sufficient detail so a colleague could use your plan in his or her own setting. Provide a heading for the intervention and place this section after the section on participants. This is not necessary for studies that do not focus on an intervention (e.g., descriptive studies). 21

22. CHAPTER 5 Collecting Data

23. Action Research, Craig Mertler Questions to Ask About Collecting Data (5-2) • Why am I collecting this data? • What exactly am I collecting? • Where am I going to collect the data and for how long? • When am I going to collect the data and for how long? • Who is going to collect the data? • How will the data be collected and displayed? 23

24. Collecting Multiple Forms of Data • Triangulation –Collection and analysis of multiple forms of data –Enhances the validity and credibility of a research study 24

25. Triangulation Interview with Bob Bob’s Observations of Bob Questionnaire Responses 25

26. Triangulation Bob’s STAR Math Scores Bob’s Iowa Assessment Math Scores Bob’s Math Grades 26

27. Collecting data overview • Observation • Interview – Individual interview • Face to face interview • Phone interview – Focus group interview • Survey, questionnaire, attitude scale – Mail survey – Internet survey • Existing documents and records 27

28. Observational Data • Can be a very important source of information • Can help determine why or why not an intervention was successful • Consider… – How observational data will be used – What is it that you want to observe – Who do you want to observe – What role you wish to play in the observation 28

29. Collecting Observational Data • Field Notes – Notes are collected throughout the study (p. 129) – Cover implementation of the intervention, participant responses, and surprising events – Best kept in a journal – Entered each day of the study – Establish a time each day to do notes – See other samples on slides • Behavioral log • Teaching log • Checklist • Collaborative groups checklist • Tally sheet 29

30. Collecting Observational Data Behavioral Log 30

31. Collecting Observational Data Teaching Log 31

32. Collecting Observational Data Collaborative Group Checklist 32

33. Collecting Observational Data Tally Sheet 33

34. Collecting Observational Data • Writing a narrative— –When you observe something vital to your study –When you need to describe something significant that happens –Detailed written description (See sample on p. 129) 34

35. Other Forms of Observational Data • Video recordings • Audio recordings – Useful when you don’t have time to make notes on the spot – Useful to record each group interactions • Photographs – To Provide examples of student work • Organizational charts/Maps – Provide data related to the layout of an environment 35

36. Interview Data • Used to gather info from participants about their knowledge, values, beliefs, past experiences, feelings, opinions, attitudes, or perceptions • Can provide feedback about… – Effectiveness of the intervention – Ways the intervention could be improved – Feedback regarding positive and negative aspects of the intervention • Adds to the richness of the investigation 36

37. Interview Data • Methods of collecting interview data –Interviewing –Focus groups • Benefits of face-to-face –Provide detailed feedback –Researcher can shift the focus of the meeting based on comments –Researcher can ask questions 37

38. Interview data • Negatives of collecting face-to-face data – Individual interviews can be time-consuming— interviewing, transcribing, and analyzing – If groups, researcher needs to be able facilitate meetings so doesn’t become a gripe session and yet allow participants to express their feelings – Researcher must be able to listen to criticism – Participants may be reluctant to give honest responses 38

39. Types of Interviews • Structured: researcher prepares a list of specific questions in advance • Unstructured: researcher asks broad questions and then lets interview proceed on its own course • Semi-structured: Some planned questions and then let the participants proceed –Is a good way to make sure important questions are asked/answered 39

40. Planning for the Interview • Determine the purpose for the interview – How will the interview help answer your primary and secondary research questions • Decide who you will interview (how will you decide who) • Decide structured, unstructured, semi- structured • See book example for interview guide (p. 131) 40

41. Interview Strategies (Seidman 2006) • Listen more and talk less • Follow up on what the interviewee says • Avoid asking leading questions • Keep interviewees focused and ask for specific details • Do not reinforce interviewees’ responses • Encourage elaboration (Can you tell me more about _____) 41

42. Focus Groups • Interviewing groups of participants • Advantages –Allows for interviewing many participants at one time –Provides an environment that can help encourage participants’ recall –Participants respond not only to the researcher but also the other participants • Sample (See Mertler p. 133) 42

43. Focus Groups Suggestions • Don’t allow a person or small group to dominate • Encourage participation from silent members • Obtain responses from all members • Balance the task of moderating the group and asking structured questions 43

44. Survey Data • Surveys, questionnaires, attitude scales –Can collect a lot of data quickly –Difficult to get extensive written responses –Takes less time to analyze written inquiry data than verbal inquiry data 44

45. Survey Suggestions • Ensure that survey questions are aligned with research questions • Pilot test the survey before administering it to participants • Keep the survey brief and to the point • Do not ask questions that are unrelated to your primary and secondary research questions 45

46. Attitude Scales • Surveys that focus on how participants feel about certain topics • Useful to researchers in the following ways— – Measure students’ attitudes about school, their abilities, or self-concept – Measures teachers’ attitudes about policies, climate, mentoring activities, PD – Measure parents’ attitudes about rules or availability of teachers, principals – Closed-ended questions 46

47. Rating scale example 47

48. Rating scale example 2 48

49. Rating scale example3 49

50. See Sample Surveys/Scales in PBwiki 50