Action Research to Improve Accounting Education and Accounting Educators

1. Action Research to Improve Accounting Education and Accounting Educators Susan M. Curtis University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

2. So, Why is this a Webinar about Teachingis the one thing we all do. Action Research?

3. The Scholarship of Teaching “Scholarly teaching is what every one of us should be engaged in every day that we are in a classroom, in our office with students, tutoring, lecturing, conducting discussions, all the roles we play pedagogically....” “But it is only when we step back and reflect systematically on the teaching we have done, in a form that can be publicly reviewed and built upon by our peers, that we have moved from scholarly teaching to the scholarship of teaching.” Lee Schulman, President of The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

4. Polling Question 1 • Pick the statement that best describes your current relationship • with the scholarship (i.e. research) of teaching. • Previously, I never thought about the scholarship of teaching • I consume scholarship of teaching (e.g. read published papers) • I participate in a learning community focused on teaching • I actively research teaching • I would like to learn more about the research of teaching

5. Agenda • Why Should You Research Your Teaching? • Action Research • Sharing Your Action Research

6. Some reasons why you may want to research yourteaching

7. Why Should You Research Your Teaching? • Compared to faculty who do not research their teaching, faculty who research their teaching are • More likely to know and understand • their students • the learning environment • Better equipped to • impart non-pedagogic scholarship to their students • promote reflective learning in their students • help weaker students achieve educational goals Ravenscroft, S., Rebele, J., St. Pierre, K. and R. Wilson. (2008). The Importance of Accounting Education Research Journal of Accounting Education, 26: 180-187. St. Pierre, K., Wilson, R., Ravenscroft, S. and J. Rebele. (2009). The Role of Accounting Education Research in our Discipline. Issues in Accounting Education, 24(2): 123-130.

8. Why Should You Research Your Teaching? Faculty who research & improve their own teaching, the teaching practices others—and be better able to enhance its effectiveness may also influence and enhance the teaching of others Ravenscroft, S., Rebele, J., St. Pierre, K. and R. Wilson. (2008). The Importance of Accounting Education Research Journal of Accounting Education, 26: 180-187. St. Pierre, K., Wilson, R., Ravenscroft, S. and J. Rebele. (2009). The Role of Accounting Education Research in our Discipline. Issues in Accounting Education, 24(2): 123-130.

9. Why Should You Research Your Teaching? • Accreditation • “Intellectual Contribution”, “Scholarship”, “Scholarly Activities” Excerpts from their accreditation standards… (AACSB) Definition: “Intellectual contributions are original works intended to advancethe theory, practice, and/or teaching of accounting, business and management. • (ACBSP) “It is expected that each faculty member be continuously and actively engaged in scholarship…” • (AACCHC) “Criteria for selecting faculty include knowledge of subject matter… effective teaching, scholarly activities…” Examples of Accreditation Agencies (AACSB) Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business • (ACBSP) Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACCJC) Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges)

10. Why Should You Research Your Teaching? • The Pathways Commission Reform accounting education so that teaching is respected and rewarded as a critical component in achieving each institution’s mission Pathways Commission. 2012. The Pathways Commission Charting a National Strategy for the Next Generation of Accountants. Sponsoring organizations: The American Accounting Association and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

11. What is Action Research? • A method for improving our teaching practices. • “a systematic investigative research method that educators can use to improve aspects of their educational practice” • (Paisey & Paisey 2005, p. 1) • “an iterative, systematic, analytic way to reflecton what we are doing in class, to evaluateour success at achieving our classroom goals, and to chart the directionof future classroom strategies based on what we have learned.” (Cunningham 2008, p. 2) Cunningham, B.M. 2008. Using action research to improve learning and the classroom learning environment. Issues in Accounting Education. 23(1): 1-30. Paisey, C. and N.J. Paisey. 2005. Improving accounting education through the use of action research. Journal of Accounting Education, 23: 1-19.

12. What is Action Research? • A professional learning tool. • “a means of constructing and elaborating teacher’s • professional knowledge.” • (Nofke & Somekh 2009, p. 26) • “a strategic approach to knowledge production, integrating a broad array of methods, and methodological approaches in specific ways to create new understandings…” • (Levin and Martin 2007, p. 220) Nofke, S. E. and B. Somekh. 2009. Introduction to Part I in Sage Handbook of Educational Action Research ed. Nofke, S.E. and B. Somekh. London: Sage Publications. Levin, M. and A. W. Martin. 2007. The praxis of educating action researchers. Action Research, 5(3): 219-229.

13. What is Action Research? • A tool for facilitating change. • Key Characteristics of Successful Change Initiatives • that are Inherent in Action Research • Personnel development • Participationand Empowerment • Evolutionary development • Intensive communication • Monitoring, Evaluation and Problem-solving • Development of Professional Support Networks Altricher, H and P. Posch. 2009. Action Research, Professional Development and Systemic Reform in Sage Handbook of Educational Action Research ed. Nofke, S.E. and B. Somekh. London: Sage Publications.

14. Learning by Doing Action Research • Teaching is a practice • Developing a practice requires • Repeated cycles of (teacher) learning • Practice • Reflection • Adjustment of practice Thompson, M. and L. Goe. 2009. Models for Effective and Scalable Teacher Professional Development. ETS RR-09-07. New York: Educational Testing Service. Available at http://www.ets.org/research/contact.html.

15. Learning by Doing Action Research Experiential Learning! “Action research is learned in action… Experience is an essential part of this learning.” (Levin and Martin 2007, p. 223) It may be no more difficult than learning the cycles of the research itself. Levin, M. and A. W. Martin. 2007. The praxis of educating action researchers. Action Research, 5(3): 219-229.

16. DIAGNOSING SPECIFYINGLEARNING ACTIONPLANNING EVALUATING TAKINGACTION A Model of Action Research • Diagnosing • Identifying or defining a problem • Action Planning • Considering alternative courses of action • Taking Action • Selecting a course of action • Evaluating • Studying the consequences of an action • Specifying Learning • Identifying general findings The Cycles of Action Research Susman, G. (1983). Action research: A Sociotechnical system perspective. ed. G. Morgan. London: Sage Publications

17. DIAGNOSING SPECIFYINGLEARNING ACTIONPLANNING EVALUATING TAKINGACTION Reflection Reflectionguides action, which in turn guides reflection. Dick, B. Stringer, E and C. Huxham. 2009. Theory in action research. Action Research, 7(1): 5-12.

18. Reflection Recalldetails of an event/situation Attend to the emotions associated with that event/situation Work to understand the event/situation Chui, L. R., 2006. Critical Reflection. Action Research, 4(2): 183-203.

19. Using Your Feelings in Action Research Action researchers use feelings “as a sense, which, like other senses, convey information” (Heene 2005, p. 266) Heene, H. 2005. About feelings in action research: an experiment in first-person inquiry. Action Research, 3(3): 263-274.

20. An Example of Reflection: Diagnosinga Problem/Identifying an Issue Values Practices

21. Polling Question 2 • Which of the of following have you used to diagnose a problem or issue in your teaching practice? • Reflections on • my feelings about how a lesson/class went • student evaluations of my teaching/course • reactions from students (e.g. during class, in e-mails etc) • student performance (e.g. on tests, assignments etc) • other

22. DIAGNOSING SPECIFYINGLEARNING ACTIONPLANNING EVALUATING TAKINGACTION Reading Published Literature Read published literature to find theorY… Levin, M. and A. W. Martin. 2007. The praxis of educating action researchers. Action Research, 5(3): 219-229.

23. DIAGNOSING SPECIFYINGLEARNING ACTIONPLANNING EVALUATING TAKINGACTION Participation and Collaboration Action research is participative, done in collaboration with others. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) Keep it manageable. Keep it in context.

24. DIAGNOSING SPECIFYINGLEARNING ACTIONPLANNING EVALUATING TAKINGACTION Writing in Action Research Learning how to use writing in action research is essential to learning how to doaction research. Levin, M. and A. W. Martin. 2007. The praxis of educating action researchers. Action Research, 5(3): 219-229.

25. DIAGNOSING SPECIFYINGLEARNING ACTIONPLANNING EVALUATING TAKINGACTION Writing in Action Research • Writing is • a flexible 3-phase process • writing down • writing up • constructing an account Holly, M. L., 2009. Writing to Learn: A Process for the Curious in Noftke, S and B. Somekh (eds) The Sage Handbook of Educational Action Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Ltd.

26. Action Research is Data-Driven • Data • Examples • Observations • Questions in class • Scores on quizzes, tests, HW, assignments • Meta-data for computer work • Student Work—unmarked • Student Work—marked and graded • Surveys • Discussion boards • E-mails • Teaching journals • Action research journals • Student learning journals DIAGNOSING SPECIFYINGLEARNING EVALUATING ACTIONPLANNING TAKINGACTION

27. Descriptive Data Demographic Data Descriptive Statistics Sample size Counts Means, mode Standard deviation, variance Minimum & maximum value, range • Age • Gender • Earned credit hours • GPA • Transfer status • Domestic/International

28. Qualitative Analysis Characteristics of Qualitative Analysis Qualitative Analyses Techniques Documentation of data and data collection process Organization of data into concepts Connection of data to show how one concept may influence another Evaluation ofalternative explanations,use of disconfirming evidence & search for negative cases • Focus on meanings rather than quantifiable phenomena • Collection of many data on few cases rather than few data on many cases • A goal of rich descriptions rather than measurement of specific variables • Examples of Qualitative Data Analysis Methods • Ethnography • Netnography • Ethnomethodology • Conversation analysis • Narrative analysis • Grounded theory • Qualitative comparative • Case-oriented understanding

29. Quantitative Data Analysis Testing Differences Testing Association Nominal Data Chi-squared Ordinal Data Spearman Interval/Ratio Data Pearson • Nominal Data • Chi-quared, 2 samples, independent • McNemar, 2 samples, paired • Ordinal Data • Mann-Whitney, 2 samples, independent • Wilcoxin, 2 samples, paired • Kruskal-Wallis, >than 2 samples, independent • Friedman, >than 2 samples, related • Interval/Ratio Data • Independent t-tests, 2 samples, independent • Paired t-tests, 2 samples, paired • ANOVA, > than 2 samples, independent or related Types of Quantitative Data • Interval/Ratio Data • usually measured on a continuous or discrete scale • e.g. test scores • Ordinal Data • often frequencies or counts • e.g. grades or grade-points • Nominal Data • often frequencies or counts • e.g. “yes” or “no” responses

30. Polling Question 3 • Have you used any data analyses to evaluate data from your classes? If so, which? • Analysis of demographic data • Descriptive statistics • Inferential statistics • Qualitative analysis • All of the above • None of the above

31. Sharing Your Action Research Revisiting the flexible 3-phrase writing process Writing down Writing up Constructing an account SPECIFYINGLEARNING DIAGNOSING ACTIONPLANNING EVALUATING TAKINGACTION

32. Sharing Your Action Research Constructing an account A Research Report • Framing(issue identification and context) • Choices (rooted in theory) • Evaluation • Evidence (qualitative as well as quantitative) • Criteria (think attestation) Storytelling or ‘Show’ and ‘Tell’ • Speak from experience • Evocative illustration

33. Sharing Your Action Research • American Accounting Association (AAA) Regional Meetings The Annual Meeting The Conference on Teaching and Learning (CTLA) Round-Tables Papers Posters

34. Sharing Your Action Research Where else can you share your action research? • A teaching portfolio • Department meetings • Teaching retreats • Conferences—non-AAA • Academic journals

35. What We Covered Today • Why Should You Research Your Teaching? • Action Research • Sharing Your Action Research

36. Polling Question 4 • What is stoppingyou from doing action research? • Before today, I didn’t know what action research was • I was never trained to do action research • I don’t have anyone with whom to collaborate • I am not sure this will be accepted as research at my institution • Nothing! I can’t wait to get started!