What is Teacher/Action Research?

1. What is Teacher/Action Research? Sharon K. Miller Southern Arizona Writing Project June 1, 2007 Revised November, 2008 Partially from the work of Leo Grigsby, George Mason UniversityMarch 2005

2. HOW IS TEACHER/ACTION RESEARCH DEFINED? • Teacher research is undertaken by “insiders” in the schools. • TR studies address one’s own practice • TR is systematically planned and involves data collection, analysis, and public presentation of findings. • TR includes an action component, that is, the practitioner observes a problem, takes action on it, and observes the results. • TR studies have implications for others. Findings may speak to local, regional, national, or global policy on education, children, and families. The terms Teacher Research and Action Research are often used interchangeably.

3. Goal: To meet the learning needs of every child S R S A I R A I A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH TEACHER RESEARCH ASSESS need for change or action IMPLEMENT the change or action STUDY the results RETHINK the need, the change, and the results

4. ASSESS Need for a Change or Action • Reflect on the situation or context • Discuss with colleagues • Read in the professional literature • Challenge your own assumptions • Formulate some guesses or hunches about the phenomenon • Decide on the first step—make a plan

5. IMPLEMENT the Change or Action • Decide on your intervention—what instructional strategies will produce the learning changes desired? • Implement the instructional strategy(ies) • What data will you need to collect? • Collect data on the effects of the intervention

6. STUDY the Results • Reflect on the data you are collecting • Share the data with colleagues • Challenge the data • Formulate trial finding(s) • Develop conclusions that are supported by the data.

7. RETHINK the Need, the Change, and the Results • Does the data demonstrably support your conclusions? • Do your colleagues find your argument credible? • Are there other factors that might have brought about the change? • Will others find your conclusions credible, useful, and appealing?

8. On What Do You Focus Teacher Research? • A problem in your classroom • A puzzle or dilemma about the learning of a particular student or group of students • A question you have about teaching • A situation that has arisen in your classroom • How to develop and support particular learning qualities

9. Defining Teacher Research Questions • TFQ = Teacher’s first question or puzzle • AVR (TVR) = Action (Teacher) Research Question • H/SV = Version of the question when you have an hypothesis or strategy

10. A Problem From Your Classroom • TFQ: How am I going to cope with the wide discrepancy of reading levels in my classroom? • ARV = What can I do to help Johnny learn to read? • H/SV: (Or if you have an hypothesis or strategy to try: What happens when I give Johnny reading materials appropriate to his reading level and interests?)

11. A Problem From Your Classroom • TFQ: Why are these kids so noisy and frenzied? • ARV: What can I do about the chaos in my classroom (noise, movement, off-task behavior, lack of attention) • H/SV: What happens when I use children’s energy and need to be social as an element of my classroom pedagogy using cooperative learning, literature circles . . .?

12. A Puzzle or Dilemma About the Behavior of a Student • TFQ: What is wrong with those parents that they didn’t teach Susie to talk and be social with her peers? • ARV: How can I get Susie to participate in class meeting and other conversations? • H/SV: What happens when I empower Susie (and other quiet children) with the task of sharing an aspect of her (their) expertise with a small group of peers?

13. A Puzzle or Dilemma About the Learning of a Student or Students • TFQ: Why don’t these children learn English like the rest of us? • ARV: How can I get my ELLs to use their spoken English so they can develop skills and knowledge of English? • What happens when I scaffold the experience and courage of my ELLs by having them work in small groups for literacy acquisition?

14. A Question You Have About Your Teaching • TFQ: Why do I feel so uncomfortable teaching mathematics concepts to third grade ELLs? • How can I make the learning of mathematics more hands-on and interactive so children work together to learn? • What happens when I adopt a workshop approach to teaching mathematics and set up learning centers to give children the chance to work together and use hands-on learning strategies?

15. A Situation That Has Arisen in Your Classroom • TFQ: Why are these children so mean and nasty to each other? • ARV: How can I help my children develop a respectful classroom community? • H/SV: What happens when we use the strategy of weekly classroom meetings to build respect and trust within our classroom community?

16. How to Develop and Support Particular Learning Qualities • TFQ: Why are these children so dependent and needy? • ARV: How can I help my children become independent learners? • H/SV: What happens when I use multiple intelligences strategies to help my students learn about themselves as learners and to develop strategies for independent learning?

17. How to address the diversity of needs in the classroom • TFQ: How can I deal with the wide discrepancy of learning needs in this classroom? • AFQ: How can I meet the needs of my less able students without neglecting (or boring) my more able students? • H/SV: What happens when I offer graduated difficulty menus for class projects and assignments?

18. Goal: To meet the learning needs of every child S R S A I R A I A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH TEACHER RESEARCH ASSESS need for change or action IMPLEMENT the change or action STUDY the results RETHINK the need, the change, and the results

19. Summary • Identify an area of practice to be investigated ( your question); • Imagine a solution ( your intervention); • Implement the solution ( collect data); • Evaluate the solution ( analyze data); • Change practice in light of the evaluation; • The cycle gets restarted.