Introduction to Action Research: Selecting an Area of Focus and Framing Research Questions

1. Week 3 (Sep12. 06) Introduction to Action Research

2. Agenda for Today • What is action research • Deciding on an area of focus • Action research – example#1 • Research report/proposal • Action research proposal – parts that make the whole • Draft #1 • Housekeeping • HW: Deciding on an area of focus through observing your own teaching for a week. Prepare a 1-page essay (drawing or any format). Bring it to class on Week 5 to share: Things I’ve learned from my own teaching. • Q & A

3. Sharing life – what to share • The worst moment in my teaching career… • One moment in my classroom… • Anything else about your teaching?

4. Types of Scientific Research (Review) • Categorized by purpose • Basic Research • Applied Research • Evaluation Research • Research and Development (R&D) • Action Research (Woho!) • Categorized by method • Quantitative • Descriptive research • Correlational research • Causal-comparative research • Experimental research • Single-subject research • Qualitative research • Narrative research • Ethnographic research • Categorized by time • Cross-sectional research • Longitudinal research

5. Introduction to Action Research • What is action research: Mills (p5)

6. Select an area of focus for your Action Research What criteria/tips does Mills suggest when selecting an area of focus?

7. Select an area of focus for your Action Research (cont.) Mills recommends the following criteria when selecting and area of focus: • The area of focus should involve teaching and learning and should focus on ones own practice. • The area of focus is something within your locus of control. • The area of focus is something you feel passionate about. • The area of focus is something your would like to change or improve.

8. Why teacher researcher? (3.1.1) • What do I learn from this reading?

9. Why teacher researcher? • What does the author intends to say about research through Julie and little Johnny's story?

10. In what sense is Julie a researcher? • It conveys the simplicity of beginning with genuine questions. • Goal of research: to gain access to the play ground • Method: getting data- little Johnny to ask mom, analyze the data and find the pattern!

11. Research is a process of • Discovering essential questions; • Gathering data, and analyzing it to • Answer those questions.

12. What teacher research/action research is • Research that is initiated and carried out by teachers in their classrooms and schools. • Teacher researcher use their inquiries to study everything: • The best way to teach reading, • Most useful methods for organizing group activities, • Different ways girls or boys respond to a science program.

13. Teacher research… • Begins with genuine research questions that are truly relevant to researchers • Teacher researcher • Significant contributor to research • Source of systemic reform in individual schools and districts. • Rich in classroom anecdotes and personal stories. • Not written in distance, third-person voice, but has an immediate, first person tone. • Stories are a critical tool for illuminating the deeper theories or rules governing the way a classroom community works. • A “maybe” work – after the list of so many duties/obligations… but there are ways to develop inquiry skills that are relevant to almost any teacher and classroom

14. Little r and Big R (3.1.2) • What do I learn from this reading?

15. Teacher-researcher • Research can focus on problem they are trying to solve in their own classrooms. • Observing students closely, analyzing their needs, and adjusting the curriculum to fit the needs of all students • Teacher research involves collecting and analyzing data as well as presenting it to others in a systematic way • Teacher-Researcher: the end goal is to create best possible learning environment for students. • e.g. blank look – “how else can I teach this concept?” (and that’s research!)

16. “Careful gardener” metaphor

17. Celebrating “Things I learned last week” (3.1.3) • Observe your own teaching and your class/students for a week • Look closely at the small details • Process daily small moments • These small details will become building blocks of our lives as researchers

18. HW for this week: Discovering my research questions through observation • Things I’ve learned this week about teaching. It can be any form: • A journal • A list • A poem Remember the purpose of doing this though!!! To identify you an area of interest and try to frame your research questions.

19. Strategies for working toward a research question (3.2) • Process the reading (whole class) • Each group pick one of the strategies and help the class understand that strategies through giving examples.

20. Understanding Action Research Textbook Chapter 1

21. Framing research questions • Open-ended (not yes or no question) • Pose the question in a way that can be answered by descriptions and observations – how & what • What intrigues you in your classroom? • What are you puzzled by in your classroom? • Are there what-ifs running through your mind begging to be explored?

22. The way of finding and framing research questions • It takes time • It may involve a lot of exploration through wonderings • The research cycle continues with new question as well as possible answers. Tip: Don’t rush to state a question so your research can begin. Figuring out the question is an important part of the research.

23. Finding research interest/area/question (brainstorming ) • Sharing the journey - how do I find my own research interest/research question Early Literacy ? ESL Language acquisition ? Research interest Literacy & technology Computers and writing Online discussion

24. 3 major steps in doing a research study (Review) • Preparing a proposal describing the study to be done and its significance (EDU651) • Collecting and analyzing data (EDU652) • Writing a report of the complete study (EDU652)

25. Action Research example #1 • What is the structure of the research report? • Parts that make a whole • What is the background info-in what way does the author stated the problem? • What is the purpose of the study? • What are the research question and sub-questions?

26. Components of a Research Proposal • Jigsaw

27. Format of a Research Report/Proposal Abstract • Introduction • Problem Statement • Purpose of the study • Research questions • Definition of terms • Review of the literature • Methodology • Results/Findings (Research Report) • Discussion (Significance of the study-how might the inquiry improve my teaching) References Bibliography Appendices

28. Introduction Components (Draft #1) • Problem Statement • Purpose of the study • Research questions • Definition of terms An annotated bibliography of 8 entries

29. Identify Your Area of Interest – 1st try • What intrigues you in your classroom?

30. Action Research Examples • http://education.ucsc.edu/faculty/gwells/networks/

31. For Next Week –Library Time • Get a good mastery of literature search skills so that you are able to do search for your proposal writing. • Prepare 8 entries of annotated bibliography (which will also be the bases of your literature review draft#2 (8+4). • Out of the 8, at least 4 needs to be empirical research; at least 3 needs to be action research.

32. Housekeeping