140 likes | 243 Views
Action Research. Digital Daze Cluster Coordinators Meeting 18 Feb 2009. Action Research: Purpose. “to enable groups of people to formulate mutually acceptable solutions to their problems” (Stringer, 1999)
E N D
Action Research Digital Daze Cluster Coordinators Meeting 18 Feb 2009
Action Research: Purpose • “to enable groups of people to formulate mutually acceptable solutions to their problems” (Stringer, 1999) • “to find out about about a situation where improvement or change is needed, and then to act with relevant others to make a difference to practice” (Cardno, 2003) • People working together to investigate a significant issue or problem
What impact has our teaching of inquiry had on students’ understanding of inquiry? • How do we know that our inquiry development is making a difference to student learning? • How should we assess inquiry?
Problem Based Methodology:Robinson & Lai • Purpose: to improve teaching practice and outcomes for students • Address practical problems rooted in classrooms • Process explores thinking and practices that might be blocking learning and improvement
PBM Theory • Teaching is a collection of practices. • Practices are solutions to problems posed to teachers in their work. • Solutions are informed by ‘theories of action’. • Teachers may or may not be aware of their theories of action and the constraints they are working to satisfy. • Theories are ‘espoused’ (the talk) or ‘in use’ (the walk) – these do not always line up
PBM: Action Research with a Difference • PBM different from other forms of action research because it involves a process to challenge thinking – lets us talk about the difference between the ‘talk’ and the ‘walk’
Evaluating theories of action • Accuracy – check out each of the assumptions, what is meant by these? • Effectiveness – does this solution deliver what it intended? • Coherence – intended and unintended consequences • Inprovability – testable and include feedback loops?
Control Conversations vs Learning Conversations • Control conversations push a perspective on others • Learning conversations explore multiple viewpoints and invite the perspectives of others • Learning conversations – different points of view = competing theories
The Ladder of Inference. Source: Robinson & Lei, 2003, p. 46
References • Cardno, C. (2003). Action Research: A Developmental Approach. Wellington: NZCER • Robinson, V. & Lai, M. (2006). Practitioner Research for Educators: A Guide to Improving Classrooms and Schools. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press • Stringer, E. T. (1999). Action Research (2nd Edn.). Thousand Oaks: Sage