Practitioner Research

1. Practitioner Research

2. Theoretical Underpinnings of Practitioner Research Dewey - (1933) - viewed teachers as “reflective practitioners” - professionals who could/should play very active roles in curriculum development and educational reform. Action that is routine - based on impulse, tradition, and authority - supports the collective code, status quo, hidden curriculum Action that is reflective - is based on active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief and/or action and its consequences - through the mindset of “openmindedness” (seeking alternatives), “responsibility” (recognizing consequences), “wholeheartedness” (continual self-examination)

3. Openmindedness (seeking alternatives) • continually ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing • listen to more sides than one, give full attention to alternative possibilities, recognize the possibility of error even in beliefs that are dearest to you • accepts the strengths and limitations of distinct ways of looking at students, learning, and schooling • does not hold one and only one perspective, but listens to and accepts the strengths and weaknesses of one's own and others' perspectives

4. Responsibility (recognizing consequences) • pay careful attention to the consequences of your actions • consider the ways in which your teaching is working, why it is working, and for whom it is working • involves considering consequences - personal (the effects of one's teaching on students' self concept) - academic (the effects of one's teaching on students' intellectual development) - social & political (the projected effects of one's teaching on the life chances of students) • requires reflection on the expected and unexpected outcomes of teaching and learning

5. Wholeheartedness - (continual self-examination) • regularly examine your own assumptions, beliefs, and the results of your actions • approach all situations with the attitude that you can learn something new • continually strive to understand your own teaching and the ways in which it impacts your students • deliberate effort to see situations from different perspectives

6. What is Action Research / Practitioner Research? A process in which teachers examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully, using the techniques of research. It assumes that: • teachers work best on problems they have identified for themselves • teachers become more effective when encouraged to examine and assess their own work and then consider ways of working differently • teachers help each other by working collaboratively • working with colleagues helps teachers renew their professional knowledge/lives

7. Brief History of Action Research (North American) • Kurt Lewin (1940s) - social psychologist & educator - coined the term “action research” - argued that we should not separate the investigative processes from the actions needed to solve educational problems • Stephen Corey (1950s) - educator - believed scientific method in education would bring about change because educators would be involved in both the research and the application of research results - focused on changes in everyday practice • 1950s - “action research” was attached as “unscientific”, little more than common sense, the work of amateurs, experimental quantitative research dominated, the goal of educational research is to be objective and seek generalizable truths

8. Brief History of Action Research • 1970s - questions about the applicability of scientific educational research to solve real world educational problems • 1980s - the primary goal of action research was the in-service training and development of the teacher rather than the acquisition of general knowledge in the field of education • 1990s - push for the empowerment of teachers, the importance of collaboration through participation in professional development, establish the legitimacy of local knowledge, and encourage change through local understandings of persistent and relevant problems

9. Brief History of Action Research • 2000s - practitioner research has the potential to infuse the traditional knowledge-base of teacher education with “insider” knowledge that teachers possess as native to the setting where they work • 2000s - practitioner research has value for the individual teacher, but also for the field of teacher education when it is made public, accessible, and open to review • In L1 - Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993; Schon, 1993; Kemmis, 1985 • In L2 - Wallace, 1998; Edge, 2001; Burns, 1999; Freeman, 1998

10. Steps in Action Research In conducting action research, teachers move through an inquiry cycle: • Identification of issue/event • Description of the issue/event • Collection and organization of data • Interpretation of data • Take “intelligent action” based on data • Reflection on the issue/event (& the inquiry cycle)

11. Methods and Techniques Used in Action Research Journals/Diaries -regular dated accounts of teaching/learning plans, activities and classroom occurrences, including personal philosophies, feelings, reactions, reflections, observations, explanations Teaching logs - more objective notes on teaching events, their objectives, participants, resources used, procedures, outcomes (anticipated or unanticipated) Document collection - sets of documents relevant to the research context, e.g., course overview, lesson plans, students’ writing, classroom materials/texts, assessment tasks/texts, student profiles, student records Observation - closely watching and noting classroom events, happenings or interactions, either as a participant or an observer. Observation can be combined with field notes recordings and logs or journals Field notes - descriptions and accounts of observed events including non-verbal information, physical settings, group structures, interactions between participants. Notes can be time-based or unstructured depending on the researchers’ purpose Recording - audio or video recordings, providing objective records of what occurred, which can be re-examined. Photographs or slides can also be included.

12. Methods and Techniques Used in Action Research Transcription - written representation of verbal recordings, using conventions for identifying speakers and indicating pauses, hesitations, overlaps or any necessary non-verbal information Surveys/questionnaires - sets of written questions focusing on a particular topic or area, seeking responses to closed or ranked questions/options and/or open-ended personal opinions, judgments or beliefs. Often used in non face-to-face situations and with larger numbers of respondents Interviews/Discussions - face-to-face verbal sessions conducted by the researchers as unplanned, planned or structured interactions. The researchers can use previously planned questions, structured interview schedules, or allow the interview to unfold spontaneously Stimulated recall - use of previously recorded or transcribed data to prompt responses from participants on actions, feelings, thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, following events or activities being researched

13. Grounded vs. A Priori Analysis What are the influences on Ken’s instructional decision making? vs. How does Ken’s use of questions create opportunities for students use of the L2 for authentic purposes?

14. Grounded vs. A Priori Data Analysis Naming/Key Ideas and Concepts - close reading of the data - name the data (key words, ideas, concepts) - stay true to the subjects’ language Grouping Categories - close reading of the data - group the named data (key categories, themes, patterns) - stay true to the subjects’ language Finding Relationships - how do the key categories, themes, patterns relate to one another and what do these relationships mean to the subjects Displaying the Data - show how the themes and the relationships among the themes explain the initial research questions

15. Grounded vs. A Priori DataAnalysis Grouping Categories - label the data according to pre-determined categories (type of questions, types of student responses) Displaying the Data - organize the pre-determined categories into a meaningful display (frequency, rank, by teacher, by student, sequential) Finding Relationships - which categories seems to be related to one another, or co-occur, note outliers Displaying the Data - show how the relationships among categories explain the initial research questions

16. References Altrichter, H. Posch, P. Somekh, B. (1993). Teachers investigate their work: An introduction to the methods of action research. New York: Routledge. Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative action research for English language teachers. NY:Cambridge University Press. Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. (1993). Inside-outside: teacher research and knowledge. NY: teachers College Press. Dewey, J. (1933). How we think. Chicago: Henry Regnery. Edge, J. (2001). Action research. Alexandria, VA: TESOL Freeman, D. (1998). Doing teacher research: From inquiry to understanding. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle Hopkins, D. (1995). A teacher’s guide to classroom research. Philadelphia: Open University Press. Hubbard, R., & Power, B. (1993). The art of classroom inquiry. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Kemmis, S. (1985) Action research and the politics of reflection. In D.Boud, R. Keogh, & D. Walker (Eds). Reflection: Turning experience into learning (pp. 139-164). London: Croom Helm. Kincheloe, J. (1991). Teachers as researchers: Qualitative inquiry as a path to empowerment. London: Falmer Press. Schon, D. (1983) The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. NY:Basic Books. Wallace, M. (1998). Action research for language teachers. NY: Cambridge University Press. Wood, P. (1988). Action research: A field perspective. Journal of Education for Teaching 14 (2), 135-150.