Seminar III Modular 1A

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Seminar III Modular 1A

• ACTION RESEARCH

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Professional Development Standard 10

• 10.1 Teachers know and understand how educational
  research and other methods of inquiry can be used
  as a means for continuous learning,
  self-assessment and development.
• 10.2 Teachers value and are committed to refining
  practices that address the needs of all students
  and the school community.
• 10.7 Teachers engage in activities that make the
  school a productive learning climate through
  participation in collegial activities.

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Focusing Question

• What role does action research have in my life as
  a teacher?
• What is action research?
• What are the steps for conducting action
  research?
• What are the benefits of action research?
• How can I apply my knowledge of action research
  to a real life problem?

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ACTION RESEARCH

• may be considered one type of professional growth
  options.

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Action research can be done by an one teacher or
by a group of teachers who have a common
interestor researchquestion.
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Action Research is classroom based research
which gives the teacher the opportunity to
examine a question he/she may have in relation to

• Student needs,
• Classroom performance, or
• The impact of an instruction method on student
  learning.

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For example
SITUATION ONE SCHOOLS STORY

• In a two year suburban intermediate school of 800
  students, a group of teachers noticed that it
  took the first year for students to adjust to
  their new setting and for the staff to come to
  know the needs of the students and the second
  year to get the students ready to move up to the
  middle school as orientation activities began in
  January.
• They were concerned that the learning needs of
  some children were not being met the best they
  could be.

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The group of teachers wondered
RESPONSE

• What would happen if the students stayed with the
  same teacher for two year?
• If the students looped or stayed with the same
  teacher for two years would it reduce student and
  parent anxiety about coming to a new schoolat
  least for the second year?
• If students looped would their learning needs
  be met more effectively because the teacher would
  know them at the beginning of the second year?

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The group of teachers learned as much as they
could about looping
INITIAL SET OF UNDERSTANDINGS

• They attended a workshop.
• They read about looping.
• They visited a school and observed looping in
  action (Keeping students with the same teacher
  for two years.).

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With this background information, they
hypothesized
FIRST ACTION SETTING THE FOCUS

• Teachers will be better able to meet student
  needs if students stay with the same teacher for
  two years.
• Student learning will increase because their
  learning needs will be met earlier than if they
  were to move to a new classroom and teacher in
  the second year.
• Students will have less anxiety about returning
  to school the second year because the unknown
  has been removed.

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Then they planned how they could test their idea
(hypotheses)
SECOND ACTION PLANNING

• They would need permission to loop or stay with
  the same class for two years.
• Then they would need to collect data that would
  support their ideas, such as, student
  standardized test scores, student and parent
  opinion surveys, report card grades, attendance,
  referrals to Child Study Team, etc.

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And collected the data to support their idea
(hypotheses)
And COLLECTING DATA

• At the end of the second year, teachers surveyed
  the students and parents as it related to their
  satisfaction with the program.
• Students standardized test scores, report card
  grades, attendance, and referrals to Child Study
  Team were also examined.

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Then they analyzed the data
THIRD ACTION ANALYSING THE DATA

• Based on the results of the survey, they found
  that both students and parents were satisfied
  with the program and were less anxious about
  returning to fifth grade because they knew the
  teacher.
• They also found that attendance was greater than
  that for the rest of the school, test scores were
  slightly higher, and Child Study Team referrals
  were lower.

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And concluded
and DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

• The looping program was successful because both
  parents and students had a high degree of
  satisfaction with the program and because
  achievement and attendance had shown gains while
  referrals were lessened.

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The teachers reported their results
FOURTH ACTION REPORTING RESULTS

• At a staff meeting,
• In the schools newsletter, and
• At a conference.

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And made suggestions.
And MAKING SUGGESTIONS

• Based on the results of the two year pilot, they
  recommended that the program continue for a
  second cycle.
• They also recommended that the looping program be
  expanded to include four additional teachers.
• Finally, they recommended that the expanded
  program be evaluated.

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Action research questions may focus on.

• Instructional practices
• Are all my students participating equally in
  classroom discussions?
• Student(s) performance in a selected area
• Why are so many of the second grade students
  identified as being eligible for Basic Skills
  support in language arts when using their score
  on the Metropolitan Achievement Test?
• Student(s) perception about an activity
• What do my students think is most difficult when
  doing research?

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Action research questions may focus on.
cont

• Student(s) needs
• What are my students level of readiness when it
  comes to fractions?
• Doing something differently
• What would happen if students stayed with their
  teacher for two years?
• Implementing a new program
• Does student achievement in math increase with
  the Chicago Math program?

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The Process

• Step 1
• Identify the focus Formulate your hypothesis
• Step 2
• Plan your investigation Collect your data
• Step 3
• Analyze your data Draw conclusions
• Step 4
• Report your results Make suggestions

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Step 1 Identifying Your Topic

• Based on your field experience, identify at least
  five areas that are of professional concern to
  you.
• For example
• student engagement
• classroom management
• parental support
• integration of technology
• creating an environment conducive to inclusion
• Metacognitive Skill-Reflective Thinking

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Next, select one of the areas or topics to
explore in greater detail.

• For example,
• Inclusion

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Then, use a graphic organizer and brainstorm
everything that you already know about the topic.

Types of Activities
?
classroom meetings
Address Students Needs Maslow
Metacognitive Skill-Monitoring/Evaluating
knowledge
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Now, take a look at your graphic representation.

• Are you certain about the relationships of the
  variables?
• What evidence do you have to support your
  thinking?
• Are there additional variables or factors that
  need to be considered?
• Should anything else be added?
• Do you need to learn anything else about your
  topic?

Metacognitive Skill -Monitoring/Evaluating
knowledge
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Identify what you still need to learn about you
topic.
Metacognitive Skill-Reflective Thinking
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What sources would help you?

• At this point, identify at least ten possible
  sources for finding information on what you have
  just listed as being necessary background
  information for continuing with your research.

Metacognitive Skill - Planning
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Step 2 Crafting the Questions

• Using the relationships found in your graphic
  organizer, write your research questions.
• SAMPLE
• Will regular morning meetings affect how my
  students treat one another?

Metacognitive Skill - Predicting
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Step 3 Writing a Problem Statement

• In about 100 words, write a problem statement
  that describes
• the problem,
• who is effected by the problem,
• what do you think is causing the problem,
• what you want to happen, and
• what you propose to do to solve the problem or
  improve the situation?

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Sample Research Problem Statement

• Fifth grade students in the School 1 make fun of
  and bully students who have learning differences.
• I believe this is because both groups lack
  appropriate social skills.
• I want all my students have the skills that will
  allow them to cooperate with one another, have
  empathy and self-control, and be assertive and
  responsible.
• To accomplish this, I will begin each day with a
  morning meeting that incorporates group
  activities which encourage cooperation and polite
  conversation.

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Sample Research Problem Statement
cont

• Research Questions
• Will morning meetings affect my students
  attitude toward one another in a positive way?
• What contributes to the effectiveness of a
  morning meeting activity?
• Do students transfer skills from morning meeting
  activities to other activities during the day?

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Monitoring your progress

• After reading your problem statement, do you
  love what you are doing? Is your research
  important to you?
• Are research questions clear?
• If you are working with someone else, do you know
  what each of you will be doing?

Metacognition Reality Check
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If you answered

• Yes, continue with Step 4, Designing a Plan for
  Collecting Your Data, in Modular 1B.
• No, go back to Step 1. (Remember, its no fun
  living with something you dont like or life is
  better if you like what youre doing.)

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Action research generally has three stages of
development.

• Doing something differently,
• Monitoring a new practice,
• Student(s) performance in a selected area,
• Student(s) perception about an activity, or
• Student(s) needs,
• Evaluating change.

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In summary, action research

• Is a response to a situation, such as an
  intervention method,
• In which the action is some change that is made
• and greater understanding results from the
  research involved with the change.

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Benefits of action research as a professional
development option are

• It is based on the teachers concerns or needs,
• It can include other teachers,
• It can take place over one or more years,
• It can be used to determine the effectiveness of
  a program or practice.