Action Research Communities

Action Research Communities
Author: Craig A. Mertler
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2017
Genre: Action research in education
ISBN: 9781351674522

"Action Research Communities presents a new perspective on two current and proven educational practices: classroom-/school-based action research and professional learning communities. Implementation of one or the other of these practices often results in a variety of possible benefits for the teaching/learning process, for student achievement, and for overall school improvement. While these might seem to be separate, isolated practices, the author has taken the beneficial aspects of each practice and merged them into a cohesive and potentially powerful concept, coined "action research communities." Each of the two concepts or approaches (action research and professional learning communities) is presented and discussed in detail. Because they both focus on local-level improvement of educational practice and share several overlapping features, the two concepts are then merged into a single entity action research communities, or ARCs. These professional learning communities, with action research at their core, hold an immense amount of power and potential when it comes to enhanced professional growth and development for educators, increased student achievement, school improvement, and educator empowerment. ARCs essentially capitalize on all the individualized benefits and strengths of action research and of professional learning communities, and merge them into a single educational concept and practice. ARCs have the potential to help educators everywhere experience: common and collective focus and vision; sustained collaborative inquiry; individualized, customizable and meaningful professional growth; and true empowerment that comes with this form of collaborative, inquiry-based, and reflective practice.Practical guidance for the development and implementation of ARCs is also provided, by focusing on ways in which professional educators (teachers, administrators, support staff, etc.) can implement, sustain, and extend the impact of their respective action research communities. Specific roles for district administrators, building administrators, and teachers are presented and discussed in depth, as are ways that ARCs can be used both to deepen professional learning for educators and to improve student learning."--Provided by publisher.

Action Research: A Methodology For Change And Development

Action Research: A Methodology For Change And Development
Author: Somekh, Bridget
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2005-12-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0335216587

This book presents a fresh view of action research as a methodology uniquely suited to researching the processes of innovation and change. Drawing on twenty-five years’ experience of leading or facilitating action research projects, Bridget Somekh argues that action research can be a powerful systematic intervention, which goes beyond describing, analyzing and theorizing practices to reconstruct and transform those practices. The book examines action research into change in a range of educational settings, such as schools and classrooms, university departments, and a national evaluation of technology in schools. The opening chapter presents eight methodological principles and discusses key methodological issues. The focus then turns to action research in broader contexts such as ‘southern’ countries, health, business and management, and community development. Each chapter thereafter takes a specific research project as its starting point and critically reviews its design, relationships, knowledge outcomes, political engagement and impact. Action Researchis important reading for postgraduate students and practitioner researchers in education, health and management, as well as those in government agencies and charities who wish to research and evaluate change and development initiatives. It is also valuable for pre-service and in-service training of professionals such as teachers, nurses and managers.

Teacher Action Research

Teacher Action Research
Author: Gerald J. Pine
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 417
Release: 2008-10-31
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1452278741

"This is a wonderful book with deep insight into the relationship between teachers′ action and result of student learning. It discusses from different angles impact of action research on student learning in the classroom. Writing samples provided at the back are wonderful examples." —Kejing Liu, Shawnee State University Teacher Action Research: Building Knowledge Democracies focuses on helping schools build knowledge democracies through a process of action research in which teachers, students, and parents collaborate in conducting participatory and caring inquiry in the classroom, school, and community. Author Gerald J. Pine examines historical origins, the rationale for practice-based research, related theoretical and philosophical perspectives, and action research as a paradigm rather than a method. Key Features Discusses how to build a school research culture through collaborative teacher research Delineates the role of the professional development school as a venue for constructing a knowledge democracy Focuses on how teacher action research can empower the active and ongoing inclusion of nontraditional voices (those of students and parents) in the research process Includes chapters addressing the concrete practices of observation, reflection, dialogue, writing, and the conduct of action research, as well as examples of teacher action research studies

The Action Research Guidebook

The Action Research Guidebook
Author: Richard D. Sagor
Publisher: Corwin Press
Total Pages: 382
Release: 2016-10-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1506380611

Think of yourself as an educational architect Action research is your essential tool for designing and building a better classroom or school. You know your students best, and by digging deeper into a challenge or research question and then taking informed action, you can achieve far more than any cookie-cutter curriculum or canned program. This empowering introduction to action research is ideal for new and veteran teachers, as well as principals, counselors, and other educators who are committed to school improvement. In the third edition of this bestselling guidebook, you’ll find: New insights on how to use reflective practice, qualitative and quantitative methods, and culturally responsive teaching to improve the success of all students A field-tested, four-stage action research process to lead you from brainstorming to breakthrough, with step-by-step instructions in plain English More illustrative examples, charts, handouts, worksheets, and sample action research reports to demystify and simplify the action research process By tapping into the power of action research, you can improve overall student performance, eliminate achievement gaps, and enhance your own efficacy and morale. "The most successful educators are those that purposefully reflect on their practices, with a focus on how and to what degree these practices impact student learning. This book provides a four-stage structured approach for teachers and administrators to engage in action research, with the ultimate goal being to move our schools and classrooms closer to universal student success." Eric Carbaugh, Associate Professor of Education James Madison University "I love the four-step model and how it is emphasized throughout the text. This approach clearly makes the text unique and a ′must read′ for all teachers wanting to enhance their teaching through action research." Christopher J. Maglio, Professor of Education, Research Methods, and Design Truman State University

How to Conduct Collaborative Action Research

How to Conduct Collaborative Action Research
Author: Richard Sagor
Publisher: ASCD
Total Pages: 88
Release: 1993-02-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1416600949

This book details a five-step process to creating a positive climate for school restructuring by conducting collaborative action research, shows eight ways to gather valid and reliable data, explains techniques for identifying and understanding problems, and illustrates four basic strategies for managing conflict and changing the status quo.

Action Research

Action Research
Author: S. Michael Putman
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2016-12-29
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1506307973

Action Research: Using Strategic Inquiry to Improve Teaching and Learning is a core text for the Action Research course in Education. The proposed text seeks to address the needs of practitioners as it will be primarily written for use within a graduate level action research class. It will be oriented towards proactive planning as part of an organized, efficient process for developing and conducting an action research study. The book will be organized around implementation of the action research process using self-regulatory principles, which is characterized by four phases: task definition, goal setting and planning, enacting, and adapting. These four phases will be addressed as the learner considers what action research encompasses and a topic to be studied, then proceeds to establish a plan and enact it. This overall process is organized as can be seen in the Table of Contents. Michael Putnam and Tracy Rock will highlight methods and processes that incorporate formative data that is readily available to teachers, facilitating associations between classroom instruction and the action research process. The text will also reinforce how action research can improve the teaching and learning process by reinforcing or changing perceptions about the use of informal data, including anecdotal notes or observations, in the research process.

Action Research

Action Research
Author: Craig A. Mertler
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2011-01-11
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1452235678

Written for pre-and in-service educators, this Third Edition of Craig A. Mertler's Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators introduces the process of conducting one's own classroom- or school-based action research in conjunction with everyday instructional practices and activities. The text provides educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to design research studies, conduct research, and communicate findings to relevant stakeholders and interested parties.

The Action Research Guidebook

The Action Research Guidebook
Author: Richard Sagor
Publisher: Corwin Press
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2005
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9780761938958

The book is organized around Richard Sagor's four-stage process developed from his many years of experience training hundreds of educators. The four stages are: clarifying visions/targets; articulating theory; implementing action and collecting data; reflecting on data and planning informed action; The book includes numerous tables, charts, handouts, forms, and worksheets to demystify and simplify the action research process. Short examples drawn from the author's experience working on-one-on with teachers on their action research projects are also included, from raising reading proficiency to increasing the problem solving capacity of faculty members. The author shows how teacher teams can work collaboratively to identify and research problems related to the school's goals. Appropriate for use by individual teachers and teacher teams, as well as by pre-service teachers in teacher education courses. Principals, counsellors, and other educators will also find the action research process useful for school improvement.

Promoting Change through Action Research

Promoting Change through Action Research
Author: Franz Rauch
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2014-11-04
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9462098034

“Bringing a different world into existence – Action Research as a trigger for innovations” was the overarching theme and vision of the international CARN Conference 2011 in Vienna. The chapters in this book are drawn mainly from conference contributions. The authors share practical knowledge which has arisen from their work, and reflect on development processes in schools, in teacher education and professional development, social work, social peda¬gogy, health care and community development. This book offers what some critics believe has been missing in recent action research literature, namely first person accounts of action researchers who endeavour to change working conditions and social relations in their environment through the conduct of action research. This book is also distinguished by assembling contributions from people who are linking action research to a broad diversity of differing contexts, and who are exploring topics or issues across various applications of action research.