Engaging in Action Research: A Practical Guide to Teacher-Conducted Research for Educators and School Leaders

Front Cover
Brush Education, 2013 - Education - 156 pages

You don't need a tweed jacket to be a researcher—in thousands of schools across North America, practising teachers conduct studies on best practices, alternative approaches, and effective learning strategies. Classroom teachers have experiences and opportunities unavailable to researchers in a university setting, and action research—site-based, teacher-conducted research—can have a valuable impact on the educational community.

Yet many teachers don't see their work as real research, and many other teachers have great ideas for research projects but don't know where to begin. For these teachers, Engaging in Action Research demystifies the world of educational research and provides support, guidance, and encouragement.

From creating a research plan to reporting findings, this book provides step-by-step instructions to help teachers conduct research projects in the classroom, using strategies that work. Get ready to investigate, analyze, and share!

 

Selected pages

Contents

1 You as researcher
1
2 Introducing action research
7
3 Starting a research plan
23
4 Completing a literature review
33
5 Designing your research method
53
6 From plan to action
69
7 Managing your research project
73
8 Collecting your data
85
9 Analyzing your data
113
10 Reporting your findings
127
11 Pacing yourself
139
References
147
Copyright

Common terms and phrases

American Psychological Association analyze answer APA style applied research article number basic research begin believe biases CHAPTER PURPOSE citation classroom colleagues collect data complete concept map conduct consider context create culture data-collection methods develop document analysis e-mail encourage engage ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS ethical evaluate example experience final findings focus groups goal Hawthorne effect Hermeneutics ideas identify important insights interest interview involve literature review look mean methodology Northrop Frye objectives observations open-ended organization organizational culture outline person perspectives problem project management qualitative research quantitative Remember research method research participants research plan research process research report research task responses sense shape share simply site-based action research specific steps strategies structure structured interview subquestions substep survey take notes teachers tell things tion topic triangulation understand University of Alberta write

About the author (2013)

Jim Parsons, PhD, is a professor in the University of Alberta's Faculty of Education. His research and writing interests are in the areas of online education, student engagement, and instructional leadership. A teacher educator who has researched and taught throughout North American, China, and Scotland, Jim is president of the faculty's Alberta Initiative for School Improvement and president of the Northwest Association of Teacher Educators.

Kurtis Hewson has been a teacher, vice-principal and principal in several Alberta schools over the past 13 years.  A 2010 ASCD Outstanding Young Educator Award finalist, he is currently a Faculty Associate with the University of Lethbridge.

Lorna Adrian has served in a variety of teaching roles for nearly two decades.  She is the past chair of the executive council of the Alberta Assessment Consortium and the Coordinator of Learning Services for the Livingstone Range School Division.

Nicole Day has been a high school English and Drama teacher for 16 years and an AISI Learning Coach with Wild Rose School Division. She is currently a graduate student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta.

Bibliographic information

TitleEngaging in Action Research: A Practical Guide to Teacher-Conducted Research for Educators and School Leaders
AuthorsJim Parsons, Kurtis Hewson, Lorna Adrian, Nicole Day
PublisherBrush Education, 2013
ISBN1550594494, 9781550594492
Length156 pages
Subjects › 

Education / Professional Development
Education / Reference
Education / Research
Education / Teacher Training & Certification
  
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