A product of Project CENTRAL, 2004 The Action Research Process Sponsored by Project CENTRAL A Project of the Florida Department of Education In Collaboration

A product of Project CENTRAL, 2004

The Action Research

Process

Sponsored by Project CENTRALA Project of the Florida Department of

EducationIn Collaboration with the University of Central

FloridaWith rights given to Seminole County Public

Schools Professional Development Department for use in training personnelUnderstanding Action

Research


“The idea of action research is that educational problems and issues are best identified and investigated where the action is; at the classroom and school level.


By integrating research into these settings and engaging those who work at this level in research activities, findings can be applied immediately and problems solved more quickly” (Guskey, 2000).


Action Research is NOT-

Writing a Research

Paper


A Model of Professional Development Action research is a model of

professional development in which educators study student learning related to their own teaching, a process that allows them to learn about their own instructional practices and to continue to improve student learning.


What is Action Research?“Action (teacher) research is a

natural extension of good teaching.

Observing students closely, analyzing their needs, and adjusting the curriculum to fit the

needs of all students have always been important skills demonstrated by fine teachers” (Hubbard & Power, 1999).


The Action Research Process

Action Research

Identifying a Classroom Problem

Developing & Implementing

an Action Research Plan

Collecting & Analyzing

Data

Using & Sharing Results

PLANNING

DELIVERY

FOLLOW-UP

EVALUATION


•Plan•Act•Observe•Reflect

•REVISED Plan•Act•Observe•Reflect

ACTION RESEARCH is a CYCLE!!


Approaches to Action Research Individual Teacher Research

Collaborative Action Research

School-wide Action Research

Emily Calhoun, 1993


Individual Teacher Research A teacher focuses on an area of

concern in his or her classroom. May receive support and guidance

from colleagues, coaches, and/or outside support personnel from district, state, or university.


Individual Teacher Research A problem or issue within a single classroom to study--

What impact can daily phonemic awareness activities have on my kindergarten students’ oral language development? (Kindergarten teacher)

How can using concrete objectives (manipulatives) improve my students’ ability to identify and extend patterns in mathematics? (Middle grade teacher)


Collaborative Action Research Co-teachers

in one classroom instructing a specific group of students

Team of teachers focusing on a grade level issue

Teacher and district, educational agency, or university personnel learning and studying a particular instructional

practice Group of teachers

in the same school studying the same instructional concern


Collaborative Action Research Focuses on studying a problem or

issue within one or more classrooms. How can students with disabilities experiencing deficits in

phonemic awareness show improvement in those skills by participating in additional and intensive instruction in phonemic awareness activities at least four times per week? How will it affect their overall reading ability? (ESE Teacher & FDLRS HRD Specialist)

How can implementing “Organizing Together” a Strategic Instruction Model curriculum, improve 6th graders ability to come to class organized and prepared? (6th grade teachers in a middle school team)


School-wide Action Research

School-wide action research is a school reform initiative.

Every faculty member of the school is involved in studying a specific issue identified from school data.


HOW CAN I GET STARTED:

Located on right side of this web pagehttp://www.scps.k12.fl.us/

staff_development/HTML/actionresearch.cfm

Seminole County Action Research Forms

Action Research LogAction Research Summary


ACTION RESEARCH LOG


ACTION RESEARCH LOG CONTINUED


http://www.scps.k12.fl.us/staff_development/Documents/ACTION%20RESEARCH%20SUMMARY.doc


Action Research SamplesWeb Question Samples

http://www.sou.edu/education/actionresearch/tasks.htm

http://www.sou.edu/education/actionresearch/questions.htm

Video Samples:

http://home.sou.edu/~jablonsd/ARfair.HTML

PowerPointTo use with facultyBlackboard course