What is Teacher Research

8/9/2019 What is Teacher Research

1/19

What is Teacher/ActionResearch?

Sharon K. Miller

Southern Arizona Writing Project

June 1, 2007

Revised November, 2008

Partially from the work of Leo Grigsby, George Mason

University

March 2005


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` Teacher research is undertaken by insiders in theschools.

` TR studies address ones own practice` TR is systematically planned and involves data

collection, analysis, and public presentation offindings.` TR includes an action component, that is, the

practitioner observes a problem, takes action on it,and observes the results.

` TR studies have implications for others. Findings

may speak to local, regional, national, or globalpolicy on education, children, and families.The terms Teacher Research and Action Research are often

used interchangeably.


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Goal: To meet

the learning

needs of every

child

ASSESS need

for change or

action

IMPLEMENT

the change oraction

STUDY the

results

RETHINK theneed, the

change, and the

results

R

R

A

A

A

I

I

S

S

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH TEACHER RESEARCH


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` Reflect on the situation or context

` Discuss with colleagues

` Read in the professional literature

` Challenge your own assumptions` Formulate some guesses or hunches about the

phenomenon

` Decide on the first stepmake a plan


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` Decide on your interventionwhat instructional

strategies will produce the learning changes

desired?

` Implement the instructional strategy(ies)` What data will you need to collect?

` Collect data on the effects of the intervention


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` Reflect on the data you are collecting

` Share the data with colleagues

` Challenge the data

` Formulate trial finding(s)` Develop conclusions that are supported by the

data.


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` Does the data demonstrably support your

conclusions?

` Do your colleagues find your argument credible?

` Are there other factors that might have broughtabout the change?

` Will others find your conclusions credible, useful,

and appealing?


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` A problem in your classroom

` A puzzle or dilemma about the learning of a

particular student or group of students

` A question you have about teaching` A situation that has arisen in your classroom

` How to develop and support particular learning

qualities


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` TFQ = Teachers first question or puzzle

`AVR (TVR) = Action (Teacher) Research

Question

` H/SV = Version of the question when you

have an hypothesis or strategy


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` TFQ: How am I going to cope with the wide

discrepancy of reading levels in my classroom?

` ARV = What can I do to help Johnny learn to

read?` H/SV: (Or if you have an hypothesis or strategy to

try: What happens when I give Johnny reading

materials appropriate to his reading level and

interests?)


11/19

` TFQ: Why are these kids so noisy and frenzied?

` ARV: What can I do about the chaos in my

classroom (noise, movement, off-task behavior,

lack of attention)` H/SV: What happens when I use childrens energy

and need to be social as an element of my

classroom pedagogy using cooperative learning,

literature circles . . .?


12/19

` TFQ: What is wrong with those parents that they

didnt teach Susie to talk and be social with her

peers?

` ARV: How can I get Susie to participate in classmeeting and other conversations?

` H/SV: What happens when I empower Susie (and

other quiet children) with the task of sharing an

aspect of her (their) expertise with a small groupof peers?


13/19

` TFQ: Why dont these children learn English

like the rest of us?

` ARV: How can I get my ELLs to use their

spoken English so they can develop skills

and knowledge of English?

` What happens when I scaffold the

experience and courage of my ELLs by

having them work in small groups for literacy

acquisition?


14/19

` TFQ: Why do I feel so uncomfortable teaching

mathematics concepts to third grade ELLs?

` How can I make the learning of mathematics

more hands-on and interactive so children worktogether to learn?

` What happens when I adopt a workshop

approach to teaching mathematics and set up

learning centers to give children the chance to

work together and use hands-on learningstrategies?


15/19

` TFQ: Why are these children so mean and nasty

to each other?

` ARV: How can I help my children develop a

respectful classroom community?` H/SV: What happens when we use the strategy of

weekly classroom meetings to build respect and

trust within our classroom community?


16/19

` TFQ: Why are these children so dependent and

needy?

` ARV: How can I help my children become

independent learners?` H/SV: What happens when I use multiple

intelligences strategies to help my students learn

about themselves as learners and to develop

strategies for independent learning?


17/19

` TFQ: How can I deal with the wide discrepancy of

learning needs in this classroom?

` AFQ: How can I meet the needs of my less able

students without neglecting (or boring) my moreable students?

` H/SV: What happens when I offer graduated

difficulty menus for class projects and

assignments?


18/19

Goal: To meet

the learning

needs of every

child

ASSESS need

for change or

action

IMPLEMENT

the change oraction

STUDY the

results

RETHINK theneed, the

change, and the

results

R

R

A

A

A

I

I

S

S

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH TEACHER RESEARCH


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` Identify an area of practice to be

investigated ( your question);

` Imagine a solution ( your intervention);

` Implement the solution ( collect data);` Evaluate the solution ( analyze data);

` Change practice in light of the evaluation;

` The cycle gets restarted.

What is Teacher Research

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