Noffke Action Research CA 2011

8/13/2019 Noffke Action Research CA 2011

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/noffke-action-research-ca-2011 1/14

What is actionresearch and

why do teachersengage with it?



It is teachers who, in the end,will change the world of the

school by understanding it.

-Lawrence Stenhouse



Action Research as a family,

historically and now• Research is “systematic inquiry made public”

(Stenhouse)

• A basic human right (Appadurai)• People “inside” educational practice are well

positioned to understand and change it

• Research is a collaborative process, withpersonal, professional and political

dimensions



What is action research?

• Varied processes by which educatorsexamine their own practices by changingthem

• Aims at better understanding of practice,better practice, and a better context forengaging in educational practice, all with thegoal of creating educational practice thatreflects a growing understanding of socially

just work.



• Builds on ethical standards for research,

always keeping the primary focus oneducational activity

• Uses a variety of techniques to gather

information (document practice), always

keeping in mind that the primary work of

teachers (working with students) is in

itself a knowledge generating activity



• What that means is that you can embrace lotsof forms of “systematic inquiry”, ones that fityour ideas about what you want to “knowmore about”

• Is a cyclical process starting with clarifyingyour starting point, and the nature of whatyou want to research

• Moves through cycles of Planning, Acting,Observation (data collection), and Reflection(analysis), deepening your understanding andgenerating new ideas for further cycles (muchlike everyday practice, but more systematic)



Why do teachers engage in action

research?• Teachers and other educators around the

world have embraced a/r for various reasons:

– To explore the basis of their knowledge claimsand to develop the wisdom of practice

– To assert professional knowledge in an era of

increased regulation of teachers’ work

– To build links not only to their“communities of

practice”, but to the varied communities they

serve



Reasons to Do Action Research

What works...

To figure out a particular "how to" of teaching

To demonstrate to principals, parents, students,

ourselves that a teaching practice is useful

Collegiality...

To have time to talk about teaching with our

colleagues

To develop better overall relationships with our

colleagues



• Personal/Professional Development...

– To be supported and pushed in our development

as teachers – To recognize that growth doesn't just happen, that

often we need more formal structures in order to

grow

– To enable teachers to engage in intellectualpursuits and become continuous learners

• Starting where we are...

– To start with the teacher that I am, not that

someone else thinks I should be



• Consistency...

– To practice being a continuous learner, to live by

what I am trying to help my students learn – To connect teachers in different roles, schools,

districts

• Challenging the norm...

– To create new forms of professional development

– To create new forms of research

– To construct knowledge with teachers at the center

From Robin Marion - Professor at National LouisUniversity

http://staffdevweb.madison.k12.wi.us/node/232





Why is action research by educators

important to the whole of education?• Raises questions about “who can be a

knower?”, “how do we ‘know’ things?”, and

“what kinds of things can be known?

”

• Allows us to moving among: Information,

knowledge, and understanding, and also

develop wisdom in our practice

• Allows for social justice to be in the

foreground

• Models research for students.



What might action research look like

in your follow-up to the Academy?• As you explore the themes of this year’s work

(Literacies (on their own and in the content areas),Leadership, deep instruction in Math, Inquiry), thinkabout what an inquiry/research around these mightlook like.

• What questions would you ask? What informationwould be useful to your thinking and practice?

• How might you share your work with others?

• What would you need to support your (collaborative)work? (SD, local, and UIUC resources)



Why, again, action research?

• You will all do work in the coming year that

will enhance the learning of ALL of your

students, and you’ll both employ and develop

your knowledge of teaching and learning• Why not engage in work that will allow you to

both examine and share your work

• Why not join the international community of

teacher researchers, and find a new avenue

to share and learn?



An important voice – Yours!

Just as there is a vast untapped potential, yes, geniusamong the children, there is also a vast untappedpotential among the teachers who serve the

children…Teachers need their own intellectualhunger to be fed. They need to experience the joy ofcollaborative discussion, dialogue, critique, andresearch.

-A. Hilliard, “Do we have the will to educate all thechildren?”

Noffke Action Research CA 2011

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