Walking Into Action Research

The reflective process is not only essential to student learning but it is also essential to teacher development.  Reflection on your own practice + reflection on current research = action research!  There are numerous ways that teachers can reflect on professional practices.  There are several different ways that teachers can professionally reflect on their teaching teachers can video tape a lesson and later review it, they can be observed by another professional (fellow teacher or principal), and they can keep a journal where they write about how a lesson(s) went.  There are also various sources of educational material available for teachers to research.  This information can be found in education journals, magazines, and on the internet.  Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer state that literature about the use of technologies can be grouped into for major categories.  Those categories include:

·         Descriptive papers- they describe the state of something.

·         Evaluation studies- used to determine the effects of an intervention

·         Experimental research- test hypotheses and use control groups to determine the effects of an intervention

·         Quasi-experimental- statistical techniques are used to determine the extent to which any observed differences between the experimental and control groups may be due to chance alone

Teachers can conduct research in their classrooms to better determine what works for their students.  This is known as action research.  Action research can be done in various forms (individual, small group, school-wide, and strategy based).  I will be completing an action research project this year in my classroom using either a small group of peers or a strategy.  The topic I will be researching is co-teaching.  How does co-teaching benefit special education students, co-teaching as a strategy, and is co-teaching effective for special day class students are some of the topics I am considering.  When completing action research there are several steps in the process which include:

·         Goals- determine the focus or goals of the investigation

·         Action- what will you investigate?, what evidence or data will be collected, what research strategy will be used?

·         Monitor- access how your plan is working

·         Evaluate and extend- reflect on the collected data and what you have learned

Technology can also be incorporated into the action research process.  Computers can be used to complete internet research, to keep track of data, and to analyze data.  Tape and video recorders can be used to record interviews as well as lessons that have been taught.  Surveys and questionnaires can also be used with students and adults.  I will start my action research project in October of this year and I hoping it goes well.