Article 1: Why Action Research?

Catherine is the lead blogger for Beta and will post by midnight on Sunday September 16. Reflection blogs are due Wednesday June 19.

5 Responses to "Article 1: Why Action Research?"

Catherine Bell says:

September 15, 2018 at 5:21 pm

Why action research?

This article offers an overview of important topics of consideration for why someone should engage in action research. The authors begin with a discussion on how we define action research. The history of action research covers multiple academic disciplines and can be linked by a unifying philosophy that the generation of knowledge through this practice is beneficial to society. The authors state that “action research is a work in progress”, and is a continually evolving field (Brydon-Miller, Greenwood, & Maguire, 2003, p. 11).

Collaboration is highlighted as fundamental in action research, both in value to the research results and of personal value to the researchers. Relationship building is a key component between action researchers and in the practice of action research. The authors’ cite a history of positive social change forged from the practice of action research, and spur practitioners to continue the charge. However, they caution that the world of action research can be a chaotic one, stating, “you have to be willing to be wrong, to trust that other people know their own lives and their own interests better than you do” (p. 21).

For us teachers, this seems to be an entry point into action research. Teaching can be a chaotic field and one in which we also have to be willing to be wrong, to trust that other people know their own lives and their own interests better than we do. It is also highly collaborative, with an overarching goal of creating benefit for society. The authors’ posit that action research is a tool for social change, and I would argue that our classrooms could be laboratories for social change.

The research topics being explored in our class this semester all support the idea of social change through educational practice. However, one obstacle I can foresee is our ability to put our findings into practice. Curriculum standards and teaching expectations are highly regimented and prescribed in our public schools. If, for example, I were to find that students were more enthusiastic about reading if allotted a larger block of time to reading instruction during the school day, I would not be permitted to make that change. Scheduling decisions are made elsewhere and are designed to serve the larger community.

This should not stop us from conducting action research as teachers, but it does merit discussion on how we as teachers can incite social change toward greater autonomy in our classroom. Can we bring change on a larger scale within our current roles?

Brydon-Miller, M., Greenwood, D., & Maguire, P. (2003). Why action research? Action Research, 1(1), 9–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/14767503030011002
1. Carmen Frayser says:
  
  September 19, 2018 at 7:09 pm
  
  Catherine,
  
  I absolutely agree with your opinions about putting action research into practice as well as the authors point of how action research can encourage social change. First, I do agree that most of the time our action research is not necessarily feasible to implement in the idealistic way we would have hoped to. One thing I think that is very important to realize is that action research is a way for educators to reflect on our own teaching practices, and learn about what does make a difference for our students. If we can’t implement all of our findings, maybe we can try to implement small parts of it, for example your reading schedule. Although you may not be able to change the overall schedule, but you may be able to incorporate reading more throughout the other content areas. I know it is frustrating to have a wonderful idea, and data to back it up, and then realize it isn’t exactly feasible.
  
  I agree with the authors as well when they stated that action research can cause positive social change, because we are focusing on our own community and culture that we live/work in. No one knows the community of your school/classroom better than you do. I think this is important to understand because as we know, action research does not always lend itself to being generalized, but we can take what others have learned and try to make it work with our situation as well.
2. April Junta says:
  
  September 19, 2018 at 7:51 pm
  
  Hi Catherine,
  
  Collaboration is an important aspect of education and one that is often lost due to the time constraints and responsibilities you mention in your post. This includes collaborating when making those decisions that impact students and teachers. We often feel as if those decisions come from “above”, but it is imperative for teachers and students to have a voice in that process. We strive to provide student choice in the classroom, so why should that be any different for teachers? Shouldn’t we have a choice in what and how we teach? More collaboration between administration and staff could benefit the whole school community and allow teachers to take more ownership over the community, not just their own classrooms.
  
  I like the quote about action research as a “work in progress”. Trying different strategies and evaluating their effectiveness is what we do as teachers, so I am looking forward to engaging in action research this semester to put some teaching strategies to the test.
Jeanne Walker says:

September 18, 2018 at 10:26 pm

Catherine, I absolutely agree with your observation that implementing any recommendations formulated through action research in my classroom under current public school administration would be challenging. However, per the videos from Mertler’s Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators text, I would argue that the possibility to implement those recommendations increases greatly with collaboration, peer and member feedback on data collection instruments, and the validity and reliability of data. As professionals and collaborators, when we identify a problem within our locality, then conduct action research and issue recommendations, we are the experts and should be regarded as such. Although the current climate of education appears antagonistic to teacher initiated changes or recommendations, I feel this perspective is beginning to shift. The generic impression of “classroom teacher” is evolving to “professional educator”. In part, this shift is due to our dedication to reflection and improvement in our practice. As Brydon-Miller et al. stated “… we have to be tenacious in advancing practices.” There has always been much discussion on what is wrong with education, and while I feel we are experiencing an amazing period in modern education, our continued drive to improve will impact our classrooms and benefit our students.
Barbara Tait says:

September 19, 2018 at 2:51 pm

Catherine,

I’m so glad you pointed out two pieces that seem so relevant to teaching: collaboration and chaos. I agree that these two aspects of action research resonate well with teaching. I think that because good teachers are able to embrace the uncertainty in the classroom and keep making changes, it makes sense that teachers would be able to undertake action research without too much hesitation. The same can be said about collaboration.

While I have never worked in a public school, I can only imagine the level of frustration in regards to SOL tests, but I have similar problems when it comes to scheduling. We really only have control over what happens when the students are in our classrooms. I think your question is very valid, but I also think small changes can be just as important. Those small changes can lead to larger scale changes over time. The most important take-away I have from this article, that I think also applies to educational research large and small scale, is action. The only way to make changes is to reflect, change, and act. Brydon-Miller et. make it very clear that theorizing will only go so and is not very useful unless there is action in response. I think we have to just keep making our changes on a small scale and being vocal about what is going on to be able to push for a larger impact.

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