Module 2: Teacher Research Essential Questions
Module 2: Teacher Research
Essential Questions
- What is teacher research?
- What is action research?
- How can I get involved in teacher and action research?
What is Teacher Research?
Definition
Teacher research is a broad term used to describe educators’ systematic inquiry, whether alone or with other stakeholders, into the teaching and learning that takes place in schools (Henderson, Meier, Perry, & Stremmel, 2012). This type of research emerges from a practitioner’s questions about the teaching and learning experienced day-to-day in classrooms. Teacher research is not conducted in a lab and is authentic to the educator’s day-to-day work to improve teaching and learning within their own contexts (Ritchie, n.d.).
Although “teacher research” specifically relates to teachers in Pre-K-12 education, the term can also be expanded to include other educators like staff members and administrators at a variety of grade levels who have a vested interest in directly improving teacher efficacy and improving student learning. The key is that the practitioner, regardless of the exact age group he or she is working with, is both participative and reflective in the process and committed to producing answers and seeking classroom improvement.
McLean (1995) states that there are three major components of teacher research:
- Conceptualization, where teachers identify a concern and questions they have about the concern
- Implementation, where teachers try new strategies, processes, procedures, and methods to check for efficacy and then collect and analyze the data
- Interpretation, where teachers examine findings for meaning and take appropriate actions.
Visual adapted from (McLean, 1995)
But is teacher research a simple three-step process? Not exactly. Traditional research is linear in nature. A researcher asks a question, examines a set of processes or interventions to address the question, and then analyzes the results that emerge. Teacher research can take a linear process like traditional research, that follows a series of clear-cut steps, or it can take a cyclical, iterative process where steps are revisited or repeated as needed to support student learning and teacher growth. For instance, the process might become cyclical when a teacher asks a research question relating to the efficacy of a new technological tool he or she wants to try. The teacher might try the new tool to address that question, but then realize that the research question about the tool’s efficacy may be better suited as a question about the efficacy of the teacher’s uses of the tool rather than wondering about the tool itself. The teacher can then refine the research question or even change it entirely, implement a new set of procedures, collect data, and analyze it again, and then interpret the data with the hopes of making changes or gleaning insights.
Data collected through teacher research can range from field notes to surveys to interviews to journals to assessment results to anecdotes and biographical or autobiographical records and beyond (Henderson, Meier, Perry, & Stremmel, 2012) – all of which serve to ultimate help the practitioner reflect upon and improve, as one may guess, their practice.
What is Action Research?
Definition
Meier and Henderson (2007) state that not all teacher research is action research, but all action research is teacher research. Teacher research is a broad category for research that involves practitioners, but action research is a specific type of teacher research designed to result in “action.” Action research is a cyclical and reflective form of inquiry intended to create change in classrooms, schools, and districts. The process begins by determining a question that is currently challenging a practitioner. Why is this a particular situation occurring in the classroom? What is causing this to occur? What can be done to improve the situation?
After reflecting upon and selecting a specific question – or two – to answer, the practitioner then decides how to answer that question. All of this can unfold successfully when a practitioner has a keen understanding of the theories that exist, and knowledge of the current and seminal literature related to the research question. The practitioner then needs to determine how to collect and analyze data to ensure best results. After all of this, reflection is essential. Through reflection and deep inquiry, the practitioner can then take informed, purposeful action, until another question emerges, which starts the cycle anew. Sagor (2007) and Rickey (2019) offer a useful model of the cyclical process that emerges from action research.
(Rickey, 2019; adapted from Sagor, 2005)
Purposes of Teacher Research and Action Research
Traditional research often involves a researcher in an external, observational role. However, teacher and action research are different because they are not mechanized processes where the educator is in an outsider (Rickey, 2019). Practitioners are involved and embedded in every step of the process from conceptualization to implementation to interpretation (McLean, 1995). All of this leads to the question: if educators are already stretched for time, what is the benefit of adding research to an already full plate?
Teacher and action research creates a sense of empowerment and autonomy. Research suggests that teachers who are involved in research feel more reflective, critical, analytical, and open to trainings and professional development (Oja & Pine 1989; Henson 1996; Keyes, 2000; Rust 2007; Stremmel, 2007). Practitioners invest countless hours and energy into their classrooms, but the systems, logistics, and challenges of being an educator in a servant role (Greenleaf, 1977) can result in reduced autonomy. Teacher and action research puts the power back into the hands of the educator by allowing him or her to engage in a transformational process full of inquiry, reflection, and growth (Reason & Bradbury, 2006; Sagor, 2005).
Any amount of time spent in a classroom conjures up a lot of “why” questions. Why do students behave a certain way when a teacher introduces particular instructional strategies? Why do students perform a certain way on types of assessments? Why do some students collaborate well together while others do not? Inquiry and reflection are woven into the fabric of effective teaching, and teacher or action research allows practitioners to dig into their “whys” and get answers that can ultimately impact their classroom, their practice, and their students for the better. The results may not always be “positive.” In other words, some practitioner research may reveal that an educator’s efforts are not as effective as once thought. Initially, “negative” results may feel disheartening or frustrating, and they can be, but these results remind practitioners that there is always room for improvement and a place to stretch in this field.
Another reason why teacher and action research are needed is because of the ripple effect, where waves of impact can materialize and influence other practitioners and students for the better. If a practitioner’s research is intended to create change and the study’s results show that specific changes would be beneficial, the outcomes can extend into other teachers’ classrooms, departments, and even other schools. Moving the teaching profession forward means that practitioner efficacy must be on the forefront of educators’ minds. Practitioner research helps enact change, whether it be on micro or macro levels, all to improve student learning and teacher efficacy.
Suggested Readings:
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/100047/chapters/What-Is-Action-Research%C2%A2.aspx
https://gse.gmu.edu/research/tr/tr-definition
https://www.heinemann.com/products/e00543.aspx#fulldesc
https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/43590_12.pdf
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/pte/module2/rp.htm
Action Research Ready (Rickey, 2019)
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