Assignment

To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Assignment link in the left navigation.

1. Instructional Problem/Research Question

   The most difficult part of a research project is generating the research question. Think about your vision statement as well as your capacity and potential as a teacher-leader/teacher-researcher. Use these current understandings about yourself to think about how you want to improve your teaching, classroom, and/or school/work setting.

   According to Moss and Noden (1994), classroom teachers who decide to investigate questions that they have generated about teaching and learning engage in action research when they raise questions about their practices, test out assumptions, and evaluate the results. Action research gives educators an opportunity to reflect, make connections, and better understand what they are doing.

   For this assignment, you will develop your own research question for a topic in your MAED specialization. (This will be a part of your Final Project.) You will decide on what you would like to focus on to change instruction and/or improve learning in your classroom. Your research must address diverse learning environments.

   The following activities will support you in generating a research question:

   1. Complete the following tutorial: The relationship between the research questions, hypotheses, specific aims, and long-term goals of the project.
   2. Watch Creating a Research Question. 
   3. Read the article, “Inquiring Illinois Teachers Want to Know: Action Research Questions From the Field.”

In your written assignment:

1. 4. Identify a general topic in your MAED specialization.
   5. Describe a problem that you are having or foresee having in regard to your identified topic. (Describe the context of your educational setting and/or classroom including student demographics, grade, subject, etc.) 
   6. Explain how you know this is a problem (e.g., describe student evidence). 
   7. Describe why you want to study this problem. 
   8. List three potential research questions addressing your problem. (In thinking about the research question, you want to think about ways you can improve or change your practice.)

You can use this assignment to help write the statement of the problem section for your Final Project. The paper should be a minimum of two to three pages in length and include at least three resources, which must be cited in proper APA format.

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Articles

1. Brown, H. (2004).  Action research in the classroom:  A process that feeds the spirit of the adolescent.  International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 3(1).  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.
2. Dymond, S. K., Renzaglia, A., Rosenstein, A., Chun, E. J., Banks, R. A., Niswander, V., & Gibson, C. L. (2006).  Using a participatory action research approach to create a universally designed inclusive high school science course:  A case study.  Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 31(4), 293-308.  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.
3. Farrell, J. B. & Weitman, C. J. (2007).  Action research fosters empowerment and learning committees.  Delta Gamma Bulletin.  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.
4. Ferrence, E. (2000).  Themes in education: Action research.  Providence, RI: Brown University.  Retrieved from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf
5. Kwok, J. (2009).  Boys and reading:  An action research project report.  Library Media Connection, 20-22.  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.
6. McVicker, C. (2008).  Inquiring Illinois teachers want to know:  Action research questions from the field.  Illinois Reading Council Journal, 37(1), 22-26.  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.
7. Oliver, M. (2011).  Teaching and learning evolution:  Testing the principles of a constructivist approach through action research.  Teaching Science, 57(1), 13-18.  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.
8. Royer, R.  (2002). Supporting technology integration through action research.  The Clearing House, 75(5), 233-237.  Retrieved from the ERIC database.
9. Sardo-Brown, D., Welsh, L., & Bolton, D.  (1995)  Practical strategies for facilitating classroom teachers’ involvement in action research.  Education.  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.

    

10. Schoen, S. F. & Schoen, A. A. (2003).  Action research in the classroom: Assisting a linguistically different learner with special needs.  Teaching Exceptional Children, 35(3), 16-21.  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.
11. Waters, F. H., Smeaton, P. S., & Burns, T. G. (2004).  Action research in the secondary science classroom:  Student response to differentiated, alternative assessment.  American Secondary Education, 32(3), 89-104.  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.

Multimedia

1. Dayna International, Inc. (2002). The relationship between the research questions, hypotheses, specific aims, and long-term goals of the project. Retrieved fromhttp://www.theresearchassistant.com/tutorial/2-1.asp
2. Creating a research question [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIJDfS33IWw

Discussions

To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. What Is Action Research?

   Read the following articles about action research:

   1. “Action Research Fosters Empowerment and Learning Committees”
   2. Themes in Education: Action Research
   3. “Supporting Technology Integration Through Action Research”
   4. “Practical Strategies for Facilitating Classroom Teachers’ Involvement in Action Research”

In this discussion forum, answer the following questions:  

1. 5. What is your definition and/or understanding of action research?
   6. What are the benefits of and barriers to action research?
   7. Do you see the value of conducting classroom-based inquiries?
   8. What are three questions you have about action research?

Guided Response: Answer any follow-up questions your instructor may have for you after reading your post.  Read your classmates’ posts and respond to at least three of them. Question them to enhance their understanding of action research.  Answer their questions about action research.

2. What Does Action Research Look Like?

   Complete both parts of this prompt:

   Part One: The studies listed below provide examples of various action research designs and projects. Read at least one of these studies.  Then, identify the research question, the participants, the data methods, and at least one implication/significant finding:

   1. “Action Research in the Classroom:  A Process that Feeds the Spirit of the Adolescent”
   2. “Using a Participatory Action Research Approach to Create a Universally Designed Inclusive High School Science Course: A Case Study”
   3. “Boys and Reading: An Action Research Project Report”
   4. “Teaching and Learning Evolution: Testing the Principles of a Constructivist Approach Through Action Research”  
   5. “Action Research in the Classroom: Assisting a Linguistically Different Learner with Special Needs”

   6. Part Two:  Find an example of an action research project pertaining to your MAED specialization using a database from the Ashford University Library (e.g., EBSCOhost, ERIC) or Google Scholar.  Identify the research question, the participants, the data methods, and at least one implication.  You can use this article for your “Critical Reviews of Literature” assignment in Week Three.

      Guided Response:  Answer any follow-up questions your instructor may have for you after reading your post.  Read your classmates’ posts and respond to at least three of them.  For Part One, compare their responses to yours and make sure that you are on the right track.  Discuss any discrepancies.  For Part Two, ask questions about the content of the study.  What did you find interesting about your classmates’ articles?

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      Journal

      To complete the following journal entry, go to this week’s Journal link in the left navigation.

      1. Personal Reflection

      Reflect on one of the following three sentence starters:

      a.       
      In my classroom, I tried to promote student learning by [implementing]…

      b.      
      In thinking about my future classroom, I want to promote student learning by…

      c.       
      I would like to improve education by…

      Carefully review the 
      Grading Rubric
       for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your journal entries.

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