Reflect on your previous concept of research, comparing it to what we have read and discussed in this course. How has your concept changed or expanded?
Before this class, I was always under the impression that research was really only for scientists and others who were specifically hired for this purpose. I also used to think that much of the research that is conducted, analyzed, and published did not pertain to me and my situation as a third grade teacher in an affluent suburb of Chicago.
Although I do know there is a lot of research constantly going on in the education field, I did not know really anything about action research. In fact, I had never really heard of the term before. I was even nervous to try and even propose an action research topic based on findings in my own classroom. The ideas I had and the ideas I have now have definitely changed over the past semester as we have looked into and had discussions about action research.
I have found that action research is perfomed in schools and classrooms in order to help people become better teachers. I also learned that it involves some kind of change in a situation and hopefully that change is positive. Even though action research is very involved and takes a lot of time and effort to plan, I think it is something that should take place in classrooms and possibly more emphasis should be placed on it. Many of the teachers in the "Bumpy Road" article commented on how they kind of do "informal action research" all the time in their classrooms and now that I know what action research actually is, I think I do too, for the little things. I understand now how to take a bigger issue and formally try to bring about a change, while also being able to provide data and statistics. Although the action research might take awhile to plan and implement, if the issue was big enough, it would be very worthwhile to investigate and I believe I could do this relatively well because of the knowledge gained this semester.
After reading your comments, I feel the same way you do. I thought that action research was for the experts and not for me. I would do research in my classroom, but I never looked at it as action reseach. Maybe because I didn't use data and statistics. I have been in education for awhile and I have seen a lot of trends come and go. The ones that are strong were the ones that were researched and documentated. I also agree on your comment, that it does take awhile to plan and impliment action research into your already busy schedule , but if it done correctly, it is worth it in the end.
When I started this course, I was hesistant toward research. The reason I was hesitant was the numbers, statistics, and lengthy studies. Although a lot of data can be learned through them, that doesn't fit with what I am looking for. I was pleasantly surprised looking at action research examples because they were relatable and doable. That is the research that interests me, what I can replicate and learn from to improve my teaching. I learned not to be as hesistant of research.
My previous conception of research was limited to hands-on laboratory work and surveys of the peer-reviewed literature. A good portion of the “bench work” was expository in style: following a scripted procedure to work toward the synthesis of some known chemical compound; the literature reviews were similarly technical and data-driven. Action research is appealing in that it is somewhat more “alive” – it is an opportunity to work with living, breathing people who have opinions, problems, and insights. The discovery element is also alluring: while the problem may be clearly defined, the course and outcome of action research rarely is. The results, in terms of a positive impact on stakeholders, seem to be more tangible as well. However, the methodology – observation, interview, etc – is rather daunting and unfamiliar. The biggest stumbling block to conducting quality action research in my own classroom will likely be, as other have noted previously, the large investment of time. It’s certainly something I won’t be able to pull off during student teaching!
My previous concept of research was a very scientific one. I thought it entailed a lot of statistics and data. I also pictured research as going to the library and researching a topic and then writing a huge paper on my findings. I never made the connection of what I am doing daily in the classroom as being research. I did not know what action research was. This course has opened my eyes to research. I have realized that everything is research based in the schools and to make a change it is important to have the data to support why a change is needed. I am no longer afraid of the word “research”.
At the beginning of this course I was not a fan of research. I've read numerous articles in the past and never found it interesting. However, after we conducted our group project, my ideas changed. I began to see how I could apply the ideas and concepts into my classroom. I found that action research can really improve the way you teach your students. Looking at data and then designing a unit or even a small set of lessons plans can be beneficial for the entire classroom.
WOW, have my eyes open to how action research is defined. In the beginning I was frightened by the idea and my heart still races to think about it. However this class has allowed me to understand that action reasearch is what many of us do already. Colleen, you are right when you stated this. We all could be doing this without even knowing it. It would be a shame to not realize this skill, because there are so many things a teacher could be doing to better their learning. In fact, while writing the research proposal, I became excieted about the ideas we were focused on. Max, don't you worry you will do just fine in the classroom. You appear to be a very driven and detailed person, so collecting the data on your students will be a piece of cake. Judy, you have been teaching for 100 years. Just Kidding! From what I know about you, all you will need to do is formalize a process which you have already implemented in order to be doing action research.
Research was always a scary notion to me and the thought of conducting certain types of research is still pretty foreign to me. I have found that action research is something we do as teachers all the time. We are constantly looking at data and students to see what works, what doesn't and how we can apply that to our teaching. I don't feel so verous about the subject of research in education any more because I know it is important and can be done on a smaller scale than what I originally thought research included.
I have always been interested in research but more based on psychology. I understand how research plays a huge role in the education world but did not realize as educators we are actually using research everyday. I never really used the term "action research" even when I conducted research for my psychology major as an undergratuate. The more I am reading about research the more I realize there is so much more out there about it that I ever thought. As I begin my teaching profession I will keep in mind what I have learned from the class to apply action research to my real life classroom.
Prior to beginning this course, research has always been intimidating to me. To me research was all about gathering data, analyzing it, and turning it into statistics that were unclear and were not meaningful to me. As an educator I am faced with research every day, whether it be finding researched based interventions or materials to use or in gathering data on my students. I knew that research was part of my daily classroom routine, but really didn't understand how to apply to help my students learn more effectively or for me to create more effective instruction. After our readings and doing some hands on work with research I see how "doable" it truly is within the classroom setting. I now understand that if I clearly define and execute an action plan related to an issue within my classroom I can use the results to help me determine better solutions for my students. After this course I don't see research as such a scary thing that only revolves around numbers, I see it as a way for me to help my own teaching and the learning of my students.
I agree with Jennifer's idea that action research can help us become better educators. My researching how are students are understanding material and applying into our teaching will only benefit our students. If as we are taking data, see students really aren't gaining a solid understanding of a concept, then take that opportunity to rethink your teaching. By stopping and reflecting upon the data you can see where deficits and accomplishments lay and use that information as you teach the concepts again.
I learned, again, that fear is one's worst enemy. Research in our classrooms allows us to learn what our students need to succeed. The time spent is well worth the efforts and the benefits. The benefits are greatest for our students and that's the point. I first thought of research as a clinical option to learning until this class. Dr. Deb was kind enought to lead us step-by-step through the process so the task at hand wasn't so overwhelming. We need to do this daily for our students yet often falter in other venues to communicate the same way. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to spend time on a the research project as it was worthwhile and allowed time for reflection and revisions without rushing to the next project!
While I won’t disagree that teachers do something akin to research nearly every day in their classrooms, I would hesitate to equate it with action research as defined in this course. Without the rigor and direction of a clearly-defined program of action research, our efforts will likely be somewhat haphazard, biases may intrude, etc.
Being in the legal field, I always thought research was looking up statutes, case law, and keeping up with the trends in the field. My second opinion of research entails looking into Consumer Reports on how to purchase big items like tv's, cars, and appliances. I never thought it was about what we learned in class nor did I expect it to be so intimidating, overwhelming, and time consuming. All I have to say, is I am glad there are other professionals who do the majority of research on things in the world.
Michelle, I am not that old! (I know you are only kidding:) Besides, wisdom comes with age. One thing that I have always tried to do though is to keep up on techniques that are current and not become set in my ways. Teaching is a profession that is always changing. I have learned that research is a wonderful way to challenge yourself. You have to ask yourself what if or why questions and follow through and find out.
If this course helps you to be more systematic in your own reflection and teaching, then you are applying research concepts and mindset to your teaching. It's not truly research but is is helpful to give you more confidence in your decision-making and interventions. If you take the next step (and Robert is right to point out the need for rigor to conteract bias, etc) and follow an organized research plan, then you may have much more assurance that you have trustworthy data to back up your work. Good luck in your future as teacher-researchers!
Before this class, I was always under the impression that research was really only for scientists and others who were specifically hired for this purpose. I also used to think that much of the research that is conducted, analyzed, and published did not pertain to me and my situation as a third grade teacher in an affluent suburb of Chicago.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do know there is a lot of research constantly going on in the education field, I did not know really anything about action research. In fact, I had never really heard of the term before. I was even nervous to try and even propose an action research topic based on findings in my own classroom. The ideas I had and the ideas I have now have definitely changed over the past semester as we have looked into and had discussions about action research.
I have found that action research is perfomed in schools and classrooms in order to help people become better teachers. I also learned that it involves some kind of change in a situation and hopefully that change is positive. Even though action research is very involved and takes a lot of time and effort to plan, I think it is something that should take place in classrooms and possibly more emphasis should be placed on it. Many of the teachers in the "Bumpy Road" article commented on how they kind of do "informal action research" all the time in their classrooms and now that I know what action research actually is, I think I do too, for the little things. I understand now how to take a bigger issue and formally try to bring about a change, while also being able to provide data and statistics. Although the action research might take awhile to plan and implement, if the issue was big enough, it would be very worthwhile to investigate and I believe I could do this relatively well because of the knowledge gained this semester.
After reading your comments, I feel the same way you do. I thought that action research was for the experts and not for me. I would do research in my classroom, but I never looked at it as action reseach. Maybe because I didn't use data and statistics. I have been in education for awhile and I have seen a lot of trends come and go. The ones that are strong were the ones that were researched and documentated. I also agree on your comment, that it does take awhile to plan and impliment action research into your already busy schedule , but if it done correctly, it is worth it in the end.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started this course, I was hesistant toward research. The reason I was hesitant was the numbers, statistics, and lengthy studies. Although a lot of data can be learned through them, that doesn't fit with what I am looking for. I was pleasantly surprised looking at action research examples because they were relatable and doable. That is the research that interests me, what I can replicate and learn from to improve my teaching. I learned not to be as hesistant of research.
ReplyDeleteMy previous conception of research was limited to hands-on laboratory work and surveys of the peer-reviewed literature. A good portion of the “bench work” was expository in style: following a scripted procedure to work toward the synthesis of some known chemical compound; the literature reviews were similarly technical and data-driven. Action research is appealing in that it is somewhat more “alive” – it is an opportunity to work with living, breathing people who have opinions, problems, and insights. The discovery element is also alluring: while the problem may be clearly defined, the course and outcome of action research rarely is. The results, in terms of a positive impact on stakeholders, seem to be more tangible as well. However, the methodology – observation, interview, etc – is rather daunting and unfamiliar. The biggest stumbling block to conducting quality action research in my own classroom will likely be, as other have noted previously, the large investment of time. It’s certainly something I won’t be able to pull off during student teaching!
ReplyDeleteMy previous concept of research was a very scientific one. I thought it entailed a lot of statistics and data. I also pictured research as going to the library and researching a topic and then writing a huge paper on my findings. I never made the connection of what I am doing daily in the classroom as being research. I did not know what action research was. This course has opened my eyes to research. I have realized that everything is research based in the schools and to make a change it is important to have the data to support why a change is needed. I am no longer afraid of the word “research”.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of this course I was not a fan of research. I've read numerous articles in the past and never found it interesting. However, after we conducted our group project, my ideas changed. I began to see how I could apply the ideas and concepts into my classroom. I found that action research can really improve the way you teach your students. Looking at data and then designing a unit or even a small set of lessons plans can be beneficial for the entire classroom.
ReplyDeleteWOW, have my eyes open to how action research is defined. In the beginning I was frightened by the idea and my heart still races to think about it. However this class has allowed me to understand that action reasearch is what many of us do already. Colleen, you are right when you stated this. We all could be doing this without even knowing it. It would be a shame to not realize this skill, because there are so many things a teacher could be doing to better their learning. In fact, while writing the research proposal, I became excieted about the ideas we were focused on.
ReplyDeleteMax, don't you worry you will do just fine in the classroom. You appear to be a very driven and detailed person, so collecting the data on your students will be a piece of cake. Judy, you have been teaching for 100 years. Just Kidding! From what I know about you, all you will need to do is formalize a process which you have already implemented in order to be doing action research.
Research was always a scary notion to me and the thought of conducting certain types of research is still pretty foreign to me. I have found that action research is something we do as teachers all the time. We are constantly looking at data and students to see what works, what doesn't and how we can apply that to our teaching. I don't feel so verous about the subject of research in education any more because I know it is important and can be done on a smaller scale than what I originally thought research included.
ReplyDeleteI have always been interested in research but more based on psychology. I understand how research plays a huge role in the education world but did not realize as educators we are actually using research everyday. I never really used the term "action research" even when I conducted research for my psychology major as an undergratuate. The more I am reading about research the more I realize there is so much more out there about it that I ever thought. As I begin my teaching profession I will keep in mind what I have learned from the class to apply action research to my real life classroom.
ReplyDeletePrior to beginning this course, research has always been intimidating to me. To me research was all about gathering data, analyzing it, and turning it into statistics that were unclear and were not meaningful to me. As an educator I am faced with research every day, whether it be finding researched based interventions or materials to use or in gathering data on my students. I knew that research was part of my daily classroom routine, but really didn't understand how to apply to help my students learn more effectively or for me to create more effective instruction. After our readings and doing some hands on work with research I see how "doable" it truly is within the classroom setting. I now understand that if I clearly define and execute an action plan related to an issue within my classroom I can use the results to help me determine better solutions for my students. After this course I don't see research as such a scary thing that only revolves around numbers, I see it as a way for me to help my own teaching and the learning of my students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jennifer's idea that action research can help us become better educators. My researching how are students are understanding material and applying into our teaching will only benefit our students. If as we are taking data, see students really aren't gaining a solid understanding of a concept, then take that opportunity to rethink your teaching. By stopping and reflecting upon the data you can see where deficits and accomplishments lay and use that information as you teach the concepts again.
ReplyDeleteI learned, again, that fear is one's worst enemy. Research in our classrooms allows us to learn what our students need to succeed. The time spent is well worth the efforts and the benefits. The benefits are greatest for our students and that's the point. I first thought of research as a clinical option to learning until this class. Dr. Deb was kind enought to lead us step-by-step through the process so the task at hand wasn't so overwhelming. We need to do this daily for our students yet often falter in other venues to communicate the same way. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to spend time on a the research project as it was worthwhile and allowed time for reflection and revisions without rushing to the next project!
ReplyDeleteWhile I won’t disagree that teachers do something akin to research nearly every day in their classrooms, I would hesitate to equate it with action research as defined in this course. Without the rigor and direction of a clearly-defined program of action research, our efforts will likely be somewhat haphazard, biases may intrude, etc.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the legal field, I always thought research was looking up statutes, case law, and keeping up with the trends in the field. My second opinion of research entails looking into Consumer Reports on how to purchase big items like tv's, cars, and appliances. I never thought it was about what we learned in class nor did I expect it to be so intimidating, overwhelming, and time consuming. All I have to say, is I am glad there are other professionals who do the majority of research on things in the world.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I am not that old! (I know you are only kidding:) Besides, wisdom comes with age. One thing that I have always tried to do though is to keep up on techniques that are current and not become set in my ways. Teaching is a profession that is always changing. I have learned that research is a wonderful way to challenge yourself. You have to ask yourself what if or why questions and follow through and find out.
ReplyDeleteIf this course helps you to be more systematic in your own reflection and teaching, then you are applying research concepts and mindset to your teaching. It's not truly research but is is helpful to give you more confidence in your decision-making and interventions.
ReplyDeleteIf you take the next step (and Robert is right to point out the need for rigor to conteract bias, etc) and follow an organized research plan, then you may have much more assurance that you have trustworthy data to back up your work. Good luck in your future as teacher-researchers!