lights, camera, action research!
DESCRIPTION
This presentation was focused on action research for community college mathematics faculty.TRANSCRIPT
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Lights, Camera, Action Research!
Research as Faculty Development Series Sponsored by AMATYC’s Research Committee
Dr. April Strom, Scottsdale Community College
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Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher (Geoffrey Mills, 2000)
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Question for the Audience…
Which one of the following best describes your experience with action research?
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My story…How has research changed my
practice?
Why is research needed/desired in community colleges?
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Webinar AgendaWhat is action research?
Origins Affordances
Action research process
Identifying an area of focus
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What is action research?
“…any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers…to gather information about…how they teach and how their students learn” (Mills, 2000, p.6).
Teacher as Researcher
Teacher as Learner
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What is action research?
“…any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers…to gather information about…how they teach and how their students learn” (Mills, 2000, p.6).
Teacher as Researcher
Teacher as Learner
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Research Paradigms
Mix
ed
M
eth
od
s
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Origins of action researchKurt Lewin (coined the phrase “action
research” circa 1940’s)
Rooted in John Dewey’s progressive education movement
Kurt Lewin John Dewey
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Action Research Process
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Action Research Process
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Action Research Process
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Write down 3 possible
phenomena that you would like to investigate…type
one idea in the chat room!
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Identifying Area of Focus
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Identifying Area of Focus
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Identifying Area of Focus
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Identifying Area of Focus
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Identifying Area of Focus
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Question for the Audience…
Which one of the following journals do you read regularly?
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Identifying Area of Focus
Research Question(
s)
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Developing Research QuestionsExamples:
◦In what ways do students think about exponential growth?
◦What are developmental students’ mathematical beliefs and affect?
◦ ◦What are the problem solving
behaviors of College Algebra students?
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Data Collection
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Data Collection MethodologySurvey students
◦Use developed survey (VAMS, for example)◦One-minute paper
Code open-ended tests, homework sets, other student artifacts◦Open & axial coding (Strauss & Corbin,
1998)
Conduct semi-structured student interviews (Goldin, 2000)
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Timeline
March 4 May 6March-May
• Identify a focus• Internal & External
Reflection• Create research
question(s)
• Form small groups, if possible
• Obtain IRB approval• Conduct
investigation• Analyze data
• Present findings of action research project
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Timeline
March 4 May 6March-May
• Identify a focus• Internal & External
Reflection• Create research
question(s)
• Form small groups, if possible
• Obtain IRB approval• Conduct
investigation• Analyze data
• Present findings of action research project
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Timeline
March 4 May 6March-May
• Identify a focus• Internal & External
Reflection• Create research
question(s)
• Form small groups, if possible
• Obtain IRB approval• Conduct
investigation• Analyze data
• Present findings of action research project
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Timeline
March 4 May 6March-May
• Identify a focus• Internal & External
Reflection• Create research
question(s)
• Form small groups, if possible
• Obtain IRB approval• Conduct
investigation• Analyze data
• Present findings of action research project
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Question for the Audience…
Which one of the following best describes your interest level for engaging in an active research project?
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Resources
AMATYC Research Symposium Videoshttp://www.amatyc.org/Events/conferences/2010Boston/
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ResourcesRMETYC Newsletter Blog
http://rmetyc.blogspot.com/Note: Research resources will be posted on blog!
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References
Goldin, G. (2000). A scientific perspective on structured, task-based interviews in mathematics education research. In A. E. Kelly & R. Lesh (Eds.), Handbook of research design in mathematics and science education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Mills, G. (2000). Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
