STRENGTHENING RESEARCH TO IMPROVE SCHOOLING OUTCOMES

Presentation Outline Clarifying the concepts Action research Some research areas Possible research questions Mixing research methods Points to remember in writing research

reports

Research MICHAEL BASSEY, Faculty of Education, Nottingham Polytechnic

Systematic Inquiry

•process of finding out which is conducted not on a random or arbitrary basis but in the light of some theoretical perspective.

Critical Inquiry

•perceptions, interpretations, explanations and conclusions are subject to questioning which challenges them both logically and ethically.

Two Categories of Research Workers

Understand •trying to describe, interpret or explain what is happening without inducing any change•giving a theoretical account which links with existing theoretical ideas

Change •trying to induce some change which they see as beneficial•using systematic and critical enquiry in attempts to improve the practical situation

Action ResearchNSW, Australia, 2010

the term which describes the integration of action (implementing a plan) with research (developing an understanding of the effectiveness of this implementation).

Educational Action Research... “refers to taking a systematic look at

some educational practice and recording what was done, why it was done, collecting data, analyzing the data and reflecting on how the results might influence future teaching endeavors.”

(http://actionresearch.altec.org/)

Some Research Areas

What Works in SchoolsMarzano, 2003

School Level Factors•A guaranteed and viable curriculum•Challenging goals and effective feedback•Parent and community involvement•Safe and orderly environment•Collegiality and professionalism

Teacher Level Factors •Instructional strategies•Classroom management•Classroom curriculum design

Student Level Factors •Home environment•Learned intelligence and background knowledge•Student motivation

Master teachers have high skills and high will - Jackson, 2003

SKILLis the science of teachinginvolves a teacher’s pedagogical andcontent knowledge

WILLis the art of teachinghas to do with a teacher’s passioninvolves a teacher’s drive to help allstudents be successful

The Will and Skill Matrix

Four Categories of Teaching SkillMaster Teacher

•teaching is fluid and automatic•seems to know the right thing to do at the righttime

Practitioner• proficient in practice but approach to teaching is not

entirely seamlessApprentice

takes time to understand curriculum objectives and figure out how to meet them all, but tends to attack each objective separately and misses interrelationships and how each objective contributes to the big picture of student learning

lessons of apprentice teachers often lack coherenceNovice

tends to struggle with planning and classroom management and therefore has a disjointed approach to teaching

Strategies for Addressing WillIF TEACHERS NEED

…GIVE THEM …

Autonomy Several suggestions or recommendations from which they can chooseChoices about time, task, technique, team, and territoryDescriptive rather than prescriptive feedback in noncontrolling language that implies that they always have a choice

Mastery Deliberate practice with clear goals and immediate feedbackNoveltyChallengeFrequent growth-oriented feedback

Purpose Opportunities to set their own professional learning goalsReasons behind new initiatives, requests, and suggestionsOpportunities to participate in teacher inquiryA clear vision for the organization and an understanding of their own role in itNested praise

Belonging Nonevaluative, casual conversation about teachingAccess to you and to others who can help themOpportunities to work with othersStrategies for forging positive relationships with colleagues and students

Helping Every Teacher Become a Master TeacherFOR YOUR … SHAPE THE

ENVIRONMENTSHAPE YOUR LEADERSHIP APPROACH

MANAGE THE POWER

DYNAMICSLow-Will/Low-Skill Teachers

Create an instructional environment where it is easier for teachers to do the right thing and harder for them to do the wrong thing (or nothing at all).

Engage teachers in conversations to determine which is more prevalent, low will or low skill, and start there first.If in doubt, address will first and then skill.

Focus on building cooperation rather than defaulting to coercive leadership techniques.Give teachers time to cooperate but start with these teachers first once you shift to evaluative feedback.

Low-Will/High-Skill Teachers

Develop environmental cues that feed their primary will driver.

Build skill while maintaining will.

Clarify leadership roles throughout the process.Resist the urge to engage in power struggles.

Helping Every Teacher Become a Master TeacherFOR YOUR … SHAPE THE

ENVIRONMENTSHAPE YOUR LEADERSHIP APPROACH

MANAGE THE POWER

DYNAMICSHigh-Will/Low-Skill Teachers

Incorporate making and learning from mistakes into the instructional culture.

Build skill while maintaining will.

Clarify leadership roles throughout the process.Give teachers time to practice before shifting to more evaluative feedback.

High-Will/High-Skill Teachers

Keep the focus on how mastery directly affects the school vision and goals.

Sustain will by continuing to invest in these teachers.Allow them to choose how they will improve their skill, and provide appropriate supports.

Maintain high will and skill by not abusing your power. Allow these teachers plenty of freedom, and provide informal leadership opportunities.

Four Critical Aspects of EducationLemke and Sabelli

• how people learn

• what people learn

• where people learn or learning environment

• which people learn and why

Cognition Content

ContextEquity

Possible Research Questions

In addition to profiling respondents....

Are there significant differences in the performance of respondents who experienced the intervention and those who did not?

To what level has the intervention produced the desired outcomes?

What factors fostered/hindered the production of the outcomes?

Why do these factors facilitate/constrain the production of the outcomes?

What other strategies that can produce the outcomes are identified by the respondents?

Mixed Research Methods Research in which the investigator

collects and analyses data, integrates the findings, and draws inferences using both qualitative and quantitative approaches or methods in a single study or program of inquiry (Tashakkori and Creswell, 2007:4).

Combining qualitative and quantitative methods....

brings together the strengths and benefits of each while reducing their respective weaknesses and limitations (Bryman, 1988).

can provide some corroboration or offer fuller understanding than can be achieved through a single method.

ensures or increases the internal validity of results.

Points to remember in writing research reports

Research Paper Evaluation CriteriaKelley, Bennett and Moore, 2002

How well does the Title introduce the study?

How well does the Abstract describe the research study?

Are the Research Questions adequately defined?

Does the Rationale justify the purpose for the study and/or place it within the context of current theory and practice?

Evaluation Criteria cont. Is the Methodology clearly described and

well matched to the research questions? Is the Analysis of Data adequately

described? Are the Findings clearly identified? Are the Implications for future research,

classroom practices, or policy discussed?

When you take stuff from one writer it's plagiarism; but when you take it from many writers, it's research.

Wilson Wizner

Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi