Action research is a research process that is reflective in nature and typically conducted in school settings. These types of research enables professionals in school settings to collaborate on the components of a study, and allows them to search for solutions to the common everyday challenges that educators experience in schools (Ferrance, 2000). Educators can use the process of reflection through action research to better understand their work and build professional knowledge as they strive for continuous improvement (Brown, 2002). Although action research has received some attention from school review boards regarding ethical concerns associated with policies and procedures when conducting these studies, these types of research allow teachers, school specialists and administrators to explore ways to enhance or improve academic instruction in an effort to improve student achievement (Nolen & Putten, 2007). As appose to looking at theories, action research enables the school professionals to address the areas of concerns that are important to them, and allow them to see how their influence can bring about changes (Ferrance, 2000).
In present day, school educators and administrators are now asked to make numerous decisions regarding student achievement and school function. Teachers, school specialists, and administrators are held much more accountable for how schools are run and how students perform academically. Action research helps Teachers, school specialists and administrators assess the needs of students, document stages of the research, analyze data, and make knowledgeable divisions that can direct them to an intended outcome. Action research is not about researching information on a certain topic, but rather a sea...
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...wn, Beth Lynne (2002). Improving teaching practices through action research. Ph.D.
dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States -- Virginia. Retrieved August 1, 2010, from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT 3047967).
Donato, R. (2003, December). Action Research. Retrieved July 29, 2010, from Eric Digest
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Nolen, A. L., & Putten, J. V. (2007). Actiion research in education: Addressing gaps in ethical
principales and practices. Educational Researcher, 36 (7), 401-207. Retrieved July 1, 2010, from Education Research Complete database.
Robbins, P. & Alvy, H. B. (2009). The principal’s companion (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:
6 of the 12 teachers and 80 of the 160 students will be randomly chosen to participate in the research intervention. The intervention will last one week. During this week each of the 160 students participating in the research will receive two, two-hour blocks of Algebra instruction. In addition to these blocks of instruction, the students participating in the action research will have between four to six hours of total additional homework. Combining in-class instruction and homework each student participating in the action research will participate in eight to ten hours of total Algebra instruction in the intervention week. All students participating in the action research four assessment tests; one test will be administered before the intervention week has begun, a second test will be administered after the first block of instruction, a third test after the second block of instruction, and a final test one month after the third
Cohen, L., Morrison, K. and Manion, L. (2011) Research Methods in Education. 7th ed. London: Routledge.
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Gay, L.R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2009) Educational research: Competencies foranalysis and applications. (9th. Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN-10: 0135035015
Education in the United States has changed over the last 60 years. It started with President Eisenhower making sure Brown v. Board of Education was enforced. Next, the National Defense Education Act in 1858 was passed to improve math and science. In 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed to help the poor succeed in school. Finally, in 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child left Behind Act (NCLB) (Robbins & Alvy, 2009, pg. 7). The NCLB change the way schools look at student achievement. One of the biggest changes was all teachers and schools are held accountable for student learning (Robbins & Alvy, 2009, pg. 7). Schools are now graded and labeled. Teachers and schools must close the achievement gap among the different groups of students (Robbins & Alvy, 2009, pg. 7). High-stakes tests measure schools, district, and student’s success (Robbins & Alvy, 2009, pg. 7). NCLB has made schools look at better ways to teach students. Schools have turned to using research based teaching practices. Schools are now using data to guide instruction. How does a school effectively assess students to increases student achievement? How does a school use this data to guide curriculum development? This paper will look at the importance of assessment in P-12 schools to improve student achievement. In this paper a critical analysis of backward design and its effect on student achievement. A critical analysis of fact-based practices that teacher can use now to improve student achievement will be discussed. Finally, a discussion of the challenges a teachers will face when creating a culture of learning.
Gay, L.R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2009) Educational research: Competencies foranalysis and applications. (9th. Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN-10: 0135035015
The Aims and objectives of educational research can be to “improve practice”, which may be suggestions that arise from current research. It can also help “add knowledge” which may be adding information to existing knowledge or adding to other research projects. Research can “address gaps in knowledge”, this means highlighting areas absent or which lack from other research projects. Educational research can also “expand knowledge”, this can be finding out new information or improving, existing knowledge, this knowledge can also be “replicated”, repeating previous research to certify it. Finally educational research can “add voices of individuals to knowledge”, this is important to gain the views and opinions of people within a research area in order to “understand issues within their own concept” (Creswell 2002, in Chaudhary 2013, p.2).
Traditional research has broad topic, in contrast to action research that has a specific topic in a specific classroom, school or school district. This paper addressed both traditional and action research, their features and their influence on education. Within the paper there were comparisons between quantitative, qualitative, and action research and how they may be used within the school setting. As a result, educators and researcher can conduct research that may be used to make efficient and effective decisions to make positive changes.
...ased on the job or actions of a person, and not because their title (Waite, 1995). It will be imperative that the leader could take in consideration how to facilitate any changes and the action to research. These two will help in identify best practices and goal setting for the school improvement.
Viadero, D. (2003, April 30). Nice work. Education Week, 22(33), 38-41. Retrieved September 24, 2003, from Academic Search Premier/Ebsco.
Research is systematic way to find out facts and knowledge as Kothari (2006) has analyzed that research is the pursuit of truth with the help of study, observation, comparison and experiment; the search for knowledge through objective and systematic method of finding solutions to a problem. However there are two types of researches one is by Purpose and other is by method. The type by purpose falls into three categorize such as Basic, Applied and Action Research.
Inquiry is an interactive way of learning. Students are actively engaged in their studies. Inquiry involves student-centered activities focusing on questioning, exploring, and posing explanations. The goal of inquiry is to introduce a new way of learning where students can learn about the world around them through active engagement in real-life examples. Inquiry based learning can be incorporated into all academic subjects throughout the curriculum. Science could possibly be the most effective subject to incorporate inquiry.