This week I learned a great deal from working through the process of creating an actual action research plan. I believe the plan helps to put into words the process that many educators understand intuitively. The formalization of the steps necessitates operational definitions, definitions of sample sizes, dates for collaborative meetings, formal collection of data, time for analyzing that data, putting that information into common statistical language, reporting on that information, more collaborative meetings. Further, I think this process brings to light the understanding that informal, intuitive, analyzing and postulating can lead to misleading assumptions. When we find small errors in logic or discover that some of our assumptions based on informal research were wrong, it shows us that we are better served to do some formal research on the important matters that concern our students!
I also learned this week that the Action Research Project Process Overview concerning cell phones is a very useful document. It was mentioned by Dr. Abshire in our web conference. The overview explains step by step the action research process as outlined by Dr. Arterbury and Dr. Jenkins in this week’s video lesson. In addition to outlining the process, it outlines the process by overlaying it according to the five weeks of our course.
James,
ReplyDeleteI have also referenced the Cell Phone document several times this week. It has proven to be very helpful to me in my planning of the research I will do.
I like how you worded the process that we have been studying as "the process many educators understand intuitively". As I go through the steps I keep telling myself that this is what I do continuously as a teacher and that I am now just formalizing it.