Action Research Chapter 1-4

idea that we can explain natural phenomenon using science , we can measure phenomenon; "All behaviors and events are orderly and have discoverable causes"

factors (internal or external) that might affect the outcomes of study; the particular things that you are examining (i.e. self-efficacy, can be outside influences, canon sounds); characteristic of your study that is subject to change

idea that you have going into your research; statement that predicts what will happen

the group on whom you are carrying out the study, they receive the intervention, treatment.

a group of subjects closely resembling the treatment group but not receiving the active factor under study and thereby serving as a comparison group when results are evaluated; must have a control group w/ quantitative; there is no control group in AR; there is no control group in qualititative

In statistics, a number that expresses the probability that the result of a given experiment or study could have occurred purely by chance. This number can be a margin of error ("The results of this public opinion poll are accurate to five percent"), or it can indicate a confidence level ("If this experiment were repeated, there is a probability of ninety-five percent that our conclusions would be substantiated").

multiple people working on the same project;

collection & analysis of numerical data to describe, explain, predict & control phenomenon

uses narrative, descriptive approaches to data collection to understand the way things are and what the research means

using both qualitative and quantitative data collection

systematic inquiry conducted by teachers for themselves about how they teach, how well their students learn; goal is gain reflective practice, effect positive change, improve student outcomes. Should be meaningful to you and address needs of your students. It's persuasive & authoritative, relevant

act which authorized the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects; this was in response to many of the unethical research that was going on; ethical code and guidelines for researchers; must describe study and take training if you want

must get permission from participants, must be permission of parents if minor; ensures that

no identifying features at all; no way to tie the data to a particular person

you can tie data to particular person, but data is kept to yourself, no sharing of any identifying features to anyone else; coding can be used to conceal identities

analyzing power structures with the objective of making teaching and learning better

post-positivism. can everything be measured? counter to positivism

action research with a mind to make immediate changes; more focus on "how to" approach

preliminary information gathering; taking time to reflect on you own beliefs to understand the nature and context of your general idea.

articles are reviewed by panel of experts in field; these are more trustworthy articles

experience, descriptions. allows you to observe & take in the qualities of something. Surveys, observations with field notes. uses narrative, more descriptive approaches to data collection through interviews, recordings, etc.),

focuses on controlling variables and uses numbers to quantify the cause-effect relationships

uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods

you both participate and observe. By being a participant you change the environment. This is unavoidable in action research try not to have an impact on the environment you are observing (with AR this is not possible)

has statement, then ask someone to agree or disagree with statement, usually has varying degrees of agreement. Have an

use multiple sources of data. help you make more substantive statements of your discussion, you use of multiple sources of data. helps you see pattern across data sources. You need at least 2

use of polar opposite words, students indicate where between the two words their decision/feelings fall. gives quantitative rating

Reliability means dependability or trustworthiness. It is the degree to which a test consistently measures whatever it measures. The more reliable a test is, the more confidence one has that the scores obtained are essentially the same scores that would be obtained if the test were re-administered. For action research this means considering whether the data were collected using the same method and if the results would be consistent over time. For Alyson's study, the issue of reliability needed to be tested over time, particularly the teacher-made test and interview questions designed for this short study.

is the minor (or person in vulnerable population) who gives permission to participate, but you must also get consent from parent if the person is of vulnerable population

giving permission from the participant; or parent gives consent for their child to participate

focused on not exposing students to risks; protecting the participants from any possible type of harm (emotional or physical); involves issues of confidentiality & personal privacy

o Must involve teaching & learning o Should focus on my own practice o Must be within my locus of control o Must be something I wish to change or improve

involves systematically identifying, locating, and analyzing documents pertaining to topic. Purpose is to identify info that already exists & find productive research strategies, procedures, and instruments

written records of participant observers

causal conversation that allows teacher in conversational style to inquire into something

written or visual sources of data that contribute to our understanding of what is happening in classrooms and schools

how we know that the data we collect accurately gauge what we are trying to measure. refers to the degree to which scientific observations actually measure or record what they purport to measure

degree to which observed differences on the dependent variable are a direct result of manipulation of the indpendent variable, not some other variable

degree to which study results are generalizable or applicable to groups and environments outside of research setting

Guba argued that this could be established by addressing the credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability

researchers ability to take into account the complexities that present themselves in a study

everything is context-bound; depends on whether the consumer can identify with the setting. To facilitate this researcher should: collect detailed descriptive data & develop detailed descriptions of the context

refers to the stability of the data. to address issues related to this, you should overlap methods (triangulation) & establish an audit trail

neutrality or objectivity of the data. To do this, practice triangulation and practice reflexivity (reveal underlying assumptions or biases that cause researcher to formulate questions)

factual accuracy

concern researchers have with the meaning attributed to behaviors by the people who have been studied (the participants perspective)

ability of research report to explain the phenomenon that has been studied and described

has to do with whether or not the researcher was objective enough to report the data in as unbiased a way as possible

requires that the action emerging from a particular study leads to the successful resolution of problem that was being studied

requires that a study has been conducted in a dependable and competent manner

results of your study should be a catalyst for action

-talk little; listen a lot -record & write accurately -begin writing early -let readers see for themselves -report fully -be candid -seek feedback

dependability or trustworthiness; the degree to which a test consistently measures whatever it sets out to measure

reliability "is the degree to which a test consistently measures whatever it is measuring" and validity is "the degree to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure"

applicability of findings to settings and contexts different from the one in which they were obtained

SUMMARIZE WHAT'S IN THE DATA in a dependable and accurate manner.

an attempt by researcher to find meaning in the data, to answer the 'SO WHAT" questions in terms of the implications of the study's findings FINDING MEANING IN THE DATA

-identify themes -coding surveys, interviews & questionnaires -analyzing an interview -asking key questions -doing an organizational review -develop a concept map -analyzing antecedents & consequences

- descriptive statistics (gives shorthand way of giving lots of info) -count what counts, tally

-extend analysis -connect findings with personal experience -seek the advice of critical friends -contextualize findings -share theories about teaching & learning that appear to help make sense of your data -know when to say when

1) Identify an area of focus 2) Collect data - through surveys, interviews, report cards 3) Analyze and interpret data 4) Develop an action plan