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Impact of teaching an action research course.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

Action research, AR, can assist new and practicing teachers in their ability to be critical, reflective thinkers who make informed decisions about classroom practice. This paper describes a one-semester educational inquiry course taught at both a large public and a mid-sized private university. Participants posed relevant questions, conducted a classroom-based study, analyzed, and shared results with a larger audience to become informed classroom decision makers whom individually and collectively promote change.

Introduction

How can new and practicing teachers become critical, reflective thinkers who make informed decisions about classroom practice? Students at both a large public and a mid-sized private university participated in a one-semester educational inquiry course as undergraduate and graduate learners posed relevant questions, conducted a classroom-based study, performed analyses and shared results to become informed classroom decision-makers (Tabachnich & Zeichner, 1991; Hall, 1997). While courses were taught by two different instructors from two different universities the course outcomes were remarkably similar.

AR in Pre-Service Teacher Education in a Large Midwest University

Craig and Jeff were studying to become teachers. Both were enrolled in a required undergraduate Educational Inquiry course. When choosing a "classroom issue, practice, or concern" they investigated problematic situations that were puzzling, troubling, or that caused uncertainty (Schon, 1983). With encouragement, they began to pose and record questions about educational practice (Woods, 1986; Zeichner & Liston, 1996). Both wondered about the benefits or detriments of a classroom pet. They concluded that many teachers kept pets, but had not shared a behavioral or academic rationale for doing so. They analyzed social interaction patterns in two second-grade classrooms with pets. After conducting interviews with children and teachers, they found students value the presence of animals in their room and teachers reported increased responsibility and caring. Another student, Suzy, wondered if technology would improve geography skills of fourth graders. She designed a quasi-experimental study to teach the same map and globe lesson in two different classrooms (with and without technology). Students using technology had higher scores. Amanda, along with five peers, wondered why teachers place student desks in certain configurations. They compared three classroom desk arrangements (i.e., straight rows, pods, and U-shape designs). With the help of a fifth grade classroom teacher, willing to change desk configurations weekly, they found student-to-student and teacher-to-student interaction patterns were higher in pod formations.

Contact with Local Classroom Teachers

Students in the large Midwest state university have been interacting with mentor teachers since their sophomore year, to immerse students in classrooms long before the student teaching semester. However, mobilizing pre-service students to conduct an action research study was a challenge. Some worked independently, while others worked in teams to accommodate college course loads and work schedules. Cooperating school districts granted permission...

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