Teacher Action Research Workshop 2: Framing the Study

1. Teacher Action ResearchWorkshop 2:Framing the Study EARCOS Teachers’ Conference 28-31 March 2012 Donna Kalmbach Phillips, Ph.D. Pacific University, OR USA

2. This interactive workshop is designed to guide participants through the first stages of developing an action research project: problelmatizing practice, finding a topic, developing a critical question, choosing a study design, and connecting critical literature to an action research study. Participants will work towards designing a draft action research proposal.

3. Teacher Action Research: Process Workshops Trustworthy Action Research Design Framing the Study Data Analysis, Interpretation Discover an Area of Focus Criteria for Trustworthiness Data Analysis Fundamentals Develop a critical Question Research Design Ongoing Analysis: Cycle & Strategies Research Design Triangulation Final Data Interpretation Literature Review Researcher Dispositions Going Public ………………………………………………………Critical Questions……………………………………………………………

4. Finding a Topic

5. Problematizing Practice – Cluster 1

6. Problematizing Practice – Refining Cluster

7. Problematize the Cluster: Critical Colleague Interview • Share your cluster with a critical colleague. • Describe an experience that might best illustrate the focus behind your cluster. • Critical Colleague listens hard for the following: • Assumptions • Beliefs, biases • What might be missing or may be overlooked. (What other problem sources, possibilities may exist?) • Synthesize what you hear as the “real” focus or question.

8. Developing a Critical Question

9. Evolution of a Critical Question

10. Give it a try:Draft a possible critical question based upon one of your clusters.

11. Sharpening the Critical Question

13. What attributes of an online small group learning environment engages students most effectively? What factors contribute to engaged online small group learning? What characteristics must be present to foster engaged small group learning in an online discussion course? What factors work together to create an environment where individuals in an online course engage in active and meaningful discussion? What makes EDUC 632 click or not click? What factors work together to create an environment where individuals engage in an online course to foster meaningful discussion and learning? What factors work together to create an environment where individuals engage in online discussion in critical and informative ways?

14. Sharpening the Critical Question Write your current CQ in the middle of the page or workspace. Identify 1-2 words or terms in the CQ that seem ill-defined, vague, too broad, or otherwise problematic. Circle. Start with one of the words/terms. Draw a line away form the word/term. Brainstorm about the word/term. Clarify, question. Narrow or broaden. Rewrite. A CQ should act as scaffold, not a fortress. Continue to work through the question.

15. Research Design & the Critical Question

16. Ethnography What factors work together to create an environment where individuals in an online course engage in active and meaningful discussion? How does my online talk, individual and group responses, and emails influence an online discussion course? What text qualities most encourage small group online discussions? ? Curriculum Analysis Self-Study Will the inclusion of online live small group chats serve to further engage and sustain an online course? Integrated Action

17. Research Design & the Critical Question:Revise CQ according to design-type What gets to the heart of what you want to study?

18. Paradigm (beliefs):It influences CQ, theory & research consulted, research design & data analysis & interpretation(Make your paradigm transparent!)

20. Literature (distant colleagues), the CQ & the Research Design Refines CQ Literature: Theory Research Informs Research Design (Paradigm, Beliefs, Teacher Experience) Guides Data Analysis/Interpretation Context

21. Drafting an AR Direction

22. Drafting an AR Direction

23. Where we are in the AR Process

24. AR Data Analysis Critical Questions AR Design Telling the Story AR Data Interpretation Collect Data Set Prewriting Audience Key Points “Thick Description” “Results” Lingering Questions Becoming a Teacher Action Researcher What I will do in my AR Project? Interpretation Scaffold Observations Artifacts Interviews Revisit, review: reread ongoing data analysis & memos What data will I collect? Researcher’s Journal Create mind maps, charts, and/or timelines; generate categories On-Going Analysis Organize and read the data Think about the data Chart, free write,cluster process the data in the researcher’s journal Use AR question as guide Discover an area of focus How will I collect the data? Going Public Web page Blog Conferences Practitioners’ Journals Newspaper & Letters Expand your interpretation Literature review How will I organize the data? Apply layers of interpretation Write AR memo Draft synthesis statements Questions Clarify Critical Questions AR Plan &Timeline Practicing AR Return to the questions Draft synthesis Statements Critical Questions

25. Teacher Action Research: Process Workshops Trustworthy Action Research Design Framing the Study Data Analysis, Interpretation Discover an Area of Focus Criteria for Trustworthiness Data Analysis Fundamentals Develop a critical Question Research Design Ongoing Analysis: Cycle & Strategies Research Design Triangulation Final Data Interpretation Literature Review Researcher Dispositions Going Public ………………………………………………………Critical Questions……………………………………………………………