Action Research

This book is perfect for practicing teachers to look at how to bring research into their practice and use data to determine actions.

• PREFACEAcknowledgmentsABOUT THE AUTHORSPHASE I—TASK DEFINITIONCHAPTER 1: WHAT IS ACTION RESEARCH?Guiding QuestionsChapter Aims and GoalsSetting the Context: Research in the Age of AccountabilityTaking Action: Using the CAPES FrameworkSummaryKey TermsCase in Point: Introducing the Research LogActivities and Additional ResourcesPHASE II—GOAL SETTING AND PLANNINGCHAPTER 2: IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH TOPICGuiding QuestionsChapter Aims and GoalsSetting the Context: Choosing a Research TopicTaking Action: Developing the Research TopicDeveloping a Plan or a Product: Completing a Topic Proposal FormEvaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?SummaryKey TermsCase in Point: Developing a TopicActivities and Additional ResourcesCHAPTER 3: CREATING A REVIEW OF LITERATUREGuiding QuestionsChapter Aims and GoalsSetting the Context: Sources of InformationTaking Action: Locating and Synthesizing InformationDeveloping a Plan or a Product: Writing the Synthesis of LiteratureEvaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?SummaryKey TermsCase in Point: Annotated Bibliography EntriesActivities and Additional ResourcesCHAPTER 4: CREATING A RESEARCH PLANGuiding QuestionsChapter Aims and GoalsSetting the Context: Examining Characteristics and Components of Research MethodsTaking Action: Developing a Preliminary Research PlanDeveloping a Plan or a Product: Initiating the Research Plan Proposal FormEvaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?SummaryKey TermsCase in Point: Research Plan (Pre-implementation)Activities and Additional ResourcesCHAPTER 5: METHODS OF DATA COLLECTIONGuiding QuestionsChapter Aims and GoalsSetting the Context: Choosing Data Collection MethodsValidity and ReliabilitySources of DataTaking Action: Selecting Data Collection MethodsDeveloping a Plan or a Product: Revising the Research Plan Proposal Form and Creating a TimelineEvaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?SummaryKey TermsCase in Point: Revising the Research Plan and TimelineActivities and Additional ResourcesPHASE III—ENACTINGCHAPTER 6: ANALYZING THE DATAGuiding QuestionsChapter Aims and GoalsSetting the Context: Analyzing Your DataTaking Action: Selecting the Method of Data AnalysisDeveloping a Plan or a Product: Completing the Research Plan Proposal Form and TimelineEvaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?SummaryKey TermsCase in Point: Final Research Plan and TimelineActivities and Additional ResourcesPHASE IV—ADAPTATIONCHAPTER 7: REFLECTING ON RESULTS AND PLANNING FOR ACTIONGuiding QuestionsChapter Aims and GoalsSetting the Context: Reflecting on the Results of Action ResearchTaking Action: Creating a Plan for ActionDeveloping a Plan or a Product: Completing a Plan of ActionEvaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?SummaryKey TermsCase in Point: Reflecting on ResultsActivities and Additional ResourcesCHAPTER 8: THE ACTION RESEARCH REPORT: SHARING RESULTSGuiding QuestionsChapter Aims and GoalsSetting the Context: Determining the Audience, Format, and OutletTaking Action: Crafting the Abstract and Policy Implication StatementsDeveloping a Product: Creating the Action Research Report Outline, Presentation, and SummaryEvaluating Against the Standards: Are You Ready to Move On?Moving Forward: Potential ChallengesSummaryKey TermsCase in Point: Action Research SummaryActivities and Additional ResourcesCHAPTER 9: LEADING A COLLABORATIVE ACTION RESEARCH TEAMGuiding QuestionsChapter Aims and GoalsSetting the Context: Organizing for Collaborative Action ResearchTaking Action: Collaborative Action ResearchDeveloping the Product: Forming the Collaborative Action Research TeamSummaryKey TermsCase in Point: Developing a Collaborative Action Research StudyActivities and Additional ResourcesAPPENDIX A: EXAMPLES OF ACTION RESEARCH REPORTSExamining the Impact of Readers’ Theater on Struggling Readers’ Fluency LevelsUsing an Investigation Model in Ninth-Grade Science Class: Impact on Lower-Level ReadersAPPENDIX B: POTENTIAL PUBLICATION OUTLETS FOR ACTION RESEARCHGLOSSARYINDEX