Michael Prendergast

Hastings & Prince Edward DSB
August 2002

Action Research: The Improvement of Student and Teacher Learning

Abstract

The following report is a culmination of action research projects that began in September of 2001 and concluded in August of 2002. While working as a principal in an elementary Kindergarten to Grade 6 school, I attempted to support teacher and student learning through school improvement initiatives that would be meaningful and practical for the participants. The purpose of this study was to determine how I may assist other teachers to become more aware of reflective practices, specifically the use of action research methodology to encourage staff development and student learning. As a school administrator it is part of my role to support and encourage staff to engage in meaningful ongoing professional learning that will improve student learning. Using narrative writing, reflection, and action research methods, I created an increased knowledge and understanding for the teachers towards their pedagogy that resulted from implementing new practices. This resulted in school improvement in the areas of student learning and staff development.

I am both a participant and researcher in the study, which used ethnographic research methods. Initially data was collected through a survey to determine participant interest in learning more about action research. The seven teachers involved in the study developed research questions based on their current classroom experiences and used action research methodology to address a concern. I was involved in the collection of data that focuses on a concern that all participants share in improving instruction and the learning of the students in the classroom. Six of the participants focused on the use of computer assisted instruction in language acquisition and one researcher looked at implementing new writing strategies. This was related to individual teachers professional growth plans that were developed in consultation with myself as their school administrator, and we examined the impact of using action research on student learning in the class room.

Background

As a school administrator it is my role to facilitate the improvement of student and teacher learning. Many initiatives to improve student performance are met with hesitancy by professional teachers as the "flavour of the day" and easily dismissed because of the constant changes and instability in recent years in the educational system in Ontario. Demands and expectations on an educator's time and increased accountability to improve student achievement levels have left administrators and classroom teachers scrambling to keep pace with the latest in trends and research findings. Many in education have learned to be wary of outside studies that have little significance to their own experience and current classroom practice. Educators often associate the word "research" with something that they have no control over, as many believe educational research is done by those external to the school setting or has little connection to their daily lives and teaching, or perhaps worse means extra work in an already compacted day.

When I presented the idea of doing action research to the staff it was presented as an opportunity to be reflective learners who challenge the assumptions of what they do in the classroom. The teaching profession has not taught us to write and converse about our teaching and share our results with colleagues in a focused way. Action research provides the opportunity to talk about what we do in our teaching and learn from each other's experiences. The result of their participation in an action research study was to address a concern they held towards their current teaching situation and improve their methods to nurture student growth among their pupils. This is done within the context of their professional growth plan and focussed on school improvement initiatives that were developed collaboratively among all staff. It was described as a "real" and a "self guided process" for improvement that would be practical and useful in their teaching.

Conducting action research in schools can lead to critical reflection by teachers that will allow educators to learn from their experience and improve their practice. In their guide to conducting action research in schools, Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) trace the origins to the work of social psychologist Kurt Lewin (1946) in attempting to improve social conditions existing in a variety of contexts. Educational research has used many of the principles developed by Lewin to provide teachers and educators with a means to conduct research in their classrooms. Kemmis and McTaggart (1988) summarize Lewin's action research as a spiral of steps, each of which is composed of planning, action and the evaluation of the result of the action. "Lewin's deliberate overlapping of action and reflection was designed to allow changes in plans for action as the people involved learned from their own experience. Put simply, action research is the way groups of people can organize the conditions under which they can learn from their own experience, and make this experience accessible to others." (1988, p. 8) By raising awareness of this form of research for my colleagues, educators and children may benefit from implementing such methods professionally and in improved student performance.

Terms such as "teacher stories," "practical inquiry," "teacher research" and "narrative inquiry" are all part of the current discourse and concepts associated with improving the knowledge base of educators. Recent literature of professional development and educational research studies supports the use of action research as a method to empower teachers and create effective schools (Calhoun 2002, Glanz 1998). Action research is one way groups of people can reflect on their work, learn from their own experience and make this experience accessible to others. In the Ontario context, I had been a participant in previous action research studies supported by the Ontario Public School Teachers' Federation program and conferences based upon Action Research: School Improvement Through Research Based Professionalism (1998). In an effort to improve teaching and learning many programs and books have been written on using action research including Sagor (1992, 2000) and Glickman (2002). As an administrator action research can be a process that leads to school improvement when achieved by a staff who collaborate to change their methods and increase student learning.

As an educator involved in action research projects and who practices reflective techniques in his own teaching, I hoped to raise the level of awareness of others who may be searching for new ways to improve their teaching. The complex relationship between staff supervision, ongoing professional learning of staff, school improvement goals, and most importantly the improvement of student learning, is critical in today's schools and is a tremendous responsibility if accepted by one leader. As Fullan (1997, 1998) observes the role of the principal and the constant change in educational systems in our schools has led to a dependency by school leaders who become reactive and as a result decisions are made and actions are based upon the directions of others. As principals become more fragmented with each new challenge they face in implementing changes to assessment and evaluation, curriculum and instruction, special education and leadership theories, is it any wonder they soon can become overwhelmed? Fullan believes that we must reframe our vision as principals. He states principals must change their perception of doing everything for our schools and "to move away from the notion of how can they become the lead implementer of multiple policies and programs. Indeed, the problem the problem is not so much the absence of innovations in schools, but the process of too many ad hoc fragmented reforms that come and go with scant attention to coherence and continuity."(p.6) Teachers must share in this responsibility and participate in the decisions that are made for teaching and learning in their schools. Action research is one vehicle that can be used to take teachers on a trip of reflection and systematic actions to change their teaching in an attempt and improve student learning.

The benefits of reflective practice and action research conducted by teachers on issues that concern themselves in their classrooms are well documented. The literature of professional development and educational research studies supports the use of action research and reflective practices as a method to empower teachers and create effective schools. The collaborative nature of action research has the ability to create a shared culture of reflection and growth among teachers. Cole and Knowles (2000) recognize that much is lost in educational organizations that are structured to foster learning as individual enterprises for both students and staff. They state: "Teachers work and learn in relative isolation. The busyness of schools, crowded days and curriculum, pressures to evaluate .... keep teachers separated from their colleagues .... conversations with peers remain mainly superficial; conversations about perplexing matters of day-to-day teaching and the intellectual rigors of being better teachers seldom happen." (p.141) Professional learning requires the time and opportunity for teachers to discuss and reflect on their practice with others who are highly knowledgeable and can give insight into what they practice in their classrooms.

Cole and Knowles (2000) examine teacher research within the context of schools and the effect the collaborative inquiry process can have in supporting teacher learning. Wwhile writing about action research I had stated that "teachers are among the most creative and dynamic individuals, yet often they close their doors to their peers.... Many factors may cause this reaction to the sharing of theories and practice among teachers. Time is probably the single most negative influence; there simply isn't enough of it to go around. Administrators typically do not give consideration to teacher research when scheduling planning time and do not allot the extra preparation time required for teachers to collaborate." (p.146) I saw this as an opportunity for change and growth for my staff that I had looked for years earlier. I knew of the potential benefits because I had already traveled the path of doing a action research in my teaching. I stated in an excerpt in the chapter that the discourse among researchers often leads to greater collaboration, reflection and questioning of staff as "sharing between interested professionals around a common theme seems to be benefitting not only program and methods in our classrooms but also helping us to develop our personal relationships with each other." (p. 145)

The use of reflection as a systematic method to examine teaching methods and improve instruction is outlined in the work of Schön (1983, 1991). Through action research methodology that is supported by Whitehead (1993), Hollingsworth and Sockett (1994), and McNiff, Lomax and Whitehead (1996), teachers gain insight into their practice and find solutions to issues that concern them in their teaching. By raising an awareness of these methods, I can contribute to the professional knowledge of my peers. This creates the potential for them to use reflective practices in their schools and will improve student performance. The benefits of doing action research come largely from the empowering feeling of doing something proactive in dealing with a concern in your teaching. It is relevant because it is self directed and the results linked to how students are performing, something teachers care a great deal about. This relationship among the researcher and the participants has tremendous impact because as Sagor (2000) believes "when teachers have convincing evidence that their work has made a real difference in their students' lives, the countless hours and endless efforts of teaching seem worthwhile."(p.3).

As part of the project teachers and I maintained a journal of our thoughts, actions and experiences with ourselves and the impact it had on students in their classrooms. When teachers use narrative to write about their experience in the classroom, it becomes a type of "reflective research". It is "reflective" in its method, as it requires a thoughtful and deliberate process to record an experience that becomes "research" when the experience is critically examined to give meaning to the events. In this way narrative can assist teachers to continually construct, and later reconstruct, an experience they have lived in the classroom. As events unfold in the classroom, teachers can give meaning to their worlds by inquiry through narrative. McLean (1993), in her work on narrative and professional development observes that, "as many writers have noted, we all lead storied lives. We draw upon personal narratives to make sense of what we encounter in the world and we inhabit each other's stories in reflexive ways" (p. 267).

Narrative writing is a method for giving clarity to our teaching and can be part of the reflective process that gives meaning to our lives. Using narrative to write about what we do in our daily lives in the classroom breaks the silence created by teachers working in the isolation. Qualitative research using narrative writing by teachers as a means to becoming a more knowledgeable and skillful in their teaching has been the focus of many studies (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990,1992,1994; Richardson, 1994). Teachers often take time to reflect on the day's events, but seldom are these thoughts recorded by writing about the experience and even less frequently are they shared with other teachers. Ambrose (1993) acknowledges this lack of communication among teaching professionals and emphasizes the importance of using narrative to create an audience for teachers and limit the isolationism that exists in teaching.

Schön (1983, 1991) emphasized the importance of reflection as a method for improving pedagogy. In defining what it means to be a reflective practitioner, Schön (1991) believes teachers frame their teaching taking what he describes as "a reflective turn ¼ they all attempt to give practitioners reason, in different ways and to varying degrees, they observe, describe, and try to illuminate the things practitioners actually say and do, by exploring the understandings revealed by the patterns of spontaneous activity that make up their practice."(p. 5). By raising the level of consciousness on the benefits of reflection through in-service on action research and the narrative writing of teacher experiences in the research of this study, I encourage teachers to observe their teaching and share their experiences with their peers.

Noffke (1997) further traces the history of action research in education from its political dimension to create social change, as a professional process intended to improve knowledge and link it to change in practice, and finally as having a personal emphasis on the individual researcher. She states that this final perspective of the personal side of action research "denies neither the importance of political activity nor the generation of professional knowledge, but it views the main benefits of engaging in reflection as lying in areas such as greater self-knowledge and the fulfillment in one's work, a deeper understanding of one's own practice, and the development of personal relationships through researching together." (Noffke, 1997, p.306) This is supported in the literature on action research that recognizes the potential for this form of research that involves reflection and narrative writing as part of its methodology in helping teachers improve their teaching and contribute to the knowledge base on pedagogy (McNiff, Whitehead, & Lomax, 1996; Whitehead, 1993).

Methodology

All action research projects begin with an area where educators have a concern and desire to improve their work. For myself the focus of the research became: How can I assist other teachers to become more aware of reflective practices, specifically the use of action research methodology to encourage staff development and student learning? Qualitative data were collected throughout the project beginning with a survey , through the video taping and transcribing of focus groups, reflective journal writing, collection of class room observations and data by teacher researchers and narrative accounts of the research process by all the participants was collected and analyzed. Data is collected by teacher researchers during the project using reflective journals, observation, focus groups, student work samples, conversations, field notes and student narratives during the research process. For some researchers, base line data was collected on the level of student performance prior to beginning to determine if research had affected student learning. Further reflection, discussions, and examination of the data were used to determine if the teachers' awareness of reflective practice was affected.

As I began my research the first step was to collaborate on the development of a school improvement plan. The school staff identified the key areas that centred on the enhancement of educational accountability and the improvement of student learning. These included the improvement of student reading in all grades and the use of computer-assisted instruction in the teaching and learning cycle. In Leadership for Learning (2002) Glickman explains that the successful school understands that the direct improvement of teaching and learning in classrooms are the result of a "constellation of individuals and groups who undertake a myriad of activities and initiatives which provide continuous reflection and revisions of classroom practices guided by the educational aspirations of the school." (p.3) Action research became a framework for the staff that wanted to participate willingly in these initiatives that we had developed together.

As a teaching principal in a small school without a vice principal, beginning this task at the start of a new school year seemed like a daunting task. Between parent needs and teacher stress over change in school organization, computer crashes in the office, and a bomb threat the first week of school, it soon left me wondering how this seemed possible. As I began the project in the second week of September it soon became clear that without the funding provided by the Ontario Principals' Council and the money set aside from the school budget, the resources and time to plan and implement such an initiative would not have been available. It required a commitment on me as the administrator to release the staff, including myself, to plan and organise, provide the in-service training required and acquire the support of the computer resource teacher. Once begun it was necessary to release staff to visit other teachers in action at other schools, provide for release time for the researchers to work with students, plan focus groups to lead discussions to reflect and monitor their research. It required a commitment of time and resources by me as the school leader if the staff were going to be able to be successful in using action research to improve their learning and that of their students by attempting new strategies in the class room.

I began by taking a half day to plan and organize my approach to introduce this to the staff. I reviewed a video from Action Research - School Improvement Through Research-Based Professionalism (1998) and read a variety of articles on action research methodology and teacher development. It was a clearly evident from the video that the important thing to remember when relating this to my staff is that the research is their own, I wanted to avoid pushing what seemed like my agenda as administrator and make sure they understand that it is their own learning and increased understanding that I am most interested in. At the same time it is clear to me that all educators share in their professional responsibility to learn and improve. This was evident in the video testimonials by teachers about the impact of action research in their classrooms and the value it held as a process for improving their practice. It was to be presented as a unique opportunity with the necessary resources to make this happen and I decided that I would not require anyone to participate unless they felt willing to get involved with the project.

All staff members were given a survey to complete (see Table 1.0) as part of goal setting for their professional growth plans and to get them thinking about what areas of concern they will be the focussing on for the year, and it will also give me an indication about their learning styles and possible involvement. I distributed the article "Teacher Learning that Supports Student Learning" by Darling -Hammond(1998) as required professional reading. All staff were asked to read the article and complete the survey to prepare for formal meetings the following weeks to set goals for their professional learning. The concept of action research was introduced in the article and the relationship between theory and practice was examined. Darling -Hammond states in the article that "teachers learn best by studying, doing, and reflecting; by collaborating with other teachers; by looking closely at students and their work; and by sharing what they see." (p.2) Staff had been told of the potential for participating in action research in June. This was not to be seen as another addition to teachers already busy schedules, rather it was part of their ongoing professional learning requirement. In my journal after reading the article I write: "remember that this must be tied to improving student learning. I will use the School Improvement Plan as a focus for all staff to get them thinking about program and role of instruction, and assessment/evaluation, curriculum, etc.. Something we all share as a concern."

 

Table 1.0

Ongoing Professional Learning Survey

1. What types of professional development initiatives do you participate in?

2. Which of these initiatives did you find most valuable in improving your practice as an educator and why?

3. What types of teacher development activities do you feel are missing from your professional life?

4. Is reflecting on your experience as an educator on issues that concern you part of your professional life? (personal journal, discussions with colleagues, courses, educational literature)

5. Have you kept written records of events in the school/classroom to help you to learn about issues and problems related to your practice? If yes, were they helpful in improving what you do?

6. Have you ever worked in collaboration with other teachers to examine a shared concern around your teaching?

7. Would you be interested in participating in a collaborative project on an issue of common concern in your classroom as part of your growth plans and ongoing professional learning?

My biggest fear was that staff would resist because they were too busy already and had that "I can't do any more" feeling. The timing of the introduction was questionable as we lost staffing due to declining enrollment and staff knew a new school organization would be necessary that included some staff receiving a split grade. This involved more preparation and planning and new students in their classroom. As much as I want to open up the possibilities for them to action research, some will resist because, Fullan (1998) believes, self-selected reformers seldom influence change on any meaningful scale in an organization. In my journal I realize this and know "I cannot go only with only those who are receptive, but also must try to listen to those who see things differently. It is important to listen to them and their reasoning. It is a new way of thinking for many who are accustomed to being told what to do or not being told anything at all. In teaching in my experience there is never middle ground in the area of ongoing professional learning and administrators have either neglected completely staff development or followed orders from above that they had no control over. I want to land in the middle, not sit on the fence." All staff would be expected to participate in their professional growth, but how they go about doing the process would allow for action research to be one option.

I realized that in order to get people involved the introduction to action research had to keep my concerns in the background and be presented a learning opportunity. My approach had to be simple and honest, and at the same time teachers need to see the benefits of becoming more reflective and working together. I developed a simple handout based on my beliefs about a school's professional culture and how action research could play a role (see Table 2.0) This outlined my beliefs about school improvement, the critical role of all staff in working collaboratively to improve student learning, which was then related to action research influencing change at the school level. The school improvement goals were then developed by the staff over the following month based on these principles of a community of learners who worked together to improve student learning.

Table 2.0

Proposition: schools with stronger professional staff communities will show greater gains in academic student performance.

A clear shared purpose for student learning.

• learning that utilizes the expertise of staff.
• acceptance of collective responsibility for student learning.
• supportive environment both on the social and emotional level.
• support for a clear focus on intellectual quality and gains in student performance.
• schools show gains in academic achievement through staff development of instructional methods specifically in the use of data to modify programs

What is action research?

• improves student achievement through understanding of teaching & learning
• authentic and "real"
• linked to your classroom
• directed by you and "critical friends"

What isn't action research?

• extra work to do with your class 
• research from outside the school
• research based on external theories about teaching
• controlled by others.

These concepts were introduced the following week at a staff meeting. At no time did I mandate that participation in action research was required. Not all teachers are naturally reflective and depending on their career path and current situation, may benefit from other forms of professional development. All staff was introduced to the concept of action research at a staff meeting after a brief description about my experiences as a teacher doing research and through the video Action Research - School Improvement Through Research Based Professionalism (1998). This included time lines and requirements that would be expected as part of the research. I explained that I chose to use action research as part of my professional growth because it is collaborative in nature and purposeful in helping to create a culture of improvement with others.

Action research can be engaged in by individuals, by a group who share a common concern, or by an entire school who are focussed on a common theme. There are several potential research processes outlined in conducting action research. (Glanz 1998, Sagor 1992, 2000, Kemmis and McTaggart 1988, McNiff 1995). The four step process I shared with my staff was to first to identify an area of concern in their teaching (what do you want to improve in your teaching?), second to develop a plan and strategies to address the concern (what will you do differently?), thirdly to collect data to see if they have impacted on their students' learning (what evidence will you collect?) and finally to reflect on and analyse their data (How will you know if you made a difference?). This included keeping a journal of events and meeting as a group to discuss research projects to determine future actions and share their results with others.

To establish the participants' goal setting for professional growth plans all staff completed a survey to determine what their interests were for the year and identify areas for improvement was developed (see Table 1.0). This survey would later serve to frame discussions with me over the next two weeks. During the staff meeting we discussed the Darling -Hammond (1998) article I had shared and talked about how action research could benefit their learning. I then met with each individual over the following weeks to determine their growth plans.

We had established common goals in improving student learning in the areas of reading or computer assisted instruction which were both part of the overall school improvement plan. In my journal I write that after introducing the idea and reading each survey response it was 3 weeks later that " I met with all staff to discuss possibility of doing AR (action research). Release time was provided and I had reviewed their surveys yesterday to look for possible areas where they wanted to be involved. I also had reviewed previous growth plans (many had goals related to IT) that were mostly completed in Oct. 2000. I scheduled 20 minutes to talk to each teacher and shared what any had missed at the meeting when I had introduced the concept of AR. I went at this without any expectations. They have just gotten through IEP Engine (Individual Education Plan software) writing that had consumed much of their time and caused frustration in some. With losing a staff member because of enrolment, the ripples were just starting to subside. This was a time to nurture and thank them for the excellent work they had done. It was not a time to push so I was very low key in my expectations."

By reading the surveys staff had completed I had already seen some common themes emerging. When I saw common threads I encouraged those individuals to collaborate in their action research. In our October 2nd staff meeting I had shared the results of the Board Computer Survey and the largest barrier to the use of computers as a teaching tool was identified as a lack of time. This was true for both in‑service and training in the survey responses of teachers in the survey. The staff identified a need for improved computer facilities at our school and more learning opportunities in this area. My journal reflects that "Although most valued and used computers in their class rooms, it was clear from the discussion that came out of the survey that many felt it was an area where they could grow. Teachers talked of the importance of computer literacy, but felt the resources we had could be used to benefit students with more opportunity to examine how to use them effectively as a learning tool. This was a theme that may come into the discussions as I meet with teachers. It is certainly an area where I have begun to focus my energies as I met with support staff to develop a plan for school improvement in at our school in the lab." This would be the type of "real life" growth that some staff indicated they were looking for. Discussions with each staff member led to an initial group of seven teachers (89% of teaching staff at the school) who wanted to attempt action research as part of their ongoing professional learning.

What did I learn from all of this? I have a staff who will work together. The common thread of information technology and literacy will be something that they share for the next few months. In my journal I write that " It is all tied to reading and writing so it should be focussed. One will use me as a critical friend because her concern is so unique, but I can involve her at the early stages in the larger group. I need to talk to the support team to see what role they can play from the system level. Remember, keep it focussed and on a manageable time frame, let them drive the research, be supportive and aware of other pressures they feel, listen, timing is everything, and make it real."

I asked for voluntary participants and staff eventually selected their own action research questions that were based on issues they identified, and also were linked to school improvement goals. The school improvement goals were revised over the next weeks and the idea of action research was shared with the school group computer resource teacher. She was excited about potential research questions that were linked to computer assisted instruction and was eager to participate. A curriculum resource teacher at the Board office was contacted and she shared an "Action Research Manual" she had developed for other teachers in the system. This was revised and edited and then given to staff. At a non-instructional day interested staff reviewed the manual with me. It included the challenge of selecting a focus for action research, what makes a good research question, how to collect and analyse data and how to keep a research journal. The following week I invited the system level computer resource co-ordinator to come to discuss in-service plans and new software teachers would be receiving in all grades. Teachers were then provided a copy and invited to read Sagor's How to Conduct Collaborative Action Research (1992) asked to develop a research question.

During our next meeting the group met to discuss how to use reflective techniques in our classroom. It was stated that participants will determine their own research question and area where they would like to improve their practice and strategies will be examined and implemented. Focus groups were formed based upon similar interests and/or grade level assignments. It was stressed that research questions developed by teachers need to authentic and related to their practice. Some examples might include: How can I integrate information technology into the language curriculum? How does a balanced literacy approach to reading and writing affect the learning of primary school students? Do math journals improve communication skills and understanding problem solving? Action research methodology was reviewed and the data that is collected by teacher researchers would then provide a basis to determine if these methods have improved their awareness of reflective practices and impacted on student learning. With the resources provided teachers considered the following questions related to their research question prior to beginning their research:

1. What level of performance are my students currently working at and what evidence can I collect as support?

2. What activities /actions /strategies can I use to create change?

3. What resources do I require and time lines can I follow?

4. What indicators will I see of student growth and how can these be linked to what I did?

5. How can I share what I have done with others?

If the researchers are aware of the benefits of reflective inquiry into their teaching they were successful in impacting on their ongoing professional learning. It was shared that for me as an administrator, my measure of success would be determined by the evidence to be collected by me from interviews, teacher and personal journal entries, and observations and field notes I had taken during the process. I would see that teaching methods had changed and students were engaged in new learning activities. I would act as a critical observer and was available to discuss their research and student learning at any time within the process. The researcher's measure of success would be based upon different objectives altogether. It was their goal by conducting research to improve the classroom learning for the students by measuring observable skills and student knowledge. Student growth should be demonstrated as alternative methods of instruction are explored through the action research spiral as staff implement new instructional techniques. Evidence will be collected by teacher researchers and included in the research.

Finally, my own professional growth and duties related to teacher supervision and instructional leadership improved through working with my staff in the research process. Research findings of both teacher researchers and myself are shared amongst staff at the school and plans have been made to present our findings at the Board level in the fall of 2002. My research will also be shared provincially through the Ontario Principals' Council (see OPC Register, 2002) and presentations with research participants educational conferences. Teacher researchers will also be encouraged to publish their work in larger educational forums through professional writing. The research will be examined in the context of the local school and the potential for application to other schools and barriers to reflective practices will be explored. At the conclusion of the project all staff met as a focus group and were given a questionnaire (see Table 3.0) and our discussion was video recorded to provide insight into their experience with action research and reflective practices.

Table 3.0

Action Research Summary

What was your research question?

How many hours in class did you spend on the project? (approximate)

What support did you have to complete your project?

What activities were your students engaged in as part of your project?

What were the barriers you had to face in completing the project?

What type of data did you collect?

How did you analyse the data?

What themes or patterns do you see in your data?

By attempting a new strategy/method/instructional tool did you improve student learning? What evidence do you have to support your claim?

What role did keeping a journal play in the project?

What are your feelings in being involved in an action research project?

How has your participation in the project impacted on your teaching?

What would you do differently next time if you did a project?

Was the project relevant to other school improvement goals and your professional learning?

How did your participation with your fellow colleagues in AR impact on your learning?

Where do you go from here? Are there new concerns/questions about your teaching and student learning that have come from your work?

Are there other forms of data you could collect ? (student interviews, student survey, diagnostic assessment, summative assessment...)

Do you require more time for reflection and/or completion of your project at this time? They were all required to keep a reflective journal during the process which I reviewed as they conducted their research. Our board computer resource teacher was brought into the project to provide additional training and support for staff when needed. Teachers were given additional time to visit other school sites, learn new software, discuss integration of computers into the curriculum, work with small groups of students and plan and reflect on their research. Data was collected in various forms including baseline pre-test/post-test methods, tracking sheets, student work samples, teacher and student observation records, interviews, journals and questionnaires. Groups seemed to form easily once they were aware of what others had as similar concerns through our discussion.

One participant examined ways to more effectively facilitate independent writing in a kindergarten classroom. Her question was " How can I more effectively facilitate independent writing in my kindergarten class room?" She visited a number of other schools and teachers and attempted a variety of strategies in her teaching while doing her research. A group of four primary teachers examined "How does computer assisted instruction affect improvement in sight vocabulary and reading fluency?" Using new software purchased by the Board they focussed on two small groups of six students at risk in their literacy development. They developed tracking and observational tools that were shared with other schools and were given additional time and in-service in the software by an external computer resource teacher. Children received daily instruction in an intensive program that focuses on phonemic awareness and word recognition. Similarity, two junior division teachers collaborated on using new software to examine the inclusion of computer assisted instruction to facilitate the student's ability to develop reading comprehension skills with a small group of students struggling with language skills. Their question became, "How can I more effectively facilitate improvement in reading comprehension with the help of computer assisted instruction?' guided their research. They also were provided with additional time and in-service in the software by an external computer resource teacher. All teachers were released from teaching to meet and discuss their projects as they evolved and to plan and reflect. These initiatives were all related to school improvement goals in improving reading and/or the use of the computer as a learning tool.

Findings

At focus group discussions it became clear that teaching practice was changing and students' learning was improving as the teachers developed their research. When one researcher was asked what had changed after some time doing her research on writing in kindergarten program her response was, "My students have more opportunities for self - directed writing." In her journal she writes her interest in writing fit into what she was attempting to change in her planning for her class and an interest in the developmental writing stages of her students. She states: " The technical, argumentative and descriptive genres are largely handled with the students through large and small group discussions and activities. The narrative genre in kindergarten became a more individual process and as a teacher I want to encourage more independence with the children." It was frustrating to her from her observations that students did not choose to write stories at activity centres and she wanted to provide them with more opportunities to write. She recorded what had already been done in narrative writing from September to January and implemented some new strategies. Her goal was to find ways to encourage children to take what they experienced in directed writing lessons and apply these skills in self selected journal entries, books, or other writing activities. She was attempting to see if direct instruction in writing using a variety of new frameworks would lead to increased independence in her students in initiating narrative writing. She observed that by the end of the project students were able to produce more print as they communicate and were using fewer pictorial representations.

She had collected student samples that showed improvement during independent writing tasks and had identified specific strategies she implemented. Through the research grant and release time provided by the school she was able to visit three other teachers as she was the only kindergarten teacher in the school. She stated that not only did this reaffirm for her that she was providing a good program, but also it was " a great p.d. opportunity to visit a colleagues classroom .... you pick up things that you wouldn't normally see." She had tried a number of new writing frameworks and changed some existing ones she was using based on her visits. The following is a summary response from the researcher:

(Note: all responses in bold are excerpts from Table 3.0 completed by research participants at the conclusion of the project)

Q: How did you analyse the data?

I studied the work samples to see if the students were writing more and using more appropriate sound/symbol relationships. I also observed the students in class to see if I noticed them trying writing tasks on their own without my encouragement.

Q: What themes or patterns do you see in your data?

There was growth in writing during the 3 month period of the project.

Q: By attempting a new strategy/method/instructional tool did you improve student learning? What evidence do you have to support your claim?

By changing the type of writing paper available to the students, they were more inclined to use it, it was less threatening for them. ie) a specific box for the picture and only 3 lines underneath for their writing.

This researcher felt she benefited through her participation in the project and had become more aware of reusing reflection and reflection to clarify her teaching. The project was relevant and will lead to new ways of examining her practice. Although she worked individually, it was clear in her responses that she learned from focus group discussions with her colleagues. Having more frequent contact and access to the school computer resource teacher also led to her also later introducing new software to her students.

Q: What role did keeping a journal play in the project?

I found keeping a written journal very useful for reflection. It did take a lot of time to keep it up to date but it provided a place for thoughts, questions, conclusions, samples and discovered connections between my project and current board directions.

Q: What would you do differently next time if you did a project?

I would choose a goal outside of a curriculum focus - ie) improving my use of student portfolios, self-selected items and student self-evaluation. While I found this project useful, the narrow focus in a half-day program excluded being able to focus on other curriculum areas at the same time.

Q: Was the project relevant to other school improvement goals and your professional learning?

Yes it was. Interestingly, after I had chosen this topic our board provided workshops in balanced literacy. I learned new strategies to try in the future - ie) a name word wall, which I implemented. I also learned that out of the 4 suggested writing adaptations, I had been using 3 and I'm very much interested in pursuing the 4th. ie) Shared writing, Independent writing, Printing lessons I have used. Interactive writing (teacher and students share the pen) is the one I will pursue.

It is evident that when this researcher shared her student samples during a focus group she was able to give hard data to show evidence of student growth. While attempting a variety of strategies to get her students to write independently, she commented that some methods had been more successful than others. She had put strategies into action, reflected to see what was working best, revised her practice to meet student needs and continues to search for new frameworks and ideas to assist students in their writing development. She commented during the discussion that although the improvement she observed was due to "some natural development, but some is because I have focussed on the writing process." She continued to attribute the new methods and frameworks acquired and implemented during her research as critical in increasing the number of opportunities her students had to write independently during self directed learning times in her class room. The journal she kept while doing her research has become part of her professional portfolio and "I found keeping a written journal very useful for reflection. It did take a lot of time to keep it up to date but it provided a place for thoughts, questions, conclusions, samples and discovered connections between my project and current board directions."

The staff implementing new software into the junior division class rooms faced many barriers. In a very compacted schedule fitting this research into their teaching became a challenge and required a commitment to timetable and work with students. Extra time was required for the computer resource teacher to work with staff and students in the classroom. The Board had provided one ½ day of training for teachers and the additional 2 days given to work with staff and students for teachers was critical in increasing the comfort level with the hardware and software issues they faced. Problems they faced with the software at our school during additional in-service with the computer resource teacher were many as one teacher comments in her journal "it helped me understand the program a little more. However, it has also been a day of stress because there are major glitches and until these glitches are solved I cannot start the action research." The computer resource teacher who supported the staff commented that the action researchers had done more with the software than any other school she had been working with. Her role in supporting us has given her more leverage in getting problems solved with her Information Technology Department and a quicker response because we are out front in the implementation and applying this in our school with kids. This was not her experience in all the schools she works with, and it is encouraging for her to see teachers using what she has spent time and energy doing in-service on. The software issues that were resolved at our school then benefited all schools in the system because we were essentially piloting the new technology through our action research focus.

Both teachers had met with me and decided to focus on a small group of 5-6 students over a 3 month period using language based software that was new to the Board. Although each was using different software, it soon became clear that they were seeing results in most of their students work and in their own professional learning. Their research question was the same and they collaborated and shared their experience in discussions throughout the research spiral with the computer resource teacher and myself and the entire group. One researcher's students were to work in Language Trek 5/6 software. They were to read a variety of short stories and do a summary of the story on the computer and answer different types of questions relating to the story in a quiz. The data collected included a student diary, log of meetings, journal entries, conversations with the students and the story charts and quizzes. Student work was collected and marked and through their written activities. One researcher comments that "I could tell if they understood the story. If their marks were greater than other reading comprehension, done by pencil and paper, I assumed that the computer was a motivator for these students." Her observations below clearly show that she her practice and her students did develop new skills during the research process.

Q: How has your participation in the project impacted on your teaching?

It has certainly given me something to consider and questions to ask myself e.g. What are some things I can do different to make this program more useful and how can I implement it more during class time. I really feel that computers are an excellent tool for teaching because the students enjoy it. They are more open to the idea of doing their work on computers and for most students it is a motivator to do better and add more details to their answers.

Q: What would you do differently next time if you did a project?

I would get them on computer more often next time but I would still like to use the computer as an to improve student learning. I would try and spend more time with them as they were working on the project and more teacher observation. I also need to make sure the expectations are clear.

Q:Was the project relevant to other school improvement goals and your professional learning?

Yes the project was relevant to the school improvement goals because the project was suppose to improve the student's reading comprehension and hopefully move them to a level 3 in reading. As for my professionally learning I see computers as an excellent tool to help kids learn and I have and will continue to try and use computers daily in the classroom in different subject areas.

Q:How did your participation with your fellow colleagues in AR impact on your learning?

Discussion is always good to help with problems and in general professional growth. One other thing we get from our colleagues is the knowledge of other programs and how they work.

Q: Where do you go from here? Are there new concerns/questions about your teaching and student learning that have come from your work?

I will try and use the computer more often in class. One of concerns is about expectations and how clear have I made them. I need to become more familiar with the different computer programs out there before I try to use it in the classroom. In the future I would like to do some computer courses.

The research had led to a focussed attempt to learn and integrate new software as part of her reading programs and as one teacher stated while reflecting on her experience, "I would not have learned as much about the software without the focus on Action Research. It will impact in the future and now because I know what the software can do." Although she did not see the improvement in her students' performance tasks while doing the comprehension activities she had hoped for, she did comment in her journal: "What is important is that the kids have been involved in a great learning experience. They liked the program that was an interactive learning experience. It also gave me marks for the report card." It had also impacted on her practice as she reflected about her application of the software next year with her students. Now that she had attempted this action research "I have had personal growth in the area of technology and I have started to use Math Trek daily. (another new program not previously used in her practice) Next year I would like to try and use this with the sixes as well as the fives." She had gained professional knowledge and was already planning to expand her new methods into her teaching.

The second researcher focussed on activities that the students were engaged that were both pencil and paper reading questions, as well as, computer work. The students read a book called "Maniac McGee". During the novel study, the students were expected to complete vocabulary and several different types of reading questions. Once the novel was read and studied, the students worked on a computer program called "Island Reading". In this program were a number of activities that were directly tied to "Maniac McGee". These activities included: a crossword, word scramble, cloze exercises, and essay and a test. He was also was able to show evidence of improvement in student learning through his action research initiative. He compared the computer work completed by his students with other more traditional pencil and paper tasks. He states that "I analysed the data by looking at what levels of work they gave me from their desks and what levels of work they completed on the computer. Also, I looked at the work that they provided me during novel studies earlier in the year." He felt that in his comparison the work completed on the computer was better in quality and their learning skills had improved (on task, use of time independently) as he states: " The most consistent theme that I noticed was that for the most part, the quality of work the did on the computer far exceeded that which was complete at their desks. Also, it took them more time to complete their desk work than their computer work. They were more focussed on the task when they were on the computer." As an instructional tool the computer assisted instruction had benefited his students.

Q: By attempting a new strategy/method/instructional tool did you improve student learning? What evidence do you have to support your claim?

I believe that by introducing the computer into a novel study improved learning. I ensured that all of the novel study work at their desk was fully completed and acceptable before they could go on the computer. This had a positive effect on the students as they were very eager to do the computer work. The main evidence I have to support this claim is that all of the seat work questions and computer question were completed. Often I find that this particular group of grade 5s has difficulty focussing and completing their work. During this project, they did all of their questions and as a result, all of the questions were attempted. Also, by completing all of the work, they were all able to provide valuable information to our "Maniac McGee" discussions. Basically, I believe that they "took away" more knowledge from this novel study than they did in studies earlier in the year.

His participation in action research and reflective journal writing impacted on his professional knowledge.

The systematic approach to reflecting and journal writing also was helpful in keeping him moving and focussed throughout the process. It did impact on his teaching and will influence future attempts to refine his practices and methods in the future.

Q: What role did keeping a journal play in the project?

The journal was a fantastic tool to keep all of my data, inferences, and observations in a chronologically ordered place. I often used it to go back and see what kinds of strides had been made with respect to the project. Also, I used it as a calender. If I noticed that a lot of time had been spent away from the project, I knew exactly where we were at the time, what steps I was planning to accomplish next, and how far each student had progressed.

His experience as a first year teacher was enhanced by the project as it gave him some time to see how other teachers work and be involved in some discussions that included staff with 20 plus years in the class room. As a new teacher this was possible in this environment of reflection and talk about what their projects involved. The major impact as stated below is in his ability to integrate technology in a meaningful way for his students. When asked what role the research played in his personal growth at the end of the project he states; "Personally, I believe it was an extremely valuable tool. I was able to look closely at two aspects of teaching (novel study and computers) and understand how they can be linked together to improve student learning. Also, it was interesting to see what the other teachers were working on to see what other strategies I too could try to implement in my own teaching."

Q: How has your participation in the project impacted on your teaching?

The most important impact that this project had on my teaching is that I can now use the computer as a resource in Language Arts. Often, the only way to use a computer in this area was through word processing. Also, the students are so interested with working on the computer that they became more productive. In turn, this has allowed me more time to introduce and teach more things in class.

Q: What would you do differently next time if you did a project?

Next time I definitely would try to complete it over a shorter time line. Far too often I would be scrambling to try and find time to fit in all of the work that needed to be done. Instead of doing a complete novel study, I would look at a smaller aspect of something that takes place during everyone of my teaching days (ie spelling, math, etc.).

The last group of researchers were also able to see growth personally and for students abilities in computer assisted instruction improving sight word and fluency growth in level 1 and level 2 students. While they all recognised that it was difficult to determine if their research was the cause of student improvement, they were able to agree that all students did improve. Because the action research was completed within the classroom context many other factors may have impacted on the growth they observed in students reading skills.

The students received daily instruction using the computer software that totalled 40 hours of instruction over a 15 week period. Small groups were engaged in the software with the teachers and supported by an educational assistant in the class room. The students worked with the computer program "Let's Go Read" in either the "Island Adventure"or Ocean Adventure" software programs provided by the Board. These programs provided interactive activities to introduce and practice the phonetic sounds of the consonants, short vowels, long vowels, consonant blends and digraphs using oral language.

Students were tested in January and again in May after using the software to determine baseline performances using Slosson reading assessment, phonemic knowledge testing that was part of the software program they implemented and reading fluency tests. The software was interactive and had audio components to reinforce letter recognition and phonemic awareness. The following data was collected (see Table 4.0 and Table 5.0) and there is evidence of growth using the tests selected by the teachers and those that were part of the software program. We looked at the improvement in all three scores and related it to what was covered in the program. The phonetic analysis was done by checking off individual sounds mastered in the software program. Looking at the beginning and end sheets you could specifically see where the phonetic growth had occurred. As one researcher states ‘There was growth shown by all participants in all areas of assessment. The role of additional factors in this growth is difficult to determine. For each of the twelve participants you could analyse their growth in each of the individual components and relate it to their level of interaction and perceived learning from the program. This would be an anecdotal analysis using observation logs. We did do this informally. The fact that students learned a new instructional tool to assist their reading skills is a valid improvement."

Table 4.0 Grade 1

As one of the research team indicates "All students showed some growth. The higher functioning students showed the most growth and the lower functioning students showed the least growth. This growth scheme is mirrored in the regular classroom achievement. The data indicates some growth in all of the children. The children definitely received extra individual practice time that they would not have otherwise received. It is impossible to decipher how much or this growth can be attributed to this project alone. Part of this growth is definitely due to this project." If you examine the phonemic awareness tests that were part of the computer instruction in isolation the average increase alone was 25% in performance of the number of letters students were able to recognize and associate the correct sound after using the program.

Table 5.0 Grade 2

For the teachers involved it I feel like I made a difference here. All had insights that really make me feel this has been an experience that means something to their pedagogy. They took the risks with colleagues and collaborated and although question of student growth is contentious, yet the fact there was growth is what really matters. As one participant shared "action research was an opportunity for hands-on professional development which was relevant to my role and responsibilities. The experience allowed me the opportunity to implement something new and the time to reflect and learn from that experience. I would willingly undertake another project. Action research provided me with a framework for planning and implementing instructional changes and initiatives with students to see if they make a difference." Another researcher on the team states, "I appreciated the time to become familiar with this computer program and to feel that it was being used effectively in my class. I also appreciated the time to observe individual children working with this program. It was valuable to be able to share observations and learn from other colleagues." This opportunity had brought them together around a common concern in their teaching and together they learned from each other while supporting student growth.

The relevance of the issue to the class room and school improvement initiatives made the action research a valuable learning opportunity.

Q: Was the project relevant to other school improvement goals and your professional learning?

School improvement goals involved target setting with literacy development and computer implementation. Our project dealt with both of these areas. We implemented computers in the literacy area. Both staff and students involved increased their computer knowledge of this program tremendously. For these students they will be able to use this program next year. Teachers became very comfortable with using this program to enhance instruction in reading. This process allowed us to gather some valuable data in the reading area which can be used to demonstrate growth in literacy skills. My professional learning was enhanced by the computer experience and the overall process of target setting and developing a plan. This is a strategy I will use in the future.

All members of this group have planned to use their knowledge of the software and research process in planning and instruction in the future as indicated above by one researcher. Part of the action research spiral requires that teachers share what they have learned with colleagues. Two of the group will present their research locally at the Board level and provincially in the fall at a conference in Toronto attended by administrators from across Ontario. As part of resource role in her new school next year this will happen as "I plan to share my experience with the specific computer program with other teachers. I am going to use the overall framework of action research in a consultative way to assist teachers for implementing changes or modifications. We can ask ourselves what modifications/strategies can we try to see if success can be achieved. I now have a process to use for the informal approaches we attempt all the time. The process will give us the opportunity to see our successes and learn from our experiences."

Conclusions

It is clear to me that by entering into this journey together my colleagues and I have arrived at a different place from where we began. The ongoing professional learning of the researchers involved was impacted by the use of reflective methods and action research that led to improvement in their professional knowledge. Others will also benefit from their projects as results will be shared with colleagues and other teachers. Most students did improve in either writing or reading skills and this can be partially attributed to the new instructional methods attempted by teachers using action research. Many factors contributed to the success of the project, however most significant is dedication and drive for improvement of the educators involved. They all agreed that this project had been a valuable learning experience for themselves and their students.

It is clear that a collaborative culture does exist and new teaching methods are happening as a result of the action research. Participants who focussed on computer - assisted instruction to improve literacy increased their comfort level using technology as a result of the support provided by their fellow researchers. Many obstacles have been overcome that included hardware and software difficulties, in-service for staff in new technology and scheduling research into timetables in already busy days. Difficulties can be overcome if the conditions are right and the resources are available. As one participant believes "action research is a formalized strategy for improving your teaching practices which is exactly what we should be doing all the time. However, a concentrated effort has to go into identifying and addressing a key focus. The dilemma being that there is always so much going on, we don't take time for that systematic approach."

The time for in-servicing and focus groups for teachers, additional days that were supported by the computer resource teacher and release time to work with small groups of students was all crucial in allowing the staff working with new technology to become knowledgeable with the software. After the research groups had formed a full day of in-service was provided. As I observed in my journal "They requested more time to become comfortable with the software having the resource teacher as a resident expert to assist them. Today they can map out resources and should spend some time planning for implementation. What will this look like in their timetable? What type of evidence will they collect? Have they been keeping a journal? What time line will they follow? What resources do they require?" These questions were shared with the resource teacher who would support with the planning and implementation of their research prior to providing in-service with the new software. Staff were committed to the research they had undertaken and the support was necessary and valuable. Without the support of the administration and additional resources from the school and research grant this would not have been as beneficial to the researchers or students who were involved. As one participant shared in her summary:

"Honestly, at first I thought that it would be another overwhelming project that was going to interfere with my teaching and make more demands on my precious time. I am happy to say that this was not actually the case, that time was allotted to accomplish the task. I am also glad I have had this opportunity to work so closely with my colleagues to investigate the question of computer aided learning. I feel I did not get the specific answer I was looking for, but I did obtain insight about the program and my students. I am pleased to say that I have developed a more positive feeling regarding the role of computers in a primary classroom. I also know that I will use this specific program next year with several of my students and include that is my long range planning. Having co-workers to share ideas and reflect thoughts has greatly benefited this action research project. There was also a feeling of lessening the burden. I am looking forward to using this knowledge with my students next year."

Dramatic change is needed in the ways teachers' view themselves as recipients of pedagogy to be delivered to their students. As an instructional leader it is my responsibility to empower teachers to become independent and autonomous learners who engage in activities that improve their teaching. Learning how to become a more effective teacher is a continual struggle for all classroom practitioners. We constantly solve issues that arise in our teaching and search for methods and supports in our schools that will improve our teaching. What teachers can learn to do to help them acquire knowledge about what it is they actually do in the classroom can be taken from the idea of ‘reframing' their experience. By questioning our teaching methods and assumptions about our profession, by reflecting on our lives in the classroom, it is then teachers begin to see and understand what is happening in their teaching new perspectives. Through focus group discussions, individual conversations, classroom observations of teachers, student observation and data collected by teachers it is evident that growth has occurred through action research. To become critically reflective means to use of current research, students work in the class room, autobiography and our colleagues to examine our methods and assumptions so that we are in a state of continual formation as an educator.

The support provided by the computer resource teacher in implementation of computer assisted instruction for the staff raised many questions in the research. Hardware and software must be in place and tested before attempting implementation on any level. Unfortunately many difficulties and barriers were faced due to technical problems while staff and students learned together. This may impact on the model of in-service provided to teachers in the future so that any difficulties are solved beforehand. Through her participation in action research the computer resource teacher for our school group has gained data and insights that she will "share this project and its' results with my team of CASRT's (computer and science resource teachers) and to discuss any implications is may have on our focus for in-services, etc... for next year. interesting experience in a resource role, which provides me with data to support (or not) what we do as CASRT's." She was critical in providing training for staff and in the issue of implementation of new programs into already jammed timetables. The big message here was to make it a priority in the day and if something had to go to fit the software into the day, so be it. The idea of to stop starting so many new things before finishing what you are currently doing is relevant. Some staff needed some support in accepting this concept. The research and use of computer technology as a learning tool could not be an add on, it had to be seen as part of the daily/weekly instruction.

Recommendations

The practice of action research is an alternative perspective of teachers being reflective learners who challenge the assumptions of the culture in our schools. What we have never learned to do in the teaching profession is to write and converse about our teaching and share our results with colleagues. Is it any wonder that we feel isolated and that we don't have a common culture of improving teaching quality? As an educator I feel I am a learner. It creates a messy and clouded view in the belief that learning and teaching are synonymous and occur simultaneously. To do action research successfully it must be built into system and school improvement frameworks that are well supported by administrators and funded with the necessary resources. Teachers and administrators must work within a supportive context to conduct action research in meaningful ways. School improvement must be shared by all staff and decision making processes need to be encouraged. This is based on the assumption that real change in program and instruction will only occur if supported from within the class room of our schools.

There will always be potential barriers to conducting action research in schools and the administration and staff must share in the responsibility of finding ways to create the necessary conditions. Earlier I stated that the research grant I received and additional funding taken from the school budget, as well as bringing in support from the school system was essential to the success we shared. Support from professional organizations like the Ontario Principals' Council in the educational community, applying for a research grant from teachers federations, local and provincial support for professional development courses in teacher inquiry and university courses at the pre-service and graduate level will encourage action research to continue to be part of the growing field of knowledge developed through school based research. It is imperative that we look beyond the physical constraints created by structural limitations of schools and the notion of being individuals involved in a common occupation. Through action research we actively participate in the mind set that ongoing professional learning is a shared process. To deny ourselves the insights gained in this process of action research supports the isolation that educators to often experience in their professional lives.

The conditions for school based action research must be established by the leaders of the school and supported by those within the educational community. Administrators who demonstrate a commitment and interest in educational research and must expect teachers to be familiar with recent literature. An encouraging and supportive administrator will allow risk taking for staff willing to attempt new methods of instruction. On - going opportunities to reflect and converse with professional colleagues is critical in allowing educators to engage in the discourse necessary for collaboration and a shared culture of learning. There should be improvement based on specific goals within the school and clear data to support a clear focus on intellectual quality and gains in student performance. A clear shared purpose for student learning must drive our decisions as leaders who seek the acceptance of others and recognize that learning that utilizes the expertise of all staff. Teachers and administrators must accept the collective responsibility for student learning.

Michael Prendergast is a principal in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board.

E-mail - mprendergast@hpedsb.on.ca

References

Ambrose, R. (1993). Personal Narratives and professional development. Journal for the Association for Childhood Education International, 69, 274 - 277.

Calhoun, E. (2002) Action Research for School Improvement. Educational Leadership,59(6).  

Cole, A.L. & Knowles, J.G. (2000) Researching Teaching: Exploring Teacher Development through Reflexive Inquiry Needham Heights:MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Connelly, F.M. & Clandinin J. (1990). Stories of experience and narrative inquiry. Educational Researcher, 19, 2 - 14.

Connelly, F.M. & Clandinin J. (1994). Telling teacher stories. Teacher Education Quarterly, 145 - 158.

Connelly, F.M. & Clandinin J. (1994). The promise of collaborative research in political context. In S. Hollingworth & H. Sockett(Eds.), Teacher Research and Educational Reform(pp. 86 - 102). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Darling-Hammond, L. (1998) Teacher learning that supports student learning. Educational Leadership, 55(5).

Fullan, M (1997). What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship? Mississauga: Ontario Public School Teachers Federation.

Fullan, M. (1998) Leadership for the 21^st century: Breaking the bonds of dependency. Educational Leadership,55 (7).

Glanz, J. (1998) Action Research: An Educational Leader's Guide to School Improvement.  Norwood: MA: Christopher-Gordon Inc.

Glickman, Carl.D. (2002) Leadership for Learning: How to help Teachers Succeed. Alexandria: VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Hannay, M., Lynne. (1994). Strategies for facilitating reflective practice: the role of staff developers. Journal of Staff Development, 15(3), 22 - 26.

Hollingworth, S.  & Sockett, H. (Eds.),(1994).  Teacher Research and Educational ReformChicago: University of Chicago Press.

Kemmis, S. & McTaggart, R. (1988) . The Action Research Planner (Rev. ed.). Victoria: Deakin University Press.

Mclean, S.V. (1993). Learning from teacher stories. Journal for the Association for Childhood Education International, 69, 265 - 273.

McNiff, J., Lomax, P., & Whitehead, J. (1996). You and Your Action Research Project. London: Routledge.

Noffke, S. (1997) . Professional, personal, and political dimensions of action research. In M. Apple (Ed.), Review of research in education(pp 305 - 343). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

Ontario Public School Teachers Federation (1998) Action Research: School Improvement Through Research Based Professionalism. Mississauga: OPSTF.

Prendergast, M. (2002) A time to reflect: How action research can improve student learning and teaching. Ontario Principals' Council Register 4, (2).  25-28.

Richardson, V. (1994) Teacher inquiry as professional staff development. In S. Hollingworth & H. Sockett (Eds). Teacher research and educational reform(pp. 186 - 203). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Sagor. R.S. (1992) How to Conduct Collaborative Action Research.  Alexandria: VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Sagor. R.S. (2000) Guiding School Improvement With Action Research. Alexandria: VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Schön, D.A. (Ed.).(1991). The Reflective Turn: Case studies In and On Educational Practice. New York : Teachers College Press.

Schön, D.A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think In Action.New York: Basic Books.

Whitehead, J. (1993). The Growth of Educational Knowledge: creating your own living educational theories. Bournemouth: Hyde Publications.