The Big Picture:

1. You have a concern about your teaching, based on your practicum experiences.

2. You plan and make informed changes in your teaching during the practicum to address your concern.

3. You report your findings, including an evaluation of your learning.

At the bottom of this page you will find a number of links to pages that will illustrate and explain more about action research, including examples from teacher candidates in previous years.

Here are some details of the action research process:

1. Identify a concern in your teaching practice. You may have many concerns, but for a productive action research project you want a concern for which you can fairly easily collect relevant data during your next practicum.

Some possible topics for an action research project:

• Are there any ways that I can configure the room in which I teach so that it becomes my ally in educating my students?
• What can I do to help students learn to make judicious, meaningful, thoughtful notes instead of mindlessly copying from the board, screen or text?
• What is the best way to start my classes so that my students are ready (and willing) to learn?
• How can I increase the number of students who participate willingly in the activities of my classes?
• What can I do to convince students to take responsibility for their own learning as a matter of routine?
• Select 2 or 3 teaching methods (e.g. Socratic questioning, lecture, think-pair-share, designated role group work, individual seat-work, jigsaw, etc.).  Explore the particular goals for which each is appropriate.
• Is there a well-thought-out, realistic classroom management plan that I can feel good about using, one that treats both the students and the teacher with dignity?
• How can I put some classroom traditions in place that would allow me, without  strain, to reclaim the class's attention whenever I need it?
• What can I do to win over a class in which a significant number of students treat me with contempt or hostility?
• How much responsibility should I take for helping my students improve their reading and writing?  I'm not an English or language teacher, after all!
• Does increrasing my wait time (for a student to answer, and to reply to a student’s answer) increase student participation and the quality of student responses?
• In a standard class with several identified special education students, how can I accommodate the needs of all students simultaneously?
• Does the particular style of test or assignment I use influence how my students study, how much they remember and/or what they think my subject is about?
• Am I using test or assignment types that prevent some students from showing me what they know?  Conversely, is it possible for some of my students to perform adequately on my tests or assignments without knowing the material?

2. Develop a brief proposal that indicates your concern and the sorts of actions you intend to take and resources you intend to examine in conducting your project and preparing your report. Your plan will be approved and signed by your Faculty Liaison and your Associate Teacher. There is a standard format  for this proposal. Please download and complete the form for signatures.

3. Explore various information sources as you implement your proposal. The major source of information will be data you gather from your own practice, but you should draw on other sources to inform your work (see suggestions below). Include at least 3 significant references. You should use resources found on the Internet and in the Education Library. At least one source should be from a refereed scholarly journal and one should be from a professional journal for educators.

• examination of student work                                                
• feedback from students
• conversations with students                                                                  
• observations of students
• online journals                                                                             
• documents on teaching practice
• classroom teachers                                                                                  
• scholarly monographs
• Ministry of Education documents                                                    
• peers
• colleagues in Associate or other schools                                       
• videos
• teacher-ready packages meant for students in classrooms
• your personal analyses of your own teaching
• education literature: the Education Library  contains many appropriate journals and microfiche resources, and subscriptions to many

4. Prepare and submit a final report using one of the two Templates provided.

PowerPoint Template

Word Template

The following links provide more information about action research:

MORE ON THE BIG PICTURE OF ACTION RESEARCH

http://educ.queensu.ca/ar.html

SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF ACTION RESEARCH REPORTS (and a very elaborate guide that is probably more than you need)

http://post.queensu.ca/~russellt/howteach/action.htm

MORE OF A BIG PICTURE PERSPECTIVE

http://post.queensu.ca/~russellt/howteach/begin.htm

OTHER WEBSITES THAT MAY PROVIDE USEFUL BACKGROUND

http://gse.gmu.edu/research/tr/

http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/teacher-as-researcher-taking-action-research-to-task

http://academic.udayton.edu/FacDev/Newsletters/EssaysforTeachingExcellence/PODvol14/tevol14n7.html