Action Research Proposal: Improving Confidence in the Workplace Rebecca Jackson EDU 671: Fundamentals of Educational Research Dr. Miller January 21, 2016

Area of Focus  Observed Problem  Confidence & attitudes of employees  Complicated processes  Standard Operating Procedures

Area of Focus Potential for Research Purpose of Study Impact on Change Adjustment of Personal Communication

Participant Variables  Employees of the Registrar’s office  Variety of demographics covered  Six participants Male & Female Age range Experience of 6 months to several years

Research Questions  Standard Operating Procedures  Personal Communication Will additional guided practice using the Standard Operating Procedure documents and examples improve coordinators’ attitudes about their abilities? Will increasing my communication with the coordinators improve confidence in their skills for the work processes?

Context from Related Literature Enjoying work helps motivation (Howard, Tang, & Jill Austin, 2015) Realistic practice can assist with skill growth (Page & Mukherjee, 2007) Learning different views on a project helps critical thinking (Geissler, Edison, & Wayland, 2013)

Locus of Control  Researching personal communication (Mills, 2014)  Participants chosen from coworkers  Potential for changing personal methods (Mills, 2014))

Group Membership & Negotiations Individual Study Active and/or Passive Observer during study (Mills, 2014) Permissions needed from participants & managers (Mills, 2014)

Intervention  Survey prior to beginning of study & at the end  Likert scale used (Mills, 2014)  Observation of coordinator process using guided documents  Standard Operating Procedures  Increased personal communication throughout study  & in person to encourage growth  Interviews at the conclusion of study  Coordinators share thoughts & attitudes

Collecting Data & Analysis Quantitative (Mills, 2014)  Likert scale (Mills, 2014)  Survey with questions  Number scale assigned to answers  Numbers can be used to measure growth (Landrum, 2013; Mills, 2014). Potential Graph with Sample Data

Collecting Data & Analysis Qualitative (Mills, 2014)  Observation (Mills, 2014)  Interviews (Mills, 2014)   In Person  Answers & notes organized into common areas (Mills, 2014).

Ethics  Protection of Participants Informed Consent (Mills, 2014; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (USDH), 1979) Confidential survey answers (Mills, 2014) Comfortable environment for observation (Mills, 2014) Coding of participants to reduce biased thoughts (Mills, 2014; USDH, 1979).

Plan for Implementation-3 Week Study Likert Scale with participants (Mills, 2014) Observation of Coordinator Process (Mills, 2014) Increase communication with coordinators Interviews with coordinators (Mills, 2014) Likert Scale to measure growth in study (Mills, 2014) Organization of data & analysis of results (Mills, 2014) Week 1 (Day 1 ) Week 1-Week 2 Week 3

Statement of Resources  List of questions about attitudes and confidence for Likert scale measurement (Mills, 2014)  Note-taking materials (Mills, 2014)  Computer software to record results  Interview questions  Final questionnaire for Likert scale (Mills, 2014)

References  Geissler, G., Edison, S., & Wayland, J. (2013). Improving students’ critical thinking, creativity, and communications skills. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, Retrieved from  Howard, L., Tang, T., & Jill Austin, M. (2015). Teaching critical thinking skills: ability, motivation, intervention, and the Pygmalion effect. Journal of Business Ethics, 128(1), Retrieved from the EBSCO database  Landrum, R. E. (2013). Research design for educators: Real-world connections and applications [Electronic version]. Retrieved from  Mills, G. (2014). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.  Page, D. & Mukherjee, A. (2007). Promoting critical-thinking skills by using negotiation exercises. Journal of Education for Business, 82(5), Retrieved from the EBSCO database  U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (1979). Ethical principles and guidelines for the protection of human subjects of research. The Belmont Report. Retrieved from