Action Research By you – For you – For them Di Laycock 2008 ‘Leading Learning… into the Research’

What is action research? ‘Action research is simply a form of self- reflective enquiry undertaken by participants in social situations in order to improve the rationality and justice of their own practices, their understanding of these practices, and the situations in which the practices are carried out.’ (William Carr & Stephen Kemmis) Carr, W & Kemmis S, in Smith, M 2007, Action research, viewed 6 October, 2007,

‘Good teaching is reflective, based on high- quality information, and constantly improving.’ (Valerie Robinson & Mei Kuin Lai) Robinson, V & Lai, M 2006, Practitioner Research for Educators, Hawker Brownlow Education, New York, p.5.

Action research in the school environment ‘Action research is any systematic inquiry conducted by teacher researchers... In the teaching/ learning environment to gather information about how their particular schools operate, how they teach, and how well their students learn.’ (Geoffrey Mills) Mills, G 2003, Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher, 2 nd edn, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ, p.5.

Action Research Framework Develop a plan for improvement Implement the plan Observe and document the effects of the plan Reflect on the effects of the plan for further planning and informed action Kemmis & Mc Taggert in Donarto, R 2003, Action research, viewed 12 Nov 2007,

Models of action research Mills, G 2003, p.16

Models cont... Ernest Stringer’s model (in Mills, G 2003, p.18)

Why undertake action research? Is it enough to follow the action research cycle in your head? Is what you think is working sufficient grounds to change your practice? Is it ethical to gamble with your students’ learning on the basis of intuition? Will your colleagues be convinced by what you only think works? Why should you share your “secrets”?

Why action research cont… Improves outcomes for students Develops context-specific solutions to problems (i.e. it’s relevant) Promotes shared understandings (moves knowledge from tacit to explicit) Empowers participants (provides professional development) Sustains improvements in practice (intuitive to intentional and informed practice)

Improved student outcomes In a changing environment action research can be used to test the notion of ‘Why do we do what we do?’ The “Monkey Experiment”

Context-specific solutions ‘There are no silver bullets in education that work regardless of context.’ (Robinson & Lai, p.vii)

Shared understandings ‘As long as teaching remains a profession where isolation is the norm, where the knowledge that informs practice comes from outside the classroom, and where the quality control officers are removed from the classroom, teaching will be more like a blue- collar job than an intellectual professional pursuit.’ (Richard Sagor) Richard Sagor 1992, How to conduct collaborative action research, viewed 13 Sept., 2007,

Empowers participants ‘In the process of action research teachers become learners and inevitably improve their professional disposition as they continually develop mastery of their craft.’ (Di Laycock) Laycock, D 2007, ‘Teachers as researchers’, October, pp

Empowerment… ‘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.’ (Richard Sagor) Sagor, R 1992, op. cit.

Sustains improvement of practice ‘Take this research to the next level, where action research is embedded in the practice of the whole teaching staff; where the organisation frames the ‘giving and receiving of information as a responsibility’ (Fullan 2004, p. 126) and the whole organisation is better off through its ‘strengthened capacity to access and leverage hidden knowledge’ (ibid, p.115).’ (Di Laycock, ibid, p.14)

The research plan Decide on an area of focus Refine your focus to a specific research question Design the study Setting Sample Methodology Data collection techniques Analysis of results Writing it up

Other considerations Research timetable Ethics Support

Challenges I don’t have time It’s too complicated I don’t have support No-one will listen

Desiderata for Practitioner Research Be prepared for disputation and vigorous debate Shun the veneer of politeness Take the time to take risks Be bold Trust and be trustworthy Seek for action which transforms rather than that which reproduces Remember that there may be more power in critique than in celebration (Groundwater-Smith, S & Mockler, N 2005, Practitioner research in education: Beyond celebration, viewed 7 May 2007,

CAR-TL: Community of Action Researchers – Teacher Librarians

Action researchers…explorers in the cause of understanding Michael Leunig 1992, The Prayer Tree, Harper Collins, Sydney.

God be with those who explore in the cause of understanding; Whose search takes them from what is familiar and comfortable And leads them into danger or terrifying loneliness. Let us try to understand their sometimes strange or difficult ways; Their confronting or unusual language; the uncommon life of their emotions, For they have been affected and shaped and changed by their struggle at the frontiers of a wild darkness, just as we may be affected, shaped and changed by the insights they bring back to us. Bless them with strength and peace. AMEN Michael Leunig 1992, The Prayer Tree, viewed 12 October 2007,