An Inquiry into Action Research: Teaching and Doing Action Research for the First-Time

I undertook this inquiry into action research while teaching research methods within a graduate degree teacher education program. This inquiry represents my initial encounter with action research and describes the tools, challenges, and uncertainties that I encountered while teaching and doing action research for the first-time. The main purpose of this inquiry was to make research-based decisions about the value of action research: whether it was worthy to employ within a graduate degree program. Thus, I conducted the current inquiry to be able to make claims about (1) the rigor of the action research in relation to the traditional approaches to research and (2) meaningfulness of action research in terms of producing both action and research outcomes for teacher practitioners. I learned that action has yet to gain respect and recognition for improving the professional lives of teachers in the field of education. Action research has a unique place in the family of research methods, for it produces both research and action-oriented outcomes at the same time. In brief, I argue that action research is as rigorous and meaningful as the improvements teachers make in their practices within their contexts

Teachers\u27 beliefs in relation to their instructional technology practices

This study investigated how teachers\u27 beliefs and factors other than teachers\u27 beliefs relate to teachers\u27 instructional technology practices. Teachers\u27 beliefs were identified as teacher-centered beliefs, student-centered beliefs, and attitudes toward technology integration. Teacher confidence and comfort, technical support, general school support, and ratio of computers-to-students in the classroom were identified as factors other than teachers\u27 beliefs.;The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The research population of this study involved 113 technology-using P--12 teachers who worked in technology-rich schools in West Virginia. The quantitative research methods employed two surveys and computed a series of correlational and multiple regression analyses in answering the specific technologies and instructional strategies teachers used when integrating technology. The qualitative case study research followed the qualitative design. Using the maximum variation sampling strategy, four teachers were sampled: two with student-centered beliefs and two with teacher-centered beliefs. Upon individual case study descriptions, within-case and cross-case analyses were conducted to answer how teachers\u27 beliefs and factors other than teachers\u27 beliefs related to the types of technologies and instructional strategies teachers used when integrating technology.;The results obtained from this research point to the following: instructional technology practices of teachers in substantial ways relate to (1) their beliefs about teaching and technology and (2) the contextual conditions in their teaching environments. Teachers\u27 beliefs are the primary agents for their instructional technology decisions specifically for their selections of technologies for student use. The types of technologies teachers have their students use are directly related to the ways teachers approach teaching and technology. Teachers use a variety of instructional strategies regardless of their student-centered and teacher-centered beliefs

Podcasting as a Means of Improving Spanish Speaking Skills in the Foreign Language Classroom: An Action Research Study

Using action research as a method of inquiry, a high school Spanish teacher undertook this study to understand how podcasting could be used to help improve students’ Spanish speaking skills. Multiple sources of data collected and analyzed by the teacher-researcher in collaboration with her students and other collaborators reveal that the frequency and variety of carefully designed weekly podcasting assignments over time helped improve student speaking skills. This paper provides a framework of reference for other K-12 teachers as to how they could use new technologies successfully and understand the effects in their classrooms

Teaching and learning in the global classroom: Strategies for designing thinking curriculum and online collaborative learning projects

This chapter provides both theoretical underpinnings and practical examples of designing and implementing the thinking curriculum for the global classroom. The authors argue that teaching and learning in the global classroom calls for (1) thinking about the curriculum at a deeper level toward (2) implementing collaborative learning projects that count for multicultural and multilingual online learning environments. They use the term thinking curriculum to capture the proposition that teaching and learning are always concept- and assessment-based. The authors discuss examples of two thinking tools, concept mapping and Vee diagramming, to illustrate how these tools can help teachers think and communicate about the whole curricular process in a scientific way. In the second part of the chapter, the authors offer examples of collaborative learning projects that were implemented in the global classroom. In summary, this chapter is a practical guide for teachers who wish to think about their curriculum in a scientific way and recognize the value of creating a global classroom for preparing students for their roles in the global economy

Teachers’ beliefs and technology practices: a mixedmethods approach.

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