Teacher as reflective practitioner and action researcher / Richard D. Parsons, Kimberlee S. Brown.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Parsons, Richard D.

Contributor:

Brown, Kimberlee S.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Action research in education.

Physical Description:

xii, 180 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Belmont, CA : Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, [2002]

Summary:

This book introduces readers who are also pre-service teachers to the powerful concept of action research -- research which stems from a practical problem and is planned and implemented by the people most likely to be affected by the findings - the teachers. This book provides the specifics of transforming the teacher (or preservice teacher ) into a reflective practitioner and action researcher.

Contents:

Section I Action Research: Increasing Effectiveness of Teacher Decision Making 1

Chapter 1 Teachers as Reflective Practitioners and Action Researchers 2

Reflective Practitioner and Action Researcher 3

Reflective Practitioner and Action Researcher: Why? 5

The Action Research Process 8

Chapter 2 The Fundamentals Still Apply 15

The Ingredients of Good Research 17

From Problem to Hypothesis 18

Increasing the Validity of the Conclusions 22

Section II Increasing Teacher Effectiveness: Working with the Uniqueness of "Who" We Teach 27

Chapter 3 Systematic Observation: A Research Skill Applied to the Understanding of Students' Cognitive Development 28

Learning to Observe: The Value of Systematic Observation 30

Observing Students' Cognitive Processes 36

Chapter 4 Qualitative and Quantitative Methodology: Tools for the Action Researcher 45

Research: A Valuable Tool for the Classroom Teacher 47

Qualitative and Quantitative Research: Sharing a Dynamic Process 48

Qualitative and Quantitative Research: Differing Theoretical Foundations 48

Quantitative Methods and Data 50

Gathering Understanding Through Qualitative Data Analysis 54

Erikson in Action: A Target for Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis 58

Chapter 5 Hypothesis Testing, Validity, and Research Design: Addressing Student Needs and Reactions 71

Hypothesis Testing: All in a Day's Work 72

The Question of Validity 75

Reducing Aggressive Outbursts: The Need for Valid Information 77

Controlling Threats to Validity 82

Chapter 6 Case Study and Within-Subject Designs for Observing and Adjusting to Individual Uniqueness 89

Single-Case Designs: A Tool for the Teacher as Action Researcher 90

The Core Ingredients of Within-Subject Designs 94

Teaching to Individual Learning Styles and Strengths 97

Section III The How of Teaching: Researching Learning Theory and Instructional Practice 107

Chapter 7 Time Series Designs: Studying Behavior Learning Theories 108

Time Series Designs 110

A Critical Look at Reward and Punishment 114

The Power of Modeling 117

Chapter 8 Using a Reversal Design to Assess the Effectiveness of a Constructivist Approach to the Classroom 123

Giving and Taking: The Use of Reversals (ABAB) as Designs 125

Teacher- or Student-Directed Learning 128

Chapter 9 Multiple Baseline Designs as Applied to Studying Elements of Student Motivation 136

Multiple Baseline Designs: Assessing Multiple Targets and Interventions 138

Motivation: A Function of Value and Expectancy 142

Expectancy: Affecting Student Motivation 144

Section IV Becoming an Action Researcher 155

Action Research: A Model for Approaching Professional Practice 158.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0534557112

OCLC:

46685319