action research2

8/11/2019 Action Research2

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How to Use Action Research in the Self-Renewing School

by Emily F. Calhoun

Preface

Chapter . !ntro"ucing Schoolwi"e Action Research

Chapter #. Establishing a Conceptual Framewor$

Chapter %. !mplementing Schoolwi"e Action Research

Chapter &. Phase ' Selecting an Area or Focus

Chapter (. Phase #' Collecting )ata

Chapter *. Phase %' +rgani,ing )ata

Chapter . Phase &' Analy,ing an" !nterpreting )ata

Chapter . Phase (' /a$ing Action

Appen"i0

1ibliography

About the Author

Preface

/his boo$ is about schoolwi"e action research2 it re3iews the who4 what4 why4

when4 where4 an" how of con"ucting schoolwi"e action research in the self-

renewing school.

5y primary purpose here is to help more school faculties ha3e an opportunity

to engage in schoolwi"e action research. 5y primary goals as a practitioner

are to enhance the e"ucation of stu"ents an" to "e3elop healthier wor$place

norms for a"ults. 1len"ing my purpose for communication with my primary

goals4 ! o6er this boo$ to those who are see$ing to ma$e better choices in

how we spen" stu"ent an" a"ult time an" energy in our schools.


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/hroughout this boo$4 ! use the pronouns ! an" we an" you in an attempt to

"iminish the "istance between author an" rea"ers. ! wish to con3ey the same

sense of colleagueship that ! e0perience when wor$ing with school faculties

as they "isco3er the potential of schoolwi"e action research in creating ahealthier learning community. ! also wish to remin" you that ! am sharing my

e0periences in schoolwi"e action research. /hough ! ha3e stu"ie" the

foun"ations of action research an" its theoretical an" research base4 as well

as school faculties engaging in this acti3ity4 many of my recommen"ations

come from my e0periences as a facilitator an" stu"ent of the action research

process.

! woul" li$e to e0ten" special than$s to the si0ty-one schools that compose

the 7eorgia 8eague of Professional Schools an" the ele3en Ames4 !owa4

Community Schools whose faculties an" school facilitator teams ha3e allowe"

me the 9oy of learning an" stu"ying with them. ! also than$ both Carl

7lic$man an" 1ruce :oyce for their counsel an" their willingness to help me

re;ect on an" re8et?s stu"y what?s

happening at our school4 "eci"e if we can ma$e it a better place by changing

what an" how we teach an" how we relate to stu"ents an" the community2

stu"y the e6ects2 an" then begin again.@ !t is a >rolling@ Huberman BB#

rather than a >loc$ step@ mo"el for changing the wor$place.

/he primary focus of this boo$ is on stu"ying what?s happening to stu"ents4

but we can also use action research to stu"y an" impro3e what?s happening

to a"ults in our learning community or to stu"y the relationship of the school

to the neighborhoo". +ur stu"y can be large scale4 using "ata from se3eral

years4 such as the cumulati3e e6ects of schooling2 something on a small

scale4 such as the imme"iate aca"emic an" social e6ects of the new social

stu"ies curriculum on stu"ents2 or a combination of cumulati3e an"


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imme"iate e6ects.

/he Action Research Cycle

!n con"ucting schoolwi"e action research4 we structure routines forcontinuous confrontation with "ata on the health of our school community.

/hese routines are loosely gui"e" by our mo3ement through


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Figure .#. Action Research Funnel' 5i0ing !nternal an" E0ternal !nformation

+f course4 schoolwi"e action research is no panacea. !t o6ers no magic potion

to gi3e us automatic4 painless school impro3ement. et the un$nown

potential of school renewal may well come to us through the collecti3e stu"y

an" search for impro3ement that occurs as we mount our own research an"

"e3elopment e6orts within each school. Serious stu"y an" collecti3e action

base" on the results of our stu"y ma$e us intolerant of the status Duo that

allows the loss of a million stu"ents a year4 with "isenfranchisement from the

opportunities our society o6ers beginning as early as $in"ergarten.

Although the interest of the public an" of our local4 state4 an" national

go3ernments has helpe" buil" a more fa3orable climate for initiating

pro"ucti3e changes4 the process cannot be con"ucte" by persons e0ternal to

the school. /he school is where renewal happens4 an" the process begins

with oursel3es. Ge are the ones to reform


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personnel an" parents wor$e" to i"entify actions that woul" result in social

an" aca"emic impro3ements for their stu"ents. Some of these actions were

implemente" imme"iately2 others4 within wee$s2 an" others4 such as all

teachers? a""ing a"3ance" cooperati3e learning strategies to their repertoire4

are still in the implementation process. /homas Elementary School is

engaging in schoolwi"e action research.

Scenario for School #

Leus High School also starte" its school impro3ement e6orts in the spring of

BB. !t also ha" liaison groups4 tas$ forces4 an" a lea"ership team4 a

ma9ority of whose members were teachers. !ts action plan focuse" on

"e3eloping a process plan for school impro3ement e6orts. Small-group

meetings an" total faculty meetings an" memoran"ums aboun"e"

throughout the year. Leus High School?s BBKB# action plan focuse" on

"e3eloping a three- to Sharing results publicly on how stu"ents are

"oing will cause unhealthy competition among us as teachers4@ instructionan" its e6ects remaine" behin" close" "oors an" not a matter for the

professional collecti3e.

!s your school or "istrict more li$e School or School #M All of us=in"i3i"uals

an" organi,ations ali$e=woul" rate somewhere between poor an" e0cellent


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in our use of information to enhance our problem-sol3ing capability. Action

research can help us buil" this capability4 but our initial e6orts as we learn

the process may feel messy because implementing action research for school

impro3ement in3ol3es restructuring relationships4 acDuiring new s$ills4 an"

learning to be acti3e organi,ational problem-sol3ers.

5y thesis on how to "e3elop the school as a center of inDuiry Schaefer B*

is simple4 yet its implementation reDuires a will beyon" what is usually

"eman"e" of us. Essentially4 school renewal=an" the action research nee"e"

to gui"e school renewal=is propelle" by will. /he !NEO a"4 >:US/ )+ !/@

seems to capture the essence that "istinguishes the schools that achie3e

their instructional goals from those that become mire" in an en"less process

of planning or en"ure long hours of labor without any e6ects on stu"ents?

social or aca"emic achie3ement.

/ypes of Action Research

Ge are currently seeing many articles4 many conferences4 an" a great "eal of

new interest in action research. 8i$e nongra"e" school programs4 integrate"

language arts programs4 an" interrelate" curriculum units4 action research

was a popular initiati3e years ago. !n the B&s an" ?(s4 "rawing largely on

the wor$ of Nurt 8ewin an" his colleagues an" their "e3elopment of a

collecti3e problem-sol3ing cycle for impro3ing life in organi,ations 8ewin

B&4 B&2 Corey B(%4 e"ucators heral"e" action research as a process for

supporting what we might call to"ay >buil"ing community while attaining

organi,ational goals.@

/he term action research4 then as now4 captures the notion of "iscipline"

inDuiry thus4 >research@ in the conte0t of focuse" e6orts to impro3e the

Duality of the organi,ation an" its performance thus4 >action@. Recogni,e"

then as a powerful tool for simultaneously impro3ing practice an" the health

of the organi,ation4 such is its appeal to"ay. For teachers4 principals4 an"

"istrict oIce personnel4 action research promises progress in

professionali,ation. 1y centering action on the careful collection of "ata to

"iagnose problems4 a "iscipline" search for alternati3e solutions4 an

agreement to act4 an" the conscientious monitoring of whether an" how

much the solution wor$e"=with a recycling of the process4 either attac$ing

the problem again or focusing on another one=we li3e the problem-sol3ing

process for oursel3es an" mo"el it for our stu"ents. /he potential is the

"e3elopment of a professional ethos in which members of the organi,ation


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continually stri3e to impro3e their performance by learning to sol3e more an"

more problems Corey B(%4 :oyce BB4 Schaefer B*4 Sirotni$ B.

As ! ha3e stu"ie" the literature about action research an" relate" processes4 !

ha3e foun" that the current mo3ement is ta$ing se3eral forms that share two

concepts from the earlier era' the wor$ centers on the practitioner=this is

research by e"ucators4 mostly teachers an" a"ministrators=an" the

practitioner-researchers use "iscipline" inDuiry. Howe3er4 ! foun" three

important "i6erences among the current approaches to action research. +ne

ma9or "i6erence is how many people are in3ol3e"=whether the inDuiry is

con"ucte" by in"i3i"ual teachers4 by a small collaborati3e group4 or by the

entire school faculty. +ther "i6erences arise from 3ariations in the "egree of

concern for achie3ing eDuity for stu"ents4 for impro3ing the organi,ation as a

problem-sol3ing unit4 an" for "e3eloping collegial relations among teachers.

/hese contrasts among the approaches are as important as the elementsthey share. 1ecause the se3eral types are all referre" to by the same term4

action research4 we nee" to clarify their "istincti3e features because they

re;ect Duite "i6erent conceptions of the wor$place an" Duite "i6erent long-

term ob9ecti3es.

Selecting one type o3er another=in"i3i"ual teacher research4 collaborati3e

action research4 or schoolwi"e action research=has important implications

for the school renewal process that will ta$e place. Howe3er4 the use of one

type of action research in any gi3en setting "oes not mean that other typesmight not be use" in the same setting. Each type has its 3irtues an" its

"i6erent purposes an" results Calhoun BB%. /he $ey to selection is what

purpose the participants wish their inDuiry to ser3e.

/he !n"i3i"ual /eacher as Researcher

/he purpose of in"i3i"ual teacher research is usually focuse" on changes in a

single classroom. /eachers may notice something they wish to change or

e0plore in terms of classroom climate4 management4 instructional strategies

or materials4 or stu"ents? cogniti3e or social beha3ior. Essentially4 the teacher

"e


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for stu"ents )ic$er BB.

/he primary au"ience for the results of in"i3i"ually con"ucte" teacher

research is4 of course4 the teacher con"ucting the research. !f stu"ents ha3e

participate" "irectly in the in3estigation4 helping to generate an" e0plore

alternati3es an" "etermine e6ects4 then they4 too4 form part of the primary

au"ience. Se3eral teachers within the same school may be con"ucting action

research on a similar problem2 they may or may not "iscuss their e0periences

or share the results of their e0ploration. /he amount of sharing "epen"s on

the collegiality of the in"i3i"uals. Ghere such sharing occurs4 collegiality at

the school may be enhance" see4 e.g.4 5yers B(2 +9a an" Smulyan BB2

Rogers4 Ha3en-+?)onnell4 Heb"on4 an" Ferrell BB2 Stric$lan" B.

Collaborati3e Action Research

)epen"ing on the number of teachers in3ol3e"4 the purpose of collaborati3e

action research coul" be focuse" on problems an" changes in a single

classroom or on se3eral classrooms within a school or "istrict or across

schools an" "istricts. /he si,e of the action research team may be as few as

two people4 or it may inclu"e se3eral teachers an" a"ministrators wor$ing

with one or more sta6 members from a uni3ersity or other e0ternal agency.

/hese collaborati3e action researchers might tac$le a problem they share

across their classrooms2 they might focus on only one classroom2 or they

might tac$le a "istrictwi"e problem. /hey follow the same

in3estigati3ere;ecti3e cycle as the in"i3i"ual teacher-researcher follows.

Here are some e0amples of collaborati3e action research con"ucte" by two or

more people' e0ploring changes in stu"ent achie3ement an" attitu"es

through implementing a whole-language en3ironment in three classrooms2

stu"ying the e6ects of a cooperati3e learning strategy4 /eams-7ames-

/ournaments4 on stu"ents? social an" aca"emic beha3iors in two mi""le

school classrooms2 stu"ying stu"ent responses to the new science units

"e3elope" by the curriculum committee a pilot stu"y in3ol3ing


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wor$ engage" in by teachers or a"ministrators wor$ing with uni3ersity

personnel4 interme"iate ser3ice agency personnel4 or facilitators of an

e"ucational consortium see4 e.g.4 Allen4 Combs4 Hen"ric$s4 ash4 an" Gilson

B2 Holly BB2 +9a an" Smulyan BB2 Sagor BB2 Ghitfor"4 Schlecty4

an" Shelor B. Although this 9oint wor$ between school practitioners an"

research team participants from other organi,ations is collaborati3e4 an"members from both sets e0ploit the a"3antages of the union4 teachers

particularly bene


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collection an" interpretation an" in the selection of options for action.

+f course4 schoolwi"e action research is also collaborati3e4 but it is "i6erent

from what is terme" collaborati3e action research in that e3eryone in the

school is in3ol3e" in the inDuiry.

Here are some e0amples of schoolwi"e action research' e0plore an" impro3e

stu"ent performance in mathematics2 impro3e stu"ent self-esteem an"

stu"ent achie3ement across all sub9ect areas2 impro3e the social s$ills of

stu"ents through implementing cooperati3e learning across the curriculum2

an" increase stu"ent use of technology to accomplish communication tas$s

especially computer use for writing4 graphics "isplay4 an" "ata bases.

Formal schoolwi"e inDuiry is often initiate" in a school because of its

aIliation with a league or consortium that promotes action research as a

ma9or school impro3ement strategy=such as the Center for 8ea"ership in

School Reform in Nentuc$y or the 8eague of Professional Schools in 7eorgia.

Some school lea"ership teams an" "istrict a"ministrators who ha3e rea"

about action research4 atten"e" awareness sessions about it4 or "iscusse" it

with peers who are using it ha3e wor$e" to apply it in their home settings.

/he au"ience for the results of schoolwi"e action research inclu"es all

primary participants. /hus the smallest au"ience possible is the total school

faculty. School faculty members4 as a group4 may "eci"e to e0pan" this

au"ience to inclu"e stu"ents4 parents4 the general community4 an" the

school boar".

/he schoolwi"e4 collecti3e action 3ariation may be the most comple0 type of

action research to implement4 because it as$s for participation in achie3ing

schoolwi"e goals from all members of the organi,ation we call school.

Collecting schoolwi"e "ata on an instructional initiati3e=such as impro3ing

stu"ent achie3ement in language arts4 mathematics4 or science=reDuires

collegial trust an" mental an" physical collaboration. 5arshalling the e6orts

of all4 both ta$es an" pro3i"es energy2 supporting each other through the

an0ieties of public sharing of the imme"iate e6ects of actions on stu"ents in

each classroom reDuires initial patience an" un"erstan"ing of self an" others.

Schoolwi"e action research may feel messy an" une3en4 an" con;ict may


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arise "uring the


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process of collecting "ata about an ongoing system our school with the

purpose of impro3ing practice teaching an" learning.

Chapter #. Establishing a Conceptual Framewor$

/oo often in e"ucation4 we ignore the theoretical basis an" history supporting

the i"eas an" inno3ations we a"opt. Ge in3est our energy an" resources in

popular inno3ations without in3estigating their history. For teachers an"

a"ministrators 9ust thin$ing about or beginning action research=an" for other

stu"ents li$e myself=this chapter pro3i"es a glimpse into the origins of

action research for organi,ational impro3ement an" how action research

relates to school renewal.

our faculty or "istrict can engage in action research for schoolwi"e change if

you establish a common goal4 regularly collect an" share information about

that goal4 an" ma$e collecti3e "ecisions or ta$e action as in"icate". !t?s as

simple as that.

+r it woul" be simple4 if we were accustome" to "oing it. /he acts of

collecting information4 formulating goals4 selecting actions4 implementing

them4 an" collecting information about their e6ects are not technically"iIcult. Howe3er4 these actions reDuire faculties to "e3elop Duite "i6erent

patterns of interaction than ha3e been normati3e. Ge nee" a compass to

gui"e us through the new patterns an" a3oi" "rifting bac$ into the ones that

ha3e $ept so many schools from "e3eloping collecti3e energy.

/hus4 !


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perpetuating. A normati3e structure forms that becomes self-protecting.

Unless a process for renewal "e3elops4 an" the organi,ation a"apts

continually4 the passage of time will ensure incremental "rift towar"

obsolescence. Ghat seeme" to wor$ at one time will lose its potency.

Problems that seeme" small will fester an" grow larger. /echnological

"e3elopments will fail to be incorporate" into practice. 8ewin4 )ewey4 /helen4an" Schaefer generate" the means to create an inDuiring4 a"apting

organi,ation better for its clients an" its wor$ers.

/he following is an o3er3iew of where action research came from an" why it

shoul" wor$.

/he +rigins of Action Research

+3er the years4 the general i"eas un"erlying action research ha3e been

applie" to a wi"e range of purposes' from trying to ma$e organi,ations more

eIcient4 to generating more healthy social groups4 to a""ressing ma9or social

problems such as re"ucing anti-Semitism an" racial pre9u"ice. !n applications

to e"ucation4 action research a""resses the problem of organi,ational

e6ecti3eness in ser3ice of the client the school impro3ement application

while simultaneously a""ressing the nee" to create a more collegial an"

satisfying wor$place an" to re"uce the isolation that has separate" teachers

from teachers an" teachers from a"ministrators an" community members.

/he origin of formal action research is usually attribute" to Nurt 8ewin B&4

B& an" his stu"ents e.g.4 8ippitt. 8ewin?s integration of action-ta$ing into

e0perimental social science research was publishe" in B&* in >Action

Research an" 5inority Problems@ an" in B& in >7roup )ecisions an" Social

Change.@ 1oth articles "ereconnaissance or fact-


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their "ecision-ma$ing process an" use" the results of such research as a

gui"e to selection or mo"i"etermine" by the e0tent to which transform . . . a multitu"e of

unrelate" in"i3i"uals4 freDuently oppose" in their outloo$ an" their interests4

into cooperati3e teams4 not on the basis of sweetness but on the basis ofrea"iness to face "iIculties realistically4 to apply honest fact-


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!n a of their legitimate "esire for satisfaction on a realistic basis@

8ewin B&4 p. ##. 1ecause "escripti3e fact-site-base"4 collaborati3e school impro3ement@ will be impossible.

Professional satisfaction for members of a "ynamic organi,ation reDuires

collecti3e acceptance of an" responsibility for the continuous cycle of

measuring progress an" ta$ing action. Such a process buil"s in"i3i"ual an"

organi,ational eIcacy' Ge can change things.

Using Schoolwi"e Action Research for Renewal

!t is irresponsible for a school to mobili,e4 initiate4 an" act without any

conscious way of "etermining whether such e0pen"iture of time an" energy


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is ha3ing a "esirable e6ect. 7lic$man BB%4 pp. (&K((4 Renewing America?s

Schools

After almost thirty years in 3arious stages of burial4 action research for school

impro3ement is once again recei3ing national attention. /o"ay4 7lic$man

BB4 BB% is the ma9or scholar supporting the use of schoolwi"e action

research for school renewal. 7lic$man BB% "escribes a framewor$ of

"emocratic go3ernance4 e"ucational focus4 an" action research as integral

"imensions of renewing e"ucation. Githin this framewor$4 the principles that

gui"e share" "ecision ma$ing within the organi,ation are e0presse" in a

school >charter4@ the focus on teaching an" learning is e0presse" in a school

>co3enant4@ an" the school faculty uses the >critical stu"y process@ of action

research to assess the results of its current programs on commonly 3alue"

goals.

/hrough schoolwi"e action research4 a school faculty can "e3elop the school

as a center of inDuiry so that it is perpetually self-renewing. /he formal

collection of "ata4 followe" by group analysis an" interpretation4 can mo3e

our school community forwar" in the path it has electe" to follow. /his regular

confrontation with "ata as a progress mar$er can function as >choice points@

for our organi,ation4 as both >noticing choice@ an" >"oing choice.@

Paraphrasing Geic$ B*B4 pp. (BK* on the role of choice in the organi,ing

process4 the school community can as$ itself' >Nnowing what we $now now4

shoul" we notice something we "i" not notice before an" ignore somethingwe notice" beforeM@ an" >Nnowing what we $now now4 shoul" we act

"i6erentlyM@ From baseline "ata to regular chec$s on progress4 we

intentionally confront oursel3es with a series of choice points for unfree,ing

action an" changing the e0perience of schooling. !n the self-renewing school4

this collecti3e inDuiry an" stu"y may e3ol3e into something that loo$s Duite

"i6erent from its "ebut into the culture of the school4 but it ne3er en"s. /he

faculty continues the cycle of >noticing@ an" >acting@ as they create e3en

more powerful an" healthy learning communities.

Figure #. shows four "e


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8ippitt an" cowor$ers B( cite two sur3eys that a""ress the lac$ of

e3aluation in planne" organi,ational change in business an" in"ustry. First4 of

* publishe" reports of change inter3entions e0amine" by Porras an" 1erg4

only # inclu"e" e3aluation components to assess organi,ational or wor$-group changes. !t is interesting to e0amine the reasons. Secon"4 in a sur3ey

of * consultants an" clients4 1i"well an" 8ippitt foun" four ma9or factors

cite" as obstacles to the e3aluation of organi,ational changes' lac$ of time4

lac$ of criteria or a frame of reference4 inability to "e3elop measurable

ob9ecti3es4 an" lac$ of money. Ghat is of interest to us is that these four

factors are the same ones i"enti


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organi,ations within which we li3e. /he tools of the scientibasics@we as e"ucators wish to con3eyM As Schaefer B* state" in his gran"

essay'

How to in"uce more chil"ren to grapple ,estfully with aca"emic issues may

elu"e our most "etermine" e6orts. 1ut ! strongly suspect that obser3ing

a"ults honestly wrestling with intellectual problems might win more

youngsters to the life of the min" than any other e0perience the schools

coul" "e3ise p. .

As you engage in this process of collecti3e inDuiry within your school4 you will

personali,e your own path or conceptual framewor$ for con"ucting

schoolwi"e action research. Such a framewor$ has much to "o with

un"erstan"ing where you are going an" how to get there successfully.

action research2

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