Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators

Mertler, Craig A.

doi:10.4135/9781483396484

Cited by 224 publications

(255 citation statements)

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“…Action research serves to help teachers reflect on their teaching and consider how they might improve their practices (Dana, 2013, Mertler, 2014. For the purpose of this study we draw on the work of Lytle and Cochran-Smith (1990) in defining action research as a systematic inquiry process conducted by teachers.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparing for College Success: Exploring Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of the Benefits of a College Reading and Study Skills Course through Action Research

Howard¹,

Moret²,

Faulconer³

et al. 2018

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

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The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate students' perceptions of the benefits of a college reading and study skills course. Researchers have found that even with increased emphasis on college readiness, many students continue to enter college unprepared for the rigorous academic expectations they may face. With this in mind, this study was designed to examine the perceptions of students entering college and being enrolled in a "support" course based on their SAT scores. Findings revealed that participants valued learning study skills and strategies that supported their understanding of course material before, during, and after the reading process. In addition, participants valued strategies that would transfer across courses in the university setting. This action research study provides the opportunity to consider how instructors can support students' experiences in support courses through resources and strategies to support student success in college and beyond.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparing for College Success: Exploring Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of the Benefits of a College Reading and Study Skills Course through Action Research

Howard¹,

Moret²,

Faulconer³

et al. 2018

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

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“…The educational project (Mertler, 2012) aimed to more precisely define and to practically test several strategies for optimisation -applying methods of personal meaning and emotional imitationof influence of music activities on value-based attitudes of primary learners. While implementing the project, the idea of music education (method of personal meaning) that emotional experience or emotional sensation is an important link in music cognition of school students suggested by Piliciauskas (1998) was considered as the main one.…”

Section: Application Of Innovative Methods Of Music Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Music education of the present: Does popular music develop learners’ values?

Rauduvaitė

2017

PROSOC

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The article discusses possibilities of improving music education through application of popular music and use of personal meaning and emotional imitation methods. On the basis of research results educational practice is reflected discussing links of music activities and formation of value-based attitudes, improvement of music education. Research results show that pedagogical prerequisites for music education of junior school children integrating popular music and nurturing learners' value-based attitudes are as follows: link of goals of music education with topical issues of the socialisation process; application of innovative methods as striving for selfcognition; maturity of teacher's personality; sincere, respectful, benevolent relations between the teacher and learners based on mutual understanding that provide meaning to musical experiences and activities.

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“…This approach has proved to be ineffective because it benefits only a small number of teachers (Anen, 1992;Sari & Lim, 2012;Sari, 2012;Supriatna, 2009), and has limited relevance to teachers' own needs as learners (Ball & Cohen, 1999;Borko, 2004;Mertler, 2013Mertler, , 2016Putnam & Borko, 1997). McNiff (2002) contends that when professional learning programs are driven by trainers, the focus is on teaching and transferring knowledge from the trainers to teachers instead of highlighting the needs of the teachers.…”

Section: Top-down Professional Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Complexities of Implementing Classroom-Based Action Research in a Remote School in Indonesia

Hajar¹

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Despite almost a decade since the introduction as a professional learning model for teachers in Indonesia, the growth of Classroom-Based Action Research (CBAR) is very limited. The CBAR process in Indonesia has relied heavily on one-off-top-down and non-school based professional development.This study was conducted in a small town in the Eastern Flores regency of the East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. The study involved English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers at one public secondary school in a rural and disadvantaged context who worked with the researcher to attempt to implement a school based approach to CBAR. Four phases of the study were conducted: Getting started; Workshops; CBAR in action; and Post CBAR through an imagined, intended and enacted methodological structure. In this study I adopted a Foucauldian approach as a theoretical perspective, as well as applying Foucauldian theories to the data analysis.Drawing on a variety of data sources including: meetings and interviews; workshop sessions and classroom visits; and reflective journals and field notes, the study identified three major discourses circulating within the CBAR project. These three discourses are used to explore understandings of reflective practice, subject positionings, and collaboration.The Foucauldian approach to analysis focused on discourses and the idea that individuals have multiple identities as a result of multiple subject positionings, and their relationships are influenced by the discourses that operate within a specific context. These discourses create the nexus between power and knowledge and impact on how the CBAR worked in this context, how the participants positioned me and themselves, how they positioned themselves and their colleagues, and were positioned by their colleagues, in their effort to implement the CBAR project.Through the exploration of the discourses of reflective practice, it was found that being a critical practitioner was not easily translated into a remote and disadvantaged context in Indonesia.An analysis of the discourses of subject positionings indicates the participants' multiple constructions of me and my multiple constructions of them continued throughout the study due to the complexities of the situation. There were often 'pull and push' subject positionings where I attempted to get the teachers to do research but their limited abilities, autonomy, and resources as well as their practice/tradition rooted in the mandates/policy from the central government created problems. There were also tensions and struggles in their inability to complete research without my ii assistance and constant request for help, and my tensions and struggles to avoid providing and giving more assistance.Through the investigation of the discourses of collaboration, it was found that the implementation of the project as a collaborative work is a site of tension for both the participants and myself caused in part by the multiple identities that we took up. There were tensions and struggles between the partic...

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Action Research: Improving Schools and Empowering Educators

Cited by 224 publications

References 0 publications

Preparing for College Success: Exploring Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of the Benefits of a College Reading and Study Skills Course through Action Research

Preparing for College Success: Exploring Undergraduate Students' Perceptions of the Benefits of a College Reading and Study Skills Course through Action Research

Music education of the present: Does popular music develop learners’ values?

The Complexities of Implementing Classroom-Based Action Research in a Remote School in Indonesia

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