Putting Research in the Collaborative Hands of Teachers and Researchers: An Alternative to Traditional Staff Development

Abstract

The research to practice gap continues to be a prominent concern among professionals in the field of education. Traditional staff development in which teachers attend presentations and workshops for a few days each year has been one method for attempting to bring empirically validated instructional practices into the classroom. Unfortunately, traditional staff development has had little effect on classroom practice. This paper will present an alternative strategy for bridging the research to practice gap—bringing university researchers and classroom teachers together to collaboratively plan and execute classroom research. Because a great many universities are located in or near rural areas, rural school districts can provide rich opportunities for collaborative partnerships. This paper will provide guidelines for uniting researchers and practitioners in the endeavor of collaboratively designing and implementing classroom research.

Theoretical and Methodological Validation of the Action Research: Methodology of the Scientific Study

“…Collaborative action research is considered to be an efficient strategy for transforming a settled practice in schools to achieve clear goals for its improvement and as a way to both improve teachers' professional competencies and create knowledge free from the boundaries of theory and practice (Mertler, 2019a;Rowell et al, 2017, Alber & Nelson, 2002. Some researchers (Kemmis et al, 2014) express a position that action research has to be carried out by teachers themselves, since this type of research involves a self-reflective and self-transformative process.…”

Easy as A-B-C: Data-Based Guidelines for Implementing a Multitiered System of Supports Into Rural Schools

“…Typically, this is a master teacher or administrator who must design, coordinate, and implement professional development while maintaining other job responsibilities. Overwhelming evidence condemns the overly used 1/2-day professional development session model, referencing that these "train and hope" practices do not lead to sustainable practices (Alber & Nelson, 2010). Such challenges indicate a need for a more efficient and effective professional development approach.…”