Using Action Research to Examine Teacher Strategy Effectiveness.

Successful teachers strive to ensure that their students learn to their maximum abilities. Is action research a valuable way for graduate students to review their effectiveness as teachers? Do students learn more through varied teaching strategies and techniques? The authors examined graduate students’ perceptions of action research projects analyzing student achievement. Three middle school teachers conducted the action research projects with their assigned students. This article has two purposes: 1) to share experiences encountered while creating an action research project and implementing the plan; and 2) to share summaries of graduate students’ action research. Becky J. Cox, Betty J. Cox, & Martha Vann 84 Spring 2012 (Volume 8 Issue 1) Teacher/researchers described: A reflective elementary, secondary, or postsecondary classroom teacher identifies a persistent teaching problem or question and decides to initiate a classroom inquiry. This teacher reads theoretical and applied educational literature, including other teacher-research reports, and decides to work collaboratively with a colleague. Using primarily practical, efficient, qualitative methods recommended by other teacher researchers, with perhaps a quantitative tool added in, the researcher initiates a study. The teacher learns from and along with students while engaging in the investigation, and she or he finds that the research questions have been altered somewhat throughout the course of the study. The investigator may struggle to balance the dual role of teacher and researcher or feel uneasy with the innovations that are explored. The teacher researcher decides to share the research story publicly and writes it for publication, using a narrative style that includes figurative language and verbal and visual illustrations (Bauman & Duffy, 2001, p. 611). The National Science Education standards note the importance of teachers conducting research, as provided in Standard C relative to professional development. This standard states, in part, that science teachers must “provide opportunities to learn and use the skills of research to generate new knowledge about science and the teaching and learning of science” (National Research Council, 1996, p. 98). Good teachers regularly review their teaching practices to ascertain what techniques provide success for their students. The National Association for Research in Science Teaching espouses the theme “Every teacher a researcher,” thus encouraging teachers to conduct valid research in their classrooms (Martin, 2003, p. 496). Moreover, researchers, including van Zee (1998), advocate sharing research results through conferences or publications. Action research provides an avenue for classroom teachers to collaborate and examine their teaching while reflecting and refining methods to improve student achievement, attitudes, interest, and participation. The reflection process is ongoing and includes deciding upon a topic, collecting data, interpreting and examining data, and taking action (Glanz, 2005). The constructivist theory purports that students come into the science classroom with ideas and experiences instead of simply waiting for knowledgeable teachers to fill their empty brains. In this context, students are active learners and teachers serve as managers of classrooms (Fosnot, 1996). Similarly, the Institute for Learning Centered Education (2007) maintains that constructivism is not a teaching strategy, but a theory concerning how students learn. Schulte (1996) concludes that constructivism is, in effect, students’ knowledge and personal experiences allowing them to construct their own understanding of learning. Research shows that students with varied ability levels perform better in a guided inquiry setting. Science programs based on inquiry methodology, including graphing skills, laboratory skills, and interpreting data, proved beneficial to middle school science students (Mattheis & Nakayama, 1988). Cuevas, Lee, Hart, & Deaktor (2005) found that an inquiry-based intervention program for diverse third and fourth grade students enhanced their achievement. Another study indicated that learning disabled students scored better on unit tests after receiving instruction using the inquiry technique as opposed to textbook instruction (Scruggs, Mastropieri, Bakken, & Brigham, 1993). Further, there are a large number of strategies used to teach reading. Direct instruction emphasizes fast-paced, scripted rule-based and highly focused lessons (Houchins, Sartor, Shippen, & Stevenson, 2005). This strategy is used successfully with students with special needs, often utilizing small group instruction. Direct instruction seems to be an option for raising student reading achievement (Iver & Kemper, 2002). Additionally, teachers can assist struggling middle school students by using content topics to teach reading. As content knowledge increases, reading achievement improves ( Palumbo & Sanacor, 2009). Using Action Research to Examine Teacher Strategy Effectiveness Journal of Learning in Higher Education 85 Even when provided with varied strategies, some students are not successful readers. Reading instruction is a significant area in a child’s education. Students who are not successful readers often face greater and more failures in school and in life (Jolivette, Lingo, & Staton, 2006). Teachers must utilize a variety of methods to reach students. Tompkins (2010) suggests ways to work with students who struggle. She states that effective teachers improve literacy through differentiated instruction, attend professional development opportunities, team up with a literacy coach, and utilize suitable materials for instruction.