Throughout its history, adult literacy education has been defined, researched, and controlled by external entities. Action research is now enabling literacy practitioners and learners to gain a voice through production of their own knowledge. The applicability, benefits, and inherent risks of practitioner action research are discussed. Contains 53…

This article discusses a participatory action research (PAR) approach to conducting family research. It proposes a model of PAR implementation level including the options of family members as research leaders and researchers as ongoing advisors, researchers and family members as coresearchers, and researches as leaders, and family members as…

Three faculty used action research to address concerns with student learning but in the process also learned of its value for their own professional development. Through semi-structured interviews, multiple case vignettes, and peer collaboration, they addressed student cognitive and affective learning concerns, made adjustments in their…

The purpose of this study was to introduce an AR approach to a group of science teachers during an in-service AR course program and learn its contributions to their professional development. Data were gathered through an AR project by working with a group of eight science teachers throughout a four-week period. In the content of the course,…

The qualitative educational research literature is increasingly advocating the use of literary/artistic techniques. This article describes and evaluates educational action researches by three art teachers, and questions why they have not capitalised methodologically on their artistic expertise. Analysis of commonalities in practitioner-based…

This action research project report examined strategies to motivate students from extrinsically rewarding behaviors to intrinsically motivating behaviors. The action research was conducted in two different schools by four different teacher researchers within the same district. Three teachers in an elementary building (Site A) and one teacher in a…

This article describes findings from a classroom-based action research project conducted by two in-school teachers, a literacy coach and a 4th grade teacher, implementing a new integrated literacy and social studies curriculum and the changes they made in curricular practices and beliefs over a three-year period of time. A university professor…

Teachers in the Connecting the Curriculum (CTC) Project utilized action research to study curriculum connections. This guide provides basic information on connected curriculum and action research and explains the processes that underlie them. Chapter 1 introduces connected curriculum, including definitions, frameworks, and multidisciplinary and…

A code of conduct for qualitative field studies is necessary to identify standards of good work and to prevent or expose unethical behavior. The cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, wisdom, and courage apply to qualitative field research, but ethics also requires asking about the purpose of the research itself. The researcher must ask why the…

This report describes methodologies developed by the LOGO Action Research Collaborative--a national network linking 90 teachers at 9 sites--to facilitate and support collaborative inquiry by teachers into their own teaching practices. The report provides background information on action research as an evolving discipline; identifies three phases…

A high school teacher of history and U.S. Government discusses: the theoretical basis for promoting whole-brained thinking among her students; classroom research she conducted to determine the brain dominance of her students; results of implementation of activities designed to develop more whole-brained thinking in her students; and practical…

This publication explores the literature on teacher action research and authentic instruction, and draws on investigations of teacher research activities in order to promote the use of more"authentic" curriculum and instruction, especially for students at risk. "Authentic" instruction is defined as instruction based around problems, questions, or…

The distance between educational researchers and classroom teachers benefits disinterested observation, but dispossesses the researchers of participatory modes of understanding. In attempting to resolve this problem, some researchers have developed the theory and practice of teachers as researchers, similar to Kurt Lewin's action research. Lewin…

Reports on four action research studies that had impact on classroom practices. Topics include student self-assessment and problem solving. (DDR)

A Canadian secondary school teacher relates how reflecting on her teaching decisions through action research enabled her to cope with teaching a course in an unfamiliar subject area. (IAH)