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With your Action Research Group (three people, no SAGA, and no Feedback
Friends) complete the assessment as learning process below.
Please
copy and paste the assessment checklist below into a blog entry. Then
take turns presenting your action research writing to your feedback
friends. While presenting, highlight the quality indicators that your
Action Research paper embodies. The unhighlighted areas will be the
areas for each person to focus on to improve his/her action research
writing.
Criteria:
1. Describe the rationale that led to your research question.
Quality Indicators:
- A description of context and culture related to learning environment
such as school, number of students, population, level, etc.
Waconia High school is a mixture of a suburban community and a rural community; it is by a lake and contains many rich families. There are some rural families as well, but the population is definitely swinging up, on a whole.
We have 1200+ students in the high school, and are still growing, district-wide. Our learning environment is, on the whole, kind of supportive, but I'd say that in the high school, parents are slightly detached when it comes to their children's educations, especially with the onset of e-mail, infinite campus' portal system, etc.
- A rationale for inquiry that states the strategy, concept, problem, and/or need for improvement.
The bane of English teachers' personal lives is that ever-present force behind our profession's goals: the grading of students' essays. It is time consuming; it is frustrating; it can lead to students' not trusting / looking forward to their teachers' feedback to learn; it is horrible to see the essays, with all of our carefully-written feedback, wasting away in the recycle bin; it causes our significant others to miss us as we bury our heads in coffee-laden binge-grading sessions, shutting ourselves out from the world around us; it is a concept that is sometimes stuck in the outdated state of red pens, grammatically-fueled rage-outs, giant X's, and, somehow, a perception of education as stale, stuffy, and sometimes even mean-spirited or elitist.
- Connection is made to teaching practice as influenced by the needs
of children, curricula, content knowledge, strategies/techniques,
beliefs, idenity, social justice, etc.
2. Communicates a question and goals/outcomes for the inquiry.
- The question is broad enough to allow a range of research perspectives but narrow enough to be manageable.
- The question is contextual, relating to your specific circumstances.
- The question includes how or in what ways, impact, and teaching assigment.
- The question is conceptual and related to theory.
- Out comes of the action research process are connected to improving students learning.
- Outcomes are measurable.
3. Connects the inquiry to the researcher's beliefs and understanding of IDEAL.
- The inquiry is connected to the learner's beliefs about
instruction, discipline, environment, assessment, and leadership.
- The action research process is completed collaboratively.
- The inquiry connects to national, state, and local standards.
4.
Describes and creates three data collection tools. Uses the data
collection tools to assess the impact the implementation plan is having
on student learning. Makes changes in the implementation plan based
upon needs of students.
- Explains data collection instruments and reasons for their use in relation to IDEAL.
- Includes a timeline for data collection.
- Data collections tools fit with the question.
5. Describes the researcher's sequenced plan to integrate the action research into his/her practice.
- Implementation plan is organized, detailed, and logically sequenced.
- The plan is replicable.
- Reflects an understanding of implementation issues or possible road blocks.
6. Describes the methods used to analyze data.
- Provides a clear description of techniques for analyzing data.
- Selects appropriate process for analyzing data.
7. Reports analysis of data for key patterns, conclusions, and implications.
- Possible bias is addressed.
- Summarizes and illustrated key findings, themes, and patterns.
- Charts and visuals help to clarify data.
- Data is clearly connected to the question of the inquiry.
- Reporting of data is clear and balanced.
- Addresses the validy and reliability of the data.
- Draws conclusions based upon patterns, relating them to the question being asked, and outcomes expected.
8. Explains findings in relation to IDEAL, beliefs, and future inquiry.
- Next steps/action research have been identified.
- States how beliefs have been affirmed and ammended as a result of action research.
- States limitations experienced in trying to apply strategies and draw conclusions from data that was collected.
- States goals for future pratice across IDEAL.
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