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Practical Action Research for Change

Second Edition
By: Richard A. Schmuck

Foreword by Eleanor Perry

Convert frustrations into solvable problems through action research!

Educators can improve their professional practice and change the culture of their school community through action research. The author demonstrates how educators can convert frustrations into solvable problems by reflecting on their past, present, and future professional practice. Offering information and guidance about the challenges experienced when engaging in action research, this updated workbook includes:

Easy-to-understand explanations of methods, steps, and phases
"How-to" worksheets for each step of the process
Journal-writing activities
Case studies of real projects

Full description

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781412938594
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2006
Page Count: 192
Publication date: May 12, 2006

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Description

"This book is a modern catalyst for change in education. I have made it required reading for doctoral students, administrators, and faculty who must update their pedagogy to raise student learning."
-Joseph Martin Stevenson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Jackson State University

"This is a wonderful book for learning communities to use to self-evaluate prior to beginning new teaching techniques, and throughout the process."
-Donna Walker Tileston, President
Strategic Teaching and Learning

Convert frustrations into solvable problems through action research!

Action research provides a process for educators to individually and collectively study their own situations, try new practices, evaluate those innovations, adjust, and try again.

In this revised second edition, Richard Schmuck demonstrates how educators at all levels can use action research to improve their professional practice and change the culture of their schools, districts, or communities. He shows how educators, by reflecting on their past, present, and future practice, can convert frustrations into solvable problems.

This updated workbook covers both the proactive and the responsive models of action research and also includes:

Easy-to-understand explanations of methods, steps, and phases
A chapter devoted to questionnaires, interviews, observations, and public documents
Guidelines for both solo and cooperative projects
"How-to" worksheets that guide readers through the process
Journal-writing activities at the end of every chapter
Case studies of real action research projects

Practical Action Research for Change is the essential tool to help educators tailor action research to their specific situation and improve professional practice.

Author(s)

Richard A. Schmuck

Richard A. Schmuck is professor emeritus at the University of Oregon, where he chaired the dissertations of 132 doctoral students who are from all parts of the world. He taught thousands of other educators worldwide about action research, group dynamics, and organization development. He has served on the faculties of the University of Michigan, Temple University, and Leuven University (Belgium), was the first president of the International Association for the Study of Cooperation in Education. Schmuck is a visiting Professor at Arizona State University-West.

Schmuck is the author of 20 books and 190 articles. His best-known book is Group Processes in the Classroom (with Patricia Schmuck), now in its eighth edition. He received The Stevens Award from the Northwest Women in Educational Administration to honor his support of women in administration and his "commitment to equity, justice, and democracy." He received the Campbell Lifetime Achievement Award from the University Council on Educational Administration for "superior scholarship, distinguished service, and recognized international leadership" and "to celebrate an extraordinary and generous career." Schmuck continues to teach, consult, and write.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

1. Reflective Professional Practice

Reflections of the Future, Past, and Present

Reflective Educators Seek Self-Knowledge

The Search for Self-Knowledge Leads to Solitary Dialogue

Self-Knowledge and Solitary Dialogue Lead to Professional Maturity

Mature Educators Try to Improve Continually

Using the Tools of Reflection to Move Toward Action Research

Journal-Writing Assignments

2. Educators and Continuous Improvement

Three Faces of Continuous Improvement

Action Research: Two Types of Social Scientists

Differences Between Action Research and Traditional Research

An Example of Action Research

Processes of Continuous Improvement

Journal-Writing Assignments

3. Action Research: Definitions, Models, Steps, and Phases

Contemporary Need for Action Research

Definitions of Action Research

Action Research and Group Dynamics

Two Models of Action Research

Three Phases of Action Research

Journal-Writing Assignments

4. Research Methods: Procedures, Instruments, Special Issues, and Ethics

Data Collection in Action Research

Special Issues of Action Research

The Ethics of Action Research

Journal-Writing Assignments

5. Proactive Action Research

Marilyn Lund

James Johnson

The Six Steps of Proactive Action Research

The Range of Proactive Models

Journal-Writing Assignments

6. Responsive Action Research

Matt Reardon

Beverly Lee

The Six Steps of Responsive Action Research

The Range of Responsive Models

Journal-Writing Assignments

7. Group Dynamics of Cooperative Action Research

Positive Social Support

Critical Friendship

Probing Conversation

Effective Group Dynamics

Journal-Writing Assignments

8. Types of Cooperative Action Research

One-on-One Partnerships

Small Face-to-Face Groups

Whole-School Staffs

Districtwide Educator Networks and Stakeholders

Case Studies

Journal-Writing Assignment

9. Prominent Authors on Action Research

Its Democratic Philosophical Roots

John Dewey, Mary Parker Follett, and Kurt Lewin

Alice Miel and Stephen Corey

Ronald Lippitt

Paulo Freire

Reginald Revans

Chris Argyris and Donald Schön

Stephen Kemmis and Jean McNiff

William Foote Whyte

Richard Sagor

Geoffrey Mills

Teacher Research

Journal-Writing Assignment

Bibliography

Index

Reviews

"This book is a modern catalyst for change in higher education. I have made it required reading for doctoral students, administrators, and faculty who must update their pedagogy to raise student learning."

Joseph Martin Stevenson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Jackson State University

"This is a wonderful book for learning communities to use to self-evaluate prior to beginning new teaching techniques, and throughout the process."

Donna Walker Tileston, President
Strategic Teaching and Learning

"A comprehensive tool to support learning communities as they endeavor to improve professional practice."

Curriculum Connections, Spring 2007
School Library Journal

Other Titles in: Staff Development & Professional Learning | Data-Driven Decision Making | Teaching Methods & Learning Styles

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Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.