Login

Research at
Gallaudet University
2005 - 2006

Action Research in Literacy Education: Becoming a Researcher

Status: Ongoing Begin date: Oct 1, 2004 End date: No set date

Description

This qualitative research project examined learning processes and motivation of pre-service teachers as they learned about and conducted action research on literacy development. In the project, pre-service teachers were mentored and guided through the action research process as they conducted research while student teaching. The principal investigator met with participants regularly to model, mentor, plan, reflect, write, and revise. Participants attended weekly meetings, planned and conducted literacy research in elementary school classrooms, and reflected on these experiences in research logs. Participants and the principal investigator worked together to analyze and interpret data. As participants learned about and engaged in action research about literacy learning, their motivation and learning processes were observed. Their development as researchers, interactions, reflections, and project artifacts were examined and analyzed. Data was collected from a variety of sources to achieve triangulation. Sources included observation notes, interview transcripts, artifacts from participant projects, and participant research logs. Analysis included identifying patterns and themes in the data and interpreting their significance. Findings indicate that pre-service teachers can receive great benefits from conducting action research in their student teaching sites, including increased critical reflection skills, greater understanding of classroom culture, and enhanced self-efficacy as teachers. Participant motivation was supported and sustained by the impact of action research on student learning. Participants encountered some difficulties regarding data analysis and resolving unanticipated disruptions of their research plans. Results of this project identified three areas to emphasize when planning experiences for pre-service teachers who are becoming action researchers: practice with data collection and analysis, group support, and a final forum for sharing research findings and reflections on becoming a researcher. Based on the findings it is evident that providing opportunities for pre-service teachers to learn about and engage in classroom-based action research is both feasible and beneficial. As one participant stated, "Including action research in my student teaching expanded my horizons." A book based on this project is currently being developed.

Investigators