Growing action research on environmental learning in schools: a school-university partnership

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Hilary Inwood
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Environmental Learning ◽  
University Partnership

Measuring Environmental Education Program Impacts and Learning in the Field: Using an Action Research Cycle to Develop a Tool for Use with Young Students

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 23-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Ballantyne ◽  
Jan Packer ◽  
Michele Everett
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Environmental Learning ◽  
Research Cycle ◽  
Young Students ◽  
Program Test ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDespite the increasing importance of, and interest in, documenting the impact of environmental education programs on students' learning for sustainability, few tools are currently available to measure young students' environmental learning across all the dimensions of knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours. This paper reports on the development of such a tool, using an iterative action research process with 134 students, aged six to eleven, attending programs at an Environmental Education Centre in Queensland, Australia. The resulting instrument, the Environmental Learning Outcomes Survey (ELOS) incorporates observations of students' engagement in learning processes as well as measuring learning outcomes, and allows both of these aspects to be linked to particular components of the environmental education program. Test data using the instrument are reported to illustrate its potential usefulness. It is envisaged that the refined instrument (appended) will enable researchers to measure student environmental learning in the field, investigate environmental education program impacts and identify aspects of programs that are most effective in facilitating student learning.

scholarly journals Exploring Veteran Teachers' Collaborative Action Research Experiences Through a School-University Partnership: "Old Dogs" Try New Tricks

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-68
Author(s):  
Mary Frances (Molly) Buckley-Marudas ◽  
John Dutton ◽  
Charles Ellenbogen ◽  
Grace Hui-Chen Huang ◽  
Sarah Schwab
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
High School ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
University Faculty ◽  
University Partnership ◽  
School Practitioners

This article shares insights from the experiences of three high school practitioners and two university faculty who participated in a school-university-based action research program as a voluntary part of the teachers’ professional development. The three high school practitioners conducted action research projects around questions that stemmed from and were relevant to their own teaching practice.  As part of the action research program, the practitioners were paired with university faculty to support the research. Building on practitioner inquiry traditions and critical case study methodologies, this study used qualitative methods to explore the experiences of practitioner action research processes.  Drawing on in-person meeting notes and reflective memos, four key ideas emerged: Infrastructure, We are all Partners in Education, Engaging Pathway for Experienced Teachers, and Challenges. Insights gained from this inquiry will have implications for professional practices in the areas of school-university partnership, professional development, and action research process.

scholarly journals Preparing First-Time Leaders for an Urban Public School District: An Action Research Study of a Collaborative District–University Partnership

2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 540-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juanita Cleaver Simmons ◽  
Margaret Grogan ◽  
Stacey Jones Preis ◽  
Kristin Matthews ◽  
Sheila Smith-Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
School District ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Traditional Preparation ◽  
Action Research Study ◽  
University Partnership ◽  
Principal Preparation Program ◽  
Urban Public School ◽  
First Time

This article reports the results for the first cycle of an action research study about a district–university partnership. Two district facilitators and two university facilitators co-constructed a principal preparation program for an inner-city school district to help prepare the next generation of building leaders. Twenty-two students participated in the 15-month nontraditional program. The study found that in preparing first-time school leaders, the most helpful experiences were those that developed self-understanding and readiness for the role change. New instructional techniques and the full-time residency facilitated this earning. It also found that the partnership, though providing new and exciting opportunities to deviate from the traditional preparation model, needed further development.

Critical Contextual Reviews and Development of Interpretive Materials with Teachers in Kenya

2005 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 11-21
Author(s):  
Abel Barasa Atiti
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Materials Development ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Environmental Learning ◽  
Similar Materials ◽  
Development Processes

AbstractThis paper shares findings from a recent study that engaged a group of Kenyan teachers in a review and development of interpretive materials through a participatory action research framework. It focuses on critical contextual reviews of interpretive materials in non-formal organisations and development of similar materials in schools with teachers. Social interactions between teachers and non-formal educators enabled the sharing of ideas, skills and techniques on materials development processes. This provided a basis for developing interpretive materials to support environmental learning within school grounds. A teacher-centred approach to materials development as argued in this paper seeks to respect the needs of schools within their social and historical contexts. It further challenges the conventional top-down approaches in which non-formal educators are creators of materials and teachers are viewed as “technicians” who implement the materials in schools. The paper offers some tentative guidelines on the development of interpretive materials in schools.

scholarly journals Improving Coastal Children Eco-Literacy in Environmental Learning Through Mangroves Storytelling

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Novi Utami Rosyid ◽  
Budiaman Budiaman ◽  
Uswatun Hasanah
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Environmental Learning ◽  
Third Grade Students ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Classroom Action Research

<p>The objective of this research was to determine the level of coastal children eco-literacy by using storytelling about the role of mangroves for coastal communities in Serang Regency - Banten. The research methodology was classroom action research (CAR). The implementation of classroom action research was conducted of two cycles. There was cycle I and cycle II, each cycle consisted of two meetings. This research involved third-grade students which consisted of 30 students in SDN Cerocoh, Serang Regency - Banten. The instrument of the research was data collecting technique, the data were observation, tests (pre-test and post-tests), and documentation. The result of this research showed that there was a significant difference in the students’ eco-literacy in pre-test and post-test after learning environmental education with mangrove storytelling. The average score of pre-test was 48.52%, while, after giving treatment in cycle I, the students average score in post-test I was 68.94%. Then, after giving treatment in cycle II, the students’ average score in post-test II was 87.17%. Based on the data the researcher concluded that: 1) there was the improvement coastal student eco-literacy by using mangrove storytelling in teaching environmental education at our environmental thematic subject 2) the students became interested and motivated in learning about mangroves.</p>

School Renewal through Action Research: a school‐university partnership in Austria

1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-96
Author(s):  
Ilse Brunner ◽  
Eduard Hruska ◽  
Konrad Krainer ◽  
Christa Piber ◽  
Peter Posch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
School Renewal ◽  
University Partnership

scholarly journals The Role of Teacher Empowerment and Teacher Accountability in School-University Partnerships and Action Research

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Segedin
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Action Research ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
School Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Development Method ◽  
University Partnership ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

Large-scale educational reform is occurring in Canada, the USA and the UK. Different strategies for change have resulted, including the school-university partnership and teacher-led action research.  While this partnership and professional development method is perceived as a way to empower teachers it also appears to be riddled with issues of accountability. This study investigates the impact of participation in a school-university partnership, using action research as the professional development method for school improvement, on teaching professionals' sense of accountability and empowerment.  The findings from this study showed that these projects were organized from the top-down and teachers felt accountable to the government, their peers, their students, the School Board, the school community, and the project funding body.  However, teachers also were found to be empowered as they experienced shared decision making, teacher autonomy, professional growth, and school change.  This suggests that the relationship between accountability and empowerment is not a simple one.  

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