The Administrator as Action Researcher: A Case Study of Five Principals and Their Engagement in Systematic, Intentional Study of Their Own Practice

The purpose of this case study was to understand engagement in action research as a form of professional development for practicing principals and the subsequent knowledge constructed as a result. The research team followed five principals through 1 year of professional development, which focused on supporting each principal in the design and implementation of an action research project on one's own leadership practice. Data sources included artifacts, field notes, video- and audiotaped transcriptions of meetings, and interview transcripts. Two assertions with supporting evidence are reported First, the high-stakes testing environment and era of accountability dramatically shaped the topics of principals’ inquiries and the ways that they understood the inquiry process. Second, collaboration with other principals, regardless of felt time constraints, played a critical role in the ways that principals made sense of the action research process as well as their own practice as administrators, and it precipitated deeper thinking about school and administrative practice. This study revealed that action research provides administrators with opportunities to engage in meaningful professional development that affects their own practices, the practices of other principals, and those within their school communities, thus making the act of reflection systematic and intentional.

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Analysis of the Problems in Language Teachers’ Action Research

International Education Studies ◽

10.5539/ies.v10n11p123 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 123 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ligang Han

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Action Research ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

English Language ◽

Collaborative Action Research ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Action Research Project ◽

English Language Teachers ◽

Teachers Professional Development

In-service language teachers’ professional development is a crucial factor that influences the teaching and learning effectiveness. Educational action research is considered by many researchers and scholars as an effective way or approach for language teachers’ professional development. This article reports a case study of in-service English language teachers doing action research within a collaborative action research project. The focus of the case study is upon investigating the problems and difficulties that English language teachers encounter in doing action research and some solutions to the problems are provided. This research sheds light on the practice and application of educational action research.

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Professional Development and High-Stakes Testing: Disparate Influences on Student Writing Performance

Writing & Pedagogy ◽

10.1558/wap.v1i1.63 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Candace Roberts

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

High Stakes Testing ◽

Student Writing ◽

High Stakes ◽

Writing Performance

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HR strategy during culture change: Building change agency

Journal of Management & Organization ◽

10.1017/jmo.2014.95 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 741-754 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Llandis Barratt-Pugh ◽

Susanne Bahn

Keyword(s):

Cultural Change ◽

Culture Change ◽

Change Process ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Critical Role ◽

Research Process ◽

Change Agency ◽

Strategic Approach ◽

Organisational Values

AbstractThis paper explores the role played by a Human Resources (HR) department orchestrating culture change during the merger of two large State departments with dissimilar cultures. A 2-year case study determined what HR strategies were having the greatest impact on embedding new organisational values to produce a more flexible culture and how these practices could be accelerated. This paper indicates how a more strategic approach by HR departments can support and develop relational managing capability that accelerates cultures change towards a more flexible work environment.This paper describes the context of the change process, the relevant literature, and outlines the research process. The findings from the phases of the data collection are summarised revealing the traumatic perceptions of the change process, but also the instrumental actions of some managers, working creatively with their teams to tackle new tasks and projects. The evidence suggests that these informal practices of task allocation were at the core of change agency in this case study and put the new flexible organisational values into action. The findings illustrate how the organisation moves from valuing managers for their technical competence to valuing managers for their relational competence.The paper then discusses what strategic HR actions were accelerating this process and illuminates the critical role of building managers as change agents. The paper concludes by confirming the need for a strategic approach by HR during organisational change. Building manager capability and supporting informal change agency practices is presented as a core focus for HR during such organisational cultural change programmes.

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Evaluation of an action research project in workforce development and organisational change: Healthy Ageing—Nutrition

Evaluation Journal of Australasia ◽

10.1177/1035719x0800800103 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 11-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gwyneth M Jolley

Keyword(s):

Action Research ◽

Workforce Development ◽

Organisational Change ◽

Healthy Ageing ◽

Evaluation Methodology ◽

Research Approach ◽

Action Research Project ◽

Research Project ◽

Action Research Approach

This article reports on the evaluation of an action research project designed to support workforce development in the promotion of healthy nutrition for older people. The evaluation methodology was grounded by the action research approach of the project and focused on case studies of the 10 partner organisations. Findings indicate that the Healthy Ageing—Nutrition Project has resulted in a large increase in awareness and knowledge about healthy ageing and nutrition in the case study organisations, and to a lesser extent, in the broader health and aged care sectors. For the case study organisations it seems likely that transformational change has been made through the project's work of building capacity, mediating and facilitating change and providing resources. Support at board and management level, as well as thoughtful development of the workforce, were critical success factors in bringing about organisational change. The main challenge was identified as time and resources needed. Follow-up evaluation of the health outcomes from nutritional assessment, screening and intervention should also be implemented in order to provide further evidence of the value of this effort.

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Constructing a Third Space

Advances in Linguistics and Communication Studies - Handbook of Research on Cross-Cultural Approaches to Language and Literacy Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8668-7.ch004 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 87-117 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pauline Millar ◽

S. Joel Warrican

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Action Research ◽

Secondary School ◽

Third Space ◽

Communications Technology ◽

Action Research Project ◽

Secondary English ◽

Literate Practices ◽

Teachers And Students ◽

The Creation

Burgeoning technologies are changing the global practices of youth to embrace a form of literacy which encompasses both skills and multimodal forms. In Barbados this has been perceived as disengagement from conventional literate practices and has caused concern in the wider Barbadian community. This view is reinforced by the seemingly ubiquitous engagement of youth with various forms of communications technology rather than traditional text. This chapter presents some insight, in the context of a Barbadian secondary school, into an action research project which sought to bridge the existing divide between traditional and semiotic literacies. This investigation confirmed that students were engaged in literate acts in diverse ways. The creation of third space required revised assumptions about the nature of literacy and redefined roles for teachers and students. This chapter concludes with recommendations for increased dialogue, collaboration and professional development among Barbadian secondary English teachers on issues related to literacy.

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Transformational Shifts of Pedagogy Through Professional Development, Essential Questions, and Self-Directed Learning

Emerging Self-Directed Learning Strategies in the Digital Age - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-3465-5.ch008 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 160-178

Author(s):

Ronda Cypret-Mahach

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Action Research ◽

Learning Strategies ◽

Teaching Practice ◽

Self Directed Learning ◽

Essential Questions ◽

Directed Learning ◽

Transformational Experiences ◽

Star Reading

This chapter describes transformational experiences of a faculty of teachers during a yearlong action-research case-study of professional development, infused with digital technologies intended to capitalize on self-directed learning strategies, in the use of essential questions specifically designed to target critical thinking in students. Teachers who began to adopt the essence of essential questioning into their teaching practice also began to seek ways to engage in personalized self-directed learning as they looked for avenues to continue development of successful practice. The ability to self-investigate and self-delineate pedagogy was critical for most of participant teachers. The faculty of teachers involved in the action-research case-study demonstrated statistically significant growth on the Measure of Questioning Skills, indicating the experience encouraged teacher growth in questioning abilities. Research data also reflected statistically significant student growth in STAR Reading and STAR Math scores, and an increase in student's Measure of Questioning Skills.

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Evolving Pedagogy and Practice

Educational Leadership and Administration ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-1624-8.ch092 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 2005-2033

Author(s):

Susan Hennessey ◽

Mark W. Olofson ◽

Meredith J. C. Swallow ◽

John M. Downes

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Action Research ◽

Professional Growth ◽

Development Programs ◽

Evaluation Tool ◽

Teacher Pedagogy ◽

Mathematics Classrooms ◽

Multiple Case ◽

Reflective Evaluation

This chapter presents qualitative research describing the pedagogy of middle grades mathematics teachers who participated in professional development in conjunction with classroom integration of 1:1 technology. Through a multiple-case study design, the expression and development of teacher pedagogy that occurred as teachers created self-designed action research projects grounded in pedagogical goals is illustrated. The use of action research in these four case studies as a vehicle for professional growth and as a reflective evaluation tool is discussed. When viewed through the lens of the TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006), data suggest a technology-mediated shift in pedagogy in the area of differentiation in instruction and assessment in mathematics classrooms. Future implications regarding technology integration, professional development programs, and the use of the TPACK as a descriptive tool are considered.

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Evolving Pedagogy and Practice

Teacher Education ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-0164-0.ch071 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 1457-1485

Author(s):

Susan Hennessey ◽

Mark W. Olofson ◽

Meredith J. C. Swallow ◽

John M. Downes

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Action Research ◽

Professional Growth ◽

Development Programs ◽

Evaluation Tool ◽

Teacher Pedagogy ◽

Mathematics Classrooms ◽

Multiple Case ◽

Reflective Evaluation

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Professional Development Landscapes

Facilitating In-Service Teacher Training for Professional Development - Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-1747-4.ch006 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 98-111

Author(s):

Beril Yucel ◽

Meral Güçeri

Keyword(s):

Professional Development ◽

Action Research ◽

English Language ◽

Collaborative Action Research ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Teachers Perceptions ◽

Collaborative Action ◽

English Language Teachers

This chapter aims to present two action research case studies conducted in the English Language Schools of two universities in Turkey and discuss the long-term effects of this Professional Development activity on teachers' professional lives. In both of these studies, teachers were involved in collaborative action research. The first case study discusses a small scale collaborative Action Research project which targeted 16 English language teachers. Case Study Two, on the other hand, is a large scale project which explores 160 English language teachers' collaborative action research study. Detailed information about each case study is provided by highlighting the aims, institutional contexts, participant profiles, methodology used and findings. Teachers' perceptions about action research and the long-term impact of it on their professional growth are also discussed. Conclusion part highlights the factors that need to be taken into consideration while setting up collaborative action research projects in institutions. Finally, future research recommendations are made.

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