Ashford 3: – Week 2 – Instructor Guidance

EDU675: CHANGE LEADERSHIP FOR THE DIFFERENTIATED EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Instructor Guidance

Week 2

Introduction

Before you begin Week Two, you are encouraged to review the final assessment in Week Six. This is your final assignment for this course. Fine tuning the research is a required process of change and is a core component to action research. Ensuring the relevancy of the research question and the research design is of vital importance to the successful implementation and analysis of the data that is collected over the next four weeks.

Figure 2, below, clarifies the action research process we are following in this course and notes we are now in Week Two of the cycle. You are in the second week and will implement the intervention from your action research proposal as well as the data collection process.

As a reminder you will have up to three full weeks to conduct your research in the approved setting and to collect data.

Figure 2: EDU675 Action Research Cycle, Week Two Focus

Week Two Overview

Through the reading, we have learned that the action research approach is a form of investigation used to improve professional practices in any setting. Whether you are working in a school setting or other organization, action research can be a technique to make continual improvements and positive changes.

It is recommended you think now about the information that is required in this assignment so that you are prepared. You are welcome to contact your Instructor via the Ask Your Instructor discussion about questions that may arise from your review. Additionally, your Instructor welcomes emails with questions as well!

Before moving on to the next section of your work, please familiarize yourself with the learning expectations for the week. As a student, it is important to know what the outcomes and expectations are to guide your hard work. These learning outcomes are also listed with their alignment to each assessment for the week on the Week Two homepage. Deliberately knowing and understanding these outcomes articulates your goals for the week so you know where you are going and how you will get there.

Week Two Elaboration

Inspiring the Change Process

“The goal of action research is to enhance the lives of students and teachers through positive educational change” (Mills, 2014, p. 172).

In order to implement change, we must have a clear plan. We also must have well defined goals so that we know to move forward through this course of action. Through the methodology of action research we can implement change over time using a structured process. This is what you are seeking to do with your own research. We know from our reading, discussion, and our work that action research is research done by teachers for their own improvement and benefit and that it is a continuous process. Answering the question of “So what” is essential. Why is this research important? In part, this is what you seek to answer through your work in Week Two.

Continuous Learning

Brooks and Watkins (1994) used the term “action inquiry technologies” to embrace a number of strategies for research through systematic inquiry that used a recurring cycle of action, reflection, hypothesis, and revised or new actions based on the reflections and hypotheses about what occurred in our previous action (p. 1). You are beginning this process in this class. While we will only be implementing one cycle, action research follows this same process of continued learning and implementation in order to inspire the change process.

View the ResearcherRagan (2013) video for an overview of the action research process. As you watch the video, pay attention to the action research process that is captured and emphasized. This is the sequence that you are implementing in a single series in this course. In your own classrooms or other organizations, it is entirely possible that you are engaging in this type of research on a regular basis without even realizing that you are engaging in conducting research. Action research is a continual work in process.

Steps in Data Collection

The practice of collecting data involves the systematic collection of information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of programs, personnel, and other factors included in your research proposal for the purpose of improving the overall effectiveness. In order to collect the most meaningful data to answer your research question you will have already followed the below steps as you arrived at your research question:

1. Determined what data is needed
2. Selected data sources and techniques for gathering the information
3. Developed a data collection plan

According to ResearcherRagan (2013), action research calls for the researcher to use a process of systematic inquiry to influence and maximize the change process. Action research requires the researcher to applying the method to real life problems they are experiencing in the environment – a process of continually refining methods, data, and the interpretation of ideas. It is an ever evolving process that must be examined to ensure that it is aligned to the specific research question.

Synthesis of the Literature

To synthesize the literature is to draw conclusions about the findings in the information so that you can identify how the writings address the research question that has been developed. Reading several journal articles using the Ashford University library is the best way to approach this part of this assignment. Once you have reviewed a variety of articles you can then summarize, analyze and identify key concepts that support your research questions. It will be important to critically evaluate and interpret the various works so that you select the most appropriate literature to support your research proposal.

These selected sources must be relevant to the issue identified in your research proposal and also be current (last five years). If it is beneficial to understanding the root causes of the issue, one of the resources used may provide a historical overview. It may also be important to include both supporting and opposing viewpoints. This information leads to a strong background, a scholarly submission and a robust foundation of understanding of the issue that is being studied.

Leadership

In any action research endeavor, if done correctly, there is a significant amount of reflective practice that must occur in order to make sense of and implement the changes derived from the study. A leader is the professional in the school, community, church, neighborhood, or any other organization who takes the initiative to engage in action research for the purpose of improving the teaching and learning or other organizational systems within the particular organizational setting. Purposefully studying the research action, data and consequences of the innovation is a part of leadership and change.

One of the secrets of success in leadership at any level is to continually grow and learn. Action research is a way to learn by making use of your own experiences and translating them to meaningful changes in the organization.

Week Two Assessment Summary

Last week you explored the concepts of action research as it relates to ethical behaviors in research, collaboration, and data analysis. Week two, consists of only one discussion and one assignment. You will also be busy with the first week of implementing your intervention. This is the practical experience towards which you’ve been working!

Discussion 1: Action Research – What it Means to You

This forum invites you to interpret a quote regarding action research pertaining to how it relates to your proposal and the change that is sought. You will also explain the ways you see your research being a catalyst to change in your selected organization. Responses will include furthering the discussion by eliciting critical thinking skills regarding others’ statements and furthering the meaningful discussion. Review the criteria set forth in the discussion rubric prior to your initial post to ensure that you are meeting the highest criteria. Be sure to also include personal, professional, and other real world experiences to enrich the discussion.

Assignment 1: How is my Research Relevant – A Work in Progress

Ensuring relevancy of your research and deepening your research endeavor is the goal of this assignment. This assignment in part, asks that you synthesize the literature that supports your research proposal. This process is to identify what other people have to say about your issues. Additionally, this assignment demands that you included a minimum of two scholarly sources in addition the course textbook, which provides evidence to support your ideas. Understanding the concept that the process of change is not only cyclical but is constantly occurring is the key to this submission.

References

Brooks, A., & Watkins, K. E. (1994). The emerging power of action inquiry technologies (New direction for adult and continuing education) (Vol. 63). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Mills, G. E. (2014). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher. United States of America: Pearson Education, Inc.

ResearcherRagan. (2013, January 20). Action research [Video File]. Retrieved from