Supports and Barriers to Participation in AR
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[ProfessionalDevelopment 568] Supports and barriers to participation in action research
Taylor, Jackie jataylor at utk.edu
Wed Oct 4 12:15:41 EDT 2006
Hello All:
Patricia and Micki, thank you for raising some of the critical issues
for teachers who are -- or may be considering -- conducting action
research. Two things in particular stand out to me, and I'd like to hear
from both guests and subscribers on these points:
A) Support
Patricia wrote: "I think successful action research depends on this kind
of broad support, especially for first-time action researchers. Even if
a teacher does not have access to university-level support, s/he can
find support in other teachers and in professional colleagues or
personal friends in other related fields who are familiar with doing
research. Of course, it also helps if you have a writing buddy, someone
to encourage you in your writing when you get to that point and to give
you feedback." And Micki alluded to a hybrid PD approach to supporting
teacher researchers.
Questions about Support:
1) If you are a teacher researcher or university researcher, what
supports do you need or have you found most effective in sustaining your
collaborations? Or if you are PD staff, what supports have you provided or do you need to provide?
Consider areas such as:
- Staying connected with university researchers and other teacher researchers?
- Face-to-face support?
- Support at-a-distance?
- Administrative support?
- Other?
2) (Similar to the previous question) What are effective sustained (or
hybrid) professional development models for supporting teacher
researchers unique needs?
B) Time
Patricia, you noted earlier this week about time constraints: "The
biggest concern I had in taking on this project was one of time. Would I
be able to give the project the time it deserved?"
Question about Time and Other Constraints:
1) Given the part-time nature of much of the adult education instruction
for teachers and adult learners, what barriers are there for their
active participation in action research? What incentives can be used
to encourage participation in these research activities?
Thanks! Jackie Taylor, jataylor at utk.edu
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 583] Re: Supports and barriers toparticipation in action research
From: Downey, Stacey sdowney at udc.edu
Date: Thu Oct 5 12:39:23 EDT 2006
All,
As a member of the DC Action Research Team, I wanted to respond to the
question on the table now about support and share some of our
strategies.
1. ONLINE FORUM
In addition to the face to face workshops, the Teacher-Researchers and
the Team kept in touch online in a Blackboard course developed for this
purpose. This gave us a place to post resources, have discussions, and
share insights and materials. Because the DC State Ed. Agency is based
at the University of the District of Columbia, we are very fortunate to
have access to this platform.
2. TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES
In each year of the project, Teacher Representatives have been included
in the design team. The Teacher Representatives often facilitated
discussions with the Teacher-Researchers, and were available for peer
mentoring sessions.
3. RESOURCES
At each workshop, we gave Teacher-Researchers materials, resources,
incentives, and encouragement.
4. The State Ed. Agency provided a $500 incentive to each program
that hosted a Teacher-Researcher to thank the program for the teacher's release time.
Would the field, and the Teacher-Researchers out there tell us what else
might have been helpful.
Stacey Downey
Literacy Resources Director
State Education Agency, Adult Education & Family Literacy
Washington, DC
sdowney at udc.edu
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 586] Re: Supports and barrierstoparticipation in action research
From: Shifferraw, Maigenet mshifferraw at udc.edu
Date: Thu Oct 5 15:52:14 EDT 2006
Hello all:
In addition to what Stacey has mentioned regarding the support that the
teachers have from SEA and the research team, the teacher-researchers
had opportunities to share their work with their colleagues in the
field.
The first group of researchers presented their findings at a symposium
organized by UDC Department of Education and SEA that was held here at
the university. Many adult education teachers and university professors
attended the symposium. The second group had a workshop at an adult
teachers' conference that was organized by SEA. In addition, two
teachers from the second group presented their findings at an adult
education conference in New York. The teachers in the third group are
in the process of completing their final reports and they will have
opportunity to discuss their findings at a panel discussion or forum to
be organized this fall.
Above all, the discussions we are having on this listserv are extremely
beneficial to all of us. Those who have not joined us so far, from the
listserv and our teacher-researchers, please do so. We have few more
days left.
Best to all,
Maigenet
