You don’t need a tweed jacket to be a researcher — in thousands of schools across North America, practising teachers conduct studies on best practices, alternative approaches, and effective learning strategies. Classroom teachers have experiences and opportunities unavailable to researchers in a university setting, and action research — site-based, teacher-conducted research — can have a valuable impact on the educational community.
Yet many teachers don’t see their work as real research, and many other teachers have great ideas for research projects but don’t know where to begin. For these teachers, Engaging in Action Research demystifies the world of educational research and provides support, guidance, and encouragement. From creating a research plan to reporting findings, this book provides step-by-step instructions to help teachers conduct research projects in the classroom, using strategies that work. Get ready to investigate, analyze, and share!
Teachers and school administrators will find this a valuable resource to guide their research endeavours. I also feel that senior undergraduate students and graduate students with no previous research experience would find this a useful tool for thinking about and planning action research projects.
Teachers looking for ways to understand what is happening in their classrooms should read Engaging in Action Research... informative and readable to educators at any stage of their careers.