Action research Plan

Researching and Developing Engaging Pedagogies

2018 2H

Action research – guidance notes

1 Capstone unit

Researching and Developing Engaging Pedagogies is the capstone unit for the Master of Teaching (Primary). The core aim is to enhance and measure students’ readiness for the teaching profession.

· The unit develops students’ skills and expertise in researching their own practice, and facilitates their ‘researcherly’ disposition. (become a teacher-researcher)

· The unit supports students’ in refining their pedagogy through such reflective practice. (progress as a teacher)

· The unit challenges students to inquire into, reflect upon and subsequently develop classroom pedagogies and assessment practices that facilitate substantive engagement in learning. (become an engaging teacher)

The unit extends students’ students’ research skills by drawing on participatory action research (e.g. through the use of peer planning, focus groups and peer assessment).

We focus on pedagogies that encourage learners of all social and cultural backgrounds to have engaging and productive relationships with education, schools and classrooms. We review theories which apply to the study of engaging practices in diverse professional contexts. In particular, we look at research into student engagement undertaken in the UWS Fair Go Project. Key readings have been selected to give students theoretical and practical understandings of what engaging teaching looks like, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. We link the discussion on engagement to contemporary approaches to pedagogical innovation, which foreground motivation, creativity, technology integration and dialogic space in classrooms. Students are encouraged to implement and evaluate these teaching approaches in their professional experiences.

2 Researching engagement

Educational research on student engagement centres on understanding and developing engaging practices. Our focus is on innovative pedagogies that facilitate deep learning through substantive engagement. In this sense, we encourage you to shift your focus from behaviour management (controlling behaviour) to the management of learning (enabling and facilitating quality learning experiences). Concerns about the behaviour of students are valid concerns. We however encourage a pedagogic response to problem behaviour which recognises the links between the quality of the teaching and student behaviour. So engaging pedagogies do not simply ‘fix’ behaviour by exerting control (e.g. a reward systems or external incentive). Instead, we ask you to look deeply into your teaching and see where it is lacking in engagement.

It is imperative that you become familiar with the content of our core text (available online through the UWS library):

Munns, G., Sawyer, W. & Cole, B. (Eds) (2013) Exemplary teachers of students in poverty. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.

Another key resource for engagement (also available online) is:

Fair Go Project. (2006). School is for me: Pathways to student engagement. Sydney, Australia: Priority Schools Funding Program, NSW Department of Education and Training.

The questions we will be addressing include:

Engagement

· What is ‘learning through substantive engagement’?

· What does it mean to teach engagingly? What does it mean to be engaged in learning? What is the relationship between the two?

· What is the relationship between engagement and creativity?

Evaluation of classroom practices

· Are classrooms facilitative of engaged learning and teaching? If yes, how? If not, what are the reasons?

Agents of change

· How can we change classroom practices to make them more engaging?

· How can we plan, deliver and reflect on engaging teaching and learning practices?

Teaching and learning in ‘new times’

· How can we support ‘learning through substantive engagement’ in diverse classrooms? (think about cultural diversity, gender, a wide range of competencies, modalities/contexts for learning, interests, personal histories etc.)

· What does engaging teaching (or engaged learning) involve in the new technological era?

In lectures we develop a deeper understanding of relevant learning theories, motivation theory, creativity research, cross-cultural research on education, and general educational research that is aimed at reforming practice. Note however that the list of relevant content is endless – everything that you have learnt so far or are learning right now may be relevant. As a student of this unit, you are in charge of your learning. You need to make your own links and connections between known and new, between research/theory and practice, or between different topics covered in the unit. You will also need to take the initiative to apply the knowledge you have gained to your own professional practice and philosophy.

Given the nature of the unit, RDEP does not have a linear narrative. The unit structure is cyclical, involving numerous rounds of exploration, knowledge building and reflection. The overarching theme is ’learning through substantive engagement’. So, as you go through the content, try to organise your own developing knowledge and understanding around the same central focus, shaping your own unique pedagogical understanding of engagement.

Some of you may find that the content becomes more meaningful in practice – and this is fine. We are trying to offer you practical illustrations in both the tutorials and the lectures, but the best way is to test ideas and make sense of them in your own practice.

3 Researching your own practice

RDEP is a research-focused capstone unit, reflecting the changes in the AQF specification for the Masters Degree, which is now a Level 9 degree.

We draw on the key concepts and principles of participatory action research. Action research is an umbrella term for the critical study of one’s own professional practice with an aim to improve this practice. It refers to “a practical way of looking at your own work to check that it is as you would like it to be” (McNiff, 2002, p. 6).

Most often action research builds on a cyclical process with the following steps: i) identify problem areas ii) plan and implement positive changes and iii) generate critical reflections on the outcomes (which most often lead to the next action learning cycle). Here is a useful summary of the fundamental nature of action research (or action learning):

“The idea of self reflection is central. In traditional forms of research – empirical research – researchers do research on other people. In action research, researchers do research on themselves. Empirical researchers enquire into other people’s lives. Action researchers enquire into their own. Action research is an enquiry conducted by the self into the self. You, a practitioner, think about your own life and work, and this involves you asking yourself why you do the things that you do, and why you are the way that you are. When you produce your research report, it shows how you have carried out a systematic investigation into your own behaviour, and the reasons for that behaviour. The report shows the process you have gone through in order to achieve a better understanding of yourself, so that you can continue developing yourself and your work.” (McNiff, 2002, p. 6)

There are various approaches to action research. In this unit, we follow the action learning approach developed and outlined by Jean McNiff. Your core reading on action learning (available online) is:

McNiff, J. (2016). You and your action research project. Milton Park, Abingdon, England: Routledge. Taylor & Francis Group.

Another key resource for engagement (also available online) is:

McNiff, J. (2002). Action research for professional development. Concise advice for new action researchers. Available from: http://jeanmcniff.com/ar-booklet.asp

The tutorials are set up to support students in the different phases of the action learning process. Therefore, it is imperative that you attend your assigned tutorial group and engage in the tutorial-related activities. The assignments are designed to invite, facilitate and evaluate your engagement in self-reflective practice through the planning, implementation and critical evaluation of an action research cycle.

4 Ethics

In your action research you will need to follow the core ethical principles and guidelines that apply to all research in social sciences. Macklin (1992) describes two ethical principles to guide the conduct of human research. The principle of beneficence entails that the researcher is obliged to maximise possible benefits and minimise possible harms, whereas the respect-for-persons principle requires the treatment of participants as autonomous agents, thus allowing them to make informed choices with regard to their involvement.

Ethical and legal questions, however, become more complex when the research involves young children, or any highly vulnerable social group. Also, when it comes to school based action research, the issue of ethics is even more complex, as shown below.

Reflective practice and action learning

Action research involves doing something differently in your teaching, and reflecting on the value of the changes. As a teacher, you do not need to ask your students to consent to the changes in your teaching. (Though you may want to know what they think!) You do not need students’ consent to participate in ongoing classroom activities either. As a teacher, you are free to vary your strategies, to experiment with new ones and evaluate your evolving pedagogy. For a self-reflective practitioner, this is the essence of their daily practice. As a self-reflective teacher, you will also draw on your observations of your class, and ask students’ views on the quality of classroom experiences. Such triangulation is part of ongoing, daily self-reflective practice. However, for the purposes of reporting your action learning in the RDEP Research project, you will need to follow the ethical guidelines. Thus, you will need informed consent for any student data presented in your Action Research Project Report as illustration.

Collection and use of action research data for an assignment/report

Your action research for RDEP involves the collection and use of student data for professional self-reflection. We ask you to use four types of student data to evaluate your teaching, which include potentially 'sensitive' material such as children's work, opinions, or brief records of their conversations with you. You will discuss your project with your focus group members, and it will eventually be marked by university staff. When presenting any of the student data in your Action Research Project Report (and in the Learning Portfolio), you will need to:

· ensure anonymity by removing any information from the data that might identify staff or students;

· comply with the ethical guidelines in educational research and gain informed consent for the use of such data in your Action Research Project Report.

Consent when the research involves children

Because children are a vulnerable social group, the issue of consent is even more crucial. However, in contrast to adults – who are presumed capable of making informed choices on their own behalf – children usually cannot give legal consent. Therefore, research involving children often involves 'layered contracts' (asking for both the parents' permission and the child's assent) or simply turns to the parent/guardian for permission. Schools may also have blanket coverage for the use of student data for classroom-based evaluation. So there are a number of appropriate alternatives, depending on the context. Therefore, we ask you to follow your practicum school’s policy in the process of obtaining informed consent for your action research.

Informed consent for RDEP

You will need to start the ethics procedure during your first two practicum weeks. First of all, ask your mentoring teacher’s advice. Your school may be more relaxed about student data used for action research, and may allow you do carry out your project with the written permission of your principal and mentor. Alternatively, your school’s policy may restrict your collection/use of particular kinds of student data, or may direct you to seek the guardian's permission to collect such data. Hence you have a selection of forms YOU will choose from based on YOUR school's policy.

This is our suggested route, involving all relevant parties:

1) Obtain the informed consent of your mentoring teacher. They will sign your project off at the end of your practicum too, so obtaining their consent is central to your research.

Do not start the action research without their written consent.

· They receive the information sheet (with a brief description of your own focus attached) and the consent form. They keep the information sheet, and return the signed consent form to you.

2) Obtain the principal’s informed, written consent. It is your principal who offered you the placement at their school, so this should not be a problem.

· Principal receives the information sheet – with a brief description of your own focus attached – and the consent form. They keep the information sheet, and return the signed consent form to you.

Obtaining the principal’s consent may take time. You can start your action research whilst you are waiting for their response, provided that you have your mentor teacher’s consent.

3) If so advised by your Principal, obtain the guardians’ informed consent. According to the university policies, all parents need to be provided with information and consent forms. However, this needs to be negotiated and aligned with the School policy (as described above).

Do not worry if the return rate is not high.

· You can implement your changed teaching strategies anyway – you do not need the guardian’s permission for this.

· You can build on all student data in your own self-reflection – you do not need the guardian’s permission for this.

· In your report, simply illustrate your self-reflective evaluation with those students’ data whose parents gave you written consent. Data from 4-5 students will suffice in your report.

You will need to scan the signed copies of the relevant forms and include these in the appendix section of your report (Linked to Criterion 2 of the marking grid for 2B).

6 Tutorials and lectures supporting you in your action research

Lectures: choosing your research focus

Face-to-face and online lectures mainly centre on academic content that may be useful in the development of your own research focus. Students are expected to start with the ‘engagement’ literature (‘exemplary teachers – pedagogic excellence’ readings) and expand their reading into some of the other content areas (e.g. on motivation or creativity etc.). Thus, the criteria for the second assignment (2B, Research Findings and Conclusions Report) include considerations of the core engagement literature (‘Demonstrates knowledge of theory and practice surrounding student engagement’) as well as understanding of the wider academic literature (‘knowledge of trends in pedagogical innovation – e.g. motivation, creativity, dialogic pedagogies, technology integration, culturally responsive pedagogies’).

Tutorials: the action research cycle

In order to help students to implement this knowledge in practice, and familiarize students with participatory action research, the tutorials will mainly focus on methodology. Consequently, the readings for tutorials will be methodology-centred.

7 Focus groups

Systematic self-reflection through participatory action research draws on dialogue and collaboration with critical friends. For the purposes of this unit, we encourage you to create and maintain a circle of critical friends, which we will refer to as focus groups (4-5 members from your tutorial group). Focus groups function as self-organised platforms for the development and sharing of ideas. They also provide opportunities for professional, constructive feedback and social support. Both assignments require students to document and critically reflect on these collaborative learning processes.

We invite you to organize yourselves into focus groups in the first tutorial. These are self-managed groups: it is the group members’ responsibility to arrange face-to-face meetings or virtual dialogue, and monitor constructive and regular participation. Nevertheless, we offer a couple of technological suggestions to facilitate virtual dialogue:

8.1 Google Docs

Google Docs is a free, web-based application linked to Google Drive. It allows you to create and edit documents online whilst you are collaborating with other users in real time. Documents can be shared and edited and/or commented on by multiple users.

For excellent support, check out youtube for free webinars on Google Docs basics, for instance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBh8bMC7XEU

8.2 Zoom

Zoom is a cloud video-conferencing software, which enables you to connect virtually (up to 25 people can connect and use it for free).

You can do video-conferencing, chatting without video, file sharing etc. Go to zoom.us. Sign up for free and create a profile.

Watch the following introductory webinar for detailed information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2W8KLi6R6o

There are also video tutorials and other technical support on the site itself.

These are only suggestions. The way focus groups are managed will depend on the group members’ needs and preferences.

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