eJournal

BC Educational Leadership research. Issue 6.
june 2006

ACTION RESEARCH Overview

From the editor’s desk: Guest Editor Corine Clark

This June issue of the BC Educational Leadership Research ejournal explores the construct of Action Research and how it operates within the context of educational communities in BC. Action research, teacher inquiry, teacher research, or practitioner research, involve classroom teachers as researchers in a cycle of inquiry, reflection, and action. This form of educational inquiry, which is rooted in classroom experience, is designed and implemented by practitioners. The sustained inquiry process involves teachers questioning their practice, investigating new solutions, collecting evidence of the results, reshaping future actions, and sharing these inquiries with colleagues.

Contributors to this issue present us with understandings of action research and its application within a broad array of initiatives - appreciative inquiry processes, early learning assessments, adapted Japanese lesson study, Aboriginal learning of mathematics and networked learning communities - and across diverse settings of schools, districts, universities and provincial organizations and networks.

article snapshots

Anthony Clarke and Gaalen Erickson, Professors in Teacher Education in the UBC Faculty of Education, examine teacher inquiry within the context of four distinct trends in knowledge generation. They argue that teacher inquiry within classrooms is a significant and legitimate form of research that is an essential element of professional practice.

M. Louise Herle, BCTF Action Research Facilitator, and Nancy Hinds, BCTF Professional Staff and Coordinator of the Program for Quality Teaching and Action Research, describe the BCTF's Action Research projects that enable teachers to direct their own professional development, investigate innovative strategies that enhance teaching and learning and work collaboratively with colleagues as reflective practitioners.

Jan Robertson, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean in the School of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, in her article adapted from her current book Coaching Leadership: Building Educational Leadership Through Coaching Partnerships , defines Action Research, its theoretical constructs, guiding principles and methodology and describes how it is closely aligned to the process of leadership coaching.

Pat Holborn, Coordinator of the Kindergarten Learning Project Design Group, introduces the Kindergarten Learning Project, a large scale, province-wide initiative which explores the key elements of an early learning assessment process and plans effective early literacy support within teacher action research groups in 49 school districts.

Dr. Sharon Cohen, Assistant Superintendent in School District #36, describes Surrey 's Action Research initiative which supports an inquiry process that builds reflective practice among learning communities and is a way of impacting teacher practice at the classroom level.

Dr. Cynthia Nicol, Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies, Dr. Jo-ann Archibald, Associate Dean of Indigenous Education, Dr. Heather Kelleher, Sessional Instructor in the Faculty of Education and Dr. Lee Brown, Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Curriculum Studies at UBC, report on a project that explores how to better meet the needs and interests of Aboriginal students learning mathematics through cultural responsive approaches.

Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert, co-leaders of the Network of Performance Based Schools, highlight the key concepts of the action research in networked learning communities in BC schools. These networked learning communities demonstrate a reflective inquiry mindset, a focus on classroom formative assessment, deep learning and networked leadership that support the professional growth of educators.

Suzanne Hoffman, Langley District Administrator, Dawn Holden, Langley Coordinator in Instructional Services, and Nicole Neggers, Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows Elementary Vice-Principal, report the results of their Masters'study that investigated the changes in the leadership behavior of elementary principals and vice-principals who had participated in action research in the Network of Performance-Based Schools.

Janice Novakowski, Richmond Kindergarten teacher and doctoral student, examines the concept of adapted lesson study or “research lessons” as a means for teachers to investigate their own practice and engage in thoughtful dialogue, self reflection and an ongoing generative, professional development process.

Mary Filleul and Barbara Rowland, VSB Learning and Development Initiative team members, chronicle Vancouver 's use of appreciative inquiry processes in the district's approach to enhancing adolescent learning.

Sharee Proudfoot, coordinator of the Gladstone/Tyee site for the VSB Learning and Development Initiative, explores how community-based action research promotes collaborative participation using appreciative inquiry processes at Gladstone Secondary School in Vancouver .

Carl Leggo, Professor in Language and Literacy in the UBC Faculty of Education, writes poetically of the experience of action research as “teacher research in the backyard” or in the schools where teachers teach and in the local communities where teachers live. Dr. Leggo offers five perspectives on the teacher engaging in inquiry as a poet researcher.

As an extension to the topic of mentorship in the May issue, Grace Lo-Voo, counselor and secondary teacher, and Randy Raymond, recent UBC Masters student, report on the findings from their Masters' research study on the implementation of a mentorship program for new teachers in the Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese.

In closing, this ejournal on Action Research represents the merging of theory and practice as reflected in the articles from scholars, practitioners and teacher leaders, and it also spotlights the array of research and knowledge generation that is underway in BC. We are exceedingly grateful to the writers of this edition for their generous contribution of ideas from their own practice and research, and for publicly sharing with the broader educational community. The technical support of Ulrike Spitzer in the posting of the ejournal to the School Leadership Centre webside was invaluable.

Let us know what you think about the articles, the ejournal and any other topics for future issues that would serve the interests of the university and the field by emailing to slc.edu@ubc.ca

Corine Clark
Field Director

Articles

Anthony Clarke and Gaalen Erickson
Teacher Inquiry: What’s Old Is New Again!
[download article]

M. Louise Herle and Nancy M. Hinds
The Best in Teacher Leadership: BCTF Action Research
[download article]

Jan Robertson
Action Research and Coaching
[download article]

Patricia Holborn
The Kindergarten Learning Project: Assessment for Learning through Action Research
[download article]

Sharon Cohen
Action Research: Building a Culture of Inquiry
[download article]

Cynthia Nicol, Jo-anne Archibald, Heather Kelleher, and Lee Brown
Transformative Education for Aboriginal Mathematics Learning: A Community-based Action Research Project
[download article]

Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert
An Approach to School-Wide Action Research: Sustaining Inquiries in Networked Learning Communities
[download article]

Suzanne Hoffman, Dawn Holden, and Nicole Neggers
Educational Networks: Structures for Enhancing School Leadership
[download article]

Janice Novakowski
Adapted Lesson Study: A Possibility for Teacher-led Inquiry and Professional Development
[download article]

Mary Filleul and Barbara Rowland
Using Appreciative Inquiry in the Vancouver School District: A Positive Approach to Enhance Learning
[download article]

Sharee Proudfoot
Using Action Research to Promote Collaborative Participation
[download article]

Carl Leggo
The Teacher as Poet-Researcher
[download article]

Grace Lo-Voo and Randy Raymond
Mentorship for Newly Qualified Teachers
[download article]