ACTION IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Action Research for Classrooms, Schools, and Communities (book)
Action Research for Classrooms, Schools, and Communities is a core text for anyone interested in conducting action research to bring about change.
The book focuses on the potential for action research to lead to greater understanding about student outcomes from the perspective of teachers, school leaders, and community members.
There is a special emphasis on helping pre-service and experienced teachers use action research to understand their impact on student learning. There is an emphasis on using action research to understand community impacts on schools; unlike other books, this text acknowledges the complex ecology linking classrooms, schools, and the community, especially regarding issues fundamental to school reform.
The text presents action research in a way that values insider craft knowledge about educational issues while still emphasizing the generative and iterative nature of action research. The cyclical methods presented here of problem posing, action, observation, reflection, and sharing can be used by anyone interested in improving their organization and programming.
What people are saying:
"This book takes a fresh approach to action research by teaching others to use action research to understand how the community impacts schools and how this powerful link can be used to examine school reform endeavors. I highly recommend it if you teach advanced action research courses." -- Tamarah M. Ashton
"These chapters are also an excellent way of introducing students to the undergraduate research process and provides stepping stones for those who will be seeking graduate degrees and required to conduct research at that level." -- Regina M. Williams
"Practical, related to educational inquiry, appropriate to action research instruction." -- Joy F. Xin
Read a review from Teachers College Record by Taylor Norman here