EDU 619B: EDS: Action Research Implementation

Candidates implement their proposed study, collect and analyze data, identify emergent themes, and determine plans of action based upon their findings. Candidates write a research paper and present their project and their findings to the class. At each stage of candidates’ inquiry, the course instructor and peer research groups provide feedback. Undertaking an action research inquiry into one’s own teaching requires courage because the subject of scrutiny is oneself and the fallibility of one’s current practices. Therefore, it is essential that candidates have the support of the learning community while facing the challenge of improving their own pedagogy, and, in turn, the learning and achievement of their students. Because candidates greatly benefit from having a trusted, safe community through which to explore the improvement of their teaching and practice, this course will not only evaluate the candidate’s performance on the basis of the successful completion of the action research project, but candidate will also be evaluated on their contributions to class discussions, and, in particular, to their research groups. The instructor will organize candidates into research groups after the first several weeks of the semester.