Poster #30 - Fostering Inclusive Knowledge Democracies: Layering Identities and Situating Practices of Novice Teacher Researchers

• In Event: 63.088 - MTCC Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: 63.088-6 - Teachers Engaged in Action Research With Students and Collaborative Teams to Bring About Cultural and Structural Change in the Schools

Abstract

Teacher action research is an important element for democratizing educational research, yet teachers often view it as unmanageable atop their other priorities (McDonough, 2006). This paper explores how 35 novice teacher researchers’ navigated their distinct identities as teacher and teacher researcher and improvised situated practices developed to generate empirical knowledge around teaching and learning in their specific contexts. Findings indicate that the primary teacher identity mediated the development of the researcher identity and related practices. Implications for teacher education and teacher professional development suggest that action research partnerships should seek to honor the primary teacher identity and develop the practices that support instruction and student learning, while also fulfilling research demands.

Authors

• Kelli E. Woodrow, Regis University

• Cristin Jensen Lasser, Regis University