Harnessing the Power of Action Research for Professional Growth

• In Event: Social Theory and Social Change

Proposal

Intended for educators with responsibility for teaching students to become successful learners at any educational level.


Workshop duration: 3 hours
Participants: Max. 20
Purpose of workshop
Intended for educators with responsibility for teaching students to become successful learners at any educational level. In this workshop, we will look at teaching-learning strategies using Action Research as an effective approach for identifying pedagogical difficulties in instructors' own classrooms. An Action Research approach will provide teachers with a creative, safe, and relevant environment while also delivering effective strategies that can produce excellence in teaching/learning situations. Action Research will provide the foundation for quality and equality in teacher-student learning. Participants will go over specific components and features to gain a better understanding of Action Research since educational problems are best investigated in the classroom in a school setting.

Introduction
Applying Action Research in identified scenarios can become a reliable tool for teaching educators to identify their students' problems in learning at high levels of autonomy as a complex long-term endeavor. The teacher-student's personal learning actions will be prioritized. The engagement of teachers and students in their own teaching-learning strategies and tools has opened doors to new ways of motivating and solving challenges.
We have discovered that the most important goal of using Action Research is to allow teachers and students to use all possible relationships between higher and lower logic processing systems. This is achieved by engaging them in relevant activities that promote skilled language use. Additionally, Action Research helps individuals in identifying and reflecting on their own concerns and inconsistencies by immersing themselves in these processes as learners. In our workshop, we will explore topics such as creative zones that are helpful for creating excellence in teaching and learning, as well as the use of Action Research in educational settings.

Learning objectives

Participants will be able to articulate the fundamental principles, expectations, and goals of Action Research, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of this research approach
Participants will actively participate in interactive discussions, analyzing how Action Research serves as a valuable tool for teachers to engage in self-assessment and reflection, leading to improvements in their teaching practices.
Participants will utilize provided data to identify collaborative opportunities and strategies in the context of Action Research, promoting effective teamwork among educators to address shared teaching and learning concerns.
Participants will critically review the application of Action Research as a pedagogical approach, assessing its effectiveness in enhancing students' achievement and identifying key factors that contribute to its success.
Participants will explore practical methods of employing Action Research to gather valid information about their own work settings, enabling them to conduct thorough self-assessments and identify areas for improvement in their teaching practices.

Plan of Action
Activity 1- Introduction to Action Research
Discuss: The goals and expectations
Identify: The required Action Research postulates in professional development implementation.
Present:
Promotion higher-level thinking skills
Thinking skills checklist
Model questions and key words when planning Action Research
Discuss: strategies for supporting the diverse needs of teacher-learner momentum.
Create: timelines and plans for Action Research implementation.
Organize: management Action Research to assist in its implementation.
Activity 2- Getting Started with Action Research Planning
Review: Action Research plan template
Review: Action Research Rubric
Review: Action Research Data collection as a research plan
Activity 3- Developing and implementing a personal Action Research preliminary project
Address: questions and concerns to understanding Action Research as a developmental system of self evaluation.
Discuss: the essentials and Action Research pedagogical practices.
Activity 4- Collaborate and share:
Create: short group presentations from the content and layout of Action Research resources.
Reflect: on student sample presentations according to Action Research postulates.
Evaluate: Action Research resources and answer the question: How will Action Research support my professional development?
Provide: evidence of how Action Research gears toward instructional decisions that may be made within an identified classroom or school.
Discuss: Implications for future research and professional development applying Action Research are discussed.

Authors

• Sarah Kistner, University of Maryland, College Park

• Sakil Malik, Global Center for Innovation and Learning

• Adelina Arellano-Osuna, University Of The Andes