Doing Teacher Research

Doing Teacher Research is one volume of the authoritative 13-title TeacherSource series. The author examines the issue from three distinct perspectives: Teachers' Voices, which are authentic accounts of teacher's experiences; Frameworks, which are comprehensive discussions of theoretical issues; and Investigations, which are inquiry-based activities.

Describes the process of doing teacher action research and provides examples from teachers themselves. Textbook for pre-service and in-service teacher education courses. Includes suggested activities sections.

There are many teachers who think about doing research in their own classes and schools but who are perplexed by what appears to be involved. This book is intended for these perplexed practitioners, to provide them with an easily understandable narrative about the concrete praxis of doing research in their classrooms or in those of their teacher peers teaching next door or in the same school.

In addition to providing a theoretical foundation for authentic inquiry, Being a Teacher | Researcher provides a detailed framework with ideas and strategies that interested educators can apply in exploring teaching and learning in both formal and informal settings. It provides concrete examples of how to use authentic inquiry as a basis for collaborating with others to improve the quality of teaching and learning while cogenerating new theory and associated practices that bridge what has been described as a theory-practice divide.

Teacher research is recognized, in ELT and education more generally, as a powerful transformative strategy for teacher development and school improvement. This volume provides original insights into this issue by focusing on the processes involved in becoming and being a teacher researcher.

This popular text describes the processes of doing teacher action research. But it is much more than a dry presentation of "methods." Filled with examples of teacher action research projects, provided by teachers themselves, the book places teachers at the heart of the action research process. Teachers' own writing about their work and research questions is featured in 11 examples of teacher action research conducted in a range of settings, grade levels, and content areas. The second edition of Teachers Doing Research is fully updated and substantially reorganized and revised, including four totally new chapters and six new teacher stories. This edition: *provides more specifics on teacher action research processes and a variety of methodological options for teachers who do research in their classrooms and schools (Chapters 1-5); *includes more specifics on data collection and interpretation methods (Chapter 3); *balances a detailed introduction to technology for novice researchers with discussion of issues and questions related to technology-based teacher research (Chapter 4). Information on Web sites related to topics addressed in the chapters and teacher research stories is integrated throughout the book. A new Teachers Doing Research Web site (www.teachersdoingresearch.com) invites readers, teacher research participants, preservice candidates, and teacher educators to participate in dialogue with the authors and editors of this text, and with each other; *gives expanded attention to teacher action research with preservice teachers and to university/school collaboration (especially in Chapter 6); *examines the connections between teacher action research and the larger arena of educational research (Chapter 8); *broadens the context for teacher action research, through discussion of its influence on school reform both in the United States and internationally. International examples of urban teacher research are included (Chapter 9); and *offers new In Practice sections to engage readers in opportunities to respond to what they are reading and to try out related activities.

In this fully revised and updated second edition, Early Childhood Teacher Research addresses the questions and concerns that pre- and in-service teachers of young children frequently have when engaging in teacher research. Accessible and interactive, this book explores the important issues every early childhood teacher should know, guiding readers from conceptualization, generating research questions, identifying data sources, gathering and analyzing data, interpreting and sharing results, to taking action. This second edition features thoroughly updated references, standards, and resources, as well as all-new sections on teacher advocacy, social media and devices, data collection, and planned versus unplanned research. Each chapter features: Teacher Researcher Notebook prompts for the reader to record ideas for research questions and to develop a plan for doing research. “From the Field” vignettes providing rich examples of real-world early childhood teacher researchers and their perspectives on doing teacher research. Reflection prompts inviting readers to pause and think deeply about relating content to their own situations. Reflections can be recorded in the Teacher Researcher Notebook. Explorations of additional content, websites, resources, interviews, and activities.

What is early childhood teacher research and why is it important? How does a teacher researcher formulate a research question and a plan for doing research? How do teachers apply research results to effect change? Early Childhood Teacher Research is an exciting new resource that will address the sorts of questions and concerns that pre- and in-service teachers of young children frequently have when engaging in teacher research. Accessible and interactive, this book touches upon the important issues every early childhood teacher should know—the uniqueness of early childhood teacher research, reasons for doing it, and how to do it. In this comprehensive guide, Kathryn Castle explores each stage of teacher research, from conceptualization, generating research questions, identifying data sources, gathering and analyzing data, interpreting results, sharing results, to taking action based on results. Special features included in each chapter: Teacher Researcher Journal prompts for the reader to record ideas for research questions and to develop a plan for doing research. From the Field provides rich examples of real life early childhood teacher researchers and their perspectives on doing teacher research. Reflections ask readers to pause and think deeply about relating content to their own situations. Exploration of additional content, websites, resources, and activities are located in each chapter to help the reader go further in constructing their knowledge of teacher research.