The Reflective School Counselor S Guide To Practitioner Research

Provides a step-by-step process for conducting practitioner inquiry projects by collecting, analyzing, and using data, and offers guidelines for developing counselors' advocacy, leadership, and collaboration skills.

The authors expertly guide educators through the action research process, alleviating potential concerns and questions. The book is full of new and updated examples that help to make the process concrete.

School counseling strategies that promote student success! So much is expected to prepare today’s students for success—academic achievement, career and college readiness, emotional and social competency, just to name a few. School counselors can make an enormous positive difference in children’s lives. In a succinct Q&A format, the authors provide school counselors and educational leaders with: 101 solutions to common counseling issues across the K–12 spectrum on topics ranging from data-driven counseling to bullying, collaboration, and equity Stories of school counselors and educational leaders who have successfully implemented these solutions Numerous print and digital resources for further exploration

Over the past decade there has been a substantive change in the role of practitioners in educational research. Grassroots efforts in action research highlight the importance of educators' own understanding of their practice. This book, which stems from a school-university collaboration, describes the theory and methods for conducting "action-oriented," qualitative practitioner research and guides educators through the research process. The volume is organized into six chapters. The first chapter offers a definition of action research and lays out a series of assumptions. Chapter 2 reviews various ways that practitioner research has manifested itself in different times and social contexts and provides a sense of epistemological and political issues. Chapter 3 discusses current approaches to action-oriented research and summarizes a variety of studies. Chapter 4 provides a process-oriented narrative of a 3-year practitioner research study. The fifth chapter provides a user-friendly guide to qualitative methods and indicates how practitioners modify them to meet constraints and opportunities encountered in their schools. The final chapter examines some ways in which practitioner researchers are pushing the edges of what currently "counts" as research. Contains 224 references. (LL)

The first edition of The Action Research Dissertation: A Guide for Students and Faculty was a first-of-its-kind reference, distilling the authors’ decades of action research experience into a handy guide for graduate students. The Second Edition continues to provide an accessible roadmap that honors the complexity of action research, while providing an overview of how action research is defined, its traditions and history, and the rationale for using it. Authors Kathryn Herr and Gary L. Anderson demonstrate that action research is not only appropriate for a dissertation, but also is a deeply rewarding experience for both the researcher and participants. This practical book demonstrates how action research dissertations are different from more traditional dissertations and prepares students and their committees for the unique dilemmas they may face, such as validity, positionality, design, write-up, ethics, and dissertation defense.

Harness the power of data to transform classrooms through inquiry and analysis with this updated, best-selling resource When teachers examine the simple but complex act of teaching, the power yielded can be transformative. For three editions, teacher preparation and professional development providers have turned to this bestselling how-to guide for an authentic clear description of teacher inquiry and how to harness it for greatest effect. In this 4th edition, readers will journey toward understanding the link between teacher inquiry and the creation of data-driven classrooms by walking through some of today’s most relevant scenarios as well as timeless and enduring examples. Featuring helpful exercises and step-by-step instructions, this edition includes: • A head on discussion of equity and social justice and the role inquiry plays in tackling it • A look at professional practice doctoral programs as ripe context for inquiry • A complete chapter on the role literature plays in teacher research • A more seamless integration between the text and accompanying website Grab this text, raise your voice at the table of educational reform, and transform assumptions for more impactful teaching.

Harness the power of classroom data with the bestselling, updated guide to professional learning through inquiry and analysis. In this third edition of the renowned approach to teacher inquiry and data analysis, the authors add forward-thinking substance to their methods of formulating action research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and creating lasting solutions. In addition to illustrative real-life examples and practical exercises, new features include: An expanded data analysis chapter that introduces formative data analysis and its role in teacher research. Techniques for using inquiry to effectively implement Common Core State Standards. A brand-new chapter on ethical issues in teacher research.

"I plan to use this book with district administrators, building administrators, and building staff. All would find it an excellent tool for bringing about change in their organizations. It is infinitely readable, meaningful, and very useful." -Linda L. Elman, Ph.D., Director Research & Evaluation, Central Kitsap School District, Silverdale, WA "The material on the research process and the examples are terrific. Steps are clearly spelled out and practical suggestions hit the major problems teachers encounter in attempting research for the first time." -Mildred Murray-Ward, Assistant Provost for Assessment, Professor of Education California Lutheran University "(With) more schools...operating as ′learning communities,′ this is an excellent tool for schools conducting action research in their own settings. Practitioner Research for Educators is easy to read, has lots of practical advice and examples, and should appeal to the seasoned as well as the novice researcher." -Roxana M. Della Vecchia, Professor & Assistant Dean College of Education, Towson University Learn to conduct research rather than just consume research! Each school and classroom is different. Therefore educators must learn, through their own inquiry, how to adjust their practices in ways that will improve teaching and learning. Practitioner Research for Educators explains how the popular technique of practitioner inquiry can be used by teachers, principals, and other school leaders to solve instructional problems and improve student achievement. Viviane Robinson and Mei Kuin Lai include step-by-step instructions, ready-to-use tools, and examples of successful practitioner research projects. Practical yet rigorous, this collaborative process is ideal for use in professional learning communities. Focusing on the pragmatic aspects of embedding research into everyday practice, the authors demonstrate how to: Develop an important, yet manageable research question Select research methods appropriate to the question Plan and conduct a research project that is both practical and rigorous Use inquiry to reveal, critique, and revise taken-for-granted assumptions about how to teach Use evidence to check the accuracy of claims about "what works" Communicate the results of the research to a range of professional audiences Appropriate for novice and experienced educators alike, this indispensable book provides a functional framework for developing a culture of inquiry among teachers based on high-quality information, mutually supportive critique, and a sustained focus on school improvement. While the primary audiences for this book are teachers, principals, and other school leaders, this valuable resource is equally useful for teacher educators and pre-service teachers.