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Self-Study Teacher Research
Improving Your Practice Through Collaborative Inquiry



April 2010 | 344 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Offer novice and experienced teachers guidelines for the "how" and "why" to do self-study teacher research

Designed to help teachers plan, implement, and assess a manageable self-study research project, this unique textbook covers the foundation, history, theoretical underpinnings, and methods of self-study research. Written in a reader-friendly style and filled with interactive activities and examples, this book helps teachers every step of the way as they plan and conduct their studies. Author Anastasia Samaras encourages readers to think deeply about both the "how" and the "why" of this essential professional development tool as they pose questions and formulate personal theories to improve professional practice.

Key Features

  • A Self-Study Project Planner assists teachers in understanding both the details and process of conducting self-study research.
  • A Critical Friends Portfolio includes innovative critical collaborative inquiries to support the completion of a high quality final research project.
  • Advice from the most senior self-study academics working in the U.S. and internationally is included, along with descriptions of the self-study methodology that has been refined over time.
  • Examples demonstrate the connections between self-study research, teachers' professional growth, and their students' learning.
  • Tables, charts, and visuals help readers see the big picture and stay organized.


Accompanied by High-Quality Ancillaries!

A Student Study Site at www.sagepub.com/samaras offers a wealth of resources, including additional examples and activities, web-based resources, study questions, and key terms.

Intended Audience

Self-Study Teacher Research: Improving Your Practice Through Collaborative Inquiry is intended as a core textbook for a wide variety of courses in the education curriculum, including Action Research, Qualitative Research Methods, Research Methods in Education, and the capstone/teacher researcher course required of all early childhood, elementary, and secondary education majors.


 
Preface
 
PART I: THE 6Ws OF SELF-STUDY RESEARCH
 
1. Understanding Self-Study: What and Why
What is Self-Study Teacher Research?

 
What Self-Study Teacher Research is Not

 
Why Conduct Self-Study Teacher Research?

 
Key Ideas

 
 
2. Overview of the Self-Study Process: What and How
Self-Study Research Project Planner

 
Self-Study Research Project Timeline

 
Self-Study Teacher Research Exemplar Brief

 
 
3. The Self-Study Community: When and Where and Who
Culture of the Self-Study Community

 
Paradigm Shift

 
Influence, Confluence, and Divergence

 
Important Events in Outgrowth of Self-Study School

 
Critique and Sustainability

 
Key Ideas

 
 
4. The Self-Study Research Methodology: Why and How
Characteristics of Self-Study Research

 
Five Foci Framework: Methodological Components of Self-Study Research

 
Key Ideas

 
 
5. Self-Study Methods: How
Choosing a Self-Study Method

 
Challenges in Choosing a Method

 
Key Ideas

 
 
PART II: YOUR SELF-STUDY PROJECT
 
6. Design
Design Matters

 
Seven Key Design Components

 
Key Ideas

 
 
7. Protect
Questioning the Ethics of Your Study

 
School Division Review

 
The Role of Professional Organizations

 
Standards of Research Ethics

 
Institutional Review Boards

 
Key Ideas

 
 
8. Organize Data
Alignment of Data with Question

 
Document

 
Categorize

 
Overlapping Research Phases

 
Key Ideas

 
 
9. Collect Data
Data Gathering Techniques

 
Alternative Data Gathering Techniques

 
Quantifiable Data

 
Key Ideas

 
 
10. Analyze Data
Research as a Recursive Act

 
Coding

 
Coding Families

 
Categories and Connections

 
Grounded Theory and the Constant Comparative Method

 
Concept Maps

 
Computer Software Tools

 
Key Ideas

 
 
11. Assess Research Quality
Multiple Sources of Data

 
Transparency, validation, exemplars, and trustworthiness

 
Reliability

 
Generalizability

 
Key Ideas

 
 
12. Write
Some Friendly Writing Advice

 
Writing Your Research Report

 
Writing Your Abstract

 
Welcoming Peer Critique

 
Key Ideas

 
 
13. Present and Publish
The Importance of Presenting Your Research

 
Challenge the Status Quo of Presentations

 
Pointers for Presenting

 
Writing Your Self-Study Proposal

 
Advice for Presenting

 
The Proposal Review Process

 
Advice for Getting Published

 
Key Ideas

 
 
Closing Remarks
 
Appendix A: Sample of a Self-Study Teacher Research Exemplar Brief
 
Appendix B: Self-Study is Not Just for Classroom Teachers
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Index
 
About the Author

"It’s a very practical, helpful book for those learning to do self-study research."

Karl Wheatley
Cleveland State University

"The author of this book has done a stunning job of pulling together a mass of material, peppering it with sage advice, and presenting it in a comprehensible and engaging way that is sure to attract the attention of would-be researchers in the self-study and teacher research veins."

Cheryl Craig
University of Houston

"Among the pedagogical volumes I have perused, Self-Study Teacher Research is the sanest. Within religion, I commend it mainly to fledgling instructors or mid-career professors seeking a fresh start."

Suzanne Morrison
Ohio Northern University
Teaching Theology & Religion

Useful for New Adjunct professor training

Dr Carlton Lawrence
Management Dept, Colorado Technology University - Denver
October 25, 2010

Purchasing options

For large school/district orders, volume discounts, availability and shipping times contact customer service at 800-233-9936
or order@corwin.com.

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ISBN: 9781412972079
CAD$ 177.00

For large school/district orders, volume discounts, availability and shipping times contact customer service at 800-233-9936
or order@corwin.com.

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