Dr. Timothy Chargois, Director of Research Planning at Beaumont ISD, stresses the importance of this an interview with Lamar University. He believes that pedagogy will not suffice in today's classroom setting and teachers must take an active role in conducting research for professional growth.
Dr. Kirk Lewis, Superintendent for Pasadena ISD agrees. Lewis stresses that educators must research practical inquiries that are relevant to their educational setting.
Chargois continued with the importance of protecting the students. When conducting action research, practitioners must remember that their students are not guinea pigs. In all educational settings, students must always be treated with respect and educational leaders must have their best interests in mind. As teachers, we know this--but its easy to forget when we engage in more research oriented practices.
The Nine Academic Settings for Action Research
When trying to uncover inquiries for action research, its important to keep in mind the nine academic settings. These settings cover just about every situation educational leaders should consider for professional growth. The settings are as follows:
- Staff Development
- Curriculum Development
- Individual Teacher(s)
- Individual Student(s)
- School Culture and Community
- Leadership
- Management
- School Performance
- Social Justice or Equity Issues
Below you'll find a link to a YouTube video with insightful action research inquiries for social justice in the classroom. You may find it helpful if you are proposing an action research plan for the 9th academic setting listed above: Social Justice or Equity Issues. CHANGE! "It starts with us."
This is a fantastic overview of what we learned this week. I liked what you gleaned from the interviews and especially your reminder of the "students are not guinea pigs" concept. I think this is important to remember when working through our own action research projects.
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