Last+Journal+Questions


 * Elyce Rickerl**


 * How do you analyze data? How do you interpret the data?**

Depending on the types of data collected, the are many ways data can be analyzed. Codes, categories, and coding categories are some of the techniques outlined in our text for sorting and analyzing data. It is important to understand that just a self-study is a recursive process, so is the analysis of data. Teacher researchers should be always viewing the formal and informal data collected with a reflective, analytical eye. Connections between different sets of data and different categories associated with research can be very informative. Our text suggests practices such as writing notes, rereading, and coding data. The effective organization of data is stressed as a key part of “making sense of them.” Teacher researchers must ultimately consider their findings in light of the research support gathered during literature review. Discussing findings in a dialogue with “critical friends” can also allow researchers a more deep analysis of results. Interpreting the data often includes close consideration of its source. A quality study derives data from multiple and varied sources and perspectives. When interpreting data, teacher researchers often have to seek out ways to view what they’ve found from a different perspective or through a different medium. Results of the study must be considered with the research in mind, but it is also essential to consider the quality of the study to be interpreted fully.


 * How do you put it all together and share the results?**

Our text outlines a process very similar to the one used with this course. After preparing the introduction, rationale (review of literature), methodology (review of strategies), and timeline, the data collection can begin. In order to “put it all together,” teacher researchers must organize the data collected along the way, filing it in a systematic way. Once data has been organized, analyzed, and interpreted, the “findings” section can be drafted. After restated the original purpose and question, describe how the research helped you to answer the question; tell your story about your study. Then the discussion section will cover the impact of your findings on your teaching and on the education field. The text encourages teacher researchers to present and publish a finished, polished product. They suggest finding outlets to present work locally, at department or faculty meetings. On a larger scale, the text suggests sharing results electronically for national public conferences, Web sites, or journals. Even discussion of research results in an informal setting can promote positive change.


 * What did you learn about action research?**

Action research is unlike any research study I’ve ever experienced. It take the “hypothetical” nature of many traditional studies I’ve been exposed to, and creates a more practical, “real-life” experience. After gathering your research, you put what you learned into action in an actual classroom. Many research projects I’ve experienced stopped at the point of research-gathering. Action research really is a recursive process that involves constant reflection and analysis. Although the research serves as the driving force of the study, there are more realistic factors that must be considered and analyzed as part of the study. Action research is perfectly suited to the educational setting. Some of my most meaningful learning experiences have come from the “reflecting” I do in conversation with my teaching friends. Action research capitalizes on this with the idea of “critical friends.” I have learned that this social aspect of teaching, the bouncing of ideas off of each other, is valid in scholarly pursuits. Often, we are the only adult in our classroom, making our interpretation of what we experience simply that--our own. The emphasis on constantly revisiting and discussing findings through different perspectives was very meaningful to me. Action research, if done correctly, is an immense amount of work, but I feel that it will make valuable contributions to my teaching abilities.