Teaching and Learning Strategies for Schools - Research Paper Example

Rationale for research Changes to staffing and timetables have occurred due to team retirements within the technology department where I teach. I currently teach Design and Technology at a secondary school functioning on three separate campuses in Oxfordshire. The technology department is the third largest department, developing curriculum for 1,500 main school students and 500 Sixth Form students. This has caused a perceived knowledge gap and differences in teaching and learning resources. The staff has to currently travel to three different sites and this affects how the teachers communicate and function within the department. Students’ achievements differ in different locations which is not desirable. It was felt that the situation could be saved by the application of software and the use of intranet where teaching resources could be pooled in from teachers at all levels including the ones that have retired. It would also ensure that teachers’ professional development is not left behind by the new working environment. Hence it was felt necessary to prove that sharing resources via an Intranet can enhance teaching and learning strategies for schools functioning on split locations. Research Methodology Research Philosophy Any decision is based on a body of knowledge. This body of knowledge is produced through research. By applying the appropriate methodologies and the research method, the body of knowledge can be established and advanced with confidence. While research is considered important there is no consensus on how it should be defined because research means differently to different people. Research is basically a systematic method of investigation which increases knowledge. Research relies on facts and experience, data, concepts and constructs, hypotheses and conjectures, and principles and laws (Amaratunga, Baldry, Sarshar, & Newton, 2002). Research methodology is the procedural framework within which the research is conducted. The methodology would depend upon the topic to be researched and the specific research questions are the primary drivers. Research Approach – induction vs. deduction Research philosophy highlights two different schools of thought on the how to conduct research. Arguments should be evaluated in different ways because primarily arguments have different roles and purposes and people assess according to the purpose in their mind. At times arguments provide useful information depending on one’s knowledge of how the world works. In a different setting, one can take an abstract approach and ask what follows from a given set of information and then decide on the outcome. Arguments can be evaluated in two qualitatively different ways – in terms of their deductive correctness or in terms of inductive strength (Rips, 2001). Research can either be quantitative (deductive) or qualitative (inductive). The inductive method concentrates on words and observations to describe people in natural situations. The quantitative approach places great stress on numbers that represent opinions or concepts. Both the methods have strengths and weaknesses and hence selection of the methodology is difficult. Research Strategies Amaratunga et al., suggest that research strategy should be chosen as a function of the research situation. Each strategy has its own approach to collect and interpret data and hence its strategy has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some even suggest a mixed or balanced approach. At the same time, there are certain overlapping parameters which make the strategy selection a difficult task. The strategy selection should depend upon the behavioral elements, the degree of focus on past events and the conditions or setting. As far as this research is concerned, action research method would be adopted as it associates research and practice and hence research informs practice and practice informs research (Avison, Lau, Myers & Nielson, 1999). Action research combines theory and practice through change and reflection. Somekh (2006, p. 87) argues, action research leads to ‘actionable, and therefore potentially transformative, public knowledge’ via ‘the unique case study knowledge generated from a large number of in-depth studies’ (Wharton, 2007). Action research provides access to others’ research and encourages others to get involved in action research. The purpose of action research is to implement change and generate new knowledge. It is a form of collaborative research as it involves the practitioners in the research process rather than merely being researched upon. Practitioners in schools have become responsible for student achievements and they have to take decision in the operations of the schools. Action research assists educators in assessing needs, documenting the steps of inquiry, analyzing data, and making informed decisions that lead to desired outcomes (Ferrance, 2000). The fundamentals of action research involves questioning of all assumptions, the clarification of our values, identification of mismatches between espoused values and actual practice, and understanding of the wider social context in which the practice takes place (cited by Nunes & McPherson, 2003). Action research uses direct interventions in real life settings to achieve specific changes. Actions research is based on the assumption that individuals have to learn in order to change and the process of learning and change requires motivation. It empowers the participants through collaborative participation and encourages reflection (Hampshire, 2000). Group behavior acts as a motivator for change and hence this research process has been found to be very effective in educational settings where others’ experience matters. Studies also suggest that most successful change develops from within an organization through active participation, which allows them to reflect on the change process and be responsible for their own development and growth. Action research is a cyclical process involving four stages – planning, acting, observing and reflecting (Hampshire, 2000). This involves practitioners and researchers acting together on a particular cycle of activities including problem diagnosis, action intervention and reflective learning (Avison, Lau, Myers & Nielson, 1999). Action research can address complex real-life problems and immediate concerns of practitioners. Since the objective of the research is to enhance the teaching and learning strategies, the concerns of the teachers can best be addressed through the action research method. Action research focuses on change and reflection and tries to resolve conflicts between espoused and applied theories. This can be possible only when teachers cooperate and are willing to share their experiences of the perceived gap during their teaching practice. Action research is an invaluable tool for the teachers’ training. It takes into account the active and initial role that a teacher should have in his/her training and it helps to bridge the daily educational practice with the broad academic theory and the teaching with the research (Magos, 2007). Action research helps to motivate the teachers to reflect on their teaching practices, to determine the barriers and seek alternative teaching methods and communication strategies. Garcia and Roblin (2007) emphasize that action research recognizes teachers as reflective professionals and allows recovering and representing their knowledge. This helps in the change process that may occur in the teaching and learning process. It also contributes to the instructive knowledge that emerges from the reconstruction of educational practices. Ponte, Beijaard and Wubbels (2004) confirm that the idea that teachers can improve their practice through action research is inspired by the idea that the development and use of professional knowledge interact as actions research is carried out. Development and application of knowledge is a cyclical process. Teachers apply professional knowledge and based on that application they develop new knowledge, which is again applied to develop fresh knowledge and the process continues. Professional knowledge consists of practical wisdom or insight and understanding which enable teachers to attain the educational and moral objectives in their practice. This professional knowledge is obtained via praxis through purposeful intervention. Since the aim of this research is to share resources, this view further endorses the validity of this methodology. This process requires discretion, intuition and tact as the teachers have to investigate and question themselves from deep within. Hence the reliability depends largely on the honest introspection of the teachers. The process of research itself is a learning process as teachers learn when they reconstruct knowledge while working with the research communities (Garcia & Roblin). Team work and collaboration among teachers is essential to achieve these objectives. This research is concerned with enhancing teaching and learning strategies through information sharing by the teachers. Reflective thinking is central to the works of the teacher and the goals of teacher preparation programs. Freese (2006) cites the example of a student teacher who combined the methodologies of action research and self-study as a means of examining his practice. The objective was to examine his research and practices to improve upon his teaching methods. Sharing experiences gives a deeper insight into the complex nature of learning to teach. The objective of my research too is to share resources to improve teaching and learning strategies and this would require reflection on the part of the contributors. It would bring to light the challenges and the individual struggles that the teachers have faced and add to the existing knowledge to help the others. It would also give an understanding of the barriers that some teachers face and probable solutions to overcome these barriers. Freese further quotes that through reflective practices teachers reinterpret and reframe their experiences from a different perspective. Reflection helps teachers to participate consciously and creatively in their own growth and development. The informal questionnaire proposed for this research would serve as a reflection for the teachers while also helping me to reflect on my teaching experiences. Apart from reflection, action research also involves the application of general knowledge developed by others. They deal with the knowledge of others critically. It is thus clear that action research involves four basic themes – empowerment of participants, collaboration through participants, acquisition of knowledge and social change. The problem area for this research has already been identified after which the data collection would be done. Data would then have to be interpreted and action taken. Data for this research has been collected through literature review, personal interviews, questionnaires and feedback that I have gathered over a period of time from my esteemed colleagues in the staff room, and departmental meetings on an ‘action research approach’ basis. The plan of action is to enhance the school intranet to improve the teaching and learning strategies. Reliability, validity and limitations of action research During data collection precaution has to be taken not to get involved but have a detached role as observers as role conflicts are quite probable. Being a professional, overlapping is possible and it may be difficult to remain merely an observer during the process. No research can be perfect and a lot depends upon the involvement and the participation of the subjects. This research process has its own limitations. Proper documentation of the research process is important (Avison, Lau, Myers & Nielson, 1999). The researcher may tend to improve upon the research through writing which may alter perceptions. The criteria for performing such a research should be explicitly explained to the audience. Successful action research would be difficult if the practitioners and researchers are in conflict. The teachers’ inhibitions play a major role which may work as a deterrent from honest confessions (Magos, 2007). It also stems from a fear of for anyone to doubt their work and professional authority. The traditional educational model reacts against the implementation of innovations regardless of their content. The educational system is bureaucratic, exam-centered and inflexible which act as a deterrent in action research. Nevertheless, it is expected that this research will enhance communication between the teachers and the students and also amongst the teachers. It will improve the self-confidence in the teachers and the tacit knowledge of the teachers that are retiring can be preserved and used for enhancing the learning and teaching process. Actions research is highly recommended in the educational field despite its limitations. Action research helps to motivate teachers and promote collaborative and group working. It empowers the individual teacher and the practice of reflections is inculcated which is essential fro growth and development in the profession of teaching. It helps one to be critical of one’s own practices and provides scope for self-development. Contributions to the body of knowledge will definitely result in a positive change through knowledge sharing process. Reflection is central to the process of teaching which will be greatly enhanced with the help of this research process. Since I am teacher and a researcher, I will greatly benefit from this process as I too would develop the practice of regular reflection, which would enable me to bring about change in my professional attitude as well. References: Amaratunga, D., Baldry, D., Sarshar, M., & Newton, R., (2002), Quantitative and Qualitative Research in the built environment: application of mixed research approach, Work Study, Vol. 15 No. 1 2002, pp. 17-31 Avison, D., Lau, F., Myers, M., & Nielson, P. A., (1999), Action Research, COMMUNICATIONS OF THE ACM, January 1999/Vol. 42, No. 1 Ferrance, E., (2000), Action Research, 30 July 2007 Freese, A. R., (2006), Reframing one’s teaching: Discovering our teacher selves through reflection and inquiry, Teaching and Teacher Education 22 (2006) 100–119 Garcia, L. M., & Roblin, N. J., (2007), Innovation, research and professional development in Higher education: Learning from our own experience, Teaching and Teacher Education Magos, K., (2007), The contribution of action-research to training teachers in intercultural education: A research in the field of Greek minority education, Teaching and Teacher Education 23 (2007) 1102–1112 Nunes, M. B., & McPherson, M., (2003), Action research in continuing professional distance education, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2003) 19, 429-437 Ponte, P., Ax, J., Beijaard, D., & Wubbels, T., (2004), Teachers’ development of professional knowledge through action research and the facilitation of this by teacher educators, Teaching and Teacher Education 20 (2004) 571–588 Rips, L. J., (2001), Two Kinds of Reasoning, American Psychological Society, Vol. 12 No . 2 pp. 129-134 Wharton, S., (2007), Social identity and parallel text dynamics in the reporting of educational action research, English for Specific Purposes. Read More