Education homework help

Define action research in your own words (2or 3 pages). Consider the following questions when defining action research each separately.  Represent the quotes (author, year, and page). Use APA 7
How might action research assist educators with professional goals?
In what ways might action research help educators refine current practices?
How might the reflective process of action research manifest itself in reformed practices?
-You are a seventh-grade teacher and have been newly assigned to teach in the language arts program. One of your goals is to teach students the skills necessary to read and comprehend informational text. You have attended workshops, taken university literacy courses, and have collaborated with colleagues and the principal. After much planning you have designed a reading program appropriate for your students. You are interested in learning about the effectiveness of your new literacy program. How will students apply the skills taught to their content courses? How will students’ overall achievement improve? How will students’ self-efficacy be affected? Describe how action research will help you to address the questions you have about your teaching practices and your students’ learning outcomes.
-Using the above situation from question number 2, apply the four-step process to conducting action research to design a project that will assist you in answering your inquiries about literacy skills and students’ learning. Briefly describe what you would do in each of the four steps of the action research process.
 
*** on another page answer two classmates separately, one paragraph for each answer (peer 1, peer 2).
Peer 1
 
Madelen Lopez
Discussion 2: Definition and Practical Applications of Action Research
Action research is a commonly used form of inquiry in the field of education. The goal is to allow practitioners to effect continuous process improvement. Since action researchers are active participants, their investigations must be relevant to their practice.
Defining Action Research
An examination of different definitions of action research reveals some core characteristics of this form of inquiry. Action research focuses on providing practical solutions to everyday challenges in a practitioner’s area of work. Action researchers collaborate with others to effect changes that aim at improving the current conditions or processes in their place of practice (Mills, 2014). Based on these characteristics, I define action research as:
“A reflective and collaborative systematic inquiry aimed at identifying challenges relevant to a researcher’s everyday practice, generate practical solutions, and actively engage in effecting the solutions aimed at improving conditions or processes and contributing to knowledge in the area.”
Hence, the process examines arising issues. An understanding of such a concept does not only elaborate on the task context but also aids teachers in accomplishing their objectives.
Action research helps educators to define and achieve professional goals, as well as refine their practice in several ways. It enables them to identify areas of improvement, develop appropriate interventions, work with others to implement the programs, and make relevant modifications to their processes. The reflective aspect of action research and its applications improves educators’ ability to implement best practices that match their needs and those of learners.
Practical Applications of Action Research
Action research can provide educators with solutions to questions that affect their everyday practices. For instance, suppose I recently implemented a program for enhancing the reading skills of learners in a seventh grade, I can apply various aspects of action research, including systematic inquiry, reflection, and collaboration, to identify the different ways in which the program affects students. In this research, I will actively involve myself with the learners to observe how they respond to the program, identify areas that need improvements, and implement appropriate actions by commencing with relevant plans and designs.
Designing and Action Research
The success of any research is contingent on its design. Action research can be thought of as a four-stage process that involves identifying a focus area and questions, collecting data, analyzing and interpreting data, and developing a plan of action (Gerstein, 2008; Mills, 2014). In this section, the steps are applied in designing a study for assessing the effects of the reading program. Efficient plans should specify a central area and aim to solve the identified problem.
Area of Focus
The study will describe the impacts of a literacy for improving the reading outcomes of elementary school learners. It will focus on the effects of the program on skill application, achievement, and self-efficacy of seventh-grade learners. The research questions will be:

1. How does the implementation of a literacy program affect learners’ ability to apply the skills taught to their courses?
2. How does the implementation of a literacy program affect learners’ overall achievement?
3. How does the implementation of a literacy program affect learners’ self-efficacy?

Data Collection
For skill application and self-efficacy, I will watch and listen to students as they read different texts in their ordinary learning setting. During this exercise, I will collect information on their reading fluency, speed, accuracy, confidence, and other relevant variables. I will supplement self-efficacy data by interviews on the participants’ belief in their ability to improve and attain higher performances in reading and other subjects. Data on overall achievement will be the learners’ grades in all disciplines throughout the study period for easy analysis.
Data Analysis and Interpretation
Quantitative and qualitative techniques will be employed to analyze the collected data. The former will involve descriptive statistics, mainly averages, and percentages, and will be used to track the changes in grades. Qualitative data obtained through interviews and observations will be subjected to thematic content analysis to identify specific areas in which the program is relevant or not applicable. Processed information will guide on decision actions needed.
Developing an Action Plan
The ultimate goal of action research is to effect changes that lead to continuous improvement. The findings of the study will determine the actions that should be implemented. The possibilities include continuing, terminating, or modifying the intervention to match the learners’ needs. Selected solutions should adequately address the issue under investigation.
Conclusion
Action research can be considered as a form of inquiry in which the investigator actively engages in developing interventions for continuous improvement. An example of an action research project is to assess the impacts of a language skill program on learners’ performance. The outcome of such a study can help educators to implement strategies that match their specific needs and those of their learners.
References
Mills, G. E. (2013). Action research: A guide for the teacher researcher. Pearson Australia Pty Ltd.
Gerstein, J. (2008, Nov 16). Action research: First steps [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtV2t2lkgJw&feature=youtu.be
Peer 2
 
Action Research
Zulema Alonso Martinez
Action research is the systematic studies undertaken by the educator researchers, principals, school board of management, and other stakeholders. This course of operation is generally in the field of education, to better the procedures and approach of those involved. It offers qualitative data that can be used by educators to adjust curriculum content, instructional methods, content delivery to enhance teaching and learning. It helps to modify the traditional methods of learning to modern methods that are effective and efficient and can meet the needs of 21st-century learners.
Action research enables educators to pinpoint necessary changes that can help to improve teaching and learning. Through action, plan educators can refine teaching practice by reflecting on inquiry undertaken to enhance, understanding, and practice (Daniel, B, 2019).  Action research enhances reflective teaching where an educator needs to deliberate on competing models of good teaching and to learn in the 21st century. The skill should inculcate critical think, creativity, and knowledge deepening.
The action research acquired through literacy training in the university will enable the teacher to apply the literacy skill in seventh grade and influence the end results of the learners. The literacy skills acquired through action research will enable the teacher to understand the situation.
The action research will help the seventh-grade teacher to comprehend what is going on in their schoolroom and pinpoint transformations that enhance learning and teaching. Action research can assist the teacher in responding to questions they have concerning the efficiency of the strategy to the learners, the overall performance of the students, and the application of the skills by the learners. Educational action research helps the teacher to take charge of their personal, professional growth.
In the reflective process of action research, the teachers focus on their own actions and observing other master tutors, the teacher will pinpoint the skills and methods they would like to add to their professional tool case. As the teacher research for solutions, they are introduced to new ideas, which will help in identifying the skills, governance, and instructional methods to address the questions they may have. Action research aids in executing informed change because it gives subjective data that may be utilized to change the syllabus conveyance, educational methods, and content to boost students learning and outcomes.
The teacher can also use the knowledge from action research to solve the questions they may have to enhance student learning. Action research persists to be an exercise of pragmatic and established inquiry that demonstrates in its origins the accreditation of teachers to pinpoint and address their obstacles. Action research gives teachers the liberty to ask the learners their opinions; this makes the learners more meditative and well informed about their education (Sara, E. & Ruth, R, 2019). Getting close to the students and listening to them attentively helps the teacher to execute what they have learned in the best way possible. Furthermore, action research will help the teacher to develop an enhanced awareness of the discrepancies between their practices and goals.
The purpose of the study is to enable the learner to acquire necessary literacy modes of reading and understanding information text because literacy capability has been connected to academic performance.
Data collection tools that should be used are largely influenced by the aid of the indicator in achieving the goals. Data, therefore, was collected through direct observation of learners in the classroom, interviews, and questionnaires, new and exiting records and teachers-made test.
Analyzing data helps the teacher to reflect on what happened during the research process. Learners equipped with grammatically informed literacy skills are more capable of getting involved in meaningful discussions about language and texts. The learners developed in one mode supports and aided the same to other learners to read understand. The literacy ability to read and understand differs according to learners’ abilities. Language comprehension influences learner’s academic outcomes. Besides, learners who can read and comprehend questions perform better.
It was determined that reading and comprehension is the most complex academic process requiring extensive cognitive and language mastery. Learners that differ should be given remedial teaching to reinforce literacy skills. Varying teaching methodology stimulates learner’s participation and understanding. Action research should be embedded in teaching practice to enable educators to influence outcomes.
References
Daniel, B. (2019). Conducting Educational Research: “Guide to Completing a Thesis, Dissertation, or Action Research Project.” SAGE Publications, incorporated.
Jean. (2016). You and your action research project. Routledge
Sara, E. & Ruth, R. (2019). Action research in education: A practical guide. Guilford Publications.