International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Volume 3, Number 1, January 2009

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Research Article

Excerpt

Using Modeling and Creating a Research Discourse Community to Teach a Doctoral Action Research Course

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of teaching action research through modeling. Participants were 11 doctoral students enrolled in a two-semester practitioner-based research course. In this study, I was both instructor and member of the research community. I modeled the steps of action research as I conducted a study of my practice, which focused on having students engage in reflective activities for the purpose of aligning their core educational values and the actions taken in their research studies. The students and I engaged in discussions of our research projects, and as part of the research community, I shared my dilemmas, frustrations, and successes. I also kept a reflective journal, which students were able to access online and respond to, and made my research paper available to students as I wrote each section. Further, I modeled for students the reflective activities I used as I navigated my own action research study. Analysis of course artifacts, interviews and conferences, and observations indicated that students perceived modeling to be a powerful way to facilitate their learning and create a sense of community.

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Bio

Cher Hendricks
University of West Georgia
Carrollton, Georgia, USA
cher@westga.edu

I am an associate professor of educational research in my eleventh year at the University of West Georgia (UWG). I also serve as interim director of the Ed.D. in School Improvement. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Baylor University, a Masters in educational psychology from the University of Houston, and a Ph.D. in educational research from the University of South Carolina. I am currently working on an MFA in creative writing at Sewanee, The University of the South. My teaching and research interests focus on improving schools through action research, an area in which I have written a textbook.

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International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning is a publication of the Center for Excellence in Teaching at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA.