How to Use Action Research in the Self-Renewing School

by Emily F. Calhoun
Preface
Chapter . !ntro"ucing Schoolwi"e Action Research
Chapter #. Establishing a Conceptual Framewor$
Chapter %. !mplementing Schoolwi"e Action Research
Chapter &. Phase ' Selecting an Area or Focus
Chapter (. Phase #' Collecting )ata
Chapter *. Phase %' +rgani,ing )ata
Chapter -. Phase &' Analy,ing an" !nterpreting )ata
Chapter .. Phase (' /a$ing Action
Appen"i0
1ibliography
About the Author
Preface
/his boo$ is about schoolwi"e action research2 it re3iews the who4 what4 why4
when4 where4 an" how of con"ucting schoolwi"e action research in the self-
renewing school.
5y primary purpose here is to help more school faculties ha3e an opportunity
to engage in schoolwi"e action research. 5y primary goals as a practitioner
are to enhance the e"ucation of stu"ents an" to "e3elop healthier wor$place
norms for a"ults. 1len"ing my purpose for communication with my primary
goals4 ! o6er this boo$ to those who are see$ing to ma$e better choices in
how we spen" stu"ent an" a"ult time an" energy in our schools.
/hroughout this boo$4 ! use the pronouns ! an" we an" you in an attempt to
"iminish the "istance between author an" rea"ers. ! wish to con3ey the same
sense of colleagueship that ! e0perience when wor$ing with school faculties
as they "isco3er the potential of schoolwi"e action research in creating a
healthier learning community. ! also wish to remin" you that ! am sharing my
e0periences in schoolwi"e action research. /hough ! ha3e stu"ie" the
foun"ations of action research an" its theoretical an" research base4 as well
as school faculties engaging in this acti3ity4 many of my recommen"ations
come from my e0periences as a facilitator an" stu"ent of the action research
process.
! woul" li$e to e0ten" special than$s to the si0ty-one schools that compose
the 7eorgia 8eague of Professional Schools an" the ele3en Ames4 !owa4
Community Schools whose faculties an" school facilitator teams ha3e allowe"
me the 9oy of learning an" stu"ying with them. ! also than$ both Carl
7lic$man an" 1ruce :oyce for their counsel an" their willingness to help me
re;ect on an" re<ne my i"eas about school renewal through action research.
=Emily F. Calhoun
Chapter . !ntro"ucing Schoolwi"e Action Research
Schoolwi"e action research is a fancy way of saying4 >8et?s stu"y what?s
happening at our school4 "eci"e if we can ma$e it a better place by changing
what an" how we teach an" how we relate to stu"ents an" the community2
stu"y the e6ects2 an" then begin again.@ !t is a >rolling@ AHuberman BB#C
rather than a >loc$ step@ mo"el for changing the wor$place.
/he primary focus of this boo$ is on stu"ying what?s happening to stu"ents4
but we can also use action research to stu"y an" impro3e what?s happening
to a"ults in our learning community or to stu"y the relationship of the school
to the neighborhoo". +ur stu"y can be large scale4 using "ata from se3eral
years4 such as the cumulati3e e6ects of schooling2 something on a small
scale4 such as the imme"iate aca"emic an" social e6ects of the new social
stu"ies curriculum on stu"ents2 or a combination of cumulati3e an"
imme"iate e6ects.
/he Action Research Cycle
!n con"ucting schoolwi"e action research4 we structure routines for
continuous confrontation with "ata on the health of our school community.
/hese routines are loosely gui"e" by our mo3ement through <3e phases of
inDuiry' faculty members select an area or problem of collecti3e interest2 they
collect4 organi,e4 an" interpret on-site "ata relate" to this area of interest2
an" they ta$e action base" on this information ACalhoun BB4 7lic$man
BBEC. /hese phases inherently o3erlap4 an" action researchers constantly
retrace their steps an" re3ise earlier phases before Aor whileC going forwar"
again. /his collecti3e inDuiry into our wor$ AteachingC an" its e6ects on
stu"ents Alearning an" "e3elopmentC is a cyclic process an" can ser3e as
formati3e e3aluation of initiati3es we un"erta$e as a school community.
Figure . shows the <3e phases of the action research cycle.
Figure .. /he Action Research Cycle
Fote' /he soli" bol" lines in"icate the primary "irection of the action research
cycle from Phase 4 Selecting an Area of Focus for Stu"y4 to Phase (4 /a$ing
Action.
/he "otte" lines in"icate common mo3es Arolling bac$ an" then forwar"
againC that occur as faculty members see$ to re<ne or clarify information an"
i"entify the e6ects of actions being ta$en.
/o support ma9or initiati3es an" to bene<t from the collecti3e wis"om of other
e"ucators an" institutions4 schoolwi"e action research inclu"es a stu"y of the
a3ailable professional literature. Ge combine the information from this stu"y
with the results of on-site "ata to "etermine what actions we will ta$e to
achie3e commonly 3alue" goals. Figure .# shows a funnel with on-site "ata
from our school an" with "ata from other schools4 "istricts4 or the literature
being >poure"@ into the collecti3e "ecision-ma$ing process of our faculty.
Figure .#. Action Research Funnel' 5i0ing !nternal an" E0ternal !nformation
+f course4 schoolwi"e action research is no panacea. !t o6ers no magic potion
to gi3e us automatic4 painless school impro3ement. Het the un$nown
potential of school renewal may well come to us through the collecti3e stu"y
an" search for impro3ement that occurs as we mount our own research an"
"e3elopment e6orts within each school. Serious stu"y an" collecti3e action
base" on the results of our stu"y ma$e us intolerant of the status Duo that
allows the loss of a million stu"ents a year4 with "isenfranchisement from the
opportunities our society o6ers beginning as early as $in"ergarten.
Although the interest of the public an" of our local4 state4 an" national
go3ernments has helpe" buil" a more fa3orable climate for initiating
pro"ucti3e changes4 the process cannot be con"ucte" by persons e0ternal to
the school. /he school is where renewal happens4 an" the process begins
with oursel3es. Ge are the ones to reform <rst. +ur professional role is not to
><0 society.@ Ge cannot change the home en3ironment of many of our
chil"ren2 nor can we imme"iately impro3e the socioeconomic status of the
families who "epen" on us to pro3i"e an e"ucation for their chil"ren. Ghat
we can "o imme"iately is to ma$e better choices about how we spen"
stu"ent an" a"ult time an" energy in our schools.
/hus4 a simple but essential component of school renewal may be in"i3i"ual
an" collecti3e self-renewal' an orientation to wor$ that means we are willing
to accept the "iscomfort an" 9oy of ne3er <nishing our e"ucation4 of ne3er
gra"uating from our stu"y of teaching. Ge learn from Fullan an" Pomfret
AB--C that one of the greatest "iIculties for schools engaging in curriculum
change re3ol3es aroun" the necessary changes in role relationships. Ghether
you re3iew the research reports of 5iles4 Huberman4 Rosenholt,4 8ouis4 or
8ieberman or rea" the re;ections of Sarason or 1ennis4 you will continually
confront the "iIculties of beha3ioral change for those responsible for
>progress.@
Ghat ! <n" in many of these "escriptions an" in my e0periences is that many
of us want others to change' stu"ents4 colleagues4 principals4 "istrict oIce
personnel4 parents4 the worl". !n the early stages of un"erstan"ing school
renewal4 we are far less clear that we are actually as$ing oursel3es to
change. 5any of us wish to <04 spee" up4 or remo3e others who appear to us
to impe"e progress4 speci<cally certain colleagues4 our principal4 someone
from the "istrict oIce4 an" certain members of our boar" of e"ucation. A
gutsy article by 5uncey an" 5cJuillan ABB%C remin"s us that e3en when
school faculties ha3e an articulate" consensus for schoolwi"e change4 it may
only happen for a few stu"ents an" teachers4 as it often has in the past.
+ur mission of school impro3ement is a "iIcult one Athis may be the
un"erstatement of the "eca"eC. Het4 we ha3e reams an" "is$s <lle" with
information that we can use to help us mo3e forwar"=information that can
be combine" with our in"i3i"ual an" collecti3e e0pertise an" with the on-site
"ata about life in our schools. Ge ha3e information about how school faculties
e0perience change4 about concerns of teachers as they e0perience
inno3ation4 an" about the e6ects of inno3ations on stu"ent learning.
)ocuments that witness the li3es an" re;ections of our colleagues across the
years are there for our stu"y an" re;ection. Ge can use these professional
>gifts of e0perience@ to inform our "ecisions an" actions as we create
healthier wor$places for oursel3es an" our stu"ents.
School !mpro3ement Scenarios
/o see what a "i6erence action research ma$es4 let?s loo$ at two schools
in3ol3e" in school impro3ement e6orts=one with an" one without schoolwi"e
action research ACalhoun BB#C.
Scenario for School
/homas Elementary School 9oine" the 8eague of Professional Schools in BBE.
)uring the spring4 its lea"ership team an" faculty "e3elope" an action plan
with three main goals' to impro3e stu"ent self-esteem4 to impro3e "iscipline4
an" to pro3i"e alternati3e strategies for instruction. /homas faculty began to
gather schoolwi"e baseline information about their stu"ents. As "ata were
gathere" an" organi,e"4 characteristics began to emerge that i"enti<e"
/homas as "i6erent from other elementary schools in the "istrict' &# percent
of the stu"ents in gra"es &K* ha" been retaine" at least once Atwice4 for
manyC2 %E percent of the stu"ents were either in resource or special nee"s
classes2 ( percent of the stu"ents were from single-family homes2 an" .%
percent recei3e" free or re"uce"-price lunches. Stu"y teams re3iewe" the
professional literature4 see$ing information rele3ant to their collecti3e goals.
As the schoolwi"e "ata began to clarify the se3erity of the problems they an"
their stu"ents were facing4 tas$ forces an" liaison groups in3ol3ing all school
personnel an" parents wor$e" to i"entify actions that woul" result in social
an" aca"emic impro3ements for their stu"ents. Some of these actions were
implemente" imme"iately2 others4 within wee$s2 an" others4 such as all
teachers? a""ing a"3ance" cooperati3e learning strategies to their repertoire4
are still in the implementation process. /homas Elementary School is
engaging in schoolwi"e action research.
Scenario for School #
Leus High School also starte" its school impro3ement e6orts in the spring of
BBE. !t also ha" liaison groups4 tas$ forces4 an" a lea"ership team4 a
ma9ority of whose members were teachers. !ts action plan focuse" on
"e3eloping a process plan for school impro3ement e6orts. Small-group
meetings an" total faculty meetings an" memoran"ums aboun"e"
throughout the year. Leus High School?s BBKB# action plan focuse" on
"e3eloping a three- to <3e-year comprehensi3e school impro3ement plan2 no
focus on instruction e3ol3e"4 an" no schoolwi"e "ata on stu"ents ha3e been
collecte". Although faculty members ha3e been acti3e4 an" the goal of their
action plan has been reache"4 their picture of stu"ent life at Leus has not
been clari<e". Leus High School is not engaging in action research for the
e"ucational enhancement of its learning community.
Comparison of School an" School #
/he /homas school succee"e" in capturing the collecti3e energy of the action
research process an" increase" its eIcacy as an e"ucational institution. !ts
stu"ents became more engage" in e"ucation4 an" its faculty became more
professional as they became more successful. /his school increase" its
capability to bring about "esirable changes. Leus was mire" in self-concern.
+n the surface4 it4 too4 was engage" in action research. 1ut the social
"ynamic of its wor$place4 while consuming as many hours in planning4 "i"
not succee" in brea$ing away from the boun"aries of its cultural norms4 as
"i" the process of School . For a 3ariety of e0presse" reasons4 ranging from
>Ge nee" more time to plan@ to >Sharing results publicly on how stu"ents are
"oing will cause unhealthy competition among us as teachers4@ instruction
an" its e6ects remaine" behin" close" "oors an" not a matter for the
professional collecti3e.
!s your school or "istrict more li$e School or School #M All of us=in"i3i"uals
an" organi,ations ali$e=woul" rate somewhere between poor an" e0cellent
in our use of information to enhance our problem-sol3ing capability. Action
research can help us buil" this capability4 but our initial e6orts as we learn
the process may feel messy because implementing action research for school
impro3ement in3ol3es restructuring relationships4 acDuiring new s$ills4 an"
learning to be acti3e organi,ational problem-sol3ers.
5y thesis on how to "e3elop the school as a center of inDuiry ASchaefer B*-C
is simple4 yet its implementation reDuires a will beyon" what is usually
"eman"e" of us. Essentially4 school renewal=an" the action research nee"e"
to gui"e school renewal=is propelle" by will. /he F!NEO a"4 >:US/ )+ !/P@
seems to capture the essence that "istinguishes the schools that achie3e
their instructional goals from those that become mire" in an en"less process
of planning or en"ure long hours of labor without any e6ects on stu"ents?
social or aca"emic achie3ement.
/ypes of Action Research
Ge are currently seeing many articles4 many conferences4 an" a great "eal of
new interest in action research. 8i$e nongra"e" school programs4 integrate"
language arts programs4 an" interrelate" curriculum units4 action research
was a popular initiati3e years ago. !n the B&Es an" ?(Es4 "rawing largely on
the wor$ of Nurt 8ewin an" his colleagues an" their "e3elopment of a
collecti3e problem-sol3ing cycle for impro3ing life in organi,ations A8ewin
B&-4 B&.2 Corey B(%C4 e"ucators heral"e" action research as a process for
supporting what we might call to"ay >buil"ing community while attaining
organi,ational goals.@
/he term action research4 then as now4 captures the notion of "iscipline"
inDuiry Athus4 >research@C in the conte0t of focuse" e6orts to impro3e the
Duality of the organi,ation an" its performance Athus4 >action@C. Recogni,e"
then as a powerful tool for simultaneously impro3ing practice an" the health
of the organi,ation4 such is its appeal to"ay. For teachers4 principals4 an"
"istrict oIce personnel4 action research promises progress in
professionali,ation. 1y centering action on the careful collection of "ata to
"iagnose problems4 a "iscipline" search for alternati3e solutions4 an
agreement to act4 an" the conscientious monitoring of whether an" how
much the solution wor$e"=with a recycling of the process4 either attac$ing
the problem again or focusing on another one=we li3e the problem-sol3ing
process for oursel3es an" mo"el it for our stu"ents. /he potential is the
"e3elopment of a professional ethos in which members of the organi,ation
continually stri3e to impro3e their performance by learning to sol3e more an"
more problems ACorey B(%4 :oyce BB4 Schaefer B*-4 Sirotni$ B.-C.
As ! ha3e stu"ie" the literature about action research an" relate" processes4 !
ha3e foun" that the current mo3ement is ta$ing se3eral forms that share two
concepts from the earlier era' the wor$ centers on the practitioner=this is
research by e"ucators4 mostly teachers an" a"ministrators=an" the
practitioner-researchers use "iscipline" inDuiry. Howe3er4 ! foun" three
important "i6erences among the current approaches to action research. +ne
ma9or "i6erence is how many people are in3ol3e"=whether the inDuiry is
con"ucte" by in"i3i"ual teachers4 by a small collaborati3e group4 or by the
entire school faculty. +ther "i6erences arise from 3ariations in the "egree of
concern for achie3ing eDuity for stu"ents4 for impro3ing the organi,ation as a
problem-sol3ing unit4 an" for "e3eloping collegial relations among teachers.
/hese contrasts among the approaches are as important as the elements
they share. 1ecause the se3eral types are all referre" to by the same term4
action research4 we nee" to clarify their "istincti3e features because they
re;ect Duite "i6erent conceptions of the wor$place an" Duite "i6erent long-
term ob9ecti3es.
Selecting one type o3er another=in"i3i"ual teacher research4 collaborati3e
action research4 or schoolwi"e action research=has important implications
for the school renewal process that will ta$e place. Howe3er4 the use of one
type of action research in any gi3en setting "oes not mean that other types
might not be use" in the same setting. Each type has its 3irtues an" its
"i6erent purposes an" results ACalhoun BB%C. /he $ey to selection is what
purpose the participants wish their inDuiry to ser3e.
/he !n"i3i"ual /eacher as Researcher
/he purpose of in"i3i"ual teacher research is usually focuse" on changes in a
single classroom. /eachers may notice something they wish to change or
e0plore in terms of classroom climate4 management4 instructional strategies
or materials4 or stu"ents? cogniti3e or social beha3ior. Essentially4 the teacher
"e<nes an area of interest=generally a problem to be sol3e"=an" see$s
solutions to the problem4 for e0ample' impro3ing stu"ent writing through use
of the laptop computer A5aric$ BBEC2 "etermining if a particular teaching
strategy impro3es race relations AHop$ins B.(C2 e0ploring the use of
>Qersatile@ comprehension $its on the rea"ing comprehension s$ills of at-ris$4
%r" gra"e stu"ents2 an" using action research to "e3elop a unit of instruction
for stu"ents A)ic$er BBEC.
/he primary au"ience for the results of in"i3i"ually con"ucte" teacher
research is4 of course4 the teacher con"ucting the research. !f stu"ents ha3e
participate" "irectly in the in3estigation4 helping to generate an" e0plore
alternati3es an" "etermine e6ects4 then they4 too4 form part of the primary
au"ience. Se3eral teachers within the same school may be con"ucting action
research on a similar problem2 they may or may not "iscuss their e0periences
or share the results of their e0ploration. /he amount of sharing "epen"s on
the collegiality of the in"i3i"uals. Ghere such sharing occurs4 collegiality at
the school may be enhance" Asee4 e.g.4 5yers B.(2 +9a an" Smulyan B.B2
Rogers4 Ha3en-+?)onnell4 Heb"on4 an" Ferrell BBE2 Stric$lan" B..C.
Collaborati3e Action Research
)epen"ing on the number of teachers in3ol3e"4 the purpose of collaborati3e
action research coul" be focuse" on problems an" changes in a single
classroom or on se3eral classrooms within a school or "istrict or across
schools an" "istricts. /he si,e of the action research team may be as few as
two people4 or it may inclu"e se3eral teachers an" a"ministrators wor$ing
with one or more sta6 members from a uni3ersity or other e0ternal agency.
/hese collaborati3e action researchers might tac$le a problem they share
across their classrooms2 they might focus on only one classroom2 or they
might tac$le a "istrictwi"e problem. /hey follow the same
in3estigati3eRre;ecti3e cycle as the in"i3i"ual teacher-researcher follows.
Here are some e0amples of collaborati3e action research con"ucte" by two or
more people' e0ploring changes in stu"ent achie3ement an" attitu"es
through implementing a whole-language en3ironment in three classrooms2
stu"ying the e6ects of a cooperati3e learning strategy4 /eams-7ames-
/ournaments4 on stu"ents? social an" aca"emic beha3iors in two mi""le
school classrooms2 stu"ying stu"ent responses to the new science units
"e3elope" by the curriculum committee Aa pilot stu"y in3ol3ing <3e
classrooms in <3e schoolsC2 an" impro3ing stu"ents? s$ills in mathematical
problem sol3ing through the use of writing Aone classroom an" one teacher4
one paraprofessional4 one "istrict oIce a"ministrator4 an" one uni3ersity
professor participating in the stu"yC.
Articles an" "escriptions of collaborati3e action research often refer to 9oint
wor$ engage" in by teachers or a"ministrators wor$ing with uni3ersity
personnel4 interme"iate ser3ice agency personnel4 or facilitators of an
e"ucational consortium Asee4 e.g.4 Allen4 Combs4 Hen"ric$s4 Fash4 an" Gilson
B..2 Holly BB2 +9a an" Smulyan B.B2 Sagor BB2 Ghitfor"4 Schlecty4
an" Shelor B.-C. Although this 9oint wor$ between school practitioners an"
research team participants from other organi,ations is collaborati3e4 an"
members from both sets e0ploit the a"3antages of the union4 teachers
particularly bene<t from the almost tutorial or coaching role these e0ternal
personnel play. 1y wor$ing with faculty members an" mo"eling the action
research process4 these e0ternal professionals help school personnel "e3elop
greater s$ill in using the tools of social science inDuiry.
/he primary au"ience for results from collaborati3e action research is the
members of the research team. )epen"ing on their "egree of in3ol3ement in
formulating an" shaping the in3estigation4 stu"ents an" parents may form
part of the primary au"ience. !f these collaborati3e e6orts are oIcially or
<scally sponsore" by the school a"ministration4 the "istrict oIce4 or the
uni3ersity4 then they4 too4 form part of the primary au"ience.
Schoolwi"e Action Research
/he purpose of schoolwi"e action research is school impro3ement4 in three
senses. +ne is the impro3ement of the organi,ation as a problem-sol3ing
entity. /hrough repeate" cycles of research4 the faculty as a collegial group
shoul" become better an" better able to wor$ together to i"entify problems
an" sol3e them.
/he secon" meaning refers to an impro3ement in eDuity for stu"ents. For
e0ample4 if the faculty stu"ies the writing process to o6er better instructional
opportunities for stu"ents4 the intent is that all stu"ents bene<t4 not 9ust
those taught by a few faculty members.
/he thir" implication of schoolwi"e action research is the brea"th an" content
of the inDuiries themsel3es. !f the faculty "eci"es to stu"y the writing
process4 the teachers inten" the Duality of writing to impro3e throughout the
school. An" in an area of common concern or interest4 e3ery classroom an"
e3ery teacher are in3ol3e" in collecti3e stu"y an" regular assessment of
e6ects on stu"ents. As they stri3e for schoolwi"e growth4 faculty members
may in3ol3e stu"ents an" parents4 an" e3en the general community4 in "ata
collection an" interpretation an" in the selection of options for action.
+f course4 schoolwi"e action research is also collaborati3e4 but it is "i6erent
from what is terme" collaborati3e action research in that e3eryone in the
school is in3ol3e" in the inDuiry.
Here are some e0amples of schoolwi"e action research' e0plore an" impro3e
stu"ent performance in mathematics2 impro3e stu"ent self-esteem an"
stu"ent achie3ement across all sub9ect areas2 impro3e the social s$ills of
stu"ents through implementing cooperati3e learning across the curriculum2
an" increase stu"ent use of technology to accomplish communication tas$s
Aespecially computer use for writing4 graphics "isplay4 an" "ata basesC.
Formal schoolwi"e inDuiry is often initiate" in a school because of its
aIliation with a league or consortium that promotes action research as a
ma9or school impro3ement strategy=such as the Center for 8ea"ership in
School Reform in Nentuc$y or the 8eague of Professional Schools in 7eorgia.
Some school lea"ership teams an" "istrict a"ministrators who ha3e rea"
about action research4 atten"e" awareness sessions about it4 or "iscusse" it
with peers who are using it ha3e wor$e" to apply it in their home settings.
/he au"ience for the results of schoolwi"e action research inclu"es all
primary participants. /hus the smallest au"ience possible is the total school
faculty. School faculty members4 as a group4 may "eci"e to e0pan" this
au"ience to inclu"e stu"ents4 parents4 the general community4 an" the
school boar".
/he schoolwi"e4 collecti3e action 3ariation may be the most comple0 type of
action research to implement4 because it as$s for participation in achie3ing
schoolwi"e goals from all members of the organi,ation we call school.
Collecting schoolwi"e "ata on an instructional initiati3e=such as impro3ing
stu"ent achie3ement in language arts4 mathematics4 or science=reDuires
collegial trust an" mental an" physical collaboration. 5arshalling the e6orts
of all4 both ta$es an" pro3i"es energy2 supporting each other through the
an0ieties of public sharing of the imme"iate e6ects of actions on stu"ents in
each classroom reDuires initial patience an" un"erstan"ing of self an" others.
Schoolwi"e action research may feel messy an" une3en4 an" con;ict may
arise "uring the <rst few cycles=all of which is to be e0pecte" when a
"i3erse community is learning to apply a comple0 process. Howe3er4 the 3ery
comple0ity generates important si"e e6ects' chie;y4 that all participants
ha3e to learn a lot about buil"ing colleagueship4 about managing the group
process4 an" about aspects of curriculum an" instruction that they might not
ha3e re;ecte" on ha" they wor$e" alone.
As you may ha3e notice"4 the stu"ent learning goals of the inDuiry may be
the same in in"i3i"ual4 collaborati3e4 an" schoolwi"e action research. /he
ma9or "i6erentiators in this typology of action research are the number of
a"ults "irectly in3ol3e" in the inDuiry an" the number of stu"ents "irectly
a6ecte" through the mo"eling of the process an" the actions ta$en as a
result of an" as part of the inDuiry. For schoolwi"e renewal4 the more people
we in3ol3e "irectly4 the more li$ely we are to enhance the e"ucation of all
stu"ents an" of oursel3es as members of a rich an" "i3erse community.
5any teachers an" a"ministrators ha3e engage" in pro"ucti3e curricular an"
instructional impro3ement through each type of action research. !n many
cases4 collaborati3e relationships ha3e increase" among school personnel
an" members of central "istrict oIces4 interme"iate agencies4 an"
uni3ersities an" their personnel. Ghen schoolwi"e action research has been
implemente"4 the problem-sol3ing capabilities of schools an" e3en "istricts
ha3e increase". 5oreo3er4 the use of one type of research "oes not e0clu"e
another. !n"i3i"ual an" collaborati3e research may nest comfortably an"
pro"ucti3ely within schoolwi"e action research. /he Appen"i0 of this boo$
contains e0amples of policies an" "ata-collection forms that other schools
ha3e foun" useful A!tems K(C. !n a""ition4 !tem * contains re;ections on
commonly as$e" Duestions about action research=Duestions you might
encounter as you begin the process.
1efore rea"ing the ne0t chapter4 thin$ about your content area bac$groun"
an" your e0periences in schools an" with other organi,ations or groups. Ghat
"oes the schoolwi"e action research process remin" you ofM For me4 it?s li$e a
group problem-sol3ing strategy as in the ol" Car$hu6 AB-%C materials4 li$e a
giant group in3estigation4 li$e the scienti<c metho"4 li$e empirical problem-
sol3ing in mathematics4 li$e a group information-processing techniDue4 li$e
the research process ! learne" in social stu"ies. Ghat it?s not li$e is >pure@
research or schoolwi"e e0perimental research. /hough in"i3i"ual teachers or
collaborati3e groups may "esign e0perimental stu"ies to in3estigate "i6erent
aspects of their collecti3e initiati3e4 schoolwi"e action research is primarily a
process of collecting "ata about an ongoing system Aour schoolC with the
purpose of impro3ing practice Ateaching an" learningC.
Chapter #. Establishing a Conceptual Framewor$
/oo often in e"ucation4 we ignore the theoretical basis an" history supporting
the i"eas an" inno3ations we a"opt. Ge in3est our energy an" resources in
popular inno3ations without in3estigating their history. For teachers an"
a"ministrators 9ust thin$ing about or beginning action research=an" for other
stu"ents li$e myself=this chapter pro3i"es a glimpse into the origins of
action research for organi,ational impro3ement an" how action research
relates to school renewal.
Hour faculty or "istrict can engage in action research for schoolwi"e change if
you establish a common goal4 regularly collect an" share information about
that goal4 an" ma$e collecti3e "ecisions or ta$e action as in"icate". !t?s as
simple as that.
+r it woul" be simple4 if we were accustome" to "oing it. /he acts of
collecting information4 formulating goals4 selecting actions4 implementing
them4 an" collecting information about their e6ects are not technically
"iIcult. Howe3er4 these actions reDuire faculties to "e3elop Duite "i6erent
patterns of interaction than ha3e been normati3e. Ge nee" a compass to
gui"e us through the new patterns an" a3oi" "rifting bac$ into the ones that
ha3e $ept so many schools from "e3eloping collecti3e energy.
/hus4 ! <n" it useful to ha3e a conceptual framewor$ to gui"e my facilitation
of action research. !t helps me maintain a reasonable balance of con<"ence
an" uncertainty. /he conceptual framewor$ that gui"es my practice is a
formulation of 8ewin?s action research an" group "ynamics2 of )ewey?s
problem-sol3ing approach to e"ucation2 of /helen?s integrate" spheres of
$nowle"ge4 inDuiry4 an" "ynamics2 an" Schaefer?s inDuiry4 not acti3ity4 as a
fulcrum for growth an" un"erstan"ing.
Each of these conceptual mentors recogni,e" that social organi,ations ten"
to settle into practices an" ways of interaction that can become self-
perpetuating. A normati3e structure forms that becomes self-protecting.
Unless a process for renewal "e3elops4 an" the organi,ation a"apts
continually4 the passage of time will ensure incremental "rift towar"
obsolescence. Ghat seeme" to wor$ at one time will lose its potency.
Problems that seeme" small will fester an" grow larger. /echnological
"e3elopments will fail to be incorporate" into practice. 8ewin4 )ewey4 /helen4
an" Schaefer generate" the means to create an inDuiring4 a"apting
organi,ation better for its clients an" its wor$ers.
/he following is an o3er3iew of where action research came from an" why it
shoul" wor$.
/he +rigins of Action Research
+3er the years4 the general i"eas un"erlying action research ha3e been
applie" to a wi"e range of purposes' from trying to ma$e organi,ations more
eIcient4 to generating more healthy social groups4 to a""ressing ma9or social
problems such as re"ucing anti-Semitism an" racial pre9u"ice. !n applications
to e"ucation4 action research a""resses the problem of organi,ational
e6ecti3eness in ser3ice of the client Athe school impro3ement applicationC
while simultaneously a""ressing the nee" to create a more collegial an"
satisfying wor$place an" to re"uce the isolation that has separate" teachers
from teachers an" teachers from a"ministrators an" community members.
/he origin of formal action research is usually attribute" to Nurt 8ewin AB&-4
B&.C an" his stu"ents Ae.g.4 8ippittC. 8ewin?s integration of action-ta$ing into
e0perimental social science research was publishe" in B&* in >Action
Research an" 5inority Problems@ an" in B&- in >7roup )ecisions an" Social
Change.@ 1oth articles "e<ne action research as a three-step spiral process of
AC planning4 which in3ol3es >reconnaissance or fact-<n"ing@2 A#C ta$ing
actions2 an" A%C fact-<n"ing about the results of the action A8ewin B&.C.
8ewin state"'
Planning starts usually with something li$e a general i"ea. For one reason
or another it seems "esirable to reach a certain ob9ecti3e. E0actly how to
circumscribe this ob9ecti3e an" how to reach it is freDuently not too clear Ap.
#E(C.
8ewin?s "escription of planning matches how most schools approach the
"e3elopment of their action plans. /he faculty or lea"ership teams often ha3e
a general area of interest or concern in min" before initial "ata on stu"ents
are collecte". /hus4 they reach intuiti3ely towar" general goals an" means
an" gra"ually progress towar" a plan speci<c enough to act on.
8ewin AB&-C belie3e" that social problems shoul" be ser3e" by social inDuiry.
His action research approach that applie" the metho"ology of social science
to imme"iate4 practical4 ma9or problems "e3elope" out of his wor$ to impro3e
intergroup relations within organi,ations an" communities. 8ewin challenge"
the compartmentali,ation of research from action an" the separation of
research personnel from acti3e players. He a"3ocate" inclu"ing practitioners
from the arena un"er in3estigation in all phases of the research. He also
challenge" practitioners to use the tools of the social scientist to bring about
change' >!t seems to be crucial for the progress of social science that the
practitioner un"erstan" that through social sciences an" only through them
can he gain the power necessary to "o a goo" 9ob@ A8ewin B&.4 p. #%C.
8ewin an" others who "e3elope" the action research concept emphasi,e"
collecti3e rather than in"i3i"ualistic problem sol3ing an" stu"y. /hus4 action
researchers stu"y problems that grow out of the community4 wor$ within a
group to "etermine actions to be ta$en4 an" e3aluate the e6ect of these
actions within the community setting. 8ewin AB&-C a"3ocate" group wor$ as
part of the action research process because of the power of group "iscussion
an" interaction in pro"ucing commitment an" because of the support for
changes in in"i3i"ual attitu"es an" beha3ior pro3i"e" by group interaction.
Chein4 Coo$4 an" Har"ing AB&.C recommen"e" practitioner in3ol3ement to
buil" awareness of the nee" for the actions ta$en an" greater personal
in3estment in ma$ing the actions wor$.
Corey AB&B4 B(%C was one of the <rst to oIcially promote action research
in the <el" of e"ucation. His "e<nition of action research was the >process by
which practitioners attempt to stu"y their problems scienti<cally in or"er to
gui"e4 correct4 an" e3aluate their "ecisions an" actions@ AB(%4 p. *C. His
thesis was that school practitioners woul" ma$e better "ecisions an"
implement more e6ecti3e practices if they con"ucte" research as part of
their "ecision-ma$ing process an" use" the results of such research as a
gui"e to selection or mo"i<cation of their practice. /he 3alue of action
research for Corey was >"etermine" by the e0tent to which <n"ings lea" to
impro3ement in the practices of the people engage" in the research@ Ap. %C.
/hrough the in3ol3ement of teachers4 a"ministrators4 an" super3isors in
stu"ying their wor$ AteachingC an" in applying these <n"ings to their school
setting4 changes woul" be more li$ely to occur.
1oth 8ewin an" Corey wor$e" with organi,ations to change the e0isting
cultural norms. /heir route to changing the stan"ar"s of beha3ior from an
in"i3i"ualistic4 autonomous4 an" isolate" mo"e to a collaborati3e an"
integrate" mo"e was action research. 8ewin "escribe" how the process of
action4 research4 an" training together can >transform . . . a multitu"e of
unrelate" in"i3i"uals4 freDuently oppose" in their outloo$ an" their interests4
into cooperati3e teams4 not on the basis of sweetness but on the basis of
rea"iness to face "iIculties realistically4 to apply honest fact-<n"ing4 an" to
wor$ together to o3ercome them@ AB&*4 p. #C.
8ewin?s wor$ in the B&Es with a 3ariety of organi,ations=from single
schools4 to minority organi,ations4 to labor an" management representati3es
=has remar$able rele3ance for us to"ay as we see$ school renewal'
/wo basic facts emerge" from these contacts' there e0ists a great amount
of goo"-will4 of rea"iness to face the problem sDuarely an" really "o
something about it. . . . SHetT these eager people feel themsel3es to be in the
fog. /hey feel in the fog on three counts'
Ghat is the present situationM
Ghat are the "angersM
An" most important of all4 what shall we "oM AB&.4 p. #EC
8ewin consi"ere" the lac$ of clarity about what ought to be "one as one of
the greatest obstacles to impro3ement of intergroup relations. He felt that
one of the conseDuences of this confusion was the lac$ of stan"ar"s by which
to measure progress'
!n a <el" that lac$s ob9ecti3e stan"ar"s of achie3ement4 no learning can
ta$e place. !f we cannot 9u"ge whether an action has le" forwar" or
bac$war"4 if we ha3e no criteria for e3aluating the relation between e6ort
an" achie3ement4 there is nothing to pre3ent us from ma$ing the wrong
conclusions an" to encourage the wrong wor$ habits. Realistic fact-<n"ing
an" e3aluation is a prereDuisite for any learning A8ewin B&.4 p. #E#C.
8ewin also i"enti<e" another >se3ere e6ect@ of the inability to "etermine the
relationship between e6orts ma"e an" achie3ement. /his failure to measure
the e6ects of actions "esigne" to lea" to impro3e" con"itions within an
organi,ation "epri3es wor$ers Ateachers4 a"ministrators4 general e"ucators4
an" stu"entsC >of their legitimate "esire for satisfaction on a realistic basis@
A8ewin B&.4 p. #E#C. 1ecause "escripti3e fact-<n"ing about e"ucational
inno3ations is not an integral operating beha3ior in most school cultures4
satisfaction or "issatisfaction with achie3ement relati3e to an inno3ation
remains personali,e" an" is mainly a matter of in"i3i"ual >temperament.@ !n
my twenty-two years as an e"ucator4 ! ha3e foun" this to be true across most
school "istricts4 regar"less of the simplicity or comple0ity of the inno3ation
an" regar"less of its cost in money or time. From a"opting a new han"writing
program4 to using manipulati3es in N=. mathematics instruction4 to a"opting
a literature-base" approach to language arts4 to forming bloc$ sche"ules in
the mi""le an" high schools4 to mainstreaming of stu"ents4 an" so on=we "o
3ery little formati3e4 collecti3e analysis of the e6ects of an inno3ation4
accompanie" by the use of that analysis to inform our "ecisions.
As long as the "etermination of success or failure of an inno3ation4 e3en if it
was originally selecte" by a team or a school council or the entire faculty4 is
left solely to us as in"i3i"uals4 collecti3e action for school impro3ement or
>site-base"4 collaborati3e school impro3ement@ will be impossible.
Professional satisfaction for members of a "ynamic organi,ation reDuires
collecti3e acceptance of an" responsibility for the continuous cycle of
measuring progress an" ta$ing action. Such a process buil"s in"i3i"ual an"
organi,ational eIcacy' Ge can change things.
Using Schoolwi"e Action Research for Renewal
!t is irresponsible for a school to mobili,e4 initiate4 an" act without any
conscious way of "etermining whether such e0pen"iture of time an" energy
is ha3ing a "esirable e6ect. A7lic$man BB%4 pp. (&K((4 Renewing America?s
SchoolsC
After almost thirty years in 3arious stages of burial4 action research for school
impro3ement is once again recei3ing national attention. /o"ay4 7lic$man
ABBE4 BB%C is the ma9or scholar supporting the use of schoolwi"e action
research for school renewal. 7lic$man ABB%C "escribes a framewor$ of
"emocratic go3ernance4 e"ucational focus4 an" action research as integral
"imensions of renewing e"ucation. Githin this framewor$4 the principles that
gui"e share" "ecision ma$ing within the organi,ation are e0presse" in a
school >charter4@ the focus on teaching an" learning is e0presse" in a school
>co3enant4@ an" the school faculty uses the >critical stu"y process@ of action
research to assess the results of its current programs on commonly 3alue"
goals.
/hrough schoolwi"e action research4 a school faculty can "e3elop the school
as a center of inDuiry so that it is perpetually self-renewing. /he formal
collection of "ata4 followe" by group analysis an" interpretation4 can mo3e
our school community forwar" in the path it has electe" to follow. /his regular
confrontation with "ata as a progress mar$er can function as >choice points@
for our organi,ation4 as both >noticing choice@ an" >"oing choice.@
Paraphrasing Geic$ AB*B4 pp. (BK*EC on the role of choice in the organi,ing
process4 the school community can as$ itself' >Nnowing what we $now now4
shoul" we notice something we "i" not notice before an" ignore something
we notice" beforeM@ an" >Nnowing what we $now now4 shoul" we act
"i6erentlyM@ From baseline "ata to regular chec$s on progress4 we
intentionally confront oursel3es with a series of choice points for unfree,ing
action an" changing the e0perience of schooling. !n the self-renewing school4
this collecti3e inDuiry an" stu"y may e3ol3e into something that loo$s Duite
"i6erent from its "ebut into the culture of the school4 but it ne3er en"s. /he
faculty continues the cycle of >noticing@ an" >acting@ as they create e3en
more powerful an" healthy learning communities.
Figure #. shows four "e<nitions of action research for organi,ational
impro3ement. As you re3iew these "e<nitions4 thin$ about their common
elements.
Figure #.. )e<nitions of Action Research for +rgani,ational !mpro3ement
Action research is a three-step spiral process of AC planning which in3ol3es
reconnaissance of fact-<n"ing2 A#C ta$ing actions2 an" A%C fact-<n"ing about
the results of the action. ANurt 8ewin B&-C
Action research is a process by which practitioners attempt to stu"y their
problems scienti<cally in or"er to gui"e4 correct4 an" e3aluate their "ecisions
an" actions. AStephen Corey B(%C
/hus action research in e"ucation is stu"y con"ucte" by colleagues in a
school setting of the results of their acti3ities to impro3e instruction. ACarl
7lic$man BBEC
Action research is a fancy way of saying4 >8et?s stu"y what?s happening at
our school an" "eci"e how to ma$e it a better place.@ AEmily Calhoun4 this
wor$C
How can these common elements Aproblems i"enti<e" by persons within the
organi,ation4 the inDuiry approach to sol3ing these problems4 an" a high
"egree of practitioner in3ol3ement an" interactionC support school renewalM
Ghen you begin to 3isuali,e how these elements woul" operate in your
school4 you ha3e establishe" a rough conceptual framewor$ to gui"e your
implementation of schoolwi"e action research.
As you can tell4 action research or "ata use" to gui"e the actions of members
of an organi,ation is conceptually simple2 it soun"s4 loo$s4 an" feels much
li$e slightly formali,e" problem sol3ing4 which it is. /he regular application of
this approach as a normal way of "oing business4 in ma$ing the school a
center of inDuiry4 howe3er4 is "iIcult to accomplish ASirotni$ B.-C. Ghether
in schools A7oo"la" B.&C or in business an" in"ustry A8ippitt4 8angseth4 an"
5ossop B.(C4 answers to the Duestion >Ghat has been accomplishe"
through the changes implemente" by the organi,ationM@ are not rea"ily
a3ailable to most sta$ehol"ers.
8ippitt an" cowor$ers AB.(C cite two sur3eys that a""ress the lac$ of
e3aluation in planne" organi,ational change in business an" in"ustry. First4 of
*E publishe" reports of change inter3entions e0amine" by Porras an" 1erg4
only #E inclu"e" e3aluation components to assess organi,ational or wor$-
group changes. !t is interesting to e0amine the reasons. Secon"4 in a sur3ey
of -* consultants an" clients4 1i"well an" 8ippitt foun" four ma9or factors
cite" as obstacles to the e3aluation of organi,ational changes' lac$ of time4
lac$ of criteria or a frame of reference4 inability to "e3elop measurable
ob9ecti3es4 an" lac$ of money. Ghat is of interest to us is that these four
factors are the same ones i"enti<e" by 8ewin AB&.C an" those i"enti<e" by
members of the 7eorgia 8eague of Professional Schools ACalhoun BB4 BB#C
in relation to their assessment of progress on their initiati3es4 especially time4
criteria4 an" measurable ob9ecti3es.
Howe3er4 ! belie3e we learn how to assess our progress on a common goal
simply by "oing it. Ge learn how to con"uct schoolwi"e action research by
con"ucting it. As school teams struggle to "etermine how they will measure
their school impro3ement goals4 both the goals an" the routes or actions to
ta$e in achie3ing them shoul" become more clear. E6ecti3e schools
"emonstrate impro3e" achie3ement o3er time2 they regularly collect an" use
"ata to assess stu"ent performance A7lic$man BBE4 p. #(%C. Ge $now that
the action research process of i"entifying problem areas an" i"eas worth
pursuing4 gathering rele3ant "ata4 "iscussing these "ata4 formulating
solutions4 "etermining actions4 an" assessing the e6ects of these actions is a
capacity currently >lac$ing in most schools@ A7oo"la" B.&4 p. #-*C. /his
$nowle"ge shoul" not inhibit our Duest for school renewal. Fortunately4
schools in the Unite" States e0ist in a national culture that has long re3ere" a
pragmatic4 problem-sol3ing approach. 1ecause of the support for this
approach to change in our macro-system4 the capacity for action research for
school impro3ement coul" be rapi"ly "e3elope" within our schools.
Action research for school renewal unites wor$ from )ewey4 8ewin4 an"
Schaefer. /heir combine" wis"om an" e0perience pro3i"e us with powerful
pathways to e"ucational enhancement. )rawing hea3ily from )ewey?s
pragmatic4 problem-sol3ing4 e0periential approach to e"ucation2 from 8ewin?s
un"erstan"ing of how people function within their en3ironment an" use of
this un"erstan"ing to promote collecti3e action for social change2 an" from
Schaefer?s concept of the school as the center of inDuiry4 we can con<"ently
see$ paths of actuali,ation for our stu"ents4 for oursel3es4 an" for the
organi,ations within which we li3e. /he tools of the scienti<c metho"4
combine" with social learning theory an" group "ynamics4 pro3i"e a <rmly
constructe" framewor$ for us to e0plore an" e0pan" as part of the current
wa3e of restructuring an" reform.
Ge can also "raw on a new generation of research on the social system of the
school an" on recent action research to help us smooth out the process an"
ma$e it more e6ecti3e at our school sites Asee 1ibliography for wor$s by
Calhoun4 )a3i" an" Peterson4 7lic$man an" Allen4 Holly4 Huberman4 :oyce
an" Golf4 Rosenholt,4 an" 8ouis an" 5ilesC.
5oreo3er4 we shoul" not un"erestimate the 3alue of encouraging all actors in
the school community Aparents4 stu"ents4 teachers4 a"ministrators4 an"
central oIceC to be engage" in information see$ing an" empirical problem
sol3ing aime" at ma$ing their worl"=from stu"ent life at the classroom table4
to classroom instruction4 to the school sche"ule=a healthier place4 socially4
intellectually4 an" physically. A""e" to the rich "i3ersity of participants
engaging in this collecti3e inDuiry is the 3alue of our mo"eling lifelong
learning an" problem sol3ing in the professional en3ironment in which we
ha3e chosen to li3e. /his mo"eling supports an" enriches our personal4
professional growth A)ewey BE&2 7ar"ner B*%4 B.-2 Houle B.E2 SchUon
B.-C an" pro3i"es continuous "emonstrations of these critical life processes
for our stu"ents. +r4 simply state"4 actions spea$ lou"er than wor"s4 an"
what we "o carries more weight than what we say. Ghat are the real >basics@
we as e"ucators wish to con3eyM As Schaefer AB*-C state" in his gran"
essay'
How to in"uce more chil"ren to grapple ,estfully with aca"emic issues may
elu"e our most "etermine" e6orts. 1ut ! strongly suspect that obser3ing
a"ults honestly wrestling with intellectual problems might win more
youngsters to the life of the min" than any other e0perience the schools
coul" "e3ise Ap. --C.
As you engage in this process of collecti3e inDuiry within your school4 you will
personali,e your own path or conceptual framewor$ for con"ucting
schoolwi"e action research. Such a framewor$ has much to "o with
un"erstan"ing where you are going an" how to get there successfully.