ED384603 SP036104
Title: Conversation in Teaching; Conversation as Research: A Self-Study
of the Teaching of Collaborative Action Research.
Author(s): Feldman, Allan
Pages: 23
Publication Date: April 1995
Notes: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational
Research Association (San Francisco, CA, April 18-22, 1995).
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
Language: English
Document Type: Reports--Research (143); Speeches/meeting papers (150)
Geographic Source: U.S.; Massachusetts
Journal Announcement: RIENOV1995
A self-study
is reported in which the researcher explored the possibility of
using a university course on action research to promote the development
of professional community, an examination of power relations, and
a sense of recognition among teachers enrolled in the course of
their own expertise. Approximately 20 participating teachers in
each of 2 courses collaborated in small group, large group, written,
and one-on-one conversations to examine and research their own pedagogical
methods and practices. The model of action research chosen was that
of enhanced normal practice, in which teachers collaborate through
the mechanisms of anecdote-telling, experimentation with new ideas,
and systematic inquiry. A variety of methods were used to promote
conversation among students, including electronic mail, research
notebook response groups, data workshops, and oral final presentations.
Participants found these conversations useful for the selection
and clarification of starting points for research, and for deciding
on appropriate methods for data collection and analysis. Students
also stated that the techniques used to promote conversation fostered
greater equity in the class, cultivated a sense of community built
upon diversity, and provided insight into problematic aspects of
teachers' practices. Implications for the role of the professor
as both researcher and instructor are discussed. (Contains 26 references.)
(PB)
Descriptors: *Action Research; *Cooperative Learning; *Discussion
Groups; *Education Courses; Educational Research; Educational Researchers;
Group Discussion; Higher Education; Peer Relationship; *Reflective
Teaching; Self Evaluation (Groups); Teacher Attitudes; *Teacher
Education; Teaching Methods
