Action Research in the Robert Noyce Project Urban Mathematics Educator Program
One of our objectives in terms of achieving our goal of retaining scholars was to transform our educational space into one that values and conducts research that can serve as a potential pathway for the professional growth and development of the teachers with whom we work and whom we serve as teacher educators. One of the ways in which we did this was by collaborating and encouraging students to participate in an action research course which they did alongside their teaching practice (integrating content knowledge, pedagogy and action research methodology). The goal of the course in action research was to not only provide them with the tools and the skills necessary to do action research but to encourage them to explore issues surrounding themselves as becoming mathematics teachers and to look at how they were combining their content and pedagogical knowledge in the process. We therefore adopted this definition of action research: “a systematic, intentional inquiry by practitioners to improve teaching and learning” (Feldman and Capobianco’s 2000, p. 2). Action research was viewed as:
- Real time method of change
- Socio-inductive process
- Having the capacity to enhance the personal and social growth of students
The goal was to also facilitate their understandings of themselves as becoming teachers and how they were impacting their students’ learning of mathematics. There were challenges and we came to realize:
- Quality secondary school mathematics teachers who value research as a professional development tool is not a one and done activity/event
- Challenges inherent in the process
- Outcomes are not predictable
- Implementation requires significant collaboration and trust
- Time consuming
Participants are able to identify:
- Skills
- Competencies
- Resources within themselves
- Able to move forward
- How process can become emancipatory for some participants
|
Scholars |
Title of Action Research Projects |
|
2005-2006 |
|
|
Linda Brasher |
Will Giving Detention Reduce Disruptive Behavior in the Classroom? |
|
Rebecca Jones |
Do We Really Need Closure? |
|
Adaobi Princewill |
Cooperative Learning As Effective Motivational and Classroom Management Tool |
|
Rabia Shahbaz |
Students’ Perspective of Effective Teaching |
|
John Wamsted |
The First Few Minutes: A New Teacher’s Struggle to Start a Math Class On Time |
|
Angelle Whittington |
Classroom Management of Student Behavior in my Urban classrooms
|
|
2006-2007 |
|
|
Charity Baker |
Motivational Strategies in an Urban High School Mathematics Classroom |
|
John Bragelman |
An Analysis of Time Management of a Pre-Service Teacher |
|
Reagan Costen |
A Self-Study to Becoming a Mathematics Teacher |
|
Dave Erhman |
How Will Grading Homework for Accuracy, on a Daily Basis, and Providing Students with Homework Solution Improve the Test Scores of Algebra III Students? |
|
Nellie Horton |
Using Visual Organizers to Teach Algebra II |
|
Corie Kuykendall |
Writing in the Mathematics Classroom: An Exploration of Math Journals |
|
Nakia Salam |
Peer-Teaching Through Group Assignments and Its Effect on Test Scores
|
|
2007-2008 |
|
|
Lisa Love |
Planning Period Use |
|
Ariel McIntyre |
Collaborative Learning |
|
Sharina Moore |
Extra Credit or Extra Work? |
|
Mai Nguyen |
Collaborative Learning: No Grade Involved, Only Learning |
|
Zakiya Willis |
Affecting Habits of Higher Order-Thinking During Instruction |
|
Danika Woods |
Do Learning Based Activities Such as Games Affect Student Achievement on Chapter Test in Mathematics? |
|
2008-2009 |
|
|
Sharika Boddie |
Writing in Mathematics |
|
Joie Bullock |
Cheaters Never Prosper? The Impact on the Performance of Second Semester Geometry Students Using Cheat Sheets During Exams |
|
Joseph Kyiamah |
Technology and Teaching Mathematics |
|
Barbara Miller |
Fraction Reaction |
|
Thucnha D. Nguyen |
|
|
Sherman Jefferson |
Student Engagement
|
|
2009-2010 |
|
|
Cherrish Foger |
How Does the Use of Manipulatives Such as Algebra tiles Help Students Uunderstand and Retain the Concept of factoring trinomials into binomials when a=1? |
|
Tahira Hyman |
|
|
Kimberly Jones |
Simplifying Fractions and Radicals: Cooperative Learning in a Unit of Right Angle Trigonometry |
|
Marcellin Mutuyimana |
How Does the Implementation of differentiated Instruction Based on Students’ Readiness |
|
Sarrita Scott |
Note Taking Guides That Work: An Action Research Plan |
|
Alison Shows |
|
|
Paik Sung Tan |
How Do Levels of Questions Being Asked in the Classroom Foster Higher-Order Thinking While Learning Operations with Polynomials? |
|
Karen Tatum |
Show Me the Math |
