Reflection
How has action research impacted student learning?
Action research has impacted student learning because it raised the confidence of my students and allowed each individual to experience success in their own way. I saw a need in a subject that my students were struggling with, and I completed research with the hopes of resolving that struggle. I knew I wanted to choose a teaching strategy that could easily be differentiated to meet needs ranging from developing learners to advanced learners. I chose an instructional strategy that would provide my students exposure to the same amount of work as all their peers, just catered to meet their needs. I met my students where they were and built them up from there, which allowed them all to experience success.
How has action research impacted current teaching?
Action research has impacted current teaching because it has made me think twice about the happenings of my classroom. I find myself constantly pondering why I teach the way in which I do. I now realize that instructional practices should be rooted in research and not tradition. Taking the easy route is not always what is best for students. Taking the time to conduct the necessary research and make an informed decision to implement an instructional technique that benefits my students, regardless of the work involved on my end, will always be worthwhile.
How has action research impacted professional growth?
Action research has impacted my professional growth by strengthening my relationships with my internal and external stakeholders. I have had open conversations with employees at central office, the principal in my building, district-level specialists, and teachers housed in a wide array of diverse districts. Action research has opened my eyes to just how many resources I have at my fingertips. Since I have built professional relationships with people that I may not have had the chance to even converse with, I feel more like a member of a massive teaching community versus a teacher trying to make it on her own. I realize that it is acceptable to reach out when you need help, and many people will do whatever is in their power to see your students succeed.
What has been learned and what questions remain?
I have learned that as soon as I see an issue arise in my classroom, whether it be academic or social-emotional, that there is ample research waiting to be devoured and a certain instructional strategy is bound to work and resolve that issue. There are so many research-based teaching strategies that are waiting to be tapped into, and the prospect of that is thrilling to me. There is truly not a better feeling than witnessing the happiness that coincides with a student finally grasping a concept. A lingering question that still remains is what if I would have started my action research in September after I had gotten to know my students and their needs? The growth that my students would have experienced could have been even higher than what was portrayed in my study. Another question floating around in my brain is how much of the increase in reading comprehension can be attributed to natural growth and how much can be accredited to my action research? Through quantitative and qualitative data, I know that my study succeeded, but I would be interested to know how much of that success came from the implementation of targeted questioning.
What will need to be changed, modified, or refined in the future?
In the future, I will refine my action research by making sure to have IEPs right next to me as I am conducting research to improve my classroom. While I adhered to the IEPs of my students in this study, I did not see as much growth in my students with individualized education plans as I would have liked to. I will change the process of action research by allowing my students to have more choice in the process and to mesh their interests with the study. For example, in this particular study I could have provided each group with books at their level and allowed each student the chance to pick the weekly book at least once in my study. I could have created the targeted questions to relate to their story and it would have given my students a greater sense of ownership in guided reading. It would be interesting to see if my results would have changed.
How will future thinking, behaving, and interactions be impacted?
After completing action research, I am seeing each imperfection in my classroom as a chance to improve my instruction and attitude as a teacher. If there is a problem in my classroom, a solution is available to me since I am willing to put in the work. I am in control of my classroom, and therefore I have the power to make it the best possible environment for myself and my students. Instead of viewing that idea as an obstacle, I am choosing to see it as a welcome challenge. My interactions have been impacted because now I have a large cohort of instructors that are just a phone call or an email away if I have any questions or need assistance in this profession. I believe that my students are more aware than ever before that everything I do is for their benefit, and that has fostered a sense of trust in my relationships with them.
How will action research impact future teaching?
Action research will impact future teaching because I realize that when I see a gap in learning or a substantial need, I have the ability to gather resources on the topic and make an informed decision on how to remediate. That does not necessarily mean that everything I implement will solve the problems in my classroom, but the beauty of teaching is that I can continue to revise my instruction until it is positively making an impact on all learners. Now I have tools in my toolbox to guide me in keeping up with best-practice instructional strategies that maximize student learning. My classroom will never become stagnant because some sort of action research will always be taking place so that my students have the best learning experience and reach their full potential.