Module 2

Module 2 focused on some of the details regarding research.  Contrary to my thoughts about the Phillips (2008) reading last week, I was actually very interested in the reading this week.  While the reading last week was very vague and overwhelming (in my opinion), this week the reading spent some time on the background of research, why research is done, and who does research.  Components of research were broken down into detailed sections.  Phillips (2008) did not just state the definition of what an abstract, for instance, is, but he goes on to give examples of where to find abstracts and an example of one.  By his example, he then goes on to ask the reader specific questions about the information that has been given.  For instance in the abstract section, Phillips (2008) asks the reader to identify the type of research that has been presented by the abstract.  Phillips (2008) does a great job of thoroughly describing what should be included in each section of a research study.  This is helpful not only for interpreting a research study, but also for writing a research study.  As stated before, each section has examples that put the information into an example for the reader to better understand what is being presented.  There are also helpful points that Phillips (2008) makes about the quality of the research.  He provides useful questions to ask one regarding the research being read and whether or not the research should be trusted.  It is very helpful to have these tips there to better differentiate between the qualities of research that is available.  This reading helped me to better understand the discussion post and research assignment for the week.

The Mertler (2012) reading for this week was very specific to the steps of action research.  He reminds the reader that there are four main stages (planning, acting, developing, and reflecting) but goes on to explain that there are nine steps that take place throughout these stages.  Mertler (2012) goes into great detail regarding each of these steps throughout each stage.  He does a wonderful job explaining what each step should incorporate for a successful and effective study.  Just as last week’s reading, there were many charts and figures, as well as bold-faced words throughout the reading to help visualize what Mertler (2012) was trying to explain.  After explaining each of these steps in each stage, Mertler (2012) turned his steps into an actual example of an action research study.  This helped me to see how the action research would actually be implemented.

After stating last week that action research had been part of my teaching, I now realize how much more in-depth action research actually is.  It turns out that I have been implementing certain aspects of action research into my teaching, but definitely not participating in an actual action research study as I had previously thought.  I appreciate how Mertler (2012) and the video of Robert Duke take a more hands on approach to student learning and teacher accountability.  Both researchers seem to be on the same page regarding teacher reflection and the idea of hands-on learning for all, including the teacher.  They are both great examples of researchers who are completing action research.  I found the video of Robert Duke to be very inspirational in the way that he presented how we learn and how we do not learn.  It gave me things to ponder this summer as I prepare for the next school year.