Investigating the effects of incorporating collaborative action research into an in-service teacher training program

Abstract Drawing on the current research trend for teachers’ professional development, this study investigated the effect of incorporating collaborative action research into an in-service teacher training program. Participants were a group of elementary in-service teachers, pursing an English teacher certificate in Taiwan. Data came from a post-course questionnaire, teachers’ discussions, classroom video clips, teachers’ reflective journals, and action research papers. This study finds that implementing collaborative action research in an in-service teacher training program contributes to teachers’ knowledge construction, helps them gain practical teaching practices and builds up their confidence in teaching English.

[1]  D. Larsen-Freeman Techniques and principles in language teach-ing , 1986 .

[2]  R. Yin Case Study Research: Design and Methods , 1984 .

[3]  Ann Lieberman,et al.  Teachers Caught in the Action: Professional Development That Matters , 2001 .

[4]  Kenneth M. Zeichner Connecting genuine teacher development to the struggle for social justice , 1992 .

[5]  L. Darling-Hammond Powerful teacher education : lessons from exemplary programs , 2006 .

[6]  Kenneth M. Zeichner,et al.  Issues and Practices in Inquiry Oriented Teacher Education, B. Robert Tabachnich and Kenneth M. Zeichner, eds. 1991. Falmer Press, New York, NY. 286 pages. ISBN: 1-85000-815-9 (hc); 1-85000-816-7 (pb). $NA , 1993 .

[7]  Nancy Wentworth,et al.  Rediscovering Ourselves and Why We Teach , 2002 .

[8]  Mary Jane Moran,et al.  Collaborative action research and project work: Promising practices for developing collaborative inquiry among early childhood preservice teachers , 2007 .

[9]  Jennifer L. Snow-Gerono Professional Development in a Culture of Inquiry: PDS Teachers Identify the Benefits of Professional Learning Communities. , 2005 .

[10]  Matthew B. Miles,et al.  Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook , 1994 .

[11]  S. Merriam Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education: Revised and Expanded from Case Study Research in Education , 1998 .

[12]  Melody J. Shank,et al.  Teacher storytelling: A means for creating and learning within a collaborative space , 2006 .

[13]  Etienne Wenger,et al.  Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation , 1991 .

[14]  Marilyn Cochran-Smith,et al.  Inside/Outside: Teacher Research and Knowledge , 1993 .

[15]  Marilyn Cochran-Smith,et al.  Relationships of Knowledge and Practice: Teacher Learning in Communities , 1999 .

[16]  Valsa Koshy Action Research for Improving Practice: A Practical Guide , 2005 .

[17]  Geoffrey E. Mills Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher , 1999 .

[18]  S. Stark Using action learning for professional development , 2006 .

[19]  J. Rudduck Changing the World of the Classroom by Understanding It: A Review of Some Aspects of the Work of Lawrence Stenhouse. , 1988 .

[20]  Hilary Hollingsworth,et al.  Elaborating a model of teacher professional growth , 2002 .

[21]  Jack Whitehead,et al.  All you need to know about action research , 2006 .

[22]  Richard H. Price,et al.  The Action Research Paradigm , 1980 .

[23]  Anne Burns,et al.  Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers , 1999 .

[24]  L. Stenhouse Research as a basis for teaching , 1985 .

[25]  Susan Wray,et al.  Teaching portfolios, community, and pre-service teachers’ professional development , 2007 .

[26]  Michael J. Wallace,et al.  Action research for language teachers , 1998 .

[27]  Lawrence Stenhouse,et al.  What counts as research , 1981 .

[28]  S. Noffke,et al.  Action research: towards the next generation , 1994 .