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We start with an
observation.
This may be
something as simple and straightforward as, "My
students are unsuccessful in completing activity
X."
The results of
observation should then be formulated into an
inquiry question:
"Why are my students having less success with
activity X than activity Y, which is largely
comparable?" A high-quality inquiry question, while
based primarily upon observation, should be
refined until major variables, assumptions,
participants, dynamics, etc., can be identified.
A helpful way to clarify or strengthen an inquiry
question is through the use of a concept map.
Once the target of inquiry has been clarified, a
survey of research
must be undertaken. What other information can
you obtain? Have others experienced or written
about the same issue? If so, how did they
address it?
A survey of
research often leads to:
#1 Solution to a Problem.
It may be that
activity X is built upon pre-requisite knowledge
your students did not have. In that case, you
can now address the issue, effectively solving
the problem.
Other possible directions your research may take
include:
#2 Change in Practice
Changing
from less to
more successful practices
is the essence of professional development. For the
sample inquiry question, this might be
mean explicitly reviewing activity pre-requisites as
a matter of course.
#3 Change Project
Sometimes the change required goes beyond a single practitioner
and to the heart of an educational culture.
For the sample inquiry question, perhaps the issue of pre-requisite knowledge
should be addressed at a curriculum design
level.
#4 Further Research
In this case, you
haven’t yet determined why students are less
successful with activity X and need to do
further research before you can meaningfully
address the issue. |
