Assessing Quality of Inquiry

Quality Indicator 1

Context of Study Context of Study is the examination of the setting in which your action research is conducted.  Context is dependent on the actual study but can include information about the district, school, students, staff and even the community. Ensuring the quality of your context is imperative in order to ensure a viable study.  Context can seriously influence the study itself, as well as the transferability of the study to other settings.  Without a clear understanding of the elements framing the study, other researchers would not be able to ascertain whether that research would be applicable to their setting or not. Examining the context of my action research plan will be important not only because it will ensure a sound study, but also because I am hoping the plan will be able to transfer to other schools.  The most important context of my plan will include the school’s overall size, as well as the ratio of gender.  With this information I’m hoping other schools will be able to conduct a similar study within their career and technology program.

Quality Indicator 2

Wondering(s) and Purpose Wondering(s) and Purpose is the scrutiny of the question or questions the researcher originally posed that led him or her to undertake the action research project.  This scrutiny will not only explain the question itself, but will clarify why the wondering is of personal importance to the researcher.  The researcher must be able to connect the wondering to appropriate literature.  The wondering must be clearly stated, focused on the researcher’s own practice and open-ended.  This quality indicator has already prompted me to doubt my action research question: Will a media campaign featuring students in classes non-traditional to their gender raise the enrollment in those classes and change the perspective of 10th grade students?  Neither of those independent questions is open-ended.  Although I feel I am open-minded about the second part of the question—I’m not sure the campaign will be sustained long enough for substantial change—I am not as open-minded with the first part of the question.  I am definitely of the opinion that the enrollment will go up.  I will need to reflect on the wording and the focus of the question in order to determine if it needs revising before moving on.

Quality Indicator 3

Principal Research Design (Data Collection and Data Analysis) Principal Research Design is the examination of the way data is collected and analyzed during the study.  Researchers should use multiple sources to collect data, such as test scores, student work, focus groups and surveys.  The ways in which the data is collected must be clearly detailed.  The researcher must be able to provide a clear explanation of how the data was collected and the order (timeline) in which it was collected. Additionally, he or she must be able to clearly explain how the data was analyzed.  Along with examining the quality of the actual data collected, the researcher must also ascertain whether or not the source is pertinent.  The researcher must be able to explain the viability of the source as well as the connection to the study. This quality indicator will guide me in the selection of my data as I proceed, as well as the analysis of the data after it has been gathered.  Although survey results are straightforward, I will need this guidance with both the focus group and the student work portion of my data.  Since both of these are subjective aspects of the study, I will need to take care in ensuring the data is relevant and pertinent.

Quality Indicator 4

Principal-Researcher Learning As part of the action research project, principals should reflect on what they’ve learned during the course of their project.  The Principal-Researcher Learning indicator assesses the thoroughness and clarity of those reflections.  Researchers must support their findings with data from their study.  Researchers should be able to point to data that determined the outcome—either positive or negative—of the study. Along with learning associated with the actual study of their project, principals should be able to articulate relevant readings they’ve encountered or experiences they’ve undergone.  Included in the articulation should be a reflection of what they’ve learned about the inquiry process itself. This quality indicator will direct my reflections during the process of my investigation as well as the final presentation.  My data will be supported by graphs depicting the results of the surveys and trends in enrollment.  Student work and quotes from the focus group will additionally support my findings.  I will also be able to point to literary references and other studies done in the same area.

Quality Indicator 5

Implications for Practice Implications for practice are the changes researchers have made or plan to make based on the result of the learning gained through the action research process.  These changes are the logical outcome of the study.  This phase would also include wonderings the principal experienced during the course of the study or as a result of his or her findings.   In this way the cycle of the learning process continues. The implications for practice are the end goal.  At times I find myself focusing on this aspect of the study more than others.  This quality indicator will help remind me that the end goal can also be the beginning of another cycle of learning.