It
is not enough to want change or to need to change, we must experience change! Although this profound truth can be stated in manner
ways, to attain related goals this axiom clearly supports the need for vision
and purpose that is followed by right action.
Ideally, those goals are honorable and the purpose of the desired change
is to make better possible. "In the
same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But
someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without
deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds" (James
2:17-18).
As
part of educational improvement processes, the impact of a specific
instructional practice on student learning can be measured based on data
collection and analysis. The results then
form the basis for educational planning, innovation, and effective
decision-making. Action
research is a process in which teachers systematically investigate
instructional practices and techniques to improve their teaching and student
learning. The impact of a specific
instructional practice on student learning is measured. The resulting data becomes the basis for further
educational planning and decision-making.
However,
action research can also be utilized for promoting continual
professional development and providing a direct route for systemic teaching and
learning improvement (Calhoun,
2002). Respective
of the correlates of Effective Schools Research (Lezotte & Snyder, 2011) and
tenets of Invitational Theory and Practice (Shaw,
Siegel, & Schoenlein, 2013), using effective leadership
to encourage action research with the collection and analysis of data to
monitor and adjust programs, policies, people, places, and processes, facilitates
school-wide change. Thus, systemic
action research offers the opportunity to transform the school’s climate and level
of educational effectiveness.
When the effective
educational leader begins to investigate the practicality of implementing
action research school-wide, the following questions should be addressed:
- What does the disaggregated classroom data reflect about student and teacher learning?
- What do teachers need to learn in order to impact specific student learning needs?
- How is the school going to support teacher learning to ensure student achievement?
- How will teachers and the school evaluate classroom instruction and professional learning? What evaluation tools will be used?
- How will teachers and the school use the information collected through the evaluation to make specific and targeted decisions regarding research-based instructional strategies?
Through
utilization of action
research as a systemic process, the educational leader increases
development of the disciplines required to promote a learning
organization. The five primary disciplines of a learning organization were identified
by Senge (1990) as: systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared
vision and team learning. By utilizing
these disciplines, facilitating the learning of teachers and students, and
transforming itself as part of a continuous improvement process, a school will
thereby begin to exhibit the essential features of a learning organization. In addition to Senge’s (1990) systems model, Steiner's (1998) organizational learning model garnered a lot of attention.
An
effective change leader’s new role and additional
responsibilities would be to support staff transitions throughout the change
process. This is optimized by helping
build resiliency during change. It is
also essential for the change leader to willingly destabilize the system to
promote innovation, provide workplace balance, and thereby create a learning
organization. Since this requires a
change in the educational leader’s primary purpose, the creation of
organizational structure that encourages a culture of learning (Senge,
Kleinder, Roberts, Ross, and Smith, 1994) requires the right people
becoming part of the organization.
Therefore, the role of an educational change leader needs to be much
more proactive, inclusive, trusting, supportive and trustworthy. Being proactive will mitigate reacting to or
worrying about conditions over which the educational leader has little or no
control.
As
a result, the proactive educational change leader is better able to focus time and
energy on what can be controlled. Covey (1989)
identified the importance of allowing problems, challenges, and opportunities
to fall into two areas--Circle
of Concern and Circle of Influence.
Proficiency in this area allows the educational change leader to attend to the appropriate details within his or her sphere
(Senge et al., 1994). Ideally, the result can then be a school that is a learning organization
prepared to promote the learning for
all mission!
To cite:
Anderson,
C.J. (July 31, 2017) Effective teaching
and learning through implementation of class-wide
and system action
research. [Web log post] Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/References
Covey, S. R. (1989). The
7 habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic. New
York: Free Press
Lezotte,
L. W., & Snyder, K. M. (2011). What effective schools do:
Re-envisioning the correlates.
Bloomington,
IN: Solution Tree Press.
Purkey,
W. (1992). An invitation to invitational theory. Journal of Invitational Theory and
Practice, 1(1), 5-15.
Senge, P.M.
(1990). The fifth discipline. London ENG: Century Business
Senge, P. M., Kleiner, A., Roberts,
C., Ross, R., & Smith, B. J. (1994). The fifth discipline
fieldbook:
Strategies and tools for building a learning organization. New York:
Doubleday.
Shaw,
D., Siegel, B., & Schoenlein, A. (2013). The basic tenets of invitational
theory and
practice:
An invitational glossary. Journal of
Invitational Theory and Practice, 19, 30-42
