AC

Alphacrucis College

Details for Action Research Project Part A and Action Research Project Part B

Quick Info

  • Currently offered by Alphacrucis: Yes
  • Course code: EDU501-EDU502
  • Credit points: 9

Prerequisites

The successful completion of the 12 Graduate Diploma units or its equivalent must preceed these units. Placement in an educational setting and/or teaching role is required for these units

EDU501 Action Research Project Part A is expected to be followed the next semester by EDU502 Action Research Project Part B. Advice would need to be sought from the Academic Dean with regard to completing both in the one semester.

The unit Action Research Project Part A and Action Research Project Part B is part of the subject area Education and is offered as a part of the following Awards: Master of Teaching (Primary) (Alphacrucis College (NSW Dept. of Education)).

Unit Content

Curriculum Objective

Although these units are primarily designed to support the novice Teacher in their early placements as teachers in order to achieve the NSW Institute of Teachers Professional Teaching Standards- Professional Competence, the research methodology, ethical practices and concepts are applicable to educational practitioners. Graduate Teachers will be challenged to critically apply theories, methodologies and strategies in order to facilitate and further the development of both knowledge and practice in Christian education. They will develop skills in implementing applied, practice-based and ethical research, making use of relevant research tools for data collection, analysis and written presentation.  Reflective practice is a feature of these units with Graduate Teachers considering and evaluating their own work in a reflexive manner with reference to academic and professional issues, debates and conventions.

These units require participants to develop knowledge about Christian education that is based on both their own research (through primary and secondary data collection) together with reflection on practice.  Participants are expected to draw on, develop and synthesise theories and approaches introduced in the content in order to gain insights that will inform research methodologies for the study of problems or issues in their own teaching practice.  These units are designed to be flexible in order to support the research interests of participants.  Some may select to undertake a traditional research inquiry in order to examine a topic related to their educational interests, and then, having conducted primary research, will conclude with a set of theoretical principles that will contribute to the knowledge base of teaching and/or with practical recommendations for best practice.  Others may choose to base these units on action research whereby they will immediately apply their research findings to their teaching practice, concluding with reflections on the effectiveness of implemented strategies for change and development. 

Participants are expected to study independently under supervision, developing a research proposal to investigate a contemporary phenomenon within their own classroom or educational organisation, then implementing research methods, analysing the findings, reflecting upon the findings in relation to their own role, and writing the study up as a dissertation that concludes with practical recommendations or contributions to the educational knowledge base.  The ideas to emerge from research are expected to directly contribute to the further development of the participants’ skills as a Christian teacher and of benefit to the profession.

Subject Content

Professional NSW Institute of Teachers Professional Teaching Standards- Professional Competence: - personalized diagnosis and action plan for supplementary experiences, resources and evidence to progressively attain competency in all elements

          (a)    Formulation of suitable research questions;

          (b)   Structuring and writing a literature review, including identification of the ideas of key scholarly and professional thinkers on the participant’s topic of choice, as well as presenting the major debates;

          (c)    Development of a conceptual framework to inform research;

          (d)   Provision ofa rationale for the selection of a suitable methodology for the investigation of the research problem that includes a statement on the ethics researching the particular topic;

          (e)    Development of a research ethics statement (with reference to the college’s ethics guidelines and relevant codes of conduct for the teaching profession);

          (f)    Consideration of issues of reflexivity in relation to inter alia- the role of the researcher in relation to subjectivity and bias in the data collected, and the role of the teacher as educational researcher in relation to the selection of the research methodology and the recommendations made. 

         (g)    Implementation of primary research methods, with due consideration for validity, reliability and transferability. 

         (h)   Analysis and interpretation of the findings and present them in the form of a written document which is accurately referenced. 

         (i)     Develop practical recommendations from the findings.  Participants who opt for action research will have already applied their research findings to teaching practice in the course of this unit.  Therefore, in the professional document, they will evaluate the effectiveness of the previously implemented strategies. 

This course may be offered in the following formats

The program is based on a week intensive in Part A, followed by independent study and research under supervision. In Part B, participants return for 2 @ 2 day intensives with the first of the two intensives sharing their Research Proposal and the second intensive sharing their research issues and progress. Each participant will be allocated a supervisor who will guide and facilitate on-line learning in individual tutorials or in small, learning sets of up to three participants.  Participants will be expected to respond a minimum of 4 times over the course of both units to other students’ research developments. This allows for cross-fertilisation of ideas amongst participants who are undertaking research on a similar topic, or using a common methodological approach. The nurturing of a professional community committed to assisting the participant to achieve Professional Competence, where required is supported by the faculty.

Please consult your course prospectus or enquire about how and when this course will be offered next at Alphacrucis College.

Required Equipment


Assessment Methods

Professional Standards (Non-Assessed)

The additional units to progress the Graduate Teacher’s qualification to a Masters of Teaching are designed to continue their journey as a professional Christian educator. It is to collate the necessary evidence required by the NSW Institute of Teaching, Professional Competence elements. Graduate Teachers are encouraged to organise their evidence into a Professional portfolio (introduced in EDU400 Professional Practice) which has the ability to be built on and as digitally based as is practicable.

The students will be supported over the two semesters of EDU501 and EDU502 by the faculty, to develop a plan and source supplementary experiences, resources and evidence (including Teaching Portfolio) to progress towards meeting the NSW Institute of Teachers Professional Teaching Standards- Professional Competence requirements.

Action Research

(Report needs to contain: Abstract, Conceptual Framework Overview, Literature Review, Research Methodology Review and Rationale, Data collection, Data Analysis, Findings and Recommendations to the Profession.

Both the Research Proposal and final Research Report will be submitted On-line with participation in peer feedback as a professional community (a minimum of 4 required). Studies which are suitable for publication in professional journals will be identified and supported in negotiating and writing for the professional association/editor.

Prescribed Text

Representative References

Journals