Tugasan 2 Journal Review (Part 3)

Title : Love and critique in guiding student teachers
Journal : Educational Journal of Living Theories
Author : Sigrid Gjotterud
Year : 2009
Volume : 2
Number : 1
Page : 68-95

Overview:
Supervising and guiding student teachers is not an easy task. Thus this action research has been carried out in order to determine how the notion of love and critique can change the supervisors’ practice in guiding student teachers.

Sigrid started this research by defining the meaning of love and constructive critique through various literature reviews. He then further assimilates his understanding on love and critique with his practices in guiding student teachers. This action research is formed by Sigrid and a group of teacher educators, as co-operative action researcher.

By referring to the 4 phases of co-operative inquiry cycles designed by Heron and Reason (2001), this action research has been designed to have 4 phases as well for the co-operative action research being carried out in this particular group of teacher educators. Considering about those reflections expressed by previous semester’s students, in phase 1, this group of co-operative action researchers have decided on the need to improve their guiding practice. In phase 2, this group of action researchers make themselves as a subject in their research. Meaning, they themselves involved actively as part of the samples in their research. They plan their action, apply their action, conduct reflection and also document the whole process and outcome of their practice. Phase 2 and 3 are repeated cycles in the sense that each of the action researchers is addressing the same issue for improvement, or some may choose to have different aspect for improvement. They observe their own action during guiding and teaching, and then reflect they action individually. After compiling data for some time, in phase 4, they gather and share their experiences together.

As his samples of participant, Sigrid has chosen 3 students cases to be his research target, for him to make some improvement in the 3 cases. Case 1 concerned a student with online guiding and through criticism, to determine on Sigrid’s practice that has been influenced by his colleagues’ guiding practice. Case 2 dealt with interviewing student by the mean of love, from time to time to get feedback on the level of satisfaction in learning and also keep improving teaching and guiding strategies according to student’s demand. Case 3 is another case with online guiding together with face-to-face encounters, making the sample student to believe in her writing ability through praising her. It is a lost that there has no any video recording being taken throughout the research. This means all the data being collected can only be delivered to others through written reports, without concrete visual narrative. For each case studied, Sigrid has listed down the challenge or problem that may occur, then the solution on how the problem being solved and what can he gain through the case studied.
Besides the three student samples, Sigrid has taken himself as a sample. He has attended to his supervisor’s music concert. With no any knowledge regarding that particular music presented by his supervisor, he has made straightforward critique, regardless the feeling of his supervisor and he has forgotten that he holds intention to have inquiry and humble discussion with his supervisor.

By the effort done by Sigrid and colleagues, their student teachers start to practice co-operative action research during their practical period in practical-school. The cycle of plan, act, observe, reflect and new plan continues till their aims being achieved or they get start with a new dimension of teaching and learning improvement.

Through the research being carried out above, Sigrid concluded that as student teacher, one should have awareness on students’ value and provide them opportunities to discover them, prior preparation is important before entering into student-teacher role, emotion is an important factor to be taken note in term of self development. Sigrid has accepted the notion of love and critique as a need in his guiding improvement. About Sigrid’s critique on his supervisor’s music, his supervisor has finally accepted his critique as constructive critique and has made some improvement on his music. Therefore, taking others critique in a positive manner, with the intention to improve in guiding actions, is also an important element to be implied in teacher educators.

3rd piece for sharing…
The comparisons between these 3 journals….to follow.

Tugasan 2 Journal Review (Part 2)

Title : Using Observational Data to Provide Performance Feedback to Teachers: A High School Case Study
Journal : Preventing School Failure
Author : Geoff Colvin, K. Brigid Flannery, George Sugai, and James Monegan
Year : 2009
Volume : 53
Number : 2
Page : 95-104

Overview:
Educators face problem in improving both academic achievement and social behaviors of students. Thus this research has been carried out in order to assist educators in finding ways to help in student management improvement, by improving educators’ instructional practices. One useful strategy is to conduct classroom observations and provide performance feedback. This strategy is to focus on classroom instructional settings, instructional practice and classroom student behavior.

Some literature reviews has been done prior to this research. For instance, under some government acts, attention was being focused on identifying the most effective ways in increasing students’ academic achievements. Previous studies analysis has shown that school achievement improvement is always associated with the development of supportive infrastructure and the efficiency of classroom instructional practices. The key to develop efficient instructional practices is to provide teachers with performance feedback.

This research is being conducted by using classroom observation method to assess the relation between the classroom level of engagement and students’ social behaviors and the instructional practices used by their teacher, meanwhile giving performance feedback on effective instructional practices to improve the class engagement and their social behaviors. The participant of this research is a male teacher who is having problem in maintaining attention of his students and reducing side talk during his science class. He claims that he has tried all methods but none of the method seems to work on this particular class.

An observation of a 45 minutes block period on that particular ninth-grade science class after lunch has been conducted. A few steps of classroom observation instrument have been developed which includes identifying research-based effective instructional strategies, relating students’ engagement in instructional practices, relating teacher practices and students behavior, adjusting observation procedures, documenting and providing clear feedback to teacher. Data has been gathered in 3 variables, which are the setting of the class period, teacher’s behavior and class engagement. General information are being collected using a cover sheet, where a reference chart identifying the codes of the context of the teaching, teacher’s action and class behavior is built and all the coded options are being well defined. A recording form is being used to record the classroom observation for each of the ten intervals during 1 visit. Altogether 3 classroom visits has been done. 4 sets of 10 intervals observation have been conducted during each visit.

2 observers have been arranged to conduct observation in three separate classroom visits to field-test the observation instrument. They both discuss about the observation items, complete their observation and then meet up for discussion on observation result. By making comparison in and between these observation sessions, the consistencies, reliability, variability, and spread can be assessed. As for this research, the reliability coefficient of 93 % has been achieved through all the observations done.

After each round of observation, a review of the observation is being done by the teacher and observers to analyze the data collected and develop an action plan to modify instructional practices. The teacher is then continued on with the cycle of action research by implying action plan strategies which are developed from the first round of observation, into the process of teaching. Second round of observation is done by researchers, feedback session is being conducted together with the teacher and new summary statements are made based on the first and second observations done. The result shows that the students’ engagement in class has increased whereas off-task behavior has decreased. The action plan is then being modified again to get better improvement in classroom teaching and learning process. The third round of observation is being conducted. Thereafter, data examination and discussions have been done during the third feedback session. Analysis of data has shown that the overall class engagement, teacher behaviors and setting variables have been improved throughout the process of action research. Besides, students’ problem social behavior has been decreased and teacher’s instructional practices have been improved to be more efficient as well. Therefore, no further observation is being scheduled. Instead, the teacher has been suggested to carry on with weekly review on the effort done on this action research to keep continuous classroom improvement.

A 2nd piece to share…Another 1 more pending.

The comparison on the similarities & differentiations on samples, setting, procedure & analysis data are to be followed.

Tugasan 2 Journal Review (Part 1)

Title : Pupils as action researchers: improving something important in our lives
Journal : Educational Journal of Living Theories
Author : Branko Bognar and Marica Zovko
Year : 2009
Volume : 1
Number: 1
Page : 1-49


Overview:
Although action research is developing all along these while in educational practice, yet, the role of participating pupils in action research has not fully explored. Realizing action research is not just about teaching strategies to gain better educational results but it is life itself, this particular research on 10-year-old students taking over the whole process of action research has been carried out. This research is only suitable to be done in child-oriented school whose main purpose is the development of the creative potentials of all participants. This research also shows that action research is meaningful only if students are engaged with it on their own interest, self-chosen values and on the basis of their own needs.

Some literature reviews have been done prior to the research, by referring to research ideas from Kurt Lewin, John Collier, Cooke, Hodgkins, Lippitt, Whitehead, Kemmis, McTaggart, McNiff, Stenhouse, Hegel and Bognar. Thereafter, Branko Bognar with the collaboration of Marica Zovko has started with this action research on the basis of assuming action research as a process of systematic and productive actions. Both Branko and Marica share the same educational values in the context of teaching and learning process, which emphasize much on freedom and creativity in teaching and learning. Realizing through a prior action research done by Bill Atweh’s, Clare Christensen’s and Louise Dornan’s (1998), that an action research in education will not give positive outcomes if the sample students cannot feel that they themselves are included in the research and they do not know how a particular action research may help them in their learning process, Branko and Marica have concluded that a very important part of an action research inquiry is to be the selection of concern made by students themselves.

The action research planned by Marica is different from Branko as Marica’s research concentrates on involving pupils actively in action research, while for Branko, his aim is to help teachers in the process of their action research. The research diaries are being posted on the internet forum regularly so that other action researchers can have discussion and always being updated with the progression of the research. As for data collection, video and audio records and photographs are the main sources in this research.

As a start, a group-interview has been conducted on Marica’s students to determine their understanding on their roles in this research. Students have been given full freedom to decide on whether to participate in this research or not.

The research is designed in that way, in which students are firstly being familiarized with some of the process of data-gathering, involving questionnaires, interviews, rating-scales and a research-diary through plays and engaging in some interesting activities. Then, students are to define their own values, and this followed by the determination of the shared values among all the students. Each morning, a conversation regarding action research is being conducted and any student can share their finding and actions with their classmates. After the morning meeting, further activities are being arranged in order to figure out the best way for implementing the suggestions given by students according to their values made. Data gathering is done through the form of playing and doing some stimulating activities. Throughout the process, students who are actively engaged in action research have become critical friends to their classmates, who can voice out their opinions, suggestions or critic on particular action research done by their friends. After 2 weeks of the action research being carried out by students, they start to analyze on their work. Meaning, the students are having self-evaluation as an element in completing the cycle of their action research. They tolerate praise and criticism and share their findings to the classmates. After the analysis presentation, some of the student action researchers feel satisfied with their action research and improvements, whereas some start to find their way out for better improvement. Following step, the students are then being taught of making reports on their action research being done and present it to others. At the final stage of the action research, reflection is being done using questionnaire. As the students act actively in their action research, Marica’s job is as a guide to them whenever they face with crises.

In Marica’s research, some students have not participated at all in the action research since the very first stage. Some students engaged actively in the research by making their own values, planning relevant activities to bring out the meaning of their set values. Some students participated at the early stage of the research, which is defining their own values, but later on, they started to loss interest and confident on carry on with the following steps. They seem to be lost somewhere else in the process, which the reason could be worrying on the unchangeable of the current condition.

As for Branko, his main role in this research is to guide Marica in helping students to become action researcher themselves. By doing so, he keeps track on Marica’s research diary from time to time and feedback accordingly. During the half way when the action research is towards an end, Branko has helped out Marica to check on whether the students are really understand with what they have done regarding action research, by conducting another group-interview. The answers from those participated students are satisfied and that have clearly shown that they are in full understanding on their own action research. To help Marica further in her action research, Branko has recommended 1 of his collaborative action researchers’ classroom to become validation group for Marica’s student action researchers’ reports on their action research inquiries. Thereafter, Marica repeats the whole process of action research again in her classroom so make all students clear on each steps involved.

Till then, just to share…
The comparison on the similarities & differentiations on samples, setting, procedure & analysis data are to be followed.

Kuliah ke-4

Steps in Action Research Process

Litereture review:
- review on books, journals, seminar articles & reports
- think critically while reading through
- required HOT (high level of thinking) -->make comparison and differentiation, analyze, evaluate, summarize, syntheses
- Make comparison & differentiation = look for the similarities of criteria (characteristics, quality etc)
- this technique is required when there are 2 or more characteristics/probabilities and also when doing selection/making decision
- Analyze = break down all the information into small pieces so that the concept can be understand easier, thereafter to figure out the hidden meaning
- this technique is used to understand about the relationship between small pieces/parts & know about the principle involved
- Evaluate = consider about an issue in terms of its pro and cons based on the valid evidences
- this technique is used when we tend to make decision on a selection or accept/oppose an idea
- Summarize = making facts on the outcomes of research based on hypotheses
- Synthesize = gather small parts of information together to form a cluster which all the small parts have link between each other, thereafter produce new statements for better understanding

Aktiviti Kumpulan 3

Kerja Kumpulan (Assarah Ahmad Suki, Wong Wan Heng, Siti Sarah Udzir)

Nyatakan 8 sebab mengapa orang menentang perubahan dan bincangkan cara penyelesaiannya.

Sebab menetang perubahan:
1. Routin hidup terganggu
2. Ketidakpastian hasil/impak
3. Kena membuat perancangan baru
4. Bukan kehendak diri individu
5. Hilang/luput kepentingan status
6. Masa yang diambil untuk implementasi perubahan boleh digunakan untuk melakukan perkara routin dengan lebih baik
7. Tidak nampak keperluan/kepentingan untuk berubah
8. Kurang motivasi

Cara penyelesaian:
1. Perlu ada sokongan penuh dari pihak berkuasa terhadap sesuatu perubahan yang dilakukan
2. Perlu mempunyai rangsangan luar untuk mencetus semangat ingin berubah
3. Memberi ganjaran yang berpatutan terhadap mereka yang berjaya mengendalikan perubahan
4. Mengikiraf jasa dan usaha yang telah dicurah demi melakukan perubahan
5. Menerap sikap positif dan proaktif
6. Menyediakan garis panduan yang jelas tentang perubahan yang hendak dilaksanakan

Kuliah Minggu ke-3

Pengurusan Perubahan Dalam Pendidikan (Dr Mohd Izham)

Konsep perubahan dalam pendidikan:
- Perubahan didapti lebih menggambarkan ciri-ciripendidikan berbanding dengan kestabilan.

Masalah:
- Wujudnya ketidakpastian dalam perubahan

Jenis-jenis perubahan: (Mengikut Dessler, 1995)
1. Perubahan ke arah penigkatan (enhancement)
- perubahan yang memberi kesan kepada komponen-komponen tertentu dalam organisasi seperti berlaku perubahan dalam struktur organisasi, mengimplimentasi teknologi baru, mengadakan program pembangunan staf untuk meningkatkan komitmen dan produktiviti staf dsb

2. Perubahan strategic organisasi (organisasi berubah kerana persekitaran)
- perubahan yang melibatkan keseluruhan organisasi seperti mendefinisi semula peranan organisasi, mendefinisi semula staf dari segi tugas, peranan, tanggungjawab dan sistem ganjaran, perubahan nilai teras organisasi, pembentukan semula misi, perubahan struktur dan strategi organisasi dsb

3. Perubahan reaktif
- perubahan yang berlaku akibat tindakbalas langsung daripada pelanggan dan pihak berkepentingan (stakeholders)
- perubahan dari segi prosedur dan cara layanan pelanggan perlu dilakukan

4. Perubahan akibat jangkaan
- perubahan yang dilakukan ataas kesedaran dalam kalangan pihak pengurusan yang mana perubahan adalah diperlukan bagi memastikan organisasi memperolehi kebaikan kompetitif (membuat persiapan unuk mengahadapi pesaing baru yang bakal muncul, persiapan bagi menghadapi polisi kerajaan, perubahan dalam trend tenaga kerja dsb)

Ciri-ciri perubahan:
i. Perubahan adalah kompleks
- dikaikan dengan proses evolusi & revolusi
(evolusi: - perubahan yang menghasilkan kesan yang sedikit dalma tempoh yang panjang;
- mengakibatkan perubahan yang ketara dalam status quo
revolusi: - perubahan yang pantas
- meninggalkan kesan yang membinasakan)
- kompleksiti perubahan merupakan fokus bagi mendapatkan maklumat tentang perubahan dan tindakan yang perlu diambil untuk mengimplimentasikan perubahan

ii. Perubahan adalah multidimensi
- sebarang keputusan yang diambil untuk dilakukan perubahan melibatkan pelbagai pertimbangan, antaranya mengenalpasti semua dimensi yang berkaitan dengan perubahan
- terdapat 6 dimensi:
1. Tujuan perubahan
2. Unit perubahan
3. Sifat perubahan
4. Magnitud perubahan
5. Skop perubahan
6. Jangka masa perubahan

Model-model perubahan:
1. Model Penggabungan Roger
- Menurut model Roger, proses inovasi bermula apabila masalah atau keperluan telah dikenalpasti. Masalah atau keperluan ini mungkin berdasarkan penyelidikan keadaan semasa, kerja makmal atau jangkaan pembangunan akan datang
- Setelah masalah atau keperluan dikenalpasti, penyiasatan terhadap permasalahan dan cara penyelesaian dilakukan. Fasa ini melibatkan eksperiment dan cipaan yang banyak untuk menghasilkan inovasi.
- Roger (1995) turut mengaku bahawa inovasi tidak semestinya terhasil dari penyelidikan. Ia mungkin terhasil daripada amalan praktikal di mana pengamal mencari jawapan kepada permasalahan yang timbul (knowing-in-action)

2. Model Kanter
- Kanter (1998): struktur dan inovasi boleh difahami dengan lebih baik jika proses inovasi dibahagi kepada beberapa tugas utama: 1. Penjanaan idea 2. Pembinaa idea 3. Merealisasi idea 4. Pemindahan idea

3. Model Rand
- Tujuan utama kajian: menentukan faktor yang menyebabkan atau menghalang perubahan pendidikan
- memandu ke arah pengumpulan data dan analisis

4. Model ACOT
- berdasarkan Project Apple Classroom of Tomorrow – kajian pengenalan komputer di dalam bilik darjah
- Pengkaji menyimpulkan bahawa kehendak perubahan dalam P&P telah berkembang secara beransur-ansur
- 5 langkah perubahan dalam proses P&P:
1. Kemasukan
2. Pemilihan
3. Penyesuaian
4. Penggunaan
5. Mereka cipta

Tugasan 1: Ulasan Buku

Title : Participatory Action Research for Educational Leadership – Using Data-driven and Decision Making to Improve Schools
Author : E. Alana James, Margaret T. Milenkiewicz, Alan Bucknam
Year of publication: 2008
Publisher : Sage Publications

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a useful tool for educators, whether working alone or in groups, to develop efficient methods in the effort of improving classroom teaching and learning. They are a few reasons why educators should carry out PAR. Among all, PAR practitioners can develop their professional capacity through critical reflection. Local expertise can be developed and the practitioners are more motivated about their work by carrying out PAR studies.

PAR research group (project team) is a group of people in different roles who are willing to work together in a collaborative environment without hierarchy. Educational issue is selected and studied by these participatory groups. Sometimes, the participatory groups may need the involvement of students, their families or other parties. A few steps used in PAR process: Diagnose, Act, Measure and Reflect.
(i) Diagnose: PAR team identified the topic to be studied, doing theory and literally research regarding what others have done in the similar situations.
(ii) Act: Based on the research done during Diagnose stage, PAR team plans possible action and ways to measure the topic identified, in order to increase level of effectiveness.
(iii) Measure: PAR team implements action planned to achieve student-level outcomes, and this followed by measurement of how their actions affected the populations they are studying.
(iv) Reflect: PAR team reflects their process, actions and outcomes individually and then as a group. During the reflection, they also brainstorm alternatives situations and plan for additional actions for improvement.

In short, the logical model of PAR involved the basic process, including identifying problem for research purpose, literature review, establishment of theoretical and practical understanding of the particular issue, data collection and analysis and finally results reporting.

After completed one cycle of PAR steps, PAR team starts the same series of steps again and this creates a cyclical motion of increasing knowledge and understanding, then implementing change based on their data findings.

Procedures involved in planning PAR first draft of logical model are as below:
Step 1: Build a five-column, three-row table. Each column is given a heading with the arrangement followed as per below:
Questions to be addressed, Previous studies, Variables elements to be measured, Local measurements and Form of analysis.
As many columns are to be filled as possible.
Step 2: Add in two more research questions that are closely aligned to the favorite example of a purpose statement in the first column of each of the two blank rows.
Step 3: Insert as many types of research methods or data collection methods that make sense to the consideration on how to measure experiences which can help in answering the selected research question.
Step 4: Time Line and Personal Responsible may be added into the table (in additional two more columns) which can help in establishing due dates for individual team member accountability of the divided work asks.
Step 5: Share the first draft of logical model with other PAR participants. Discuss similarities, differences or questions that may occurred.

Some ethical considerations that form the foundation on the designation on each PAR cycle including obtain informed consent, do no harm, respect confidentiality, develop knowledge, hold to validity, credibility and reliability as standards, act to the benefit of others, report results honestly.

PAR requires both qualitative and quantitative data collection. Qualitative data collection methods involve data collected directly in words from people (interviewing individuals or groups selected as participatory samples), data collected once or throughout a process of change (handwritten or verbal account of evens over time through reflective journals or field notes (by observation on events)) and data collected during the event(s) being studied (using anecdotal evidence and logs or observations). Qualitative data collection is subject to biases of the samples involved both in collecting the evidence and in providing it. Qualitative data analysis requires sorting and re-sorting data until theoretical understandings emerged. PAR teams starts with reviewing the evidences being collected followed by determining the validity, credibility and reliability of the analysis. PAR teams achieve these objectives by having discussion on whether and to what extend the conclusions made match the evidence, and also challenging whether and to what extend evidence collected is adequate.

As for Quantitative a collection, the methods involved are observations, surveys or questionnaires, samples selection and time series. After the quantitative data has been sufficiently collected, PAR teams are to analyze the data using descriptive analysis (mean, percentage of frequencies and standard deviation). Besides, t-test and correlation can be utilized in testing whether and to what extent certain results correlate with other characteristics.

All the data analysis has to meet the validity, credibility and reliability. Validity means the degree to which data and results are accurate reflections of reality. Credibility is the degree to which the person reading the report thinks the conclusions make sense. Whereas reliability means the consistency of the research findings in general.

At the end of each PAR cycle, PAR teams will take time to review the preliminary analysis to ensure on their increased understanding resulting from the cycle. Thereafter, they will make the final report on the whole process of the cycle of PAR. They may present their writing in the form of formal report, informal individual report or even community report.

As overall evaluation towards this guidebook, I found it to be a useful guide for us as the beginners in the field of action research, seeking clearer concepts regarding action research, trying to understand those process and steps involved in action research. It does contain some relevant examples in implementation of action research in teaching and learning improvement. Besides, this book displayed reflective questions after each topic of discussion. This provides the readers (research action practitioners) a platform to review their steps taken from time to time during the implementation of action research, to ensure that they are always be in the correct track..