Deck 16: Action Research

Question 1

According to your text, which of the following is NOT a key characteristic of Action research?

A) Action research is persuasive.
B) Action research is relevant.
C) Action research is intricate.
D) Action research is accessible.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

That action research should be socially responsive is a component of __________ action research.

A) practical
B) applied
C) reflective
D) critical

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The text discusses all of the following levels of action research EXCEPT

A) individual teacher research.
B) district-wide research.
C) single department research.
D) schoolwide research.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Eve wants to conduct a study that examines the benefits and drawbacks of using thematic units to teach core concepts in her middle school. Of the following, who is the most likely collaborator for Eve to work with on her study?

A) Kerry, her principal
B) Kim, her superintendent
C) Pat, a University researcher
D) Carol, another middle school teacher

Question 5

Which of the following is the best example of action research?

A) As requested by the school board, Maurice examines motivation for second language acquisition by fifth-grade students.
B) Samantha assesses her fifth grade learners' second language acquisition during the school year and issues each a grade.
C) Dana examines whether the way she is teaching second language vocabulary is successful.
D) Nina tests whether there should be a second language program for middle school children in the state.

Question 6

Aggie is a paraprofessional conducting an action research project that examines the role of structured cooperative seatwork in mathematics classes in her school. She is sharing her findings with other teachers and paraprofessionals. Aggie is now likely engaged in which phase of the action research?

A) Identifying an area of focus
B) Data collection
C) Data analysis and interpretation
D) Action planning

Question 7

According to your text one of the reasons that teachers might avoid conducting action research involving multiple schools is the

A) organizational complexity of schools.
B) politics of working with other districts.
C) concerns of parents in different communities.
D) limited experiences of teachers conducting research.

Question 8

Given what you know about types of research data, of the following, which is the most likely data source for an action researcher?

A) Classroom test scores
B) Interview data
C) Survey data
D) Pre-existing achievement data

Question 9

Which of the following is the best example of an action research study topic for Ron, a third grade teacher, to pursue?

A) The decrease in the schools' scores on the third grade state-wide mathematics scores
B) The effectiveness of a new creative writing program he is implemented in his class
C) The effects of the recent publication of third grade teachers' qualifications by the local media
D) An examination of the nutritional needs of his students compared to the national standards

Question 10

Which of the following is a component of a practical action research as presented in your text?

A) Teacher researchers are participatory and democratic.
B) Teacher researchers are socially responsive.
C) Teacher researchers want to reflect on their practices.
D) Teacher researchers conduct action research without compensation.

Question 11

Which of the following is an action research reconnaissance activity as presented in your text?

A) Self-reflection
B) Pragmatic application
C) Taking action
D) Follow-through

Question 12

Lyla feels she may not be as successful as she would like to be in conveying to her students the connections between current Middle Eastern relationships and the historical foundations of the region. She has identified this as an area of focus for her action research study. She now is engaged in reconnaissance. Which of the following activities is Lyla likely to engage in?

A) Persuasive activities
B) Descriptive activities
C) Application activities
D) Implementation activities

Question 13

Emancipatory action research is also known as _____________ action research.

A) practical
B) applied
C) critical
D) reflective

Question 14

Nina is engaged in the action research process for a study that considers the role of oral reading during instruction. She is considering the educational values that she holds. In which phase of the action research process is Nina currently engaged?

A) Identifying an area of focus
B) Data collection
C) Data analysis and interpretation
D) Action planning

Question 15

According to your text, which of the following statistics is the one most likely to be used by an action researcher?

A) T test
B) Standard deviation
C) Correlation coefficient
D) ANOVA

Question 16

Which of the following is the last step in the action research process?

A) Data analysis
B) Data interpretation
C) Action planning
D) Generalizing the findings

Question 17

Which of the following is a component of critical action research as presented in your text?

A) Teacher researchers want to reflect on their practices so that they can effectively train other novice teachers..
B) Teacher researchers have decision-making authority to change education from inside the classroom at the district level.
C) Teacher researchers examine taken-for-granted ways in which they carry out professional practice.
D) Teacher researchers will use a systematic approach for reflecting on their practice both inside and outside of classroom communities.

Question 18

One primary criticism of critical action research is that it is not

A) conducted in a timely manner.
B) socially responsive.
C) practically feasible.
D) consistent with teachers' values.

Question 19

Two main types of action research, as presented in your text, are

A) professional stance and theory-based action research.
B) critical action research and practical action research
C) practical action research and applied action research
D) dialectic action research and critical action research

Question 20

Educational action research is generally conducted by

A) school board members.
B) superintendents.
C) policy analysts.
D) teachers.

Question 21

Alex is a middle school teacher concerned with social rejection of second language learners at her school. She questions whether the practice of pulling children out of the regular classroom for enhanced English instruction is contributing to this rejection and decides to do an action research project to address the issue. Alex's research study is best described as a(n) ____________ action research study.

A) influential
B) reflective
C) practical
D) critical

Question 22

Which of the following is the most likely research team to conduct an action research study on the role of simulated driving experiences in a school district's driver education curriculum?

A) The superintendent, a school administrator, and the driver's education teachers.
B) A parent committee and the driver's education teachers.
C) A committee of teachers, parents, and insurance agents.
D) The teachers who teach the course.

Question 23

Naima is a speech and language specialist. She works with several students in a large elementary school. She uses mixed age groupings to work with children with specific needs. For example, she places all the students who are disfluent in one group. This year the age discrepancies in her groups seem particularly large and this has made her consider this as an area of focus for an action research study. Given the dialectic action research spiral, the next step for Naima is

A)
B) developing an action plan.
C) analyzing data.
D) interpreting data.

Question 24

Marcus, a new coach, is concerned with the ways in which summer football camp is conducted. Although he is very cautious about the amount of water breaks and rests he employs, he is concerned the athletes may become seriously injured during football camp. Marcus decides to conduct an action research study on the issue. Marcus starts to look into the history of football camp at the school and how the camp developed over time. Of the following, which is the next process Marcus will likely employ?

A) Marcus will next engage in fully describing the football camp situation he would like to change.
B) Marcus will collect data to make decisions about changes to football camp.
C) Marcus will carry out his action planning and share his findings with school administrators and parents.
D) Marcus will take action, and change football camp to protect the health of his athletes.

Question 25

Alex, a middle school teacher, questions whether the practice of pulling children out of the regular classroom for enhanced English instruction is contributing to this rejection and decides to do an action research project to address the issue. Alex's issue is appropriate for an action research study because

A) the study will provide insight into the national curriculum for second language learners.
B) the study involves something that is within Alex's area of focus.
C) community members will advocate for the study.
D) isolated instruction in English is common practice in schools.

Question 26

The first step in the action research process is to

A) collect data.
B) identify an area of focus.
C) develop an action plan.
D) analyze and interpret data.

Question 27

Marcus, a new coach, is concerned with the ways in which summer football camp is conducted. Although he is very cautious about the amount of water breaks and rests he employs, he is concerned the athletes may become seriously injured during football camp. Marcus decides to conduct an action research study on the issue. Marcus starts to look into the history of football camp at the school and how the camp developed over time. Marcus is involved in which phase of reconnaissance?

A) Application
B) Description
C) Explanation
D) Self-reflection

Question 28

According to your text, which of the following is a key characteristic of action research?

A) Action research is intricate.
B) Action research is positivist.
C) Action research is persuasive.
D) Action research is objective.

Question 29

In an action research study conducted in an early childhood education setting, Kemen is engaged in the action research process to address emerging number sense in his classroom. He stated to his colleague, "I believe that manipulatives are a successful mechanism to teach numeracy to young children. I believe it is motivating for them to use toys as their numeracy skills emerge." Kemen is best illustrating which aspect of the dialectic action research spiral?

A) Developing an action plan
B) Collecting data
C) Analyzing and interpreting data
D) Identifying an area of focus

Question 30

For teachers working in school districts, who best determines the action research topics addressed in a school?

A) The district school board
B) Teachers conducting the research
C) Parents of children in the district
D) The children in the school district

Question 31

Takota works in a school with racial and ethnic conflict among the students. He questions whether implementing a peer tutoring program could reduce tensions and is interested in conducting an action research project on the topic. When Takota collects data he should consider collecting data that has which of the following characteristics?

A) The data should be objective.
B) The data should be persuasive.
C) The data should be quantitative.
D) The data should be causal.

Question 32

According to your text, one of the main goals of action research is

A) informing educational policy for stakeholders.
B) determining district-wide curriculum for teachers.
C) educational change that improves student outcomes.
D) data collection for the benefit of school personnel.

Question 33

According to your text, which of the following is NOT a characteristic of practical action research?

A) Teacher researchers have decision-making authority.
B) Teacher researchers will use a systematic approach for reflecting on practice.
C) Teacher researchers will anonymously collect data.
D) Teacher researchers will reflect on their practices.

Question 34

Naima is a speech and language specialist. She works with several students in a large elementary school. She uses mixed age groupings to work with children with specific needs. For example, she places all the students who are disfluent in one group. This year the age discrepancies in her groups seem particularly large and this has made her consider this as an area of focus for an action research study. By asking students how they feel about the mixed age groups, Naima may be demonstrating several characteristics of action research. In doing so, she is best illustrating which of the following characteristics of action research?

A) Action research is democratic.
B) Action research is equitable.
C) Action research is liberating.
D) Action research is enhancing.

Question 35

Takota works in a school with racial and ethnic conflict among the students. He questions whether implementing a peer tutoring program could reduce tensions and is interested in conducting an action research project on the topic. Takota's issue is appropriate for an action research study because
A)

A) the study will appeal to the students and parents in the district.
B) the study involves something Takota is interested in exploring further.
C) the district administrators will support the study.
D) peer tutoring is widely accepted in school districts.

Question 36

Tasa is a primary grade teacher in a rural school district. She and the other teachers have found that after kindergarten there are large differences among the rising first grade students. Some are reading and writing well and others are still 'catching up'. Tasa would like to investigate this further. Tasa's issue is appropriate for an action research study because

A) the study involves something Tasa would like to change.
B) the study should not cost too much to conduct.
C) administrators and policy makers will support the study.
D) there is a body of relevant related empirical research.

Question 37

Which of the following is a question one engaged in descriptive activities might ask?

A) What educational values do I hold?
B) What is the historical context of my school?
C) What evidence do I have that this is a problem?
D) How can I make sense of these data?

Question 38

Liz is a coach who wants to examine the ways in which her coaching addresses sportsmanship. Which of the following is the most relevant data for Liz to consider?

A) National trends in sportsmanship among athletes
B) Parents' perceptions of her athletes' sportsmanship
C) Athlete's behaviors on the field
D) Data from a survey administered in the school

Question 39

Jane has noticed that after kindergarten, some students are reading and writing well, but others are far behind. Jane would like to investigate these differences. Her research study is best described as a(n) ____________ action research study.

A) experimental
B) critical
C) practical
D) reflective

Question 40

Noah is a pack leader conducting an action research study on the structure of his group's scouting experiences. Which of the following data sources is Noah most likely to consult within the context of his study.

A) State-wide demographics of the type of children enrolled in scouting in Noah's state
B) Data from an experimental study that addressed the effects of scouting on students' self-esteem
C) Correlational data regarding the relationship between scouting and later environmental activism
D) Data from semi-structured interviews he conducted with his group members and their families

Question 41

Taylor is conducting an action research study of the acceptance of second language learners in her school by other students. According to typical practice and your text, the types of data sources Taylor will collect for her action research study will most likely include

A) national standardized Reading test scores administered by the district.
B) observations of student interactions during school hours.
C) surveys of parents' preferences for the nature of English language instruction.
D) interviews of administrators' opinions about second language learning.