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This week you will participate in two discussions

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This week you will participate in two discussions. In the first discussion you will use the Internet to examine data charts for Riverside school district and evaluate them for effectiveness and usefulness. In the second discussion you will analyze the place in which you work from an action research perspective.

 

What You Need to Know

Action Research: A Systemic Approach to Investigation

This week you'll begin reading Stringer and Aragon's Action Research. Unlike experimental or quantitative research that looks for generalizable explanations related to a small number of variables, action research seeks to engage the complex dynamics involved in any social context. It uses continuing cycles of investigation designed to reveal effective solutions to issues and problems experienced in specific situations and localized settings, providing the means by which people in schools, businesses, community agencies and organizations, and health and human services may increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their work. In doing so, it also seeks to build a body of knowledge that enhances professional and community practices and works to increase the well-being of the people involved.

 

Read the following in your Action Research text. These chapters introduce the concept of an inquiry/continuous improvement cycle, specifically an action research cycle. You’ll read about how action research is a systematic approach to investigation that enables people to find effective solutions to problems they confront in their everyday lives.

 

Chapter 1, "Understanding Action Research."

Chapter 2, "Theoretical Foundations of Action Research."

Complete the following interactive media activity, which provides a concise summary of the action research model:

 

Action Research Paradigm Protocol.

Systems Plots

Read the following in your Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results text. In these readings, you'll learn about system plots, also known as systems archetypes, as representations of the chronic complex problems that organizations find difficult to solve. Two specific types of system plots you should focus on carefully are reinforcing and balancing feedback. How have you seen these common system plots play out in your own organization?

 

Chapter 4, "Deciphering the Plots of Systems Stories," on pages 45–68.

Appendices A and C, on pages 223–226. 

Critical Thinking Tools

Read the following in the Paul and Elder text, Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life:

 

Chapter 3, "Self-Understanding," on pages 45–55. You’ll learn how to improve all three components of thinking: analysis, evaluation, and rethinking. As you continue to read and reflect on this text you’ll become more proficient at analyzing your own thought processes and better understand where you stand in the hierarchy of effective critical thinking.

Write Your Discussion Post

Action Research and Data Visualization

Jessie is especially interested in developing opportunities for partnerships with Riverside Unified, a nearby school district. Riverside’s superintendent has expressed enthusiasm for working with Jessie’s organization, and Jessie is eager to leverage this support. She knows, however, that she needs to learn a lot more about the district. So, she opens a link she has bookmarked on her desktop that contains publicly available data on the students, staff, and financial data for this district and all school districts in the state:

 

Ed-Data. (n.d.). Riverside Unified. https://www.ed-data.org/district/Riverside/Riverside-Unified

For this discussion, imagine yourself in Jessie’s place as you examine the data charts and tables for Riverside from the website above. Her first task is to gain an overview of the district’s student and staff demographics.

 

After reviewing both charts and tables and filtering the data by number, percentage, and sub-groupings (where available):

 

What can you infer about the Riverside Unified district in terms of student population? In terms of district mobility, given differences between the Census Enrollment and Cumulative Enrollment?

What can you conclude from a comparison of the 2017–2018 Free and Reduced-Price Meals; Unduplicated Pupil Count of Free/Reduced-Price Meals, English Learners & Foster Youth; and English Learners?

What other inferences can be made from the Riverside Unified District demographic data?

Click also on the Performance bar near the bottom of the page to locate the ELA, mathematics, and fitness performance results. Be sure to filter your results by different sub-groups to see similarities and differences.

 

What are 3–5 conclusions you might draw from the data tables and charts?

What questions would you ask to gain clarity about some of the conclusions suggested but not verified by the data?

What are some of the inherent limits to what you can infer from this type of quantitative data? 

Jessie is aware that qualitative research could be used to help increase her knowledge base about the district and inform her decision making. Based on your answer to question 3 in which you explored inherent limits to what can be inferred from quantitative data, what suggestions would you provide to Jessie regarding possible qualitative data that might be helpful in accomplishing her goal of connecting the superintendent and community resources in a way that will promote student academic success? Comment on how you would recommend collecting these data, and recommend one or two approaches for analyzing the data.

 

Discusion 2

Action Research in Your Organization

For this discussion post, in Stringer and Aragon's Action Research, read the Introduction to the Reflection and Learning Activities (at the end of Chapter 1). Then, respond to the Reflection questions.

Complete your post with a reflection on any sections of the chapter that are uninformative or unclear. What questions come to mind as a result of reading the chapter, the answers to which would enhance your understanding of action research?