Action Research as Professional Development Discussion
Additional Information

About the Project

The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) State Education Agency, Adult Education (SEA) and the UDC Department of Education, Graduate Certificate Program in Adult Education are engaged in a research project, using Action Research methods, on education instructional practices and strategies in adult basic education. Teachers of adult basic education are the researchers in this project. The following are goals of the research project.

1. To provide professional development opportunities for teachers to gain knowledge and experiences in ways to improve their instructional practices and better communicate and share with one another on common teaching issues;
2. To provide opportunities to teachers to reflect on their classroom experiences, identify challenges, design instructional strategies to address the challenges and implement the strategies (taking action) to improve the conditions;
3. To collect research-based information on instructional practices in order to improve adult learning in adult basic education programs in the District of Columbia;
4. To identify promising practices and disseminate the information to other teachers in order to enhance learners' outcome in reading, language acquisition, math and the use of technology;
5. To provide research-based information to the Graduate Certificate in Adult Education Program at UDC to connect practitioners' research and teacher education.

The research is directed and guided by a research team established prior to launching the research. The team includes UDC professors, State Education Agency (SEA) staff and teacher representatives from local programs. One of the team members is from the UDC Department of Social Work and is particularly interested about participation and retention in adult education programs.

The Research team provides professional development to teachers by having workshops on the different elements of action research. The workshop also provides forum for the teacher researchers to discuss their research with their colleagues and the team. Team members visit teachers at their workplace and observe classes and give feedback to teachers on what they have observed. The university blackboard system is also used by teacher-researchers and the team to discuss certain issues pertaining to the research.

In the last three years, seventeen adult education teachers participated in the research project. The individual projects include a wide range of topics such as strategies for reading improvement, issues in attendance and participation, techniques in teaching ESOL classes, effective instructions in family literacy settings, using technology in adult basic education classes, self-paced learning (using technology) and raising learners' awareness with special population (in this case homeless adult learner), project-based learning, learning social studies using authentic materials and studying the instructional gap between CASAS assessment instrument and GED instructional materials. All of the teacher-researchers work at different community-based adult education programs in the District of Columbia.

GUESTS
Teacher Researchers:

Patricia DeFerrari works for Academy of Hope which runs several adult education programs including ABE/GED classes. Her research was on the use of authentic materials to improve attendance in ABE reading class.

Adrienne Jones works for Catholic Charities GED program. Her research was on how daily interactive, self-paced computer learning and discussion time with peers and the instructor effect written posttest scores in science, reading and social studies.

Kris Garvin works for Notre Dame Adult Education Center. Her research was on using authentic material to improve social studies scores in GED. Her research also focused on building, highlighting, and reinforcing personal connections learners have to community, history, and current events.

Cheryl Jackson works as an independent consultant teaching workplace education classes for the District Department of Transportation employees. Her research topic focused on how computer technology could be used to improve reading comprehension and word recognition skills for low-level readers participating in a workplace education program.

Chenniah Randolph works for Metropolitan Delta GED program. Her research was on the instructional gap between CASAS assessment instrument and GED instructional materials.

University of the District of Columbia Researchers

Maigenet Shifferraw, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate Program in Adult Education, Department of Education, University of the District of Columbia

Dr. Shifferraw is the Principal Investigator for the Action Research project in Adult Basic Education at the University of the District of Columbia. The actual researchers are the adult education teachers who are teaching in community based organization, but we (the team) is also responsible for evaluating the benefits of guided action research to enhancing the professional development of adult education teachers.

Janet Burton, DSW, Professor and Director, Social Work Program, University of the District of Columbia

As a member of the Action research team, Janet Burton provides consultation on research particularly related to social factors and adult education. She is conducting a study that examines how social factors impact participation in adult basic education.

George W. Spicely, Adjunct Professor, Department of Education, University of the District of Columbia; and Education Consultant

George Spicely coordinates the work of the Action Research Project Team and provides support to the participating teacher-researchers. Specifically, he coordinates planning, implementation and follow-up of project activities, and leads research related discussion on administrative and research issues using Blackboard software.

Supplemental Materials:

1. Streaming Video: Action Research in Adult Basic Education in the District of Columbia
2. "What is Research?" Focus on Basics, Volume 1, Issue A: February 1997, National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
   Includes articles:
   • "Research with Words: Qualitative Inquiry"
   • "Knowing, Learning, Doing: Participatory Action Research
3. "Learning from Practice" A Project of the Pennsylvania ABLE Lifelong Learning
   Shares information on Project's three Learning from Practice Models:
   • Pennsylvania Action Research Network (PAARN)
   • Pennsylvania Adult Literacy Practitioner Inquiry Network
   • Agency Research Projects
4. New! The Action Research Topic Area of the ALE Wiki