Action Research in Adult Basic Education in the District of Columbia
The University of the District of Columbia

Discussion: Action Research as Professional Development

General Overview: Join our guests from the University of the District of Columbia and teacher researchers on the Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List to discuss a broad range of topics related to action research in adult literacy professional development (PD), including:

• Defining action research
• Problems/questions from instruction that could become action research
• Teachers' experiences with action research
• Action Research in Adult Basic Education in the District of Columbia, nationally, and internationally
• Using practitioner inquiry as professional development
• Ancillary support systems for action research
• Tools that give teachers different modes for examining their practice and to build a PD community
• Role of action research in "evidence-based practice"
• Action research as a transformative professional development

About the Video

Action Research:
      Practitioner Based Inquiry in Adult Basic Education in Washington, DC.

This 20-minute video was made by the State Education Agency, Adult Education and Family Literacy and the University of the District of Columbia, Department of Education to document two years of guided research (2003-2005) undertaken by adult and family literacy practitioner in Washington, DC. A team, which comprised of professor at the University of the District of Columbia and State Education Agency staff, guided the research. Thirteen adult basic education teachers (practitioners) did the research in different areas such as ESOL, ABE, GED and Workplace literacy. The video shows teacher-researchers discussing their research experiences and their findings.