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Traditional Models of Educational Research

Decent Essays

How does engagement in teacher inquiry differ from traditional models of educational research, and how does this difference compare with your initial interpretation of action research?
Traditional models of educational research have tended to view teachers and students as passive subjects in the educational process. The process-product model "portrays teaching as a primarily linear activity and depicts teachers as technicians... [In the model,] the teacher's role is to implement the research findings of 'outside' experts, almost exclusively university researchers, who are considered alien to the everyday happenings in classrooms" (Dana, n.d., 2). Today, teachers are increasingly called upon to make a personal investment in educational research and can have an active role in shaping its course. "In general, the teacher inquiry movement focuses on the concerns of teachers (not outside researchers) and engages teachers in the design, data collection, and interpretation of data around their question" (Dana, n.d., 4). The teacher inquiry model is also an improvement on anecdotal, qualitative designs, where little empirical data was elicited from teachers. Results of research based in the teacher inquiry model can be generalized to other contexts because they are data-driven, but they also offer personal interpretation from teachers in the field. What are some common assumptions the general public holds about teaching and learning that you would like to see challenged? How can

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