research Action-Based Research A Collaborative Initiative for Wisconsin
Music Educators, Part I Paul J. Budde, WMEA State Chair, Research
Introduction – About This Initiative This is the f irst article in a series about action-based research.
As the WMEA Research Chair, I
hope to increase participation in music- education research across Wisconsin. In this article, I will provide an overview of a research option that is perfectly suited for the classroom teacher: action-based research.
As music educators, we conduct informal research every day. Consider, for example, the ways in which you have experimented to improve teaching and learning, based on the needs of your students, your strengths and weaknesses, changes to your weekly schedule or the availability of resources. Too often, however, we do not formalize our experiments in ways that allow us to share tangible findings with parents, col- leagues or administrators. After reading this article, I hope you will be able see the benefits of action-based research, includ- ing natural connections to what you are already doing in your classroom.
Action-Based Research – An Overview Action-based research is a systematic ex- periment carried out by an educator who seeks to improve teaching and learning within his or her unique classroom set- ting. Although there are many reasons to engage in action-based research, it is often initiated when an educator experi- ences turbulence in the journey of teaching and learning. In such cases, the teacher
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explores new ways of doing in order to help students succeed.
Like any research agenda, there are sev- eral steps included within action-based research. These include:
1. Identifying a Research Focus – the teacher identifies an area of interest or need within his or her teaching setting
2. Developing Questions – the teacher formulates specific research questions that provide the framework for the study
3. Determining Approaches – the teacher identifies two or more distinct teaching approaches to implement (and compare) in the study
4. Selecting Participants – the teacher identifies specific classes/ students who will be included in the study
5. Carrying Out Research – the teacher carries out an experiment by implementing specific strategies within the teaching setting
6. Collecting Data – after a predetermined amount of time, the teacher collects data (e.g., tests, surveys, etc.) to compare the teaching approaches utilized in the study
7. Analyzing Data – the teacher analyzes data to determine the relative success of each teaching approach utilized in the study
8. Reporting Findings – the teacher shares the results of the study with selected audiences (e.g., parents, colleagues, administration, conference attendees, etc.)
9. Incorporating Findings – the teacher adjusts strategies for teaching and learning, based on the findings of his or her study
For the sake of clarity, consider the fol- lowing scenario:
Mr. Fortissimo’s fourth-grade stu- dents are having trouble performing dotted-quarter/eighth-note pat- terns. After a disappointing rhythm- performance test, Mr. Fortissimo decides it is time to try something different. Since he has three fourth- grade classes, he decides to do an experiment in which he compares three different teaching strategies to determine which is most effective in helping his students accurately perform dotted-quarter/eighth-note patterns. With one class, he contin- ues as normal: the students count rhythm exercises together, using TA and TI-TI. In his second class, he has students practice in the same manner, but includes use of a metronome each time (something he hadn’t been do- ing). With his third class, he utilizes a rote-teaching approach in which he models rhythms, then has the students echo back to him. After one month of practice, he retests each student, using the same rhythm-performance test that inspired his experiment. Mr. Fortissimo discovers that his second class, the one in which he included a metronome, outperformed the other two. Excited about his discovery, he shares his findings with his students, then starts using a metronome with all of his classes. To his delight, the counting issues that plagued his students dissipate over time. At the end of the year, he shares his discov- ery with Ms. Fermata, his building
April 2017
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