How can action research support educational reform?

Jadambaa B, Narantsetseg D,Batdelger J, Baigalmaa Ch, Altangoo,O

(MSUE)

Our Own MSUE Question Response is How has AR supported educational reform in Mongolia over past 2 decades?◦ Three Stages of Reform ◦ Main Projects for Implementation Collaboration with European partner

Universities Collaboration with New Mexico State

University in MSUE School of Preschool Education with introduction of AR led by Dr. Candace Kaye

◦ Impact of AR activities on local level Identification of Future Activity

Goals for Content of Presentation

1st stag

e

• 1990-2000 – Period of confusing and unconscious imitation from others• Transformation from communist ideology to democratic view of

civil society in which educational system started to reform

2nd stag

e

• 2000-2010 – Period of understanding negative impacts of teacher centered learning and looking for creative reforms which started in this period

3rd stage till present

• 2010 – Creative period to begin upgrading based on research practices, traditions and culture, which is authentic, managed, and adapted period

• We have started the action research mainly to develop professional skills of teachers in all educational stages

• 2010-2012 MSUE School of Preschool Education invited a guest professor from NMSU,USA to gain first understanding of AR and implemented AR projects, ex. Using rubrics for evaluation and setting up local communities of AR activity

Educational Reform Stages: Overview

1990-2000 – Period of confusing and unconscious imitation from others◦ How to begin to select an area of focus◦ How to start transformation from the teacher

centered approach to learner centered education◦ How to examine the situation with the staff’s

professional knowledge and ability (above 50 % were educated in former Russia)

◦ How to find a partner University from abroad to invite and start our reform

First Stage of the Reform

2000-2010 – Period of understanding a negative impacts of teacher centered learning and looking for creative reforms which started in this period ◦ Found a partner, University from Denmark and

have been working under the ECP project by DANIDA

◦ Identified the problem to be addressed◦ Selected 80 schools to introduce AR methodology◦ Formed a team with different participants◦ Provided capital support & provided

methodological assistance

Second Stage of the Reform

Educational reform of Mongolia made in the period of developing from 1st stage into 2nd and from 2nd into 3rd was conducted within an action research process

Our main aim in the AR process is to develop professional skills of teachers in all educational stages

Comparison

Professional development of the MSUE staff: ‘teacher of teacher development’

AR started on selected 80 schools of provinces with about 1000 participants

They developed their professional skills gaining AR methodology and learnt AR in their working place

This process made quality changes in teachers, administrators, methodologists, parents and community members cooperation. This community participation allowed schools to become the Center for studying and developing cooperative work of local people together

Outcome of DANIDA Project

Problem formulation

Planning & Data collection

Data analysis & implementation

Reporting of result

Rethinking, conceptualization & future action

planning

AR development cycle

AR Community has a 40 lecture team set up since 2000 Systematically contributes to the theory & knowledge base and enhances professional practice◦ Supports professional skills development◦ Recruits of MA & PhD students to AR◦ Helps them identify problems & seek solutions

systematically◦ Builds a collegial networking system◦ Is beginning to use a Rubric test of evaluation

Action Research Community of MSUE & their purpose

AR local community set up in province schools◦ 80 secondary school transformed to learner centered

training, team work model set up◦ Around 1000 local teachers involved to AR project and each

school have skills to provide AR as well as they have AR Data on solving present problems

◦ There have been direct changes made for implementation of school reform ideas that teachers and school administrators can use in their actual situations in terms of empirical research, ‘community wisdom’ and ability to make decisions together

◦ Builds a collegial networking system

AR Local Communities

Teachers continuously develop and change their curriculum and methodology according to school and province tradition, culture and real living environment

Each classroom training has become a place to learn creatively together based on research, i.e. students view action research study not only to gain knowledge for action but to gain understanding of a scientific process

… continuation:

They tend to make changes and reform not from top to down, but they have tended to immediately initiate constantly developing bottom up

During more than 10 years project implementing schools’ teachers, school administrators and project administrators team have been providing action research together and found out what our nomadic ancestors created and we pass on the great cultural base which was made in order to meet their needs to live and adapt to nature, making action research study as a process to recognize the action of humanizing

… continuation:

AR Local community in Mongolian provinces

2010 to Present – Creative period began upgrading based on research practices, traditions and culture, which is real managed adapted period◦ 1. We started the action research firstly to develop a

professional skills of teachers in all educational stages

◦ 2. 2010-2012 MSUE School of Preschool Education activity: Impact of ‘Green Apple’ project implementation

Third stage Divided for 2 Parts

Core team of MSUE(16 lectures from 13 School of MSUE)

Provided training through 4 modules for 90 teachers from both provinces

Central provinceDeveloped 4 modules:

* Professional creative thinking* Teachers Discovery & Practice development* Researcher Teacher* Creative-Teacher

Khentii province(same 4 modules was developed )

1. OUTREACH project aims: Teacher training on workplace

Modules No.1 No.2 No.3 No.4

Title Professional creative thinking

Teachers Discovery & Practice development

Researcher- Teacher

Creative-Teacher

Outcome Self-assesment

Experiment, research

AR Developed teacher

Product Essay of Experiment & research

Essay of Experiment & research

Article Article

Participation From 90-74Failed 16

From 71-71 From 68-64Failed 3

From 64-56Failed 8

Framework of the Design

Goals:◦ Because of Action research project students can

become a learning community ◦ Transition from teacher centered training to

learner centered ◦ Give a opportunity to implement the theoretical

knowledge on AR◦ Develop BA & MA modules on AR

2. Action research project at the MSUE School of Preschool Education

Students activity in local training on AR

Teachers activity in local training on AR

Dr. Candace Kaye provided “AR Training“ for 120 students.(144 hours) March –May 2011

Dr. Candace Kaye provided seminar “AR Learning Community “ for Faculty Fall’ 2012

Students learned to identify a problems; collect and analyze a Data, report analysis and planning future action

Lectures learned to identify present problems; redesign their syllabus, lesson planning, make self assessment

Student, themselves assessed their research’s steps by AR Rubric

Lecturers themselves assessed their research’s steps by AR Rubric

Team work skillsListening PlanningExpressing ability Decision making

Team work skillsListening PlanningExpressing ability Decision making

How to wash hands children in kindergarten? Reasons for school drop out in countryside Why students are coming to school late? Parent’s Influence for social development of children Parent’s blame for children’s behavior in schoola How to work with disabled children? How four year’s children are learning new vocabulary in

classroom? Lesson and playing: what is dominating in classroom? Equal communication of teacher to each child Difficulties facing overloaded classroom What kind of toy materials more playful for children? How teachers are involving in in-service training?

Sample of Research Topics formulated by our BA students for AR Projects

The club consists of 12 students who are in different year grades, from difference provinces

Club lead by and Dr. Jigmed and Javzandulam. Every week, students meet and work together and

exchange ideas and information online as well. Goals of the club are:

◦ To support students who are interested in research and academic work by collaborative activities and flourish their motivation.

◦ Every member of the club is conducting his or her own research and they will discuss and present in Students’ Research conference.

◦ As a group, they are studying English language intensively because it is one of main skills of researcher.

 

“Researcher -Student” Club Initiated2014

Western model Non western model

Based on constructivism and learner centered education (Piaget, Vigotsky, Bruner,etc)Identify a Research problem:

Literature Review

Selection of participants

Research Design

Data Collection&Data Analyses

Application of Results

Constructivism based nomadic philosophy views of AR concept byJadambaa formulatedLearnt to identify a research problemPublished over 10 main books, articles and handouts on ARSustainable lectures team working above AR‘Learning through action’ model developedPackage of Data over 10 years project implementation with analysesLearnt to identify AR Planning

Action Research concepts

General research skills DANIDA , Outreach8 Green Apple projects outcomes

Ability to design research

Ability to develop instruments

Ability to select subjects

Ability to collect Data

Ability to analyze Data

Done

Done

Done

Done

Done

Skills development

Action research … is dynamic power of teachers, school

administrators’ professional development … is the most powerful equipment for continuous

development of teachers and school administrators through “action training process”

… is the main way in the continuous development of its education reform by interested groups to work cooperatively together

Conclusion: Try to identify what AR mean and should to support Educational reform in Mongolia

Action research … is the most effective and efficient basic tool for

school, its teachers and administrators’ educational development and reform management matters by their traditions, culture and real business sides

… is enabler and creator of new concepts and trends of education

…continuation:

Action research … is a promoter, contributing to the undertaking of

any attempt to make educational changes from the “top” to the “bottom”

… is not educational reform “supporter”, it is initiator, catalyst and doer

… is nomadic people’s living and working basic tools

…continuation:

Thank you for your attention!