Mills Chapter 08

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Mills
Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 5e
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Action Research
Geoffrey E. Mills
Fifth Edition
© 2014, 2011, 2007, 2003, 2000
Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
A Guide for the Teacher Researcher

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Chapter 8
Writing Up Action Research

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Why?
 Clarification: Writing helps us
better understand the story
 Validation as educator
 Empowerment as agent of change
 Generativity: A permanent,
accessible record
 Accomplishment

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Format and Style
 Format: general pattern of
organization and arrangement
 Style: rules of grammar, spelling,
capitalization, punctuation, and
word processing

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APA Style Manual
 Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association
 most widely accepted by colleges,
universities, journals

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Writing Rituals
 May be irrational or magical
 writing can only occur between
7am and 12pm
 writing can only be done longhand
using a blue pen and white legal
pad
 the house must be clean before
writing can start
 everything must be in order before
writing can start

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Establish a Writing Routine
 Make writing part of your
professional life and responsibility.

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Tips for Avoiding Writing

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Tips to Help Write
 Write at the same time every day.
 Write your story as though you are
sending an email to a friend.
 Tell a story as you write.
 Write the way you talk.
 Organize your thoughts using an
outline.
 Don’t worry about grammatical
errors in the early stages.

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Tips to Help Write
 Write whatever comes to mind.
 Write boldly, then say it again—better.
 Write, edit, rewrite, re-edit.
 Remember that nobody knows your
work better than you do.
 Edit after you have all your thoughts on
paper.
 Accept that your first draft is not your
last draft.

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Outline, Action Research
Report
 Area-of-focus statement
 Related literature
 Definition of variables
 Research questions
 Description of intervention or innovation

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Outline, Action Research
Report
 Data collection
 Data considerations
 Data analysis and interpretation
 Action plan

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Other Structures
 Journals include “Notes for
Contributors”
 Requirements differ depending on
journal

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Action Research Journals

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General Guidelines for
Submissions to Journals
 Attend to the context of your
study.
 Use a clear, reader-friendly style.
 Attend to structure and style of
published research.
 Include a brief description of what
you did.
 Write in an honest, open manner.

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General Guidelines for
Submissions to Journals
 Keep readers’ attention.
 Follow professional format and
style — but also
 Use the structure and writing style
for the specific journal.

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Digital Research Tools for
the 21st century
 Managing Citations
 RefWorks
 Zotero
 Endnote

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Self-Assessment
 Organization and use of
conventions
 Area of focus
 Data collection
 Review of literature
 Context
 Writing style
 Action plan

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Integrating Teaching, Research,
Writing
 Journal-writing time
 “Down time” in school
 Professional development days
 Vacation
 Time dedicated to grant writing

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“How long?”
 For submission to journal
 2,500 to 3,500 words
 For distribution to local colleagues
 brief summary

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Seeking Feedback
 Questions to promote feedback from
friends and colleagues:
 Does the write-up provide a complete
picture of the research?
 Is the write-up reader-friendly?
 Is the write-up engaging?
 Will someone (besides loved ones) want
to read it?
 Do not expect your friends and
colleagues to do your editing for you.

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The Title
 Make it memorable.
 Use it to provide a focus for your
writing.

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Concluding Thoughts
 Polish your text.
 Do not hurry.

Mills Chapter 08

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Mills Chapter 08