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Allen, J., Cary, M., & Delgado, L. (1995). Exploring Blue Highways: Literacy Reform, School
     Change, and the Creation of Learning Communities. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
A collection of research projects conducted jointly with university staff and teachers.

Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. L. (1993). Inside-outside: TeacherResearch and Knowledge.
     New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Written as a means to a more democratic development of curriculum, empowerment of teachers, and as a way to institute social change, this book is full of teachers' voices. Especially helpful is the chapter on communities for researchers. Another honest look that puts problems at the forefront and shows how to deal with them.

Eisenhart, M. A. (1993). Designing Classroom Research: Themes, Issues and Struggles.
     Prentice Hall College Div (November 1993)
This book presents the personal experiences of two educational researchers as they learned to conduct classroom research and combines their personal stories with an academic argument about the kinds of classroom research needed in the future. The chapters in this volume emphasize how the social science disciplines of psychology and anthropology have informed classroom research, how interdisciplinary collaboration and teacher-researcher collaboration can contribute to classroom research, and how standards for assessing classroom research designs can be developed and applied. Each chapter features themes that are widely represented in the work of scholars within the discipline as well as one exemplary study to illustrate the themes.

Erickson, L. G. (1995). Supervision of Literacy Programs: Teachers as Grass-Roots Change
    Aagents. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
A description of how teachers are the true change agents in schools to improve reading and writing curricula. Not specifically aimed at teacher researchers, but includes examples of how teachers made changes through surveys, school study groups and other informal research techniques. Helpful for schools wanting to look at best literacy practices. Difficulty is clearly described as a real part of school change.

Fleischer, C. (1995). Composing TeacherResearch: A Prosaic History. Albany, NY: State
     University of New York Press.
This is an unusual combination of the author's anecdotal essays, research reports and theoretical reflections. Working with an analogy of a photo album, high school and college instructor Carol Fleischer presents four detailed case studies of her own writing classroom research. In order to chart her development and the evolving discourse of educational teacher research, she presents her write-ups as they were originally conceived - "warts and all," but introduces each account with pre and post-scripts that highlight key themes. In introductory and concluding chapters, Fleischer contextualizes her work with personal reflections and a survey of current methodologies.

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Flower, L., Wallace, D. L., Norris, L., and Burnett, R. E., (Eds.). (1994). Making Thinking
    Visible: Writing, Collaborative Planning, and Classroom Inquiry. Urbana: NCTE.
Surveying a project that was conducted through the Center for the Study of Writing at Carnegie Mellon University, this book details the classroom inquiries conducted during the 4-year project (1988-1992) by 33 teacher-researchers from secondary and postsecondary classrooms.

Goswami, D., & Stillman, P. (Eds.). (1987). Reclaiming the Classroom: Teacher-Research as an
     Agency for Change. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.
This collection of articles provides an overview of teacher-research and examples of teachers'. The first section gathers diverse articles about teacher-research. These are useful for seeing the range of definitions and approaches in the field. Short write-ups of studies in the second part are useful for seeing how individual studies took shape and how specific teacher-researchers approached data collection and analysis.

Hollingsworth, S. (Ed.). International Action Research: A Casebook for Educational Reform.
     London: The Falmer Press, 1997.
This is a collection of research reports, theoretical essays, personal reflections and letters that explore teacher research from the perspectives of educators all over the world. The authors frame key issues in classroom observation, professional development and educational reform as they relate to the national contexts of South Africa, Italy, the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, Thailand, Austria and Malaysia. In addition to providing a geographical, as well as historical context for teacher research, this volume explores two main areas of inquiry: How teacher research is connected to personal and pedagogical transformation, and where the teacher research tradition fits into currents of contemporary political thought and action.

Hollingsworth, S., & Sockett, H. (Eds.). Teacher Research and Educational Reform: The
     Ninety-Third Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Chicago:
     University of Chicago Press, 1994.
The papers in this National Society for the Study of Education yearbook address "nagging questions" that confront educators invested in teacher research. Among other topics, contributors address school and community power dynamics, while reflecting in theoretical and personal terms about the potential and problems of the movement to place teachers at the center of educational reform.

Hopkins, D. (1985). A Teacher's Guide to Classroom Research. Philadelphia: Open
    University Press/Milton Keynes, 1985.
Designed to be a practical book that gives specific advice about data collection, analysis, etc. A Teacher's Guide translates techniques and understandings common to university research to a classroom research context.

Hubbard, R., & Power, B. (1993). The Art of Classroom Inquiry. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,
     1993.
This book captures the feel of teacher-research-teacher-ownership and collegiality - while conveying lots of practical advice on conducting studies. The authors draw on and adapt methodological work from anthropology and field sociology in reasonable, classroom-appropriate ways. This handbook is devoted to the process of teacher research. It shows teacher-researchers how they can pursue their research activities systematically and carefully and provides a number of research techniques, methods for categorizing data, and suggestions for publishing research.

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Hubbard, R. S., & Power, B. M. (1999). Living the Questions: A Guide for Teacher-
     Researchers.York, MN: Stenhouse Publishers.
Useful and not intimidating as a resource. Teachers like the idea of reading a chapter that interests them without having to read a 300-page book cover to cover. Particularly helpful are the guidelines for setting up school-wide inquiry groups.

Kemmis, S. (1981). The Action Research Planner. Victoria, Australia: Deakin University
     Press,1981.
Designed as a planning guide for specific teacher research studies, this book leads the reader by the hand through a process of developing a research project. Similar to Hopkins and Nixon.

Lott, J. (1994). A Teacher's Stories: Reflections on High School Writers.
     Boynton/Cook, 1994.
Through Joyce Lott's reflections on high school writers, teachers will learn more about the importance of journal writing, the pros and cons of co-operative grouping, how to integrate portfolios effectively and how to establish a classroom environment wherestudents and teachers have time to reflect.

McKernan, J. (1991). Curriculum Action Research: Handbook of Methods and Resources for the
     Reflective Practitioner. New York: St. Martin's.
James McKernan's how-to guide for teachers begins with an overview of the history and philosophy of teacher research, but focuses on practical applications. Curriculum Action Research outlines 48 teacher research strategies (a mix of innovative and time-tested),and presents methods of data analysis and dissemination.

Mohr, M., & MacLean, M. (1987). Working Together: A Guide for Teacher-Researchers.
     Urbana,IL: NCTE.
Short and readable, this book displays the workings of a year-long seminar forteacher-researchers in Fairfax County. The book describes the authors' (both T-Cs withthe Northern Virginia Writing Project) orientation to teacher-research, prints samples ofparticipants' journal entries, data charts, etc., and lays out a plan for bi-weekly meetingsof the group. The research group meets as a graduate class as well as a research group, sothere is information about the "syllabus" as well.

Myers, M. (1985). The Teacher Researchers: How to Study Writing in the Classroom.
     Urbana, IL: NCTE.
This is an early text in the most recent wave of teacher-research work. Myers' book is an example of building teacher-research on the model of university research and evaluation. He presents a variety of models for specific studies of issues in composition research in an effort to democratize knowledge from the university and make it available to teachers.

Newkirk, T., Ed. (1992). Workshop 4: The Teacher as Researcher. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Explores the issue of teacher research in the language arts. Contributors examine topics like writing development, collaboration in the classroom, self-assessment, and extending the range of student writing. Several authors investigate in their essays the ways teachers describe their classrooms, both what teachers include in their stories and what they omit.

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Nixon, J. (1981). A Teacher's Guide to Action Research. London: Grant and McIntyre.
     This book presents a series of accounts by U.K. teachers of their action research projects/studies with ideas for methodology along the way. This was one of the first texts of its kind and along with the Action Research Planner, it is often referenced in later books.

Noffke, S. E., & Stevenson, R. B. (Eds.). (1995). Educational Action Research: Becoming
     Practically Critical. New York: Teacher's College Press.
Teachers, fieldwork supervisors, staff developers, principals, consultants, graduate students, student teachers and teacher educators all contribute to this exploration of the theory and practice of teacher research. Authors present case studies and essays that highlight the theoretical issues of the practice, writing openly about the problems and tensions that confront practitioners. The book is divided into three sections that discuss action research in teacher education, action research in schools and the ways in which communities can support action research. Educational Action Research strives to strike a balance between theoretical concerns and daily practice. Nevertheless, it is guided by the political principle that action research at its best promotes democracy in classrooms and social justice in the broader community.

Patterson, L., Stansell, J., & Lee, S. (1990). Teacher Research: From Promise to Power.
     Katonah, NY: Richard C. Owen Publishers.
The authors clarify their approach to teacher-research, based on their experience as researchers in their classrooms and their study of the movement. There is much that is useful in the book including a structured, yet flexible plan for research with lots of ideas for data collection and analysis, sections on theory-building and sharing results, interspersed chapters reporting specific classroom studies, and a wonderful bibliography.

Rudduck, J., & Hopkins, D. (1985). Research as a Basis for Teaching: Readings from the Work of
     Lawrence Stenhouse. London: Heinemann.
Stenhouse and those who worked with him in the Center for Action Research in Education represent a long and significant tradition in teacher-research. This collection of readings conveys to U.S. teachers some of the character of recent British thinking on teacher-research.

Rust, F. O. (1993). Changing Teaching, Changing Cchools: Bringing Early Childhood Practice into
   Public Education: Case Studies from the Kindergarten. New York, NY: Teachers College
     Press.
A look at school change through case studies whereby reform is instituted by looking closely at the best early childhood education practices. Another volume that is up-front about the hardships involved in school change. Teachers are encouraged to study, discuss, and collectively construct a vision and develop capacities to implement developmentally appropriate kindergartens. Nothing has more impact on students in terms of skill development, self-confidence, or classroom behavior than the professional growth and personal development of the school's teachers.

Schon, D. A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. U.S.A.:
     Basic Books.
Schon suggests that professionals solve problems by reflection in action. He insists that this is a type of vital creativity. Parts are useful and certainly interesting. Not a "how to" book. Schon adds that as teachers we must view a child's inability to grasp a subject as our own inability to instruction. He encourages teachers to look toward self when trying to solve learning problems of students.

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Shacklock, G., & Smyth, J. (Eds.). Being Reflexive in Critical Educational and Social Research.
     London: The Falmer Press, 1998.
The authors of this collection present personal accounts of research projects and more general commentaries on educational research. Exploring the social and political dilemmas faced in their different contexts, contributors to the volume address issues such as class, sexuality, race, gender, ethics, validity, reciprocity, voice and empowerment. Editors Shacklock and Smyth are based in Flinders University, Australia.

Shanahan, T. (1994). Teachers Thinking, Teachers Knowing: Reflections on Literacy and
    Language Education. Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Growing out of a 1992 conference that attracted teachers and educators from around the world, this book presents 13 essays which share the insights of 16 leading university scholars and teacher-researchers regarding the re-emergence of teacher education as a central focus in the field of English education. The book explores what teachers of the English language arts must know to be effective, how such knowledge can best be assessed, and the impact of cultural differences in the classroom, as well as preservice and inservice training and the roles of the university and the teacher-researcher. The book discusses methods of supporting teacher development such as the study of cases, teacher groups, ethnographic research in the classroom and community, and teacher lore.

Walvoord, B., & McCarthy, L., et al. (1990). Thinking and Writing in College. Urbana, IL:
     NCTE, 1990.
This book is a rarity in that it presents detailed classroom studies by college teachers. Written by a group of WAC teachers who began working together in the Maryland Writing Project Inquiry Institute, the book describes the collaboration and research of six teachers. Proof that professors are teachers too and can actually study their own teaching.

Wells, G., & Chang-Wells, G. L. (1992). Constructing Knowledge Together: Classrooms as
     Centers of Inquiry and Literacy. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books.
Chang-Wells and Wells collaborated with teachers at four Toronto Schools on a three-year research project concerned with conditions in multi-lingual, multi-cultural classrooms. Constructing Knowledge Together is their account of that project, which involved seventy-two primary school students whose first languages were Portuguese, Chinese, English and Greek. The teachers worked with the authors to foster optimal learning and to use classroom experience to determine how literacy could enrich social relationships between students of various backgrounds. This write-up provides detailed accounts of the aims, execution and analysis of this study, providing a useful resource for readers interested in second-language learners and literacy.

Winter, R. (1989). Learning from Experience: Principles and Practice in Action Research.
     London: The Falmer Press.
For folks with a background in teacher-research, this book from a British teacher researcher provides a thoughtful assessment of the sources of rigor in action research (a preferred term in the U.K. and a term with a rich history of methodological work).

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Websites

Action Research: A Brief Overview
     http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/1-00/1-00newman-e.htm
This site contains a collection of accessible and informative articles assembled by Dr. Judith Newman, a Canadian 20-year veteran of educational professional development and widely published author. The contents include Newman's own accounts of her collaborative research projects and courses, as well as reflections on the issues and strategies of the practitioner. Like any helpful Internet resource, this site also includes links to other teacher research content on the Web.

Networks: An On-line Journal for Teacher Research
    http://journals.library.wisc.edu/index.php/networks
Networks offers a place for sharing reports of action research, in which teachers at all levels, kindergarten to postgraduate, are reflecting on classroom practice through research ventures. It also provides space for discussion of other ways in which educational practitioners, alone or in collaboration, use inquiry as a tool to learn more about their work with the hope of eventually improving its effectiveness. Methodology, ethics, and collaboration are just a few of the topics that writers and discussion participants address at this dynamic site.

 

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MWP Mini Grant Application for 2008 will be posted soon.

NCTE Teacher-Grant Primers - Lists a number of resources designed to assit grant writiers in identifying the appropriate style and method for writing grants. For a full listing of NCTE grant competitions, click here.

For information regarding NCTE Research Foundation Funding Programs, click here.

Grants will be awarded for periods of up to two years and up to $12,500 over the life of the grant.  Applicants must be members in good standing of NCTE.  Applicants are limited to one grant submission in each funding cycle and will only qualify for one funded project every five years.

IRA Awards and Grants - Teacher as Researcher Grant

The Teacher as Researcher Grant supports classroom teachers who undertake action research inquiries about literacy and instruction. Grants will be awarded up to US$5,000, although priority will be given to smaller grants (e.g., $1,000 to $2,000) in order to provide support for as many teacher researchers as possible.

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