Becoming a Teacher Researcher in Literacy Teaching and Learning: Strategies and Tools for the Inquiry Process

Designed to facilitate teachers' efforts to meet the actual challenges and dilemmas they face in their classrooms, Becoming a Teacher Researcher in Literacy Teaching and Learning: provides background information and key concepts in teacher research covers the "how-to" strategies of the teacher research process from the initial proposal to writing up the report as publishable or presentable work illustrates a range of literacy topics and grade levels features twelve reports by teacher researchers who have gone through the process, and their candid remarks about how activities helped (or not) helps teachers understand how knowledge is constructed socially in their classrooms so that they can create instructional communities that promote all students' learning. Addressing the importance of teacher research for better instruction, reform, and political action, this text emphasizes strategies teachers can use to support and strengthen their voices as they dialogue with others in the educational community, so that their ideas and perspectives may have an impact on educational practice both locally in their schools and districts and more broadly.

Table of Contents:
Preface Part 1: Defining, Planning, and Starting Your Teacher Research Part 1 Introduction So, What Is Teacher Research Anyway? Creating Your Research Questions—The First Step in Inquiry Planning Your Inquiry Writing a Preliminary Literature Review to Inform Your Inquiry Part 2: Enacting, Analyzing, and Writing Up Your Inquiry Part 2 Introduction Strategies for Data Collection Analysis—What do the Data Mean? Writing Up Your Inquiry as an Evocative Account Part 3: Teacher Researcher Reports Part 3 Introduction Katie Paciga’s Inquiry Paper Reading, Writing, and Sharing: The Journey to Become Kindergarten Authors Cindy Pauletti’s Inquiry Paper Word Detectives: Students Using Clues to Identify Unknown Words in Text Kristen Terstriep’s Inquiry Paper Toss Out Your Dictionaries: A Look at More Effective Vocabulary Instruction Sandra Zanghi’s Inquiry Paper Letting Their Voices Be Heard: Improving Literature Response Participation during Read-Alouds through Small-Group Discussions Tara Braverman’s Inquiry Paper What’s This Word? Helping Sixth Grade Students Use Reading and Vocabulary Strategies Independently Libby Tuerk’s Inquiry Paper Let's Read: Motivating Junior High Students to Become Life-Long Readers Meg Goethals’s Inquiry Paper "Books that Have Ghetto Feelings": How Reading Workshop Increases Inner-City Eighth-Graders’ Motivation, Engagement, and Comprehension Dawn Siska’s Inquiry Paper Challenging the "I Quit!" Going `Round and `Round with Literature Circles in a Secondary Reading Classroom Courtney Wellner’s Inquiry Paper "But This IS My Final Draft!" Making Peer Writing Conferences More Effective for Struggling 9th Grade Students Shannon Dozoryst’s Inquiry Paper Using Writing Workshop to Guide Revision Nicole Perez’s Inquiry Paper Coaching as a Collaborative Process Catherine Plocher’s inquiry Paper Coaching for Change in a K–8 Urban Elementary School: Building Cultures of Collaboration and Reflective Practices Epilogue: Further Reflections and Possibilities Appendices Appendix A: General Peer Conferencing Form Appendix B: Common APA (American Psychological Association) Citing Conventions Appendix C: Reminders for Grammatical and Other Language Usage Index

About the Author :
Christine C. Pappas is Professor Emerita, Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois at Chicago. Eli Tucker-Raymond is Research Scientist with the Chèche Konnen Center at TERC.