Course Description:  Study of concepts associated with action research; and the processes and procedures for conducting action research. The culminating project is the development of an action research project.

 

Reflection:  I was actually really excited about this course from the beginning; I am not sure why, but I have always enjoyed research projects.  What was so great about this course was that along with the "research project," we were able to choose a topic that we were actually able to put into action!  I know it sounds a little corny now, but I didn't actually process that information until halfway through the class.  For our project, my group decided to research flipping the classroom to see if a flipped classroom does help to keep students motivated and engaged in the learning process in a math and science classroom.

 

Overall, our research showed that students generally are more engaged in STEM classrooms that follow a flipped classroom style. Students who are engaged almost naturally have a higher achievement level as well; especially in math and science classrooms.  So, we as teachers would be able to cover, explain, and walk through some of the more difficult problems and examples in class.

​

Working through this project really demonstrated to me how important it is to collect and analyze data before making any major changes or decisions that could affect my students.  I also feel as though this course really provided me with the proper knowledge and tools to successfully develop and conduct any future action research plans within my career.