About this ebook
Designed to help teachers plan, implement, and assess a manageable self-study research project, this unique textbook covers the foundation, history, theoretical underpinnings, and methods of self-study research. Written in a reader-friendly style and filled with interactive activities and examples, this book helps teachers every step of the way as they plan and conduct their studies. Author Anastasia Samaras encourages readers to think deeply about both the "how" and the "why" of this essential professional development tool as they pose questions and formulate personal theories to improve professional practice.
Key Features
- A Self-Study Project Planner assists teachers in understanding both the details and process of conducting self-study research.
- A Critical Friends Portfolio includes innovative critical collaborative inquiries to support the completion of a high quality final research project.
- Advice from the most senior self-study academics working in the U.S. and internationally is included, along with descriptions of the self-study methodology that has been refined over time.
- Examples demonstrate the connections between self-study research, teachers′ professional growth, and their students′ learning.
- Tables, charts, and visuals help readers see the big picture and stay organized.
Accompanied by High-Quality Ancillaries!
A Student Study Site offers a wealth of resources, including additional examples and activities, web-based resources, study questions, and key terms.
Intended Audience
Self-Study Teacher Research: Improving Your Practice Through Collaborative Inquiry is intended as a core textbook for a wide variety of courses in the education curriculum, including Action Research, Qualitative Research Methods, Research Methods in Education, and the capstone/teacher researcher course required of all early childhood, elementary, and secondary education majors.
About the author
Anastasia P. Samaras, Ph.D. is Professor at the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University. She is a pedagogical scholar with an extensive repertoire of teaching, administrative, and research activity directly related to her signature work in the self-study research methodology which include books on Learning Communities in Practice (2008) and Self-Study Teacher Research (2011). A former school teacher and director of teacher education programs at The Catholic University of America and George Mason University, she brings a repertoire of practical applications grounded in sociocultural theory directly to her teaching. She is recipient of the Dissertation Research Award, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, the Outstanding Scholar Award, University of Maryland, a Fulbright Scholar, and a visiting scholar at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Iceland, Vrije University, and Victoria University. Her expertise in early childhood and teacher education has also led to appointments as a consultant for numerous program reviews with various Federal agencies, departments, Head Start, and universities. She currently serves as Chair-Elect of the Self-Study of Teacher Education Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association and project leader of two university cross-disciplinary faculty self-study groups. Her research centers on designing and studying Neo-Vygotskian-based curriculum applications in teachers’ professional practices, including her own.
