Evolution of a Collaborative School Research Project as a Prototype Environment for Empowering Teacher Action Research: Results and Implications

Abstract

Overviewed are results and implications of a collaborative 5-year longitudinal school research project conducted in a large urban school district in the southeast that evolved into a supportive environment for developing teacher action research skills. Discussed in the paper are how the prototype model naturally provided the critical elements necessary for teachers to function successfully as members of the educational research community. Emphasized is how ongoing research that successfully improves classroom practice within a school improvement framework can provide a foundation for developing the research interests and capabilities of teachers.