Action Research to Effect Change for Adolescent Girls at an Urban Middle School: A Matter of Life and Death

Abstract

Citation: Catelli, L. A. (2000). Action research to effect change for adolescent girls at an urban middle school: A matter of life and death. Research in Middle Level Education Annual, 23,[133][134][135][136][137][138][139][140][141][142][143][144][145][146][147][148]. AbstractA four-year, action-research study in health-related fitness and a strategic school-college model to institute curriculum change and gender equity for adolescent girls at an urban middle school are presented. Research clearly identifies cardiovascular disease as the number one cause of death for women in the United States. An accumulation of years of inactivity and lower health-related fitness scores for cardiovascular endurance in early years of life are seen as significant contributors to coronary heart disease in later life for women. In national surveys and reviews of research, girls are found to be less physically active and score lower for components measuring cardiovascular endurance as well as other health-related fitness components, i.e., muscular strength and endurance. Also, they are found to be the targets of inequities and gender-biased practices in general education classes, and in school programs of physical education, health, and athletics. Assessed as a problem by educators at an urban middle school, this action-research study was conducted to initiate and effect substantial change for girls at the middle school. ________________________________

Action Research as Primary Vehicle for Inquiry in the Professional Development School

“…Other projects included studies by Wortham (1997) and Catelli (2000). In Wortham's study, one case of teacher/intern work quantified the loss of girls' voices in mathematics classes.…”

“…In addition, the use of action research to bring about program change is more apparent in the studies during this era. These articles signaled a shift from forming the PDS partnership to testing the strength of the PDS partnership to improve the program (Ariav & Clinard, 1996;Catelli, 2000;Catelli & Carlino, 2001;Catelli, Padovano, & Costello, 2000;Clinard et al, 1997;Dana & Silva, 2000;Galassi et al;Kirschner, 1996;Viechnicki, 1997). These changes included instructional and organizational methods by which to conduct PDS partnerships.…”

“…Also prevalent during this era were a number of studies that chronicled the use of master's students serving as action researchers in schools. They served in the capacity of teachers of record and/or as researcher assistants seeking to support action research projects initiated by teacher/university collaborations (Catelli, 2000;Catelli & Carlino, 2001;Crow et al, 1998;Crow & And, 1996;Devlin-Scherer et al, 1998;Fine, 1997;McGee, 2001;Schnorr & Painter, 1999;Viechnicki, 1997). This era of action research in the PDS indicates another step in the direction of action research theory testing with apparent higher levels of trust in place, thus leading to a stronger sense of voice and empowerment for teachers, albeit represented by university personnel as the reporters of the work.…”

“…Prominent in the delineation of teacher personal development, voice and empowerment lent to the notion that teachers begin the process of conducting collaborative action research unaware of the capacity and competence to conduct research at all. However, studies overwhelmingly show that teachers who have success in completing action research projects-in classrooms, across teams, within program development, or to form teams in schools-both find voice and are empowered to choose to continue as action researchers (Clinard & And, 1995;Dana, 1992Dana, , 1993Dana & And, 1992;Dana & Silva, 1995, 2000Dana, et al, 2001Dana, et al, , 2002Dana, et al, , 2006Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2008;Oja, 2003). Balach and Szymanski (2003) studied the development of professional learning communities (PLCs) within the context of a Collaboration for Action Research (CAR) study.…”

“…Change in teams, studied primarily through qualitative methods such as ethnography and narrative, interpretive, and document analysis, led to teaming changes in the PDS as a result of action research. Studies by Dana and colleagues, in several settings, accounted for changes in teams (Dana, 1993;Dana & And, 1992;Dana & Silva, 1995, 2000Dana, et al, 2001). These studies meticulously diagnosed the interactions of teams whereby university personnel embedded themselves in schools; the result was the development of a high level of trust, signifying team change as "the family."…”