Focus on Writing: Collaborative Action Research in the Classroom

Authors

Carol Marchel, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
Dianne Whitaker, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Abstract

In higher education, professors are expected to provide quality instruction, although rewards are often based on research activities. For those who value teaching for its own sake, it is difficult to balance the competing demands of life within academe with the demands of teaching. As teachers, we seek to understand student needs to improve our classroom practice. More importantly, we want to show students how to improve their own skills. This article describes how we combined both research and instruction to improve the quality of instruction while providing students with a way to improve their skills. We utilized this approach in a writing class for graduate students who came from a variety of disciplines, but we believe it could be adapted to other types of courses.

Author's Biographies

Dr. Carol Marchel is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Psychology at Appalachian State University, Boone NC. Her research interests include action research, consultation in school psychology, and grading practices in higher education.

Dr. Dianne Whitaker is a former Assistant Professor in the Psychoeducational Studies Unit, University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She is currently a practicing School Psychologist with the Port Angeles School District, Port Angeles, WA.

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Recommended Citation

Marchel, C., & Whitaker, D. (2001). Focus on Writing: Collaborative Action Research in the Classroom. Perspectives In Learning, 2 (1). Retrieved from https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/pil/vol2/iss1/9