Studying for Orals

We have a final oral exams at the end of this month to complete our Master's program. Theresa organized a group of us and divided up the questions from our given study guide. We were all to send her the answers by 2/12 so she could compile the answers and send them to everyone. On 2/11 I called Stephanie and asked her what the book looked like from our first class dealing with action research. Stephanie and I were assigned the questions from this class. She had 1-5, and I had 6-10.

"Are you just now answering your questions and they're due tomorrow? Damn it, Kevin. I knew you were going to be the weakest link."

"Sorry, I'm just not motivated to do these at all."

"I didn't want to do mine either, but I did mine a month ago. If you didn't want to do it then you shouldn't have joined our group. What are you going to do if you can't find the book?"

"Call you."

"I'm not home. I'm in the car heading to Oregon."

I made arrangements to get the book from Gio. Stephanie texted me later that night asking if I had found the book, but I was already in bed. I never responded to her text.

So after I finished all my answers I e-mailed them to Theresa. Then I wrote up a list of alternative answers and asked her to put them just on Stephanie's document. I used a little of my real answers to make it somewhat believable.

Here is what I wrote for her, the questions are italicized.

6. Traditionally, validity was linked to numerically based research conducted in the quantitative paradigm. How truthful is action research? Describe the methods for verifying validity.

The validity of action research is verified through procedures establishing credibility, transferability, dependability, conformability, degrees of participation, and utility.

7. Action researchers undertake data analysis to summarize and represent data collected. They are faced with the challenge of reducing the volume of information collected, identifying data that is most relevant to the problem being investigated, while ensuring that data is not distorted, oversimplified, or misinterpreted.

True.

8. Action research assumes that some kind of action will result as a response to the issue or concern being investigated. How does one develop and action plan?

To develop an action plan ask yourself the questions: why, what, how, who, where and when.

Each plan will:

· Review the problem, research question, and research objectives

· Review the analyzed data to identify significant issues and features.

· From those select items

· Prioritize items to formulate action agenda

· Identify those requiring immediate attention

· For each agenda devise an action plan that includes: why, what , who where, when

· Make arrangements to monitor and support people as they enact their tasks.

9. Identify data collection techniques, and what is triangulation?

Combine three different data collection techniques.

10. Describes the steps of action research using an example like parents are unhappy with the parent-teacher conferences at your school.

If your parent teacher conferences suck then conduct some research to create better ones that don’t suck. Man, I wish I could find that text book.

Unfortunately, Theresa didn't feel comfortable sending these to Stephanie. Man, she would have been livid.

--The weakest link

*Note: I don't believe I was the weakest link, nor do I believe I warranted the accusation. However, I'm not actually mad at Stephanie, and I still think she is a wonderful person.