Applied Research for Sustainable Change: A Guide for Education Leaders - Softcover

Ravitch, Sharon M.; Carl, Nicole Mittenfelner

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1682533948 ISBN 13: 9781682533949

Publisher: Harvard Educational Publishing Group, 2019

Synopsis

In Applied Research for Sustainable Change, Sharon M. Ravitch and Nicole Mittenfelner Carl draw on twenty years of teaching and research to offer an incisive guide to practitioner-led qualitative research. They make the case for "local knowledge generation" - inquiry-based, school-level research that can contextualize quantitative data, enrich insight, and guide leaders in making more effective decisions leading to sustainable organizational change.

The authors offer a framework for conducting applied research that connects practitioner research to theories of transformational leadership and professional development. They show how to align research studies with the school's mission and context and offer step-by-step guidance on forming a research team, designing the research project, collecting and analyzing data, and formulating, sharing, and acting on results. In each chapter, they draw on examples provided by education leaders who have participated in their courses.

This book provides an invaluable resource for empowering education leaders at a time when their professional judgment is often circumscribed or dismissed. A central theme of the book is the power of participatory research to counter simplistic, often deficit-based narratives about patterns of student achievement and to foster transformational, sustainable change.

About this title

About the Author

Sharon M. Ravitch is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.

Nicole Mittenfelner Carl is a postdoctoral fellow in the Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Division at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

From the Back Cover

In Applied Research for Sustainable Change, Sharon M. Ravitch and Nicole Mittenfelner Carl make the case for "local knowledge generation"--inquiry-based, school-level research that can contextualize quantitative data, enrich insight, and guide leaders in making more effective decisions leading to sustainable organizational change.

Drawing on twenty years of experience, the authors offer a framework for conducting applied research that connects practitioner research to theories of transformational leadership and professional development. They show how to align research studies with the school's mission and context and offer step-by-step guidance on forming a research team, designing the research project, collecting and analyzing data, and formulating, sharing, and acting on results.

Applied Research for Sustainable Change highlights the power of participatory research to counter simplistic, often deficit-based narratives about patterns of student achievement and to foster transformational, sustainable change.

"In an age of data fetishism, this book puts the inquiry back into 'data use' and redefines what counts as data for school professionals. Teachers and leaders who want to lead through collaborative learning will cherish this book."
--Gary L. Anderson, professor, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University

"If you ever struggled with how to effectively design and lead a research team, then look no further because Applied Research for Sustainable Change has developed the road map. The strategies laid out in this book provide all that you and your colleagues will need to become a true applied research team."
--Wagner Marseille, superintendent of schools, Cheltenham School District, Pennsylvania

Sharon M. Ravitch is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. Nicole Mittenfelner Carl is a postdoctoral fellow in the Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Division at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Drawing on twenty years of experience, the authors offer a framework for conducting applied research that connects practitioner research to theories of transformational leadership and professional development. They show how to align research studies with the school's mission and context and offer step-by-step guidance on forming a research team, designing the research project, collecting and analyzing data, and formulating, sharing, and acting on results.

Applied Research for Sustainable Change highlights the power of participatory research to counter simplistic, often deficit-based narratives about patterns of student achievement and to foster transformational, sustainable change.

"In an age of data fetishism, this book puts the inquiry back into 'data use' and redefines what counts as data for school professionals. Teachers and leaders who want to lead through collaborative learning will cherish this book."
--Gary L. Anderson, professor, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University

"If you ever struggled with how to effectively design and lead a research team, then look no further because Applied Research for Sustainable Change has developed the road map. The strategies laid out in this book provide all that you and your colleagues will need to become a true applied research team."
--Wagner Marseille, superintendent of schools, Cheltenham School District, Pennsylvania

Sharon M. Ravitch is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. Nicole Mittenfelner Carl is a postdoctoral fellow in the Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Division at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard Educational Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1682533948
• ISBN 13: 9781682533949
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232