Laura Moll
Trends in Educational Action Research
EDU 671
December 2, 2013
There is an incredible discrepancy in the expected achievement and ability of dyslexic students, and the grades and scores they actually produce. However, these kids often fall into the unfortunate gap of "not performing high enough to be gifted, but not low enough to be at risk". These students often struggle with day to day tasks such as copying notes and reading directions for an assignment. However, they often acquire incredible coping skills, but not without a substantial struggle to do things that often seem mindless to other students.
My son and my husband are both dyslexic and struggle with phonemic awareness, spelling and reading comprehension. My son is an eight-year old third grade student and my husband is a 31 year old working adult. I am very interested in learning about the connections that are "misfiring" in their brains and what actually happens during decoding and comprehension. I would like to find out what intervention strategies would be effective to manage and overcome the symptoms of dyslexia. I would like to use my husband and my son to evaluate the differences in dyslexia from one person to another, but also to study the similarities. Some questions that will be evaluated in this study are as follows:
· What are the various symptoms of dyslexia and how early do they appear?
· How do the symptoms surface? What provokes issues in learning? How can those issues be overcome?
· What is an effective means for managing dyslexia?
Part Two
There are several elements that were considering when selecting a research topic. The article “Current Trends in Education” stated four different trends in education, as they currently exist. They article summed up trends in education in four prompts stating that the Internet is used as a teaching tools, educational facilities, students are teaching teachers new technology and students needs vary drastically (Teachnology, 2012). These elements are considered in a completely different perspective when considering teaching a student with dyslexia. Eileen Ferrace, author of the article Action Research makes critical points regarding the action research process and how it is relevant to education. She states that action research is research that is personal, helps to achieve a goal and is usually and influential and helpful to the teacher that is doing the research (Ferrace, 2000).
There are four elements that are considered when determining an effective research topic for action research.
Does the topic involve teaching and learning?
Although I am not teaching at the moment, my child and my husband deal with the symptoms of dyslexia on a daily basis. By helping my child and my husband with spelling, homework and other academic criteria I am able to use teaching and learning practices to evaluate the topic and enhance my skills as a teacher. Dyslexia is a problem that affects several children and undiagnosed adults and it creates a daily challenge. By studying the elements of dyslexia and how it develops I can better help students obtain early intervention to overcome the problems associated with dyslexia more quickly.
Is it within your locust of control?
Choosing to study the effects of dyslexia on the boys in my family is within my control. While I am not able to control the elements of their complicated learning disorder I am able to manipulate the prompts I provide and the feedback I give them to help the understand concepts and phonetics.
Is it something that you feel passionate about?
When I went into the teaching field I went in with an overwhelming sense of compassion and a desire to change the world. While I have been exposed to the challenges associated with the teaching process I have not lost that compassion and desire to help. That being said, I am very passionate about learning about the disability so that I can better help my son, my husband and any other children I encounter find passion in their learning as well.
Does it inspire you to implement change?
As a teacher, and an academic person overall, I am constantly reading and investigating topics that are relevant to my professional or personal life. When I come across one that discusses the challenges of dyslexia I am immediately inspired to try new strategies and discuss new finding to help my son feel less helpless. In a classroom I apply similar findings. Completing an action research study will help me to solidify my findings and use them instrumentally in the classroom.
Overall, evaluating the action research topic of dyslexia will inspire change, and help me to learn to information about a disability that I encounter on a very personal level.
References
Brown University. Retrieved from http://www.brown.edu/academics/education-alliance/sites/brown.edu.academics.education-alliance/files/publications/act_research.pdf
http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/
