Action Research for Kids

Dr. Amanda O. Latz is an Assistant Professor of Adult, Higher, and Community Education in the department of Educational Studies at Ball State University where she teaches a variety of graduate-level courses. She holds a BS in sociology with a minor in human resource development from James Madison University (2001), an MA in higher education administration from Appalachian State University (2006), and an Ed.D. in Adult, Higher, and Community Education (2011) as well as a Certificate in College and University Teaching (2009) from Ball State University. Her dissertation, titled Understanding the Educational Lives of Community college Students through Photovoice, was funded in part by the Myra Sadker Dissertation Award.Her research interests reside in the following areas: the lived experiences of individuals involved within the community college setting, particularly students and faculty; qualitative research methods; the scholarship of teaching and learning, especially innovative pedagogies; college and university faculty development; collegiate athletics; gender, social class, popular culture and education; and gifted education. She has presented her research and theoretical papers at a number of national and international conferences. In addition, her work has appeared in a variety of peer-reviewed journals such as Transformative Dialogues: Teaching and Learning Journal, Journal for the Study of Sports & Athletes in Education, Journal for the Education of the Gifted, and Academic Exchange Quarterly.Cheryll M. Adams is director of the Center for Gifted Studies and Talent Development at Ball State University. She teaches graduate courses for the license in gifted education. For the past 25 years, she has served in the field of gifted education as a teacher of gifted students at all grade levels, Director of Academic Life at the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities, and as the principal teacher in the Ball State Institute for the Gifted in Mathematics program. Additionally, she has been the founder and director of various other programs for gifted students. Dr. Adams has authored or coauthored numerous publications in professional journals, as well as several book chapters. She serves on the editorial review board for Roeper Review, Gifted Child Quarterly, Journal for the Education of the Gifted, and The Teacher Educator. She has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children, has been president of the Indiana Association for the Gifted, and currently serves on the board of The Association for the Gifted, Council for Exceptional Children. In 2002, she received the NAGC Early Leader Award.

• Preface Section 1 Overview of Units Introduction to the Units Section 2 Introduction to Research Preparatory Unit Preparatory Lesson 1: What Is Research? Preparatory Lesson 2: What Is the Difference Between Quantitative and Qualitative Research? Preparatory Lesson 3: What Is Action Research? Preparatory Lesson 4: Why Is Research Important? 5 Section 3 Quantitative Research Unit 1: Survey Research Preteaching Lesson: What Are Surveys? Lesson 1: Who Are We? Lesson 2: Survey Data Everywhere Lesson 3: Survey Monkey-ing Around Action Lesson 1: Cookies in the Cafeteria Action Lesson 2: Library Wish List Unit 2: Experimental Research Preteaching Lesson: What Are Experiments? Lesson 1: Control and Experimental Groups 6 Lesson 2: Treatment and Ethics Lesson 3: How Do They Know That? Action Lesson 1: Keep It Growing Action Lesson 2: The Power of Preservatives Section 4 Qualitative Research Unit 3: Life History Preteaching Lesson: What Are Life Histories? Lesson 1: The People of Our Area Lesson 2: Interviewing Lesson 3: Writing Life Histories Action Lesson 1: Tell Us Your Story Action Lesson 2: Taking It to the Web Unit 4: Photovoice Preteaching Lesson: How to Take Pictures Lesson 1: What is Photovoice? Lesson 2: Picture Stories Lesson 3: Who Are You? Action Lesson 1: Strengths and Weaknesses Action Lesson 2: Photographer’s Exhibition Unit 5: Playbuilding Preteaching Lesson: What Is a Play? Lesson 1: Acting 101 Lesson 2: Stage Design 101 Lesson 3: To Be a Playwright Action Lesson 1: What It Means to Be Us Action Lesson 2: Going Live References About the Authors Common Core State Standards & Next Generation Science Standards