LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS
ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT
OFFICE USE ONLY
Component 4-401-002
Point Value: 10-30
Posted ______________
By _________________
TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE ACTION RESEARCH IS INITIATED
Teacher
Researcher
Name
Emp.
ID
Bill Balderson, Jr.
School or
Department
106816
Eustis High School
Issue or Topic
Research
Hypothesis
EHS students do not understand the ramifications of improperly documenting
sources into their presentations resulting in failure to achieve success in both
standardized testing and persuasive argumentation.
Will explicit instruction, modeling and independent practices will improve students’
performance regarding media literacy by the time of FCAT administration in March,
2010?
Principal‘s
Signature
Date
TO BE COMPLETED AT CONCLUSION OF ACTION RESEARCH
RESEARCH PROCESS
1. What student data formed the baseline? FCAT Star Scores: the subtest Reference (Research)
Pd. 2: Boys—75% average; Girls—62% average
Pd. 3: Boys—56% average; Girls—57% average
Pd. 4: Boys—60% average; Girls—70% average
2. What research resources, i.e., books, documents, were studied?
Mertler, PhD, Craig A. Action Research: Teachers as Researchers in the
Classroom. Second ed., Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., 2008,
Print.
Schmuck, Richard A. Practical Action Research: A Collection of Articles. Second ed.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2008. Print.
Ries, M. “Understanding Action Research.” Center for Collaborative Action Research.
Pepperdine University,-2010.Web.19 Jan. 2011
http://cadres.pepperdine.edu/ccar/define.html.
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3. What student demographic groups were used and how were they selected?
Whites: 67%, African Americans: 18%, Hispanic: 12%, Multiracial: 3%
4. What strategies were implemented during the study?
To meet the objective, I taught paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as correct citation
forms. Students were to use the appropriate models to prepare and submit: a research paper
that demonstrated that they could both paraphrase and summarize sources and then give
appropriate citation credit to the sources of their information.
To begin, I gave students a context exercise that uses a series of nonsense words. Then
using context clues students translated the nonsense words.
I then gave them a short two-paragraph article complete with a source citation. They were
required to write a word-for-word translation of the article.
Next, they summarized their paraphrased passage in twenty words or less.
Then students were required to take the twenty-word summary and summarize it again to a
passage of ten words or less.
Finally, using their shortest summary, they wrote the summary using an in-text citation.
They used the author’s name in a signal phrase.
5. What was the timeline for the study? Six total class periods were used, excluding planning
periods.
Approved
Disapproved
Comments
Principal
assigns
10-30 points
Principal’s
Signature
Director of Staff
Development
Signature
Date
Date
Acknowledged
LAKE COUNTY SCHOOLS
ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT - SHARING THE RESULTS
[Complete online and email to Haskinsbj@lake.k12.fl.us]
Title of Action
Research Project
Paraphrasing and Summarizing in Research
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Name of Teacher
Researcher
Bill R. Balderson, Jr.
Name of School
Eustis High School
Grade Level
11
The classroom problem was that EHS students do not understand the ramifications of
improperly documenting sources into their presentations resulting in failure to achieve success in
both standardized testing and persuasive argumentation.
To meet the objective, I taught paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as correct citation
forms. Students were to use the appropriate models to prepare and submit: a research
paper that demonstrated that they could both paraphrase and summarize sources and then
give appropriate citation credit to the sources of their information.
To begin, I gave students a context exercise that uses a series of nonsense words. Then
using context clues students translated the nonsense words.
I then gave them a short two-paragraph article complete with a source citation. They
were required to write a word-for-word translation of the article.
Next, they summarized their paraphrased passage in twenty words or less.
Then students were required to take the twenty-word summary and summarize it again
to a passage of ten words or less.
Finally, using their shortest summary, they wrote the summary using an in-text citation.
They used the author’s name in a signal phrase.
What separated this project from other projects in which I’ve participated in the past is the
learning and sharing aspects with other members of my department. Working closely with
other teachers gives me an insight into some of their educational views and techniques. And
if getting to know one’s fellow teachers within a department is a plus, then I feel I have been
rewarded in that respect.
Establishing trust with department members was another benefit of the experience. Not
only was I placed in the unusual, if not sometimes awkward, position of watching my fellow
teachers, I had to develop trust to allow them to watch me. This experience has added a
whole new dimension in terms of department collaboration.
Reflection and feedback is very important to department’s dynamic. The Action Research
Project gave each member of the department the chance to acquire these two components
that are vital if advances in teaching practices are to occur.
In terms of my personal curriculum, this project has created a lesson that will be an
integral part of all my future research paper projects. Over my career, as I continue to refine
my teaching plans and practices, the Action Research Plan affords me the opportunity to see
what works as well as what doesn’t work in a real high school classroom setting.
Finally, I must say that I am optimistic in terms of what the Action Research Project might
accomplish in the future, not only for me, but for my department. As the norm is often to
dwell in the confines of one’s own academic “world,” this type of project encourages, if not
requires, one to reflect on the thoughts and techniques of other professional educators.
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Source: A Guide to Becoming an Action Research – Department of Education
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